19 Amazing Movies About the LGBTQ+ Experience

Pride Month is the perfect time to remind you that June isn’t the only time to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community. We should be honoring and learning about this community all year. Thankfully, the Hollywood landscape is changing (albeit slowly) and every year we see more films showcasing LGBTQ+ stories, like Love, Simon and Moonlight. And let’s not forget the classics, like Philadelphia, which walked so Simon could run. 

Of course, it’s apparent we need more representation in film, but as of now, there’s a small but mighty selection of LGBTQ+ movies about the queer experience to choose from as you educate yourself and commemorate this month. And the editors at Katie Couric Media compiled their favorite LGBTQ+ movies to help you choose. 

If you want to learn about the LGBTQ+ experience during Pride Month and all year round, these movies (in no particular order) are a great start.

The Best LGBT Movies to Watch During Pride Month and Beyond

1. Paris is Burning (1990)

One of the most beloved documentaries in the queer canon and beyond and one of our favorite LGBT movies of all time, this singular film takes us inside the ballroom culture of late-’80s New York City. The joyful explosion of elaborate runway competitions, in which unforgettable contestants show off costuming, choreography, and general fabulousness as only they can, exists alongside the harsh realities of AIDS, racism, poverty, and violence. It’s an intimate look at a community that has continued to influence our culture in the three decades since its release, most recently in series like FX’s Pose and HBO Max’s Legendary. – Ryan Buxton

2. Moonlight (2016)

Heartbreaking and lovely, this movie absolutely deserved the 2017 Best Picture Oscar (but not the shenanigans that came along during the award ceremony). This LGBT movie is a meditative look at three periods in a man’s life as he grows up, comes out, and settles into himself. The cinematography is stunning, as is the thoughtfulness of the setup — it’s a quiet film, but one that says so much. – Molly Simms

3. Brokeback Mountain (2005)

Set against the jaw-dropping backdrop of the Wyoming mountains, Brokeback Mountain sees Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal as two cowboys who form a secret emotional and romantic relationship — out of sight from their wives and families. The heartbreakingly raw and emotional picture won three Academy Awards and begs the question: Which secrets are meant to be found out? – Alaina Mancini

4. Carol (2015)

1950s New York. Glamour. Art. Intrigue. And a getaway road trip across America. What more could you want in a movie? Oh, Cate Blanchett? Carol’s got that too. The film, based on Patricia Highsmith’s The Price of Salt, explores the closeted lesbian subculture of this time through a blossoming relationship between a photographer and an older woman. It’s heartbreaking, romantic, and eye-opening all at once. – Maggie Parker

5. Booksmart (2019)

Two teen girls, BFFs of course, aim to have a very wild night after they graduate high school, in order to make up for their one-track years of studious determination to get into the best college. With crackling banter and hilarious diversions, this one is a winner — and not just for the queer love story that’s a subplot of the film. Booksmart handles that romance with a light, deft touch that’s as (book)smart as the overall script. – Molly Simms

6. The Birdcage (1996)

Set in Miami’s South Beach, this stars Robin Williams and Nathan Lane as longtime partners who own a drag nightclub, and get into some serious hijinks when their son gets involved with a super straightlaced political family. It’s absurdly beautiful to look at — tons of pastels, beach scenes, and one of the best apartments in the history of film — but it’s also absurdly heartwarming, tender, and funny as hell. Unmissable. – Molly Simms

7. Call Me By Your Name (2017)

The May-December romance at the heart of this movie raised some eyebrows (though, to be fair, it’s more like a May-October thing), but there’s no denying the chemistry between Elio (played by Timothée Chalamet) and Oliver (Armie Hammer). The film takes place over a humid summer in 1980s Italy, with all the lush scenery, retro tunes, and cutoff jean shorts you’d hope to experience in that kind of period piece. You’ll probably also be moved by watching Elio grapple with the pangs of first love. There’s a pretty explicit love scene here that made Twitter go absolutely wild, so maybe not quite a film for the whole family. But an absolutely important watch nonetheless. – Molly Simms

8. Philadelphia (1993)

Philadelphia may not seem groundbreaking now, but in 1993 it was one of the first mainstream films to delve into the HIV/AIDS crisis and the homophobia surrounding it. Tom Hanks stars as a lawyer filing a wrongful termination case following his AIDS diagnosis, with Denzel Washington co-starring as an attorney who eventually overcomes his fear of the disease to help him. With an all-star cast and scenes that emphasize the push and pull of fear and compassion, Philadelphia is a compelling must-see. – Ciara Hopkinson

9. Angels in America (2003)

This HBO miniseries feels like a movie and retains all the best qualities of the Pulitzer Prize-winning play on which it’s based — it’s sweeping, fantastical, hilarious, and poignant. Chronicling the lives of interconnected New Yorkers amid the backdrop of Reagan-era politics and the AIDS crisis, this masterpiece packs a powerful punch of social commentary and includes stunning performances from the likes of Al Pacino, Meryl Streep, and Mary-Louise Parker. – Ryan Buxton

10. Love, Simon (2018)

Love, Simon is a coming-of-age tale for the underrepresented. Seventeen-year-old Simon hasn’t come out to his friends or family yet, but he’s in love with a mysterious classmate he connected with online. The sweet film follows the teen as he explores his identity, falls in love, and confronts his community. And his friends endearingly explore their own identities along the way. – Maggie Parker

