The 5 best LGTBQ+ series on Netflix in June 2021
(Credit: Netflix)

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The 5 best LGTBQ+ series on Netflix in June 2021

Having been recognised as Pride Month to honour the notorious Stonewall riots in 1969, June has been the month of love, colours, expressions and self-acceptance. To battle internalised homophobia perpetrated by the heteronormative society, the rainbow flag is displayed in all its glory and pride to symbolise the countless individuals lynched for their sexuality and to celebrate the triumph of love, acceptance and tolerance above all. 

Netflix has a wide selection of films and series of which a significant number of shows and movies focus on themes pertaining to homosexuality, queerness and celebration of love in all forms and all kinds of sexuality. Celebrating diversity in various forms, the month of June is not the only time when we should be proud allies; Pride should be celebrated all year round, in all its unabashed glory. 

As the Pride flag has symbolic eight colours as designed in 1978 by gay drag queen Gilbert Baker where the eight colours represent sex, life, healing, spirit, sunlight, nature, art and harmony, we have picked out five series that deal with themes of queer love and homosexuality, here are some of the best LGBTQ+ series and films you can binge on before Pride month comes to an end.

Let’s get to it:

The 5 best LGTBQ+ series on Netflix:

5. Halston (Sharr White, 2021)

The miniseries focuses on the brilliant and intriguing rags-to-riches story of Halston Frowick, the famous American fashion designer who had amassed worldwide success for his sublime designs that were celebrated for minimalism, neatness, comfort and more.

The series follows Halston’s journey as he rises from absolute nothingness and clambers up the social ladder to the echelons of the elite, becoming a fashion icon and global phenomenon. Besides giving a perceptive insight into the designer’s evolving fashion aesthetic, it also delves deeper into his personal life, including his torrid and notorious love affair between him and Hugo as well as his long-standing battle with lung cancer as a result of suffering from HIV-AIDS for quite some time.

“I hear a lot of things about myself. I hear that I’m jet-set and this and that, and I’m really not. I live a very quiet life.”

4. I Am Not Okay With This (Jonathan Entwistle, Christy Hall, 2020)

Based on Charles Forsman’s eponymous comic, the series follows the journey of an awkward teen named Sydney Novak who stumbles on her telekinetic powers while recovering from the effects of her father’s suicide that has caused cracks in her family.

She soon realises that she must control her powers before causing destruction and chaos. Navigating the sheer awkwardness of adolescence, the engrossing show also shows Sydney’s budding sexuality and sexual awakening, focusing on the pangs of young love while dexterously handling grief, trauma, failure and rejection.

“Paint me yellow and call me fucking Sunshine, Goob.” 

3. The Haunting of Bly Manor (Mike Flannagan, 2020)

Dani is a young au-pair assigned the task of looking after the orphaned Wingrave children, Miles and Flora, by their Uncle Henry. The children reside in the magnanimous yet haunted Bly Manor along with their caregiver and housekeeper Hannah, chef Owen and gardener Jamie; Dani and Jamie soon get involved in a sweet romance.

The house is haunted by the ghosts of the past and Dani herself has a lot of unaddressed issues and unbridled trauma. Jamie and her fierce love for Dani help her get through it till their story meets a somewhat bittersweet and tragic end.

“One day as a time is what we’ve got. It’s what everybody’s got when you get down to it.” 

2. Grace and Frankie (Marta Kaufman, Howard J. Morris, 2015-)

Grace Hanson is a cosmetic mogul who does not approve of the goofy Frankie Bergstein who is a goofy teacher. They are forced to forge an unusual friendship after their husbands fall in love with each other and desert the two women.

Ageing wonderfully, they stumble on friendship, romance and health issues as their wonderful and lovestruck husbands continue their heartwarming gay romance. This is a highly underrated, hilarious and adorable Netflix show that deserves all the love in the world. 

“The whole point of my lube was to have less friction in the world. And all it’s done is make more.”

1. Schitt’s Creek (Eugene Levy, Dan Levy, 2015-2020)

After the extremely affluent Rose family goes severely bankrupt, they are forced to relocate to a small town named Schitt’s Creek. This dysfunctional and hilarious family comprises the business mogul Johnny, his wife and actress Moira as well as their children, the spoilt Alexis and David; David is pansexual and soon falls in love with his business partner Patrick.

This show had a historic award sweep at the Emmys last year and deserved all the glory and hype they received due to their brilliant and comic approach with the right balance of emotions and sentimentality. The lack of homophobia is what makes it even more refreshing besides other factors. 

“I’m not sharing a boyfriend. Stevie and I are both dating Jake at the same time, like sexually evolved human beings”