Pride festivities are being held a bit differently once again this year due to COVID-19. But we can still celebrate virtually with Netflix and a Wiretap playlist.
Rely on this playlist to help you start your online Pride party.
Master of None
The third season of this Emmy Award-winning series focuses on Denise (Lena Waithe) and her partner, Alicia (Naomi Ackie). They deal with the ups and downs of marriage, struggles with fertility, and personal growth.
Sex Education
This British dramedy may focus on high school student Otis Milburn and his sex therapist mother, Jean, but it’s Ncuti Gatwa as Eric Effiong, Otis’s openly gay best friend, who has been at the heart of some of the show’s most powerful and moving scenes.
Straight Up
This romantic dramedy has James Sweeney as its producer, director, writer, and actor. The film centers on a gay man with OCD who starts a relationship with his intellectual soul mate, Rory (Katie Findlay), while leaving out the sex and physical intimacy.
Disclosure
From executive producer Laverne Cox, this documentary is an in-depth look at Hollywood’s depiction of transgender people in film and TV. Disclosure really highlights how those stories have impacted transgender lives and American culture.
Special
Based on the memoir I’m Special: And Other Lies We Tell Ourselves by Ryan O’Connell, this autobiographical comedy focuses on a young gay man with cerebral palsy who begins living the life he wants. That life includes starting a new job, dating, and moving away from his overprotective mother (Jessica Hecht). O’Connell created, wrote, and stars in Special.
Lingua Franca
Isabel Sandoval wrote, directed, and stars in this acclaimed film about Olivia. She is an undocumented Filipino trans woman working as a caregiver to an elderly Russian woman in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn. When Olivia’s options for legal status in the US don’t work out, she becomes romantically involved with Olga’s adult grandson. She hopes the relationship will lead to a marriage-based green card.
Feel Good
This semi-autobiographical series, from comedian Mae Martin, follows a recovering addict and comedian who balances sobriety with the fluid landscape of gender and sexuality.
The Boys in the Band
An adaptation of the play by Mart Crowley, this Netflix Original film takes place at a birthday party in 1968 New York . A surprise guest and a drunken game leave seven gay friends dealing with both unspoken feelings and buried truths. The all-star cast of this Ryan Murphy production includes Jim Parsons, Zachary Quinto, Matt Bomer, and Andrew Rannells.
I Am Divine
A must-watch documentary, I Am Divine shares the story of Harris Glenn Milstead, who went on to become an international drag icon and John Waters’ cinematic muse, Divine.
Sense8
This sci-fi mystery from Lily and Lana Wachowski is about a group of people around the world who suddenly share a mental link. Fans especially fell in love with the relationship between Nomi (Jamie Clayton), a trans hacktivist, and her girlfriend, Amanita (Freema Agyeman).
Queer Eye and Queer Eye: We’re in Japan
In this Netflix revival of the hit Bravo series, a new Fab Five offers more than a makeover. They change lives, hearts, and minds wherever they go.
Pose (not available in Canada)
This drama about New York’s underground ball culture in the 80s and 90s is unlike anything else on TV. It features the largest cast of transgender actors in regular roles and the largest recurring cast of LGBTQ actors ever for a scripted series.
The Half of It
Writer and director Alice Wu brings us this modern-day, queer retelling of Cyrano de Bergerac’s story. It’s about Ellie, a smart but shy student hired by a jock to win over a popular girl. The new friendship becomes complicated when Ellie realizes she has feelings for the same girl.
Mucho Mucho Amor: The Legend of Walter Mercado
This Netflix documentary is about the iconic, gender non-conforming Puerto Rican astrologer, Walter Mercado. Also known as Shanti Ananda, he enthralled millions of Latino viewers for decades before vanishing from the public eye.
Schitt’s Creek
David (Daniel Levy) and Patrick’s (Noah Reid) epic relationship is just one reason to watch this hit Canadian comedy. Equally loved by fans and critics, all six seasons of this Emmy-winning series are on Netflix.
The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson
Activist and domestic-violence counsellor, Victoria Cruz, investigates the mysterious 1992 death of Marsha P. Johnson. She was the Black gay-rights activist and leader in the Stonewall uprising of 1969.
Everything Sucks
This endearing series set in 1996 was canceled after just one season, but its humor and heart endure. At the center of the story is Kate Messner, a high-school student who begins questioning her sexuality.
RuPaul’s Drag Race
In this Emmy award-winning competition series, world-famous drag queen RuPaul searches for America’s next drag superstar. Discover the greats like Sasha Velour, Bianca Del Rio, and Bob the Drag Queen from Seasons 1 to 12 on Netflix.
Hannah Gadsby: Nanette and Douglas
In her Emmy-winning stand-up special, Nanette, Gadsby opens up about her life and growing up gay in Tasmania. Among the laughs are the heartbreaking anecdotes that will bring you to tears. Her follow-up special, Douglas, was released this spring.
One Day at a Time (Seasons 1 – 3)
One Day at a Time deals with several pressing topics over its four seasons. One of its most impactful storylines revolves around Elena (Isabella Gomez). She comes out as a lesbian and has her first serious relationship with her non-binary partner, Syd. The first three seasons are still available on Netflix following the series’ cancellation, but PopTV has given it new life.
The Queen
This film takes us behind the scenes of the 1967 Miss All-America Camp Beauty Pageant. It documents the national drag-queen contest in New York City, including rehearsals, dressing-room conversations, and the rivalries.
A Secret Love
Lesbian couple Terry Donahue and Pat Henschel were together for nearly seven decades before coming out to their families. This Netflix original documentary traces how they met, their lives in Chicago away from their family, aging, illness, and the debate over whether or not they should get married.
Grace and Frankie
Grace (Jane Fonda) and Frankie’s (Lily Tomlin) lives are suddenly turned upside down when their husbands, law partners Robert (Martin Sheen) and Sol (Sam Waterston), reveal they are gay. After years of hiding their relationship, the men leave their wives for each other.
Trixie Mattel: Moving Parts
A documentary about the Drag Race All Stars winner looks at the exhausting tour schedule, and the pressure that comes with the title. It also deals with the complicated relationship with Trixie’s friend and co-star, Katya.
Circus of Books
Karen and Barry Mason owned the gay porn shop in Los Angeles for over 35 years that gave the LGBTQ community a place to socialize and celebrate. This documentary by Ryan Murphy and the Masons’ daughter, Rachel, is about the straight, mainstream couple who kept the nature of their business a secret from their friends and family.
(Still Images Courtesy of Netflix; GIFs and Header by Wiretap)