(Credits: Netflix)

To love without condition requires courage. And if there’s a community that has shown historic resilience in the name of love, it is the one with a queer eye. It hasn’t been a cakewalk because of the many basic rights the LGBTQ+ community has lacked, the most important one being visibility. Then again, the world has come a long way, and so has the entertainment capital, which now not only dares to portray love without labels on screens but also celebrates it. So, for those who think Netflix ever held back on Pride Month, you’re mistaken.

The streaming giant has never been shy of hoisting the Pride flag, on or beyond its celebratory month. If anything, it has excelled in representation. From successful shows to groundbreaking movies, the OTT platform has served queer-coded extravaganza in every petri dish of streaming delights.

Once upon a time in Hollywood, Ang Lee’s Western vision through a queer lens made Oscar history. But if you’re one of those who seek a binge-marathon the flicks cannot deliver, here are five perfect shows to celebrate the season of love. Inclusivity and diversity are at the core of all these options, and love will find you in every genre corridor.

Netflix’s Hall of Fame is no less than a treasure trove. But once you check out these five shows, you’ll wish to remain locked in the streaming safe.

Five Netflix shows to celebrate Pride Month

5. The Haunting of Bly Manor (Mike Flanagan, 2020)

Mike Flanagan is famous for his supernatural horror outings in Hollywood. But five years ago, his second entry in The Haunting anthology catalysed a major streaming frenzy on Netflix. The Haunting of Bly Manor is mostly adapted from Henry James’ 1898 novella The Turn of the Screw. However, the creator took some liberties to introduce tweaks and turns in the miniseries, modernising it with a central lesbian character. The story follows a young au pair, Dani Clayton, hired by Henry Wingrave to look after his niece and nephew at the haunted Bly Manor.

However, upon her arrival, Dani develops a relationship with Jamie, the Bly Manor gardener. It is shown through flashbacks that she was once engaged to a boy named Edmund, who died in a tragic accident after storming off over a breakup argument. The show reeks of a stereotypical horror film till it doesn’t. Their romance becomes a defining element of the story, and their terrific challenges a tightrope walk of survival. While the end feels unfortunate, it still instils hope.

4. Sense8 (Lana and Lilly Wachowski and J Michael Straczynski, 2015-2018)

Sense8 is an American sci-fi TV series. Wondering where the queer is? Well, it is everywhere. Lana and Lilly Wachowski, who are openly trans women, have co-created the show with J Michael Straczynski that tells the story of eight strangers from all walks of life, living apart across distant corners of the world. But what links those eight despite the distance and estrangement is that they were “birthed” by a woman, Angelica.

Besides its real-time streaming success, Sense8 is widely celebrated for its diversity of representation through its characters and storylines. Among the eight, Nomi is a trans lesbian woman, and Lito, a Mexican actor who is a closeted gay man. Unlike other titles, the show celebrates Pride both off and on screen.

3. The Umbrella Academy (Steve Blackman, 2019–2024)

From horror to sci-fi, Netflix has been inclusive across genres, and with The Umbrella Academy, it comes full circle. Though the story focuses on superpowered estranged siblings, it is set in a universe where 43 women across the globe give birth simultaneously at noon on October 1st, 1989. Seven of those siblings are adopted by Sir Reginald Hargreeves to form a super team. Initially, the only identification they have is numbers, but their robot mother names six of them, the most powerful yet untapped being Vanya.

Elliot Page portrayed Vanya in The Umbrella Academy. Despite being originally named Vanya and identifying as a female, Netflix corresponded to Page’s real-life transition, making him Victor Hargreeves in the third season, without losing out on a carefully crafted plotline.

2. Heartstopper (Alice Oseman, 2022–present)

Coming from celebrated graphic novelist Alice Oseman, Heartstopper is a coming-of-age rom-com Netflix drama that has been tugging at the heartstrings since 2022. The story revolves around two gay teenagers, Nick and Charlie, portrayed by Joe Locke and Kit Connor, feeling their way through issues of adolescent love and personal identity. The three seasons released so far have been widely praised for their portrayal of LGBTQ+ characters. While the platform has many teen dramas on its roster, Heartstopper is fresh and very much devoid of time-worn tropes.

Most recently, Netflix swapped a season four for the beloved series to conclude with a feature film. The Heartstopper movie is currently in production, making it just the perfect time for a marathon, if not a re-run.

1. Sex Education (Laurie Nunn, 2019–2023)

They say save the last for a sweet tooth, and so, we are here. Wrapping up the LGBTQ+ marathon on Netflix is a series fans might not get tired of, even after thousands of rewatches: Sex Education. One of the most groundbreaking releases of all time, the show revolves around teens and adults in the town of Moordale, where most problems are associated with intimacy and relationships.

The plot follows Otis Milburn, a sexually awkward school-goer whose mother is a sex therapist. The show excels in portraying all kinds of relationships on the spectrum as well as sexual issues, intimacy dramas and parental neglect. In Sex Education, the standout queer characters include Eric Effiong, Ola Nyman, Cal Bowman, and Lily Iglehart. However, the representation is not only through characters. It normalises and educates the masses about LGBTQ+ identities, taking the viewers through many journeys which all feel personal.