25 Queer Romance Films To Celebrate Pride All Year Long

Queer love stories have stood the test of time as filmmakers strive to tell authentic narratives, despite LGBTQ+ representation in films facing challenges throughout history.

Films showcasing love in the LGBTQ+ community have been around for more than a century. Over time, they've become an important form of queer representation, helping to counter stereotypes and combat negative tropes in media.

But, getting to this level of representation wasn’t easy. While films depicting queer love were not formally banned, the Hays Code, also known as the Motion Picture Production Code, had Hollywood studios self-enforce a set of guidelines from around 1934 to 1968 to prevent government interference. Centered around "moral standards" and social values, the guidelines purported to ensure movies presented viewers with "correct standards of life" by banning profanity, obscenity and graphic violence. It also prevented overt or positive portrayals of LGBTQ+ relationships, according to a library guide from Ithaca College.

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It wasn’t until the 1960s that the Hays Code was effectively challenged. The organization now known as the Motion Picture Association (MPA) established a film content rating system in 1968 which served as the code’s replacement.

Though it’s been over 50 years since the Hays Code, and much progress has been made for LGBTQ+ representation in cinema, there still remain ongoing challenges for accurate and authentic narratives. The queer community continues to navigate a fickle film industry that periodically offers room for diverse storytelling, but can miss the mark with film tropes like the “gay best friend,” the “closeted bully" or "bury your gays," referring to a pattern of queer characters being killed off in shows and movies.

Carlos King, CEO of Kingdom Reign Entertainment and a TV industry creative, tells TODAY.com that it’s important to have authentic queer stories on screen so viewers can move past stereotypes and caricatures.

“I want to see (movies) starring queer people, not as being the sidekick to the main cast member or being the glam squad that we just see on television,” he says. “We are leading. We have leading roles in our personal lives. We are executives. We’re a vice president, presidents, CEOs of multiple companies.”

Carlos King, CEO of Kingdom Reign Entertainment, says he aims to bring the representation he didn't have growing up to the screen. (Courtesy KendrickkenBeauty)

King says he strives to bring the representation — including that of love in the LGBTQ+ community —that he didn't have growing up to the screen.

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“Being a young gay Black boy from Detroit, Michigan, one of 10 siblings, I know all about desiring to look at a television screen and wanting to see someone like you reflected back," he says.

Filmmaker Elegance Bratton, whose 2022 autobiographical breakout military drama, “The Inspection,” received rave reviews from critics, tells TODAY.com that showing queer romance on screen helps to combat the negativity often felt in society.

“Showing love is always a good thing. We live in a world where hatred of queer people is reaching a fever point,” he explains. “We need to see queer people loving on each other because it’s real. We do love and that spirit is indomitable.”

Andrea Ambam, director of programming at Level Forward, a public benefit entertainment company, agrees, telling TODAY.com that seeing these stories on the big screen can help members of the LGBTQ+ community feel seen.

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“I know and believe that queer films are important because of the way they’re able to reach us through the screen,” she says. “The way they’re able to find, often, young people who may or may not be questioning their belonging in their homes, in their schools, in their communities, and they reach across the screen and say, ‘You belong. You are here. There are more people like you.’”

Meanwhile King, who prides himself on being a mentor for those in the queer community and supporting organizations like God’s Love We Deliver, says seeing queer romance on screen can demonstrate how to romantically connect with others.

“As a queer person … growing up, there wasn’t a lot of depictions to tell the love story of queer people, so I did not have any role models that I saw that could tell me what that was going to be like for me dating, when I got older, or what relationships of queer people look like,” he says.

Not seeing this type of on screen representation can be “damaging” for young people, he adds.

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“When you start dating … you really start to adapt the heterosexual norms into your queer relationship, because that’s the only device and examples that you have,” King says. “And that obviously doesn’t make any sense for us to apply our relationships to a heterosexual couple, because it’s not the same.”

