Over the past decade, LGBTQ+ representation in TV and film has increased exponentially. According to GLAAD's annual Where We Are On TV reports, the amount of LGBTQ+ characters on TV shows has gone up approximately 70 percent [1] since the start of the last decade. This is in large part due to the creation of many new shows that highlight queer experiences [2]. As LGBTQ+ characters and actors increasingly gain a foothold in entertainment [3], streaming services such as HBO Max have created their own variety of stories centreed on the queer community. If you're in need of a new LGBTQ+ series to binge, check out what HBO Max has to offer.
Veneno
Veneno tells the story of the real-life Spanish LGBTQ+ icon Cristina "La Veneno" Ortiz. To bring the legendary trans performer to life on screen, three talented actresses — Daniela Santiago, Jedet, and Isabel Torres — portray La Veneno throughout different points of her adult life. The show has something that everyone can connect to and contains plenty of emotionally tender moments to balance out La Veneno's larger-than-life personality.
Watch Veneno on HBO Max [4].
The Lady and the Dale
The Lady and the Dale, coproduced by Transparent's Zackary Drucker, follows the life of Liz Carmichael, an automobile pioneer who created a first-of-its-kind car with three wheels named The Dale in the 1970s. The four-part docuseries also explores the legal troubles that Carmichael faced after she took investment money from a car company and went to prison for her crimes.
Watch The Lady and the Dale on HBO Max [5].
Legendary
From Paris Is Burning and Kiki to My House and Pose [6], the ballroom scene has only been highlighted on screen a handful of times. In HBO's Legendary, ballroom houses compete against each other in high-energy performances and jaw-dropping vogue battles. With a $100,000 grand prize on the line, Legendary is one of the biggest platforms for ballroom yet.
Watch Legendary on HBO Max [7].
Equal
Part docuseries, part historical drama, Equal places the queer pioneers of yesteryear centre stage as actors re-create some of the most important moments in LGBTQ+ history. Trailblazers like Sylvia Rivera, Stormé DeLarverie, and Bayard Rustin are brought to life with actors like Pose star Hailie Sahar, The Walking Dead [8]'s Elizabeth Ludlow, and Love, Simon actor Keiynan Lonsdale.
Watch Equal on HBO Max [9].
Betty
Betty is a teen comedy series that centres on a group of Gen Z teenage girls who struggle to stand out in New York's predominantly male world of skateboarding. As with many other shows about the adolescent experience, the girls find out who they are — and who they love — along the way.
Watch Betty on HBO Max [10].
We're Here
Similar to Queer Eye [12], We're Here offers people an opportunity to get a total life makeover with a little help from queer icons. The show stars Bob the Drag Queen, Shangela, and Eureka — three drag queens who rose to fame on RuPaul's Drag Race [13] — as three fairy godmothers who descend upon small towns around the country to help bring out confidence in locals who need it. It's honestly feel-good TV for the whole family.
Watch We're Here on HBO Max [14].
It's a Sin
From Queer as Folk creator Russell T. Davies, It's a Sin is a miniseries starring Years & Years singer Olly Alexander [15]. The show captures life during the HIV/AIDS pandemic of the 1980s and the massive grief that came with it. While many other shows that take place during the AIDS crisis showcase the pain it caused in the United States, It's a Sin highlights the pandemic's progression in the UK.
Watch It's a Sin on HBO Max [16].
Generation
One of the biggest shows for Gen Z representation yet, Generation stars Justice Smith [17] and an array of other talented young actors as high schoolers. The show follows each student as they try to navigate their sexuality in their conservative community.
Watch Generation on HBO Max [18].
Euphoria
Another show featuring Gen Z high schoolers, Euphoria [19] stars Emmy-winning actress Zendaya [20] as Rue Bennett, a recovering drug addict struggling to find stability in her life. Her romantic interest in the show, Jules Vaughn, is played by trans actress and model Hunter Schafer [21]. The show offers heavy commentary on the struggles that today's generation of teens are going through.
Watch Euphoria on HBO Max [22].
Hacks
The HBO Max original dramedy Hacks stars noted actress Jean Smart as a legendary comedian named Deborah Vance who needs the help of a Gen Z comedy writer. Rising comedian Hannah Einbinder and nonbinary actor Carl Clemons-Hopkins are both nominated for 2021 Primetime Emmy Awards for their respective roles of Ava and Marcus on the show.
Watch Hacks on HBO Max [23].