Pride 2021 comes to a close this weekend, after a hectic and joy-filled month that saw the queer community making up for the subdued pandemic Pride of last year. Pride is always an emotional time, filled with joy and gratitude for how far we’ve come, as well as the sober recognition of those we’ve lost and continuing battle for equality.
For so many LGBTQ+ folks, Pride is inextricable from popular culture. Many of us were first introduced to queerness via film and television, and spent our youth seeking out queer representation in a world filled with wall-to-wall heteronormative content. For millennials and older generations, the search for LGBTQ+ content was limited to subtext, slash fiction, and the occasional depressing indie movie. Today’s youth has access to a bevvy of queer characters and personalities in cartoons, commercials, and in the wide world of social media.
To celebrate Pride, we decided to take a look at some of our favorite queer content. So sit back, re-hydrate, and dig into these LGBTQ+ faves.
Princess Weekes:
This Pride month, I think we should revisit the film Pariah by Dee Rees. It was the story of a 17-year-old teenager named Alike (The Falcon and the Winter Soldier‘s Adepero Oduye) who is a stud lesbian embracing her identity while dealing with her mother’s (Kim Wayans) disapproval. It is a really emotionally complex film and remains one of the few examples of butch/studs in media. Rees herself, as a openly Black lesbian, has only continued to grow since this debut. I love it, Rees, and I am always excited about what she is going to do next.
Chelsea Steiner:
Despite being the largest group under the LGBTQ+ umbrella, bisexuals have long struggled with positive representation. Most films and series pigeonhole bisexuals as flighty and non-committal at best, and duplicitous and dangerous at worst. Thankfully, bisexual filmmaker Desiree Akhavan (The Miseducation of Cameron Post, Appropriate Behaviour) is here to unpack and subvert these tropes with humor and grace. Akhavan’s 6-episode Hulu series The Bisexual follows Leila (Akhavan) who breaks up with her long-term girlfriend and starts dating men and women. Leila’s stumble into singlehood is sharp, funny, and all too relatable for bi folks everywhere.
Rachel Leishman:
Bill Potts (Pearl Mackie) was the first openly gay companion on Doctor Who, and made a wonderful addition to the show. Mackie joined the cast for series 10, where she starred alongside Peter Capaldi, the Twelfth Doctor. She was one of the first companions in recent years to not have some flirtation with the Doctor, and was there for the excitement of traveling through time and space. It was delightful to see her find love with Heather (Stephanie Hyam).
Lyra Hale:
Hayley Kiyoko is a must play for Pride. Her latest song “Chance” is a cottage core Sapphic fairytale that is sweet and catchy. Looking for something a little hotter? She’s got that too! Check our “What I Need” feat. Kehlani and “Feelings.” Guaranteed that you will be fanning yourself by the end of it.
Briana Lawrence:
Honestly I’ve been spending the entire month doing reviews and features on queer content, so it’s hard to pick just one thing. That being said, I feel the need to share this clip from the anime series “Stars Align” and let the scene speak for itself:
What’s on the list for your must-watch Pride favorites? Let us know in the comments!
(image: Focus Features)
Want more stories like this? Become a subscriber and support the site!
—The Mary Sue has a strict comment policy that forbids, but is not limited to, personal insults toward anyone, hate speech, and trolling.—