Elegance Bratton, filmmaker and creative, doesn't let the challenges of the film industry hold him back from making impactful queer content. (Michael Rowe / Getty Images for IMDb)

That’s why telling these stories has become a personal focus for Bratton. The filmmaker recently released his doc “Move Ya Body: The Birth of House,” which he says explores the “roots and evolution of house music” and how it has provided a sense of community for queer individuals, particularly LGBTQ+ people of color.

“As a filmmaker my journey in telling LGBTQ stories is that telling these tales … will always be difficult but ultimately worth it,” he says. “Whether from the funding or distribution angle, we deal with an industry that consistently sidelines anything that is seen as niche.”

As a creative in the film industry, Bratton says he often feels like Sisyphus, a figure from Greek mythology who, after being punished by the gods, was eternally tasked with rolling a massive boulder up a steep hill in the Underworld, only to have it roll back down and start from the beginning.

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“Yet somehow I keep going,” he explains. “When I make it to the other side and the work is out in the world, I am consistently moved by my audience’s attachment to my expression. The fans seek this work out and eventually it takes root and makes it possible for more LGBTQ stories.”

So what does inclusive queer representation actually look like? King offers a simple answer: It mirrors our world.

“Inclusive representation looks like to me … a show or a program or an institution that truly reflects the real world we are, a world filled with different genders, different races and that should be constantly shown across all media platforms,” he says. “It needs to be shown because we’re here and we exist and we’re not this minority of people that are living in one hub of the world. We’re spread all over.”

Along with that representation, Bratton adds he hopes to see a vibrant “variety of LGBTQ life on screen.”

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“I want to see fantasy films and sci fi. I really want to see more queer body horror and documentaries,” he shares. “More than anything just more avenues for authentic storytelling that capture the fabric of our existence so that we have images that push against the mainstream notions of queer deviance and obsolescence.”

Read below to see TODAY.com’s list of queer romance films that not only gives you all the feels, but plenty of main character energy.

‘Anything’s Possible,’ 2022

Directed by "Pose" star Billy Porter, this PG-13 flick is a coming-of-age story. It tells the story of Kelsa, a trans high school girl, who dates Khal, her classmate, during her senior year. After revealing he has a crush on her, the two explore their connection amid a series of obstacles from the rest of their class.

‘Beautiful Thing,’ 1996

"Beautiful Thing" shows the wonderful friendship turned relationship between Jamie, a shy teenager who gets bullied at school, and his neighbor, Ste, who's been facing problems at home. As they lean on each other for support, the two end up becoming something more as they navigate life together.

‘Bottoms,’ 2023

"Bottoms" stars Ayo Edebiri and Rachel Sennott as two queer high school students who start a fight club to teach girls how to defend themselves. Only, their goal behind the club has less to do with self-defense and more to do with wanting to spend time with their crushes.

‘Bound,’ 1996

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"Bound" tells the thrilling story of an ex-con and her lover as they concoct a scheme to steal millions of stashed mob money after they find themselves in desperate need of cash.

‘Breaking Fast,’ 2020

"Breaking Fast" shows that there is life after heartbreak. Mo, a practicing Muslim, learns to love again when he meets Kal, an American man who offers to break fast with him during Ramadan. As they get to know one another, Mo learns that love can sometimes happen in the most unexpected way.

‘Brokeback Mountain,’ 2005

This classic film, celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2025, stars Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger as star-crossed lovers who meet as sheep herders on Brokeback Mountain in Wyoming. Though they have an instant connection, life takes the two in very different directions, yet they keep coming back together up until the movie's tragic end.

‘But I’m A Cheerleader,’ 1999

"But I'm A Cheerleader" is a hilarious dark comedy and coming-of-age story about a teen who is sent to a conversion therapy camp when her parents suspect her of being a lesbian. There, Megan, played by Natasha Lyonne, falls in love while coming to terms with her sexuality and taking her life into her own hands.

‘Call Me By Your Name,’ 2017

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"Call Me by Your Name" stars Timothée Chalamet as 17-year-old Elio, whose life changes forever when he meets Oliver (Armie Hammer), who spends the summer of 1983 in Italy with Elio's family while working as a graduate student assistant.

