Despite a general lack of LGBTQ+ representation in media at large, there are countless great examples of LGBTQ+ TV series ripe for streaming this holiday season. Whether you’re looking for a drama, a high-stakes fantasy, or a light-hearted comedy, here’s our list of 33 of the best LGBTQ+ series to check out (if you haven’t seen them already).

Heartbreak High

A distinctly Australian teen drama, Heartbreak High is an edgy but authentic LGBTQ+ TV series that has been praised for its commitment to diversity and inclusivity. With well-rounded non-binary, asexual, bisexual and neurodivergent characters, the show offers exactly the type of genuinely diverse representation we want to see on our TV.

First Kill

Maybe the “vampire hunter falls in love with a vampire” plot is something we’ve already seen too many times on screen, but what better way to keep it fresh than by making both of those characters lesbian? This sapphic supernatural soap is the perfect way to make your relaxed holiday nights that little bit spookier.

Conversations with Friends

After the wild success that Normal People had, it’s only natural that another of Sally Rooney’s best-sellers gets its own TV adaptation. This time its Conversation with Friends, which offers a great modern depiction of the protagonist’s bisexuality. “You make it sound like gay is the destination and bisexual is a stop on the way,” she tells another character in one of the episodes.

The Bastard Son and the Devil Himself

This brutish but artful TV show is for those who don’t mind a bit – ok, a lot – of blood being thrown around and are looking for some witch-based fantasy drama. Among all the killings and blood spurting, there is also a beautiful exploration of teenage sexuality and queerness. And maybe a hint of polyamory?

Heartstopper

Despite its relatively recent release, Netflix’s Heartstopper, based on the graphic novels of the same name by Alice Oseman, has celebrated queer joy in a way that other series haven’t been able to. The main characters of the LGBTQ+ TV series, Charlie Spring (Joe Locke) and Nick Nelson (Kit Connor), are seen relishing the early stages of queer love as they share their first kiss, their first date, and face the struggles of coming out side by side. 

While many stories of young queer love have focused heavily on sex in the past, this ground-breaking series is tooth-achingly sweet in its approach to young love. 

Sandman

With its dark materials and spectacular otherworldly landscapes, Sandman offers lots of gothic delights to all fans of the genre. And the fact that some of the characters are incredibly queer only makes this Netflix original series all the more worth a watch.

Euphoria

While we wait patiently for its third season to air, we remember that the second season of Euphoria did not disappoint in its in-depth representation of young queerness. The journey these spectacularly-dressed high schoolers embark on takes the viewers on a rollercoaster of emotions, exploring sex, drugs, trauma, love and friendship.

Young Royals

Have you watched Young Royals yet? Following the love story between Swedish Prince Wilhelm and his classmate Simon, the LGBTQ+ TV series offers a realistic representation of class and what it means to be pressured by society’s expectations. And if you’re tired of all those shows that present us with unrealistically teenage characters, Young Royals is here to bring some truth to your viewing habits. 

A League of Their Own

Based on the 1992 movie of the same name, A League of Their Own follows the formation of an all-female professional baseball team against the backdrop of World Word 2. The co-leads Carson and Max hesitantly explore their sexuality while battling internalised homophobia and the racist and misogynist nature of the era. Want to know more about this stunning series? Check out our interview with actor Lea Robinson!

Interview with the Vampire

AMC’s new televised adaptation sheds a whole new light on Anne Rice’s famous novel by making its protagonist a Black and gay vampire. With its critique of racial and relationship dynamics, this ends up being much more than just a vampire series. Prepare to sink your fangs in a spectacular blend of horror, sexuality and humour with this compelling reboot.

Queer as Folk

The original British version of the show, which debuted in 1999, has become one of the classic LGBTQ+ TV series, and the 2022 reboot is a worthy successor. With a much more diverse cast of characters that refuses to homogenise the queer community, this story follows the aftermath of a shooting at a queer club, giving a powerful insight into how everyone was impacted by the event.

Shameless

Debuting in 2011, Shameless told the dark, dirty, and often unsavoury story of the Gallagher family. While the series has featured LGBTQ+ characters since its first season, namely Cameron Monaghan’s character Ian, the series didn’t see its first transgender character until its seventh season in the form of Trevor. Portrayed by Elliot Fletcher, Trevor is a trans masc character who enters the series as a love interest opposite Monoghan’s character.

Throughout his tenure on the show Trevor introduces Ian to a number of other trans characters, as well as schooling the Gallaghers on proper trans terminology. While Trevor’s character was cut from the series after its eighth season, the character was pivotal in introducing trans identities to an audience that otherwise might not have been exposed to them. 

Umbrella Academy

This dark take on the classic superhero story sees a family of powerful siblings as they reluctantly reconnect as adults. The hit TV series, based on the comics of the same name, introduced a trans character to its cast in a particularly unique way. The series stars Elliott Page, both before and after his transition, which was announced between the show’s second and third seasons.

