Best LGBT Shows on Netflix in 2021

LGBT shows on Netflix have become commonplace now with representation in almost every Netflix original. We see LGBT characters portrayed both as major and minor characters with rounded three-dimensional characteristics now more than ever. This is of course a welcome development to us and this list is to point you in the right direction if you ever feel at a loss on where to start with LGBT shows on Netflix. Whilst this is not a definitive list and there are many other sensational top-notch LGBT shows/movies on Netflix, we have made the list so that it caters to genres unexpected/rare in the LGBT community like horror movies and cartoon series. We also have a mix of shows from English-speaking countries like the U.S.A and the UK as well as non-English shows from Spain, France, and India to deliver you a very dynamic and interesting list of LGBT shows you should definitely watch if you haven’t already, in 2021. We hope you enjoy this list and it leads you to a whole new world of discoveries.

1. Sex Education

Sex Education is arguably the most popular movie on this list and if you have not watched it already, it should definitely be on your watch-list. There is hardly any member of the LGBT community that will not find representation in one or more of the characters in this movie. What is more is that apart from touching on vital issues such as discovering sexuality as a teenager and even an adult, divorce, sexual harassment, cheating, parenting, and so on, it manages to be light-hearted and very entertaining. The British series stars the main character who lives with his mother who happens to be a sex therapist. As a result, he gets a lot of reluctant exposure to sex education and lives in a largely sex-positive environment. He then teams up with a classmate who believes that they can make money from giving other students sex advice. This process leads to a series of interesting events and discoveries. This series also focuses on the personal lives of the characters, giving us a clear insight as to why and how they are the people they have become or are becoming. It is perhaps one of the most relatable, thorough, interesting, and educational movies you will find on Netflix, LGBT or not.

2. Moonlight

The accolades garnered by this movie speak for the quality of the movie with 3 Oscar wins, 219 other award wins, and 292 nominations. This movie tells the coming of age story of a little black boy named Chiron in the slums of Miami, Florida. He navigates his life through the bullying he constantly has to go through added to the fact that he was being brought up by a crack-addicted single mother and has never known his father. Chiron’s journey of growth and self-discovery leads him to find out that he is gay. In the end, we see Chiron as a grown man navigating life, not in the best way possible but understanding how far he has come. All this is represented in three Chapters of Chiron’s life in this tastefully crafted masterpiece.

3. Carol

Set in the 1950s, a glamorous woman going through a bad divorce and a budding photographer get entangled in a dangerous and forbidden romance that changes their lives. Carol’s soon-to-be ex-husband threatens to use Carol’s sexuality as a means of invoking a ‘morality clause’ that could make her lose custody of her daughter permanently. This movie was ranked by the British Film Institute as the best LGBT film of all time. If that is not enough incentive to watch it, nothing else can be. 

4. Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga

Translated to English as ‘How I felt when I saw that girl’, this is an Indian Hindi language movie that tells the story of a closeted lesbian who comes from a very traditional family and has to hide her identity to be accepted. She decides to stop hiding the secret of her true love and dares to fight her family and society for her love. The movie centers more on tolerance than romance exploring the hardship of hiding one’s true identity for lack of acceptance. It is a romance-comedy that will definitely make an impression on you.

5. Big mouth

This is a Netflix animated series centered on a group of hormonal and pubescent pre-teens/teenagers as they wade through life in all of its complexities. It examines the sexual realities faced by children and the consequences of exposure or lack of it in their sexual journey. In a way, this movie gives off the vibe of the movie ‘Sex Education’ although more comical and focused on younger children. The animated series is light-hearted but manages to pass across important messages and despite being a cartoon is very relatable for adults. It is rated 18 so it is crafted to be enjoyable for adults. 

6. Monsoon

Monsoon is a British drama movie that depicts a British Vietnamese man named Kit who was displaced from home at the age of six and has returned home for the first time in thirty years. He is no longer familiar with his country of birth and struggles to connect with his roots. He embarks on a personal journey along which he reconnects with a childhood friend and falls for an American man named Lewis. Through his travels, Kit finally starts to develop a reconnection with his origin. The movie explores the strange dynamic of emigrants with their countries of origin and is critically acclaimed with loads of positive reviews. 

7. Call My Agent!

Call My Agent is a French series originally titled ‘Dix pour cent’ meaning ‘ten percent’ in English. Four agents working in a talent agency have to juggle their personal lives and professional lives which sometimes come into conflict. In their struggle to save their agency which has just lost its founder, they show us a rare depiction of the world of celebrity where there is a constant clash of emotion and transgression. One of the four main agents named Andrea is a lesbian and her epileptic relationship with a tax agent, Colette provides some of the key drama in the show. This show is French Cinema at its best and most authentic and is an ideal window through which you can explore more if you are so inclined.

8. The Perfection

LGBT movies are usually depicted as romantic, coming-out movies and generally are not heavy on the genre of horror but this movie takes a very radical turn from that trope. A twisty horror-thriller, this movie is not for the faint of heart with its depictions of gore, violence, and psychological horror all delicately entwined in a musical atmosphere. The suspenseful movie features a once-promising musical prodigy who upon reconnecting with her former mentors, finds them completely taken with a talented new pupil. This encounter leads the two down a sinister path with dastardly consequences and revelations. Watch this for a taste of something new, if you have the stomach for it. 

9. Locked Up

A Spanish movie originally titled Vis a Vis is a crime-drama that follows the story of a young woman named Macarena who is framed for corporate fraud by her lover and boss. She is incarcerated in a high-security prison where she has to navigate the new environment with many ruthless and strange characters surrounding her. This movie explores sexuality, abuse of power, sexual harassment, and the thin lines between friendship, love, and hate with Macarena experiencing a lesbian relationship for the first time in her life and a very intriguing complicated love-hate dynamic with the most ruthless prisoner of all, Zulema Zahir. We see Macarena develop from a timid newbie in the prison to a boss in her own right full of experience. This movie is as real as it gets and is a must-watch for you.

10.  I care A lot

Rosamund Pike returns to the cool scheming character she is depicted as in the critically acclaimed movie, Gone Girl. In this movie, she plays a scammer who makes a living by manipulating her way into becoming a legal guardian for the elderly and then stealing their assets. She however meets her match when a woman she tries to swindle becomes much more than she anticipated. This crime thriller is intriguing with the added spice of the main character being a lesbian.

From this list of critically acclaimed and wonderful LGBT movies/shows on Netflix, there is no doubt that you will fall in love with some if not all of these movies. So, with a new list and map on what to search for on Netflix, it’s time to get watching.