YOU:Rated Best LGBTQ+ Films, TV, And Books To Educate Yourself

Include this article in your Skills Builder Journal. It could help you develop...  

As LGBTQ+ History Month comes to an end, we asked you and our Writers’ Club, what your favourite LGBTQ+ movies, books and tv shows are, that have helped educate you, made you feel seen, given you joy, or you found a connection with. And even though the month may be ending, this list will give you some new ways to learn more and continue educating yourself. Maybe you’ll find a new fave! 

BOOKS

Boy Erased by Garrard Conley
Writers’ Club member Elise loved Boy Erased by Garrard Conley. She said it’s “a wonderful, gripping novel which tells the true story of a young man affected by conversion therapy. It can be a difficult read, but each page flows into the next until what feels like five minutes of reading is actually fifty. There's an overwhelming feeling of truth and honesty. You won't be able to put it down!”

A Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee
Over on socials, this book came up a few times. A Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue tells the story of a young, bisexual, British Lord, Henry ‘Monty’ Montague, as he embarks on an unforgettable grand tour of Europe with his best friend (and secret crush), Percy. But when one of Monty's reckless decisions turns their trip abroad into a harrowing manhunt, it calls into question everything he knows, including his relationship with the boy he adores. It’s an 18th-century romantic adventure for the modern age! 

Loveless by Alice Oseman
This was another pick that came from Instagram. Loveless was the winner of the YA Book Prize in 2021 and is all about Georgia - a girl who is discovering she’s asexual and aromantic. This has been hailed as ‘an ode to friendship and platonic soulmates’ and a ‘joyful tale of self discovery’. 

The Art of Being Normal by Lisa Williamson
Over on Insta, this book was chosen and said it “really helped me with my process of coming out”. The Art of Being Normal follows two young characters - David, a transgender teen who is struggling to come out, and Leo, who just wants to be invisible. Lisa Williamson wrote the novel after working in a department in the NHS that is dedicated to helping teens who are questioning their gender identity. 

TV SHOWS

It’s a Sin
Writers’ Club member Jay loved It’s a Sin. The Channel 4 show about life, sexuality, and the reality of the AIDS epidemic in the 1980’s came out last year and was a hit for lots of different audiences. Jay says it’s “a gripping and heart-breaking tale of homosexual lifestyles in an unaccepting era. The story follows three young boys who, due to their lifestyle, must endure a fatal disease which was widely ignored by 1980s London. The series prolongs the heartbreak through the reactions of families and friends, as well as the complete breakdown and abandonment of leading characters, which the audience have grown attached to. Although not too heartwarming, It’s A Sin provides a valid and realistic insight into the views of homosexuality and its legalisation, assessing how life would have been for young men in a less accepting society, and how, despite still having aspects of similar hatred, the LGBTQ+ community is in a much better and more accepting place today.”

RuPaul’s Drag Race
Lots of people voted for this on our socials, and it’s not surprising why. Drag Race, and its many spin off versions all over the world, has provided a platform not only for entertainment, but for acceptance, diversity, authenticity, and relatability. The show always provides moments - in between stunning looks and the shadiest of shade - of true feeling, where contestants will open up, tell stories of their past, their coming out, their troubles, and their achievements. And it’s these moments that audiences latch on to and resonate with. Can I get an amen up in here?

Sex Education
Sex Education captivated audiences from the get-go, and was one of the most popular votes on our Instagram. Teen Vogue even said it’s “one of the most refreshing shows about growing up and adolescent sexuality, but with its second season, it goes down in the history books as one that sets the bar for nuanced portrayals of queer teens.” Out of the main characters on the show, nearly half of them exhibit queerness in one way or another, and what lots of viewers love is that their queerness isn’t the only thing that makes them. It’s just one factor of a whole, and all the characters have development arcs throughout the show. Its got some laughs, some sad bits, some out of this world bits, and some truly cringe bits…basically a really perfect representation of life then!

FILM

Love, Simon
Writers’ Club member Jay is back with another recommendation. “Love, Simon is a fun and relatable story about being homosexual in a high school setting. The film explores the attitudes towards being out, and the anxieties of coming out, as well as the doubts and troubles that being homosexual causes our lead Simon. The film is a classic love story, with comedic aspects and a heart-warming yet equally tense resolve, that is perfect for any young audience. The film will get you invested with the characters and their choices, as well as with the mystery of who the lead’s romantic interest is. Overall Love, Simon is a light-hearted tale to play on the emotions of an audience and promote investment into the lives of LGBTQ+ individuals, thus enabling acceptance.”

Kinky Boots
Kinky Boots is inspired by a true story, and follows Charlie Price, a young businessman from London who has to go back home to the North to help save his family’s bankrupt business - a shoe factory. After a chance meeting with Lola, a drag queen, who complains about her less than fabulous footwear, Charlie is struck with inspiration and decides the only way to save the business is to make footwear for drag queens! Charlie convinces Lola to be the designer and they work together to turn the stuffy old shoe business into a more accepting, fashionable and fun place. And hey, the film was such a success, it got turned into a West End and Broadway show too, with the likes of Billy Porter, Joel Harper-Jackson, oh and Cyndi Lauper getting involved!