More often than not, queer sex scenes cut away before the characters get it on. LGBTQ + identities have recently been used as a selling point, but there has been little follow-through on the actual representation. From an orc lesbian cop in a throwaway Disney movie to a background kiss in a big franchise, queer representation can fall to the wayside in film and TV.

In past decades, queer sex scenes usually have consisted of five seconds of locking lips. Now, they dare to keep the camera rolling. These movies and TV shows are challenging the binary by openly depicting queer sex on screen, and not ignoring sexuality. We promise that these ones don’t just fade to black after the characters share a kiss. From tender to freaky, we’ve got the whole spectrum on this list.

1. All of Us Strangers

This film is all about quiet intimacy and unyielding desire while simultaneously dealing with grief, loneliness, and belonging. Two queer men meet in their empty apartment complex and what ensues is one of the most crushing and beautiful romances in recent years. On a lighter note, the audience also gets to see the “unspeakable things” Andrew Scott and Paul Mescal’s characters get up to.

2. Desert Hearts

Desert Hearts is the first movie to bring lesbian sex to the big screen, and it doesn’t disappoint. Before the release of the film in 1985, lesbians were largely depicted as predators, but Desert Hearts subverted that narrative and gave viewers a masterclass in patience. It also doesn’t shy away from the fear of your first time, and it’s oh-so-endearing. Filled with desire, this heartwarming queer sex scene stands the test of time.

3. Passages

In a daringly long scene, we see the voice actor of Paddington plow German actor Franz Rogowski for several minutes. All jokes aside, this film deals with complicated relationships and the fluidity of sexuality. It’s a must-watch for anyone who feels stuck in their lives, the eye candy cast is just a plus.

4. A Fantastic Woman 

This is first and foremost a film about grief, but it is paramount in its representation. About a trans woman grieving the loss of her partner, this award-winning Chilean movie shows us the good, the bad, and the ugly. It’s also maybe the only piece of cinema daring enough to go from oral sex to a full-blown musical number, so that alone makes it worth a watch.

5. POSE

The revolutionary TV show POSE is unapologetically queer and gives us all kinds of sex scenes. One of the most notable is between characters Ricky (Dyllón Burnside) and Pray Tell (Billy Porter) who is openly HIV Positive. It’s the first time on screen that two Black gay men with HIV are shown being sexually active, and aside from the cultural achievement, it’s hot as hell. The show’s trans characters are also realistically depicted as sexual beings, and it fills the void of trans representation in queer sex scenes.

6. Sense 8

This show truly has everything. In a great introduction for a great couple, we get sapphic sex with a rainbow strap. One-half of this fan-favourite pair is also a trans woman, and the show doesn’t shy away from her sexuality. In a refreshing twist, it’s a show that isn’t about queerness, yet features so much of it. There’s also a mind-link orgy if that’s your thing.

7. The Handmaiden

Adapted from the Sarah Waters novel The Fingersmith, The Handmaiden is full of desire-fueled sex. It’s not just carnal, these ladies are crazy for each other, and you can hear the bells in the distance for these love birds.

8. Interview with the Vampire

These gays took ‘Levitating’ by Dua Lipa to heart in this one. The sex scene, which started as a threesome, is messy, hungry, undeniably horny, and gets the blood flowing in more ways than one. Fang lovers are back and better than ever in Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire, and god is it messy.

9. Bruised

In her feature-length debut, Halle Berry directs herself in one of the best sex scenes to date. With a lovely score and camera work, this scene is full of need even when the characters aren’t speaking. These women look like they can’t get close enough, and if that isn’t queer desire, we don’t know what is.

10. The White Lotus

In its two seasons, White Lotus has had two surprise gay sex scenes, and in both, someone sneaked a peak. The show brought ass-eating to the silver screen in its first gay rendezvous. In its second, the show shocked audiences by having icon Jennifer Coolidge catch the seemingly nephew-uncle pair (they aren’t actually related) getting it on. In a season full of escorts, audiences were not expecting that shocking twist. Set against steamy resort settings, The White Lotus does not disappoint when it comes to queer sex scenes.

11. Atomic Blonde

It may be short, but sometimes good things come in small packages. It’s also not a blink-and-you-miss-it situation. The only thing you’ll miss if you blink is Charlise Theron’s side boob. If you like the passion that comes with enemies-to-lovers, you’ll find everything you need with this sweaty sapphic thriller. Just don’t expect a happy ending outside of the bedroom.

12. Disobedience

If you were a queer kid who looked up girls kissing on youtube, this is the evolution you’ve been searching for. The spit-fueled sex scene between Rachel Weiz and Rachel McAdams not only gives same-name couples fuel for the spank bank, it also shows that not every sex scene needs a ton of skin. It’s the hottest fully clothed queer sex around.

13. Bros

In the Billy Eichner romantic comedy Bros, we get muscle worship, group sex, and all sorts of kinky shenanigans. It’s a wild change in cinema that marks a new era for raunchy representation on screen. Not all queer relationships are PG, and queer people deserve to deliver the punchlines instead of being one themselves.

Queer people shouldn’t have to feel ashamed about sex or desire, and having that become normal on screen is paramount in stopping the spread of stigma. Representation of all forms is vital, and for young people questioning their sexualities, seeing queer sex depicted positively could help them on their journey. At the very least, queer people deserve to feel incredibly awkward and a little turned on at the cinema too.

LGBTQ+ identities aren’t just a punch line or a marketing strategy, there are people behind them, and those people deserve to feel seen. It can be alienating to only see cis-hetero sex in film and TV. By including queer sex scenes, and good ones at that, filmmakers are bringing the heart and the heat to the industry.