National Coming Out Day is on the 11th of October this year and for many members of the LGBTQ+ community, it’s the day they choose to come out to friend, family and others in their life.
Big Brother contestant Cameron Cole made headlines this week by coming out as gay to the rest of his BB housemates, and it was a heart-warming moment that reduced many viewers, and Cameron’s own housemates to tears.
So in celebration of National Coming Out Day, here’s some Netflix picks to help you celebrate the extra splash of colour the LGBTQ+ community brings to life!
Queer Eye
This is a reboot of the show Queer Eye for a Straight Guy that ran from 2003-2007 and featured RuPaul’s Drag Race judge Carson Kressley. The new version of the show premiered on Netflix in February 2018 and soon became a fan favourite, thanks to the new Fab Five.
Bobby Berk, Karamo Brown, Tan France, Jonathan Van Ness and Antoni Porowski make up the group and travel around, helping people rejuvenate their lives by updating their sense of style, their home and much more.
One of the most emotional episodes features a transgender man, named Skylar who helps educate not only the viewers, but also the Fab Five on transgender issues.
RuPaul’s Drag Race
While RuPaul is quite a divisive person, and not everyone’s cup of tea, you definitely be able to find a favourite queen within his show. Netflix has 3 seasons uploaded at the moment, full of challenges that push the queens to their limits as they battle each other to win the title of “America’s Next Drag Superstar”. So whether comedy queens or fishy queens are more your style, you’ll be kept entertained for hours!
Sense8
This show centres around 8 strangers from different locations around the world and the mysterious psychic connection that they all share. There is great LGBTQ+ representation in the show, with characters such as trans activist Nomi and her girlfriend Amanita, as well as Lito and his boyfriend Hernando.
The show was hit with a blow in 2017 when Netflix cancelled it after just two seasons. Because there was such outrage expressed by fans of the show over its cancellation, a two-hour special was released in June 2018 that aimed to tie up any loose ends.
Handsome Devil
This 2016 film was both made and set in Ireland and features openly gay actor Andrew Scott. It centres around secondary school student Ned and how he navigates his transfer to a rugby mad all boys boarding school. Ned faces taunting, isolation and physical bullying from fellow students as he forms an unlikely friendship with his roommate Conor, the school’s rugby star.
The film focuses on the fear closeted LGBTQ+ individuals feel concerning their sexuality, and also accurately portrays the bullying that some gay people are subjected to.
You Me Her
This show focuses on married couple Emma and Jack and the struggles they face as they try and reignite the lost spark in their marriage. This leads them to both contact college student Izzy, who is also a part-time escort and the trio begin a polyamorous relationship. The series tackles things like the bi-erasure Emma faces and the judgement towards polyamory but also has some fantastic comedic moments laced in.
By Sarah Donnelly