'Brokeback At 20': The 10 Most Groundbreaking LGBTQ+ Movies & Shows Of The Last 20 Years

Cam (Eric Stonestreet) and Mitch (Jesse Tyler Ferguson) broke ground by starring in Modern Family. The ensemble series sees the extended Pritchett and Dunphy families live their day-to-day lives, which are always filled with hilarious misadventures. Cam and Mitch weren’t the first gay characters on TV, but since they were in the main cast and were featured so prominently for so many years, their roles were enormously influential in normalising gay people on television. 

Plus, they, along with the rest of the cast, were perfectly casted and fantastically hilarious. If you love the humor from shows like Parks and Recreation (2009) or The Middle (2009), then check out Modern Family.

Arguably one of the most crucial pieces of media to make gay culture mainstream, RuPaul’s Drag Race has boomed into a cultural phenomenon. The competition series pits drag queens against each other in various challenges ranging from fashion to acting, lip-syncing and more. 

Its larger-than-life contestants, bright colors, and epic drama helped make it must-watch television, and the show has ushered in a new generation of world-famous queens like Trixie Mattel, Katya, Bob the Drag Queen, and more. If you’ve ever used or heard “shade,” “what’s the tea,” or “Not today, Satan,” you can thank Drag Race. It’s perfect for fans of reality competition series like Project Runway (2004), but with bigger hair, more glitter, and higher stiletto boots.

Based on the true story of Ron Woodroof, Dallas Buyers Club stars Matthew McConaughey as a man in the ‘80s who discovers he has HIV that has progressed to AIDS. But with America’s highly homophobic culture and the bigoted Reagan administration, he quickly realizes that the nation couldn’t care less if he lives or dies. So, he sets out on his own to find and distribute AIDS medication to those who need it. 

The movie was praised for offering a glimpse into just how bigoted and merciless America was toward the gay community in the ‘80s. It was also a milestone for cinema because it showcased a meaningful trans character (played by Jared Leto, which is problematic for its own reasons, but that’s another article). Dallas Buyers Club scored six Oscar nominations and two wins for McConaughey and Leto’s performances. If you’ve seen powerful movies about gay life during the AIDS crisis, like Longtime Companion (1989) or The Normal Heart (2014), this is a must-watch. 

Based on the 1952 novel The Price of Salt, the Oscar-nominated film Carol tells the story of an older woman, Carol (Cate Blanchett) and a younger woman, Therese (Rooney Mara), who secretly fall in love during the 1950s. The film is an eye-opening look at the secretive lives queer people had to live during the Lavender Scare era, but its real power lies in the captivating emotional depth of its characters.  

On top of earning Oscar noms, it’s an important piece of queer history because it’s based on the novel from 1952, which, at the time, was wildly controversial (but that actually helped push sales, turning the book into a success.) It’s a great example of pre-Stonewall queer art released during an era where gay stories were practically unheard of.  

Moonlight centers around two low-income Black men growing up during the crack epidemic. The film follows them from childhood to adulthood, exposing the way their lives are shaped by crime and a failed system. But most importantly, Moonlight is a tender expose of Black men. Whereas most media depicts Black men as hardened and overtly aggressive, Moonlight shows a different side.

Star Andre Holland spoke with The Root in 2016, saying of the film, “So much value has been placed on the Black body and it being a powerful tool that, when we see images that present a counterpoint to that, I imagine that for some people it feels quite threatening.” If you love coming-of-age queer dramas like Beach Rats (2017) or movies that challenge Black stereotypes like Waves (2019), then Moonlight is required viewing. At the 97th Oscars, the film earned eight nominations, even taking home the prestigious Best Picture award. 