LGBTQ+ TV Shows on Netflix

26 LGBTQ+ Shows on Netflix That Will Fill You With So Much Pride

GLAAD has a mission, and it's to make sure that within the next couple of years, 10 percent of series regular characters on primetime TV are LGBTQ+ to make for a more accurate representation of the world we live in. According to the organisation's annual diversity report in 2018, we're on the right track, and the study also found that Netflix is still the best streaming platform for diverse representation of characters that openly identified as gay, bisexual, trans, or queer. LGBTQ+ representation matters more than ever, and though we've made some awesome strides, here are just a few TV shows you can stream on Netflix that are totally killing the game when it comes to accurate representation.

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1. Orange Is the New Black

When privileged New Yorker Piper Chapman is sent to a minimum-security prison due to her involvement with a drug runner 10 years earlier, she never imagines she'll run into the woman who got her involved in the first place — and who also happens to be her old girlfriend. Despite whatever may be going on in the prison, Piper and Alex's tumultuous relationship always seems to ground the show in reality.

Watch Orange Is the New Black on Netflix.

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2. GLOW

This comedy series takes the Spandex and big hair of the '80s and combines it with the glitter and glamour of female wrestling, making for a show that is utterly original and incredibly entertaining. Season three introduced GLOW's newest couple Arthie and Yolanda, tackling LGBTQ+ representation through the lens of their relationship, as well as Bash's ever-evolving acceptance of his own sexuality.

Watch GLOW on Netflix.

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3. Pose

Created by Ryan Murphy, Pose takes the underground ball culture world of 1980s New York City, and the series has made history by featuring the largest cast of transgender actors in series regular roles ever. Set against the background of the AIDs crisis, Pose manages to feel like a sexy queer fever dream without ever losing touch with the very real things happening outside the club.

Watch Pose on Netflix.

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4. Big Mouth

Voiced by an all-star cast of comedians that includes Nick Kroll, John Mulaney, Jessi Klein, Jason Mantzoukas, Jenny Slate, Fred Armisen, Maya Rudolph, and Jordan Peele, this raunchy animated series follows a group of teenage friends as they embark on the first stages of puberty. Of course, growing up also involves a lot of sexual exploration, and Jay Bilzerian might just be the bisexual icon we've all been waiting for.

Watch Big Mouth on Netflix.

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5. Elite

In this Netflix crime drama, three working-class teens displaced by an earthquake are enrolled in the most exclusive school in Spain, and the clash between the classes erupts into a battle that eventually turns fatal. Though a murder mystery at its core, Elite features same-sex relationships as well as heterosexual ones, such as the romance between Omar and Ander, which we actually get to see play out screen rather than just hear about.

Watch Elite on Netflix.

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6. Grace & Frankie

Grace & Frankie revolves around two nemeses-turned-BFFs who both flee to their shared beach house property after their husbands leave them (for each other), and they must learn to live together, despite their very different personalities. If you've ever wondered what it's like to finally come into your sexuality after you've gone grey, then this one is for you.

Watch Grace & Frankie on Netflix.

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7. Special

Based on Ryan O'Connell's part-memoir, part-manifesto I'm Special: And Other Lies We Tell Ourselves, this coming-of-age comedy series follows O'Connell's own challenges and triumphs as a gay man navigating the world with mild cerebral palsy. The revolutionary show is tightly constructed, painfully honest, and seriously laugh-out-loud funny, and it features what may be the most awkwardly sweet sex scene between a different-abled man and a sex worker of all time — or probably ever.

Watch Special on Netflix.

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8. Queer Eye

In this reality makeover show, five gay men known as the Fab Five help new "heroes" turn around their lives, helping them improve their knowledge of fashion, food and wine, interior design, grooming, and culture. As wonderful as the original series — Queer Eye for the Straight Guy — was, this reboot has expanded its scope, taking on more than just straight men and stressing the idea of acceptance rather than simply tolerance of those who are different.

Watch Queer Eye on Netflix.

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9. Tales of the City

Based on the book series by Armistead Maupin, this miniseries stars Laura Linney as Mary Ann Singleton, a woman who returns home to reunite with her family and the sex-loving residents of 28 Barbary Lane in San Francisco, 20 years after leaving her daughter (played by Ellen Page) and ex-husband behind to pursue her career. Expect to see a lot of colourful characters and a lot of ship-worthy same-sex relationships.

Watch Tales of the City on Netflix.

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10. Bonding

In this new short-form dark comedy series, two former high school BFFs, Pete and Tiff, reconnect years later in New York City only for Pete to discover that Tiff (who attends grad school by day) is secretly one of the city's top dominatrices, introducing Pete to a whole new underground world of sexual secrecy and BDSM. Can we please get more sex-positive shows like this?

Watch Bonding on Netflix.

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11. Everything Sucks!

Taking place in 1990s in Boring, OR, this short-lived series follows the outcasts from the AV club and the drama club as they decide to ban together to become an unstoppable force — or, at least acknowledged — in the high school social scene. One of the best parts of this series is the feelings that Kate, the principal's daughter, starts to develop for drama club queen Emaline, though TBH, who could resist falling for Sydney Sweeney?

Watch Everything Sucks! on Netflix.

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12. Trinkets

Trinkets, based on 2013 novel by Kirsten Smith, revolves around three very different sticky-fingered teens whose paths cross in a Shoplifters Anonymous meeting, and as little as they have in common, the one thing they do share brings them together in unexpected ways. The cool thing about this show is that Led's sexual preference is never a big shocking reveal — instead, when she starts crushing on a woman, her being gay is just treated as a matter of fact.