‘Carol,’ 2015

"Carol" features a budding relationship between two women, a new divorcée and an aspiring photographer, in 1950s New York. The film stars Cate Blanchett as Carol Aird, Rooney Mara as Therese Belivet and Sarah Paulson as Abby Gerhard.

‘Close to You,’ 2023

"Close to You" stars Elliot Page as a young trans man who reunites with his family after spending years apart. Once home, he readjusts to life in Ontario and rekindles a connection with Katherine, an old friend from high school.

‘Desert Hearts,’ 1985

This 1985 flick shows that love can happen in the most unexpected ways. In "Desert Hearts," a professor, who aims to divorce her husband, ends up falling for a free-spirited young woman who completely turns her life upside down.

‘Fire Island,’ 2022

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"Fire Island" is a feel-good romance about two best friends (Joel Kim Booster and Bowen Yang), who set out to have the summer of their dreams on Fire Island. This movie was inspired by Jane Austen’s classic novel "Pride and Prejudice."

‘Hearts Beat Loud,’ 2018

In this feel-good comedy, Nick Offerman stars as a single dad who's getting ready to send his only child off to college. While she plans on spending the summer with her girlfriend, her dad pitches they start a music duo after one of their songs goes viral.

‘Imagine Me & You,’ 2005

In this rom-com, newlywed bride Rachel starts questioning her sexuality once she meets another woman on her wedding day. Though she's happily married with her husband, she wonders if he's really the right fit for her as she begins spending time with her newfound crush.

‘Joyland,’ 2022

"Joyland" tells the story of a man who takes a job as a backup dancer at an erotic dance theater in Punjab, Pakistan. Though his traditional family believes he's a manager there, Haider ends up pursuing the things he really wants in life.

‘Maurice,’ 1987

In "Maurice," two friends embark on a love affair while attending Cambridge. The film follows their relationship over the years as they leave university and face a restrictive English society.

‘Moonlight,’ 2016

In this Academy Award-winning film, a young man struggles with his sexuality as he deals with the everyday struggles of growing up as a Black man in Miami.

‘A Nice Indian Boy,’ 2024

In "A Nice Indian Boy," protagonist Naveen introduces his fiancé, Jay, to his traditional Indian family. As Naveen's family gets to know his new love, they help the couple plan the wedding of their dreams.

‘Nuovo Olimpo,’ 2023

"Nuovo Olimpo" tells the beautiful love story of two men who fall in love after a chance encounter but are separated after an unforeseen event. Over the years, their lives intersect but continually fall short of a reunion, yet they remain hopeful that one day they'll meet again.

‘Pariah,’ 2011

"Pariah" is a coming-of-age film about a teenager learning to embrace her sexuality while growing up in Brooklyn, New York, in the early 2000s.

‘Portrait of a Lady on Fire,’ 2019

This historical romantic drama set in 18th-century France follows an artist who's commissioned to paint a wedding portrait of another woman without her knowing. As she observes her subject day by day, she starts to fall in love with the young noblewoman.

‘Rafiki,’ 2018

"Rafiki" shows the budding relationship between two Kenyan girls who lean on each other for support. As their relationship turns romantic, the two girls face political and societal pressure.

‘Red, White & Royal Blue,’ 2023

This hilarious rom-com tells the fictional story of two famous kids — the son of a U.S. president and a prince of England — who go from enemies to lovers when they're forced to fake a friendship for the sake of diplomacy.

‘Saving Face,’ 2004

"Saving Face" is a drama about a queer Chinese-American woman whose life turns upside down when her pregnant traditionalist mother comes to live with her.

‘The Wedding Banquet,’ 2025

A remake of the 1993 film, 2025's "The Wedding Banquet" is a feel-good story about a man who plans to marry his friend for a green card so he can stay in the U.S. with his boyfriend. In exchange, he pays for in vitro fertilization treatments for her and her girlfriend. But the plan soon faces problems when family gets involved.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com