11. The Kids Are All Right (2010)

Julianne Moore and Annette Benning are perfect partners in this stirring dramedy about a lesbian couple whose children track down their biological father. Played by a handsome-as-ever Mark Ruffalo, he turns out to be a bohemian motorcycle enthusiast and restaurant owner who throws a serious wrench into the family dynamic. For all its sharp observation about the nuances of same-sex parenting, at its heart the film explores how hard it really is to maintain a relationship through the ebbs and flows of life — and the joy of realizing you’re exactly where you were meant to be all along. – Ryan Buxton

12. The Half of It (2020)

The Half of It is a young adult film about a bright, introverted high schooler named Ellie Chu who finds herself falling in love with a female classmate named Aster. At the same time, the high school hunk, Paul, confesses to Ellie that he also loves Aster, and in a new twist on the classic Cyrano de Bergerac tale, Ellie begins writing Aster love letters that she signs from Paul. It’s a great film to watch as a family, and it’s refreshing to watch Ellie go through all of the normal awkward and awesome parts of growing up while also navigating her sexual identity. This one will have you beaming and cheering at the TV screen, “You be you, Ellie Chu!!” – Emily Pinto

13. The Normal Heart (2014)

If you aren’t already familiar with Larry Kramer’s life and work, you might approach this film thinking, “Oh, I’ll watch this movie to learn a little bit about a really important historical event that happened, and then go about my day! Julia Roberts is in it! I bet it will be great!” At the end of the film, which is based on a 1985 autobiographical play by renowned gay rights activist Kramer about the AIDS crisis in New York, you’ll be sobbing so hard you can’t breathe. It’ll help you begin to understand the grief and terror that queer people must have felt as this new and completely unknown disease began ravaging their community. – Emily Pinto

14. Disclosure: Trans Lives on Screen (2020)

It’s a mark of progress that we’re seeing more and more depictions of transgender people in film and TV, but they’re not always the healthiest or most truthful representations. This incisive Netflix documentary chronicles the history of how mainstream entertainment handles trans issues and why some of the most famous examples have gotten it wrong. Explained by voices such as Laverne Cox, Chaz Bono, and Lilly Wachowski, this film is a perfect way to educate yourself — or your family — without ever feeling like a lifeless history lesson. – Ryan Buxton

15. Kissing Jessica Stein (2001)

Movies about queer Jews are few and far between. If that’s what you’re looking for, try rom-com classic Kissing Jessica Stein, about a frustrated-with-love woman who’s looking for the man of her dreams, but ends up falling for a woman. – Maggie Parker

16. Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019)

For those who love a period piece that includes a passionate love story, Portrait of a Lady on Fire is a must-see. The film, in French with English subtitles, follows a painter commissioned to secretly create a portrait of a woman to send to her future husband, whom she has never met. The challenge? The painter, Marianne, must create the portrait without the woman, Héloïse, knowing. Héloïse has destroyed every other portrait of herself meant to be sent to her future spouse in an effort to escape marriage, and in turn, escape the constrictive gender role she is forced into. Marianne is presented to Héloïse as a walking partner, someone to get out of the house with. Over time, the two become close, and we follow as they explore the topics of sexuality, class, and feminism all in a devastatingly beautiful seaside landscape. – Katie Pittman

17. The Miseducation of Cameron Post (2018)

Directed by Desiree Akhavan, creator of the hilarious and honest show The Bisexual, The Miseducation of Cameron Post follows a young girl sent to a Christian conversion camp after being outed by her high school boyfriend when he walks in on her having sex with her secret girlfriend. At the camp, Cameron befriends other kids who have been sent to correct their “misplaced urges.” It’s a tale of friendship, resilience, and teenage rebellion, all in the name of being fiercely true to one’s self. – Katie Pittman

18. The World to Come (2020)

We are all familiar with the feeling of isolation, but when it’s 1856 and you’re in a loveless marriage working as a farmer, it’s even more intense. The World to Come follows two young families, particularly the wives, struggling to overcome the grief. One, Abigail, grieves the death of her young daughter, another, Tallie, her lack of freedom and difficult marriage. Tallie and Abigail become close, finding comfort in deep friendship and trust and enjoying their time together away from their controlling husbands. Eventually, Tallie reveals that she dreams of spending her life with Abigail, and Abigail reveals the same. However, because of their controlling, sometimes abusive husbands, and the harsh winter climate, spending time together becomes more and more difficult, especially after illness strikes. – Katie Pittman

19. Todo Sobre Mi Madre (1999)

No one makes movies like Spanish auteur Pedro Almodóvar. His bright, colorful films are known for depicting the nuanced (and sometimes hilarious) reality of the LGBTQ+ experience; Todo Sobre Mi Madre (All About My Mother) is no exception. Almodóvar centers the film around a trans woman named Lola whose life is intertwined with many women in Barcelona. Manuela (Cecilia Roth) is a grieving single mom who returns to Barcelona to find Lola and reveal a secret. What follows is a dazzling, funny, tragic story of trans identity, Tennessee Williams, and the sacrifices that women make for the people they love.