When Page’s character Vanya appeared in Season 3, he was quick to announce that he wished to be called Viktor, a nod to Page’s own transition that occurred between the seasons. Page has spoken extensively on the work the team behind Umbrella Academy conducted behind-the-scenes to allow Viktor to transition alongside him. “I’ve never seen a trans person in real-time transitioning onscreen and becoming himself in a story where that’s part of the story, but it’s not the point of the story. It’s in the background for a lot of the story, which I think is perfect and exactly right.”

Orange is the New Black

Laverne Cox’s role in the LGBTQ+ series Orange is the New Black is likely one of the earliest examples of positive trans representation in TV history. The series, based on the story of a women’s prison, heavily features Cox’s character, Sophia Burset, a transgender inmate in the prison. Cox received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for her role in the series, making her the first ever trans person in history to be nominated for an Emmy in an acting category. 

Pose

Based on the Ballroom scene of 1980’s New York City, a scene dominated by trans women of colour, it is unsurprising that Ryan Murphy’s Pose is stacked with positive trans representation in the form of characters like Blanca (MJ Rodriguez), Angel (Indya Moore), Elektra (Dominique Jackson), Lulu (Hailie Sahar), and Candy (Angelica Ross). Throughout the LGBTQ+ TV series, these trans women face a variety of struggles including racism, transphobia, and the onset of the HIV/AIDS crisis. That being said, the characters also bask in the light of queer joy, celebration, and found family. 

Supergirl

​​​​It’s no secret that superhero franchises like Marvel and DC have taken over the world with their films and TV series in recent years. What also isn’t a secret is that these projects have frequently lacked plentiful and positive LGBTQ+ representation. The CW series Supergirl changed all that when they introduced the character of Nia Nal, played by actress Nicole Maines. When Maines joined the cast of Supergirl in 2018, she made history as the first-ever trans superhero on TV. 

Sense8

Sense8 has always been praised for its LGBTQ+ inclusion since it debuted in 2018. When it comes to trans characters on the show, the most remarkable is Nomi Marks, played by Jamie Clayton. In addition to being trans herself, Clayton’s character was written by a trans woman, Lana Wachowski, and the series was directed by a trans woman, Lilly Wachowski, though Lilly came out after the show had wrapped. Sense8 is yet another example of positive trans representation wherein the characters’ transness is never used as the driving force of their storyline. 

RuPaul’s Drag Race

While Drag Race is not scripted like the rest of the shows on our list, it’s impossible to underestimate the impact that the LGBTQ+ TV series has had on positive representation. Despite a rocky start, in recent years, openly trans contestants now feature on nearly every single season of every single franchise, including trans masc, trans femme, and non-binary identities, Drag Race reserves space for contestants to discuss their identities, their struggles, and the ongoing threat of transphobia in the world at large.

That being said, the series similarly saves space for trans contestant to celebrate trans joy, with a significant number of the show’s winners being trans, including Kylie Sonique Love (All Stars 6), Willow Pill (Season 14), and Vanessa Van Cartier (Holland), amongst others. 

The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina

Despite originally identifying as non-binary, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina character Leo Putnam (Lachlan Watson) later comes out as a trans man to his friends. Theo’s trans identity is celebrated by his fellow castmates and is consistently re-affirmed throughout the series. Watson made history as one of the youngest non-binary actors to ever be cast on a TV series when he joined Sabrina in 2018. The series later highlighted Theo’s same-sex relationship with Robin Goodfellow (Jonathan Whitesell) without perpetuating any tired or offensive transphobic narratives. 

It’s A Sin

The five-part miniseries created by Russell T Davis, the very same screenwriter who gave us Queer as Folk, deals with the effects of the AIDS epidemic on the gay community in London.

By following the lives of three young gay men who just arrived in the city to follow their dreams, it shows us the reaction to the first signs of the new disease. With its brutal honesty and heartbreaking plot, this LGBTQ+ TV series is both a mourning and a celebration of the lives lost to the crisis.

Feel Good

Co-created by comedian Mae Martin, who plays herself as the protagonist in the show, this witty and funny series provides a sweet romantic storyline, while also portraying a person dealing with trauma and addiction. And what’s more, it has a non-binary protagonist and a character who struggles with coming out while dealing with all the misconceptions on bisexuality.

Ellen

While Ellen DeGeneres might not be everyone’s favourite day-time talk-show host anymore, you can’t deny that the comedian has done a lot of work when it comes to increasing LGBTQ+ visibility in mainstream TV. 

Most notably, Ellen’s mid-’90s sitcom, simply titled Ellen, made history in 1997 when Ellen became the first-ever character to publicly declare “I’m gay” on TV. While LGBTQ+ characters are fairly common in series today, it’s shocking to believe that the first openly-queer television lead character only appeared on our screens in the late 1990’s. 

Will & Grace

Perhaps one of the most prominent and impactful TV shows of a generation, Will & Grace was revolutionary for the visibility that it brought to the gay community. It became a surprise hit for NBC, and from 2001 to 2005 would be the highest rated sitcom for viewers aged 18-49. Such was its popularity that it was rebooted in 2017 turning a new generation of viewers on to the show.

The power of Will & Grace lay in its normalising of its gay characters. It could be argued that it desensitised American culture to homosexuality, or at the very least, it made it more acceptable. The main focus of the show is friendship- a universal topic and concern. It depicted its characters in everyday situations and explored relationships through its comedic structure.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wmk6PCK_ysA

Queer Eye

The original LGBTQ+ TV program and its reboot both star a team of five LGBTQ+ mentors who help to transform random individuals into the best versions of themselves through fashion, food, styling, and culture. Despite getting canceled in 2007, the series was rebooted in 2018 with an all-new ‘Fab Five’ featuring the series’ first non-binary mentor, Jonathan Van Ness. 

This ground-breaking LGBTQ+ TV series was some viewers’ first experience watching an entirely queer cast. The relatability, candour, and emotion of the Fab Five made this series a favourite then, and a favourite now. 

The L Word

A staple show for many lesbian and queer people alike, The L Word was the first major show to highlight the lives of lesbian women. Starring Shane McCutcheon and Jennifer Beals, the series is set in Los Angeles and was innovative for its earnest depiction of its characters, whilst gaining notoriety for its daring sex scenes. The show was impactful for lesbian and bisexual women, in particular, cementing a cornerstone moment for visibility on mainstream television.

Glee

Love it or hate it, there’s no denying that Ryan Murphy’s Glee introduced the world to popular representations on queer identities since its first 2009 episode. With storylines from a variety of LGBTQ+ identities and a fabulously queer double-gay wedding, Glee paved the way for queer storytelling that didn’t have to be in the background or focused on queer tragedy.

Modern Family

Over the course of its 11-year run on ABC, Modern Family introduced the world to one of the first-of-its-kind depictions of a loving, nurturing household with two gay men at its centre. In the series, Cam, portrayed by Eric Stonestreet, and Mitchell, played by Jesse Tyler Ferguson, go on to adopt two children, showing for perhaps the first time on modern television, a positive depiction of queer parenting.

Our Flag Means Death

Starring the iconic Taika Waititi as the infamous pirate Edward ‘Blackbeard’ Teach, Our Flag Means Death was a surprising hit with audiences when it first premiered in 2022. With a second season now under its belt, the deeply gay comedy focuses on the fictionalised romantic relationship between Waititi’s Blackbeard and Stede ‘The Gentleman Pirate’ Bonnet, played by Rhys Darby. 

Grey’s Anatomy

While this long-running medical drama has never been a “queer” series, throughout its 20 seasons, Grey’s Anatomy has championed the lived experiences of individuals from all areas of the LGBTQ+ community. In addition to featuring queer characters like Dr Arizona Robbins (Jessica Capshaw), Dr Callie Torres (Sara Ramirez), and Dr Levi Schmitt (Jake Borelli), the series also recently introduced Dr Kai Bartley, a non-binary doctor played by non-binary actor ER Fightmaster. 

Recent seasons of the show display how far the series has come since it debuted in 2005. This is particularly true in terms of the show’s LGBTQ+ content and storylines, considering the fact that gay actor TR Knight, who played Dr George O’Malley on the series, was written out of the show after coming out in 2006. Knight allegedly suffered homophobic abuse while on the set of Grey’s, though the actor who allegedly perpetrated the abuse was fired as a result. 

The Last of Us

Based on the video game series of the same name, The Last of Us was the talk of the town at the beginning of 2023 following the release of its third episode. Dedicated to a queer love story set during the zombie apocalypse, the episode received wide fan-fare due in no small part to the incredible acting talents of Nick Offerman and Murray Bartlett. 

While the story of Bill (Offerman) and Frank (Bartlett) was, in the end, a tragic one, the beautiful story touched the hearts of LGBTQ+ viewers all over the world who rarely see themselves in media. 

Fellow Travelers

Still in the process of airing, this miniseries from Showtime tells the story of numerous queer individuals during the Lavender Scare, a dark period in the history of the United States where a moral panic over homosexuality led to the mass dismissal of LGBTQ+ people from the United States government. 

The LGBTQ+ series follows two government workers, Tim Laughlin (Jonathan Bailey) and Hawkins Fuller (Matt Bomer) as they navigate life, love, and sex in McCarthy-era America. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncI5zaylPLM

The Fall of the House of Usher

Debuting in the autumn of 2023 to wide acclaim from horror and literature fans alike, The Fall of the House of Usher, based on the stories and poems by Edgar Allan Poe, was filled to the brim with LGBTQ+ characters. 

Following the life and times of the Usher family, the figureheads of a massive pharmaceutical empire, the series follows each of the family members as they succumb to the after-effects of their father’s ‘deal with the devil’.  The majority of the Usher children, including Victorine, Napoleon, Camille, and Prospero, are all explicitly queer throughout the series — though some of them last longer than others. 

Gen V

This spin-off series from the world of The Boys follows a series of collegiate super heroes as they try to work their way up Godolkin University’s leaderboard to earn a spot in The Seven, an elite group of crime-fighting superheroes. It doesn’t take long for our protagonists to realize, however, that not all is as it seems at the school. 

After the show’s first season, queerness seems to be compulsory at GodU, with several of the main characters either identifying as queer, including Jordan Li, a bi-gender Asian superhero with the ability to transform between their male and female selves at will.