Watch Trinkets on Netflix.

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13. The Politician

Ryan Murphy's first Netflix series follows the tale of a wealthy Santa-Barbara-based student who is dead-set on becoming class president — and then president of the country. There are more queer characters in this one than we can count, and even though people in this high school would kill for class presidency, everyone is more than accepting of everyone's gender identity and sexual preference.

Watch The Politician on Netflix.

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14. One Day at a Time

This clever sitcom reboot of the classic Norman Lear series revolves around a Cuban-American family following the matriarch's divorce as they navigate life's challenges together. The show explores a relationship between the family's lesbian teenage daughter and her non-binary love interest, and rather than feeling like a gimmick, the relationship feels authentic and extremely sweet.

Watch One Day at a Time on Netflix.

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15. The House of Flowers

This dark comedy follows the lives of a wealthy and dysfunctional Mexican family who owns a flower shop, and the matriarch's attempts to save face after her husband's affair (as well as all of the family's secrets) come to light. This series has served as a major turning point for modern-day Mexican television, as it features not only atypical families, but characters with a diverse range of sexual preferences and gender identities as well.

Watch The House of Flowers on Netflix.

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16. The L Word

This show is Sex and the City with hot LA lesbians, but even better, following the sexual escapades of a group of lesbians and bisexuals questioning their sexualities, hiding their identities, discovering their desires, and sleeping around — oftentimes with each other. Need we say more?

Watch The L Word on Netflix.

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17. Shameless

This incredibly raunchy and hilarious series follows a woman attempting to keep her life, her relationships, and her five younger siblings together in Chicago's South Side, while her bumbling alcoholic father continuously wreaks havoc on them all. Ian Gallagher's coming out journey is one of the best aspects of the show — even if we'll never be over the end of him and Mickey.

Watch Shameless on Netflix.

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18. Dynasty

This reboot of the primetime '80s soap of the same name revolves around two rival families in Atlanta, the Carringtons and the Colbys, and the tension between heiress Fallon Carrington and her billionaire father's new wife, Cristal Flores, whom she doesn't trust. While Steve Carrington's gayness was a huge deal in the original series (as he was one of the first gay characters on American television), Steve's sexuality in the reboot is no longer the catalyst for family feuds and is instead accepted by all — even if his career decisions aren't.

Watch Dynasty on Netflix.

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19. Master of None

Loosely based on Aziz Ansari's real-life experiences, Master of None takes a familiar premise and makes it feel refreshingly offbeat. This show also revolves around a group of New York-based friends and their personal struggles with careers and romances, but it also portrays struggles with identity, generational differences, and sexuality that you're not as likely to find on similar series. If you want to ugly cry, just watch the Denise-centric Thanksgiving episode in season two.

Watch Master of None on Netflix.

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20. Gypsy

Naomi Watts stars in this psychological thriller series as Jean, who appears to be just your run-of-the-mill NYC therapist — but secretly, she has a habit of developing illicit relationships with the people in her patients' lives, and as you can expect, things get more than a little unprofessional.

Watch Gypsy on Netflix.

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21. Cable Girls

Based around four women working at the brand-new National Telephone Company in late 1920s Madrid, this series follows Lidia, Carlota, Ángeles, and Marga as they discover new talents, find their voices, and overcome their own private tragedies. Despite taking place near 100 years ago, this series has major queer storyline at its centre, and you'll find yourself rooting for Carlota and Sara to be together despite the odds.

Watch Cable Girls on Netflix.

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22. Dear White People

Set on a fictional Ivy League campus, this dramedy never steers away from uncomfortable subjects, including sexuality. The show's central queer character, Lionel, really gets to shine in the third season when, after breaking up with his first boyfriend, he gets a chance to unabashedly explore other parts of queer culture, and we get to experience it alongside him.

Watch Dear White People on Netflix.

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23. Glee

Yet another Ryan Murphy creation, this dramedy revolves around the members of an underdog high school glee club as they find their voices and escape the harsh realities of high school within the safe confines of the choir room. From Kurt and Blaine to Brittany and Santana, the show tackles all the challenges that come with coming out in high school, when you might be accepted in the choir room, but will have a much harder time being your authentic self outside of it.

Watch Glee on Netflix.

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24. Chilling Adventures of Sabrina

This Netflix series gets the Riverdale treatment, offering a dark new twist on the original Archie comic book character Sabrina as she is forced to choose between the human world and the witch world as her 16th birthday nears. Instead of using queer narratives as plot devices, this teen drama features characters whose narratives aren't merely limited to their sexuality and gender identity, and though Susie's journey isn't without its challenges, it's a more realistic coming-out story than you usually see in teen dramas.

Watch Chilling Adventures of Sabrina on Netflix.

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25. Sex Education

In Sex Education, an inexperienced high school student, who ironically has plenty of sexual knowledge thanks to his sex therapist mother, decides to team up with a bad girl and open an underground sex therapy clinic at school. Despite coming from a religious Ghanaian family, Otis's best friend Eric is unapologetically gay and totally himself, and even when he's in full Hedwig drag, he never stops being a well-rounded character rather than a cliché.

Watch Sex Education on Netflix.

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26. Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt

In this hilariously weird series, a former mole woman, an outrageous out-of-work actor, an eccentric landlord, and a delusional divorcée bumble through dysfunctional relationships and life in New York City. We just have two words for you: Titus Andromedon. That is all.

Watch Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt on Netflix.

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