Television
Tipping the Velvet (2002) | No trailer available
Miniseries set in the 1890's, tells the lesbian love affair between male impersonator music hall star Kitty Butler and Nan Astley.
Transparent (2014) | Trailer
A dramedy-ish show that revolves around a Los Angeles family and their lives following the discovery that father is transgender.
Angels in America (2003) | Trailer
An adaption of Tony Kushner's plays about social, sexual, religious issues facing 1980s America as the AIDS crisis gains momentum.
Queer as Folk (1999) | Glouriously 90's Trailer
The groundbreaking drama about gay life in Manchester. There also exist a U.S. version if you for some reason want to watch a worse version that doesn't feature young Littlefinger.
The L Word (2004) | Trailer
Follows the lives and loves of a small, close-knit group of lesbians living in Los Angeles as well as the friends and family members that either support or loath them.
Don't Ever Wipe Tears Without Gloves (2012) | Trailer
A drama miniseries about finding love just as the AIDS epidemic hits Stockholm's gay community.
Lip Service (2010) | Trailer for the second series since it is the best trailer
Basically "The L Word" but set in Scotland, with different charachters and a different tone. So it's not really like "The L Word". But people keep insiting that it is. But it's not. Except it kind of is. But not really.
Please Like Me (2013) | Trailer
A really great, semi-autobiographical comedy about Josh who realises that he is gay after his girlfriend dumps him.
Looking (2014) | Trailer
The experiences of three close friends living and loving in modern-day San Francisco. Check out the season 2 OT
Noah's Arc (2005) | Trailer
Supposedly it is a good show. But I'm not sure if it is "good for being on Logo"-good or "actually a good show"-good. Anyway, the show itself centres on gay life in west Hollywood.
The Line Of Beauty (2006) | Trailer
An adaptation of the novel of the same name. This three-part series is set in the 1980's and is about Nick Guest who is to begin postgraduate studies in London, moves into the luxurious home belonging to the family of his best friend and casts himself into the life of plentiful riches and love affairs.
Fingersmith (2005) | Trailer
The lives of two young women collide in Victorian England when a trio of 'fingersmiths' (pick-pockets) concoct an elaborate scam to defraud a young heiress of her inheritance.
Sugar Rush (2005) | No trailer available
Based on the novel of the same name, Sugar Rush follows the life of a 15 year old lesbian who moves from London to Brighton on the south coast of England.
Films
The Normal Heart (2014) | Trailer
The recent HBO adaptation of the play of the same name by Larry Kramer. Adapted by Kramer and Ryan Murphy it is about the AIDS epidemic of the 80's centring around activists in New York.
Laurance Anyways (2012) | The films of Xavier Dolan | Trailer
Being one of the most exciting contemporary directors Xavier Dolan has explored multiple facets of the queer identity without making his films solely about being queer. In my mind his greatest work so far has been Laurance Anyways and if you're just going to watch one film on this list, make it this one. It doesn't hurt that Xavier Dolan also happens to be very pretty.
East Palace, West Palace (1996) | Trailer
A film about a gay writer that explores what it means to be gay in China where even if it is technically legal to be gay the police still persecute homosexuals.
Beautiful Thing (1996) | Trailer of misleadingly dubious quality
A really sweet and funny coming of age film set in the suburbs of London.
Bent (1997) | Trailer
Based on the play of the same name about the persecution of homosexuals by the Nazis and life in the concentration camps. Also worth noting that this is probably the only film in which you will see both Mick Jagger and Jamie Lannister.
Caravaggio (1986) | The films of Derek Jarman | Trailer
One of the pioneers of gay cinema, and the man who brought Tilda Swinton into the limelight, the work of Derek Jarman is a showcase of eccentricity and creativity. I single out Caravaggio not for being his best film but it is probably one of his more accessible works, Nigel Terry and Sean Bean stars in the biopic (of sorts) about the Baroque painter.
Scorpio Rising (1964) | The films of Kenneth Anger | Trailer (for a compilation of his work)
Kenneth Anger is an experimental film-maker who is one of the first (if not the first) American directors to bring gay culture to the cinema. Why do I single out Scorpio Rising? Because yet again this is probably one of the more accessible works, it's about an army of gay Nazi bikers... Yes, most of Anger's work can only be described by the phrase "it is one of the most insane things I've ever seen" .
Pink Narcissus (1971) | Trailer (NSFW!)
I'm going to let the description from the BFI speak for itself:
Pink Narcissus is a breathtaking and outrageous erotic poem focussing on the daydreams of a beautiful boy prostitute who, from the seclusion of his ultra-kitsch apartment, conceives a series of interlinked narcissistic fantasies populated by matadors, dancing boys, slaves and leather-clad bikers. ... With its highly charged hallucinogenic quality, its atmosphere of lush decadence, and its explicit erotic power, Pink Narcissus is a landmark of gay cinema.
North Sea Texas (2011) | Trailer
The second coming of age film on this list, and this one is a stunner, combining some really amazing visuals with a delicate handling of the story.
Brotherhood (2009) | Trailer
David Dencik is one of the greatest working Swedish actors and he co-stars in this film about two Danish ex-servicemen who when they meet in a neo-nazi group start a relationship.
Weekend (2011) | Trailer
A beautiful, low-key film about a gay man's weekend-long encounter with an artist.
The Boys in the Band (1970) | Trailer
One of the early works of queer cinema, directed by William Friedkin and based on the play of the same name about. The film focuses on its characters and how they interact during a birthday party.
The Naked Civil Servant (1975) | Clip
Based on the autobiography of the same name and starring John Hurt, this television film is about Quentin Crisp, one of the most important gay icons in Britain.
Milk (2008) | Trailer
The dramatisation of the life of gay activist Harvey Milk. Pretty darn decent biopic.
Stranger by the Lake (2013) | Trailer
A film about love and murder around a cruising spot for men.
Prayers for Bobby (2009) | Trailer
Yes it is a Lifetime film but don't stop reading, this one is actually decent. A biopic about Mary Griffith, and the why and how she became a gay rights activist.
Yossi & Jagger (2002) | Trailer
An Israeli film about love between two soldiers stationed in an outpost on the Lebanese border. There also exist a less good sequel which you may want to check out if you loved this film.
Boys Don't Cry (1999) | Trailer
The film is a dramatisation of the life of Brandon Teena, a trans man who attempts to find himself and love in Nebraska. A bit bleak but very well made.
Manji (1964) | Trailer
Based on the Japanese novel Quicksand, a married woman having a husband, meets a young, beautiful model and falls in love.
Brokeback Mountain (2005) | Trailer
Probably the biggest mainstream hit of queer cinema (and deservedly so) tells the story of love between two cowboys in Wyoming.
A Single Man (2009) | Trailer
A gorgeous piece of cinema, based on the book of the same name about an English professor struggling to cope with ordinary life in 1960's Los Angeles after the sudden death of his boyfriend. Also Nicholas Hoult is ridiculously good looking.
Maurice (1987) | Trailer
From the director of "Room with a View" and based on the novel of the same title it is a tale of same-sex love in early 20th century England, featuring a young Hugh Grant and great cinematography.
The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994) | Trailer
A great, if fairly camp, road trip film which follows the journey of two drag queens and a transsexual woman across the Australian Outback.
Christopher and His Kind (2011) | Trailer
Adapted from writer Christopher Isherwood's autobiography of the same name this television film tells the story of Christopher's life in Berlin in the early 1930s.
Free Fall (2013) | Trailer
The film centres around a police officer with a pregnant girlfriend, who whilst he is away on a training course falls in love with a male colleague and the complications that arises from that.
Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2001) | Trailer
Based on the stage musical of the same name, this musical comedy-drama film is about a fictional rock band fronted by an East German transgender singer and their tour across the U.S.
Blue Is the Warmest Colour (2013) | Trailer
A French romantic coming-of-age drama about discovering desire, and asserting oneself as a woman and as an adult. Featuring some magnificent performances from the leads.
Happy Together (1997) | Trailer
Directed by the great Hong Kong auteur Wong Kar Wai, the film is about a turbulent relationship between two men.
Mysterious Skin (2004) | The films of Gregg Araki | Trailer
I have no idea how Gregg Araki made this film, most of his work is funny, immaterial films that play with gender norms and sexuality. This however is a fantastic piece of drama with a great central performance by Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
Bad Education (2004) | The films of Pedro Almodóvar | Trailer
Queerness is a central theme in a lot of the films by the Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar, the film I have singled out centres around two childhood friends and the sexual abuse that occurred during their religious schooling under the Franco regime.
Tomboy (2011) | Trailer
This is worth seeing just because of the stunning performance that Zoé Héran gives as a 10 year old transgender boy. Like seriously, the film is great and all but that performance is hauntingly good.
Documentaries
The Celluloid Closet (1995) | Trailer
Based on the book with the same name, The Celluloid Closet examines LGBTIQ life in the world of film, both on and off screen.
Vito (2011) | Trailer
The story of Vito Russo, one of the early gay activists, author of "The Celluloid Closet," and AIDS activist.
She's a Boy I Knew (2007) | Trailer
Filmmaker Gwen Haworth turns her camera on her family for this down-to-earth documentary that follows her transition from male to female over the course of several years.
Paragraph 175 (2000) | Trailer
The film chronicles the lives of survivors of the Nazi persecution of homosexuals under the German Penal Code, Paragraph 175.
Paris Is Burning (1990) | Trailer
Explores the New York drag scene in the 1980s, voguing, balls and the hopes and dreams of those who participated.
Call Me Kuchu (2012) | Trailer
Examines what it is like to be gay in Uganda and the fight against a bill which threatens to make homosexuality punishable by death.
How to Survive a Plague (2012) | Trailer
A look into the fight against AIDS, focusing on the efforts of activist groups ACT UP and TAG.
Queer as 18th Century Folk (2003) | No trailer available
Part of the documentary series Georgian Underworld that examined "hidden" aspects of life in 18th century Britain. Queen Anna Chancellor narrates this episode that focuses on queer life which provides some fascinating historical insights.
The Times of Harvey Milk (1984) | Trailer
An engrossing documentary of the career of Harvey Milk, gay activist and the first openly gay person to be elected to public office in California.
Edie & Thea: A Very Long Engagement (2009) | Trailer
After 42 years, lesbian couple Edie and Thea are finally getting married. The film chronicles their lives from the early '60s to the present day and the political and personal battles they've endured.
We Were Here (2011) | Trailer
This film examines the arrival and impact of AIDS in San Francisco and how the community rose to the occasion in response.
Screaming Queens: The Riot at Compton's Cafeteria (2005) | Trailer
Three years before the riot at Stonewall, a group of transgender women and drag queens fought police harassment at Compton's Cafeteria in San Francisco. This film explores that event, the people who partook in it and life in San Fransisco around that time.
Before Stonewall (1984) | Trailer
A historical retrospective of the Gay and Lesbian community before the Stonewall riots started the larger gay rights movement.
Stonewall Uprising (2010) | Trailer
The documentary chronicles the police raid of Stonewall in June 1969 and the riot that followed.
After Stonewall (1999) | Trailer
A historical retrospective of the Gay Rights movement from the 1969 Stonewall riots to the present.
TransGeneration (2005) | Trailer
A docuseries that looks at the lives of four college students undergoing gender transition.
A Jihad for Love (2007) | Trailer
A documentary on gay, lesbian, and transgender Muslims across the Muslim and Western worlds.
Making the Boys (2011) | Trailer
The story of one of the first gay plays in America, the film adaptation and their legacies.
The Case Against 8 (2014) | Trailer
Taking a look at the events that led up to, the fight against and the aftermath of California's Proposition 8 which defined marriage as between a man and a woman only.
Intersexion (2012) | Trailer
A documentary about what it means to be intersex and how intersex individuals navigate through a male/female world.
Common Threads: Stories from the Quilt (1989) | Trailer
A collection of profiles of people dead from AIDS who are remembered in the AIDS Memorial Quilt.
For the Bible Tells Me So (2007) | Trailer
An exploration of the intersection between religion and homosexuality in the U.S. and how the religious right has used its interpretation of the Bible to stigmatize the gay community.
Hunted (2014) | Trailer
A part of the investigative journalism show Dispatches, Hunted takes a chilling look at the homophobia in Russia. Also known as a stand alone documentary Hunted: The War Against Gays in Russia
(A)sexual (2011) | Trailer
A film about the emergence of the asexual community, the lives of some of its members, and the struggle to claim their identity.
Les Invisibles (2012) | Trailer
Several elderly homosexual men and women speak their lives in France at a time when society rejected them.
Southern Comfort (2011) | Trailer
The film documents the final year in the life of Robert Eads, a female-to-male transsexual, who when diagnosed with cancer was turned down for treatment by two dozen doctors out of fear that treating such a patient would hurt their reputations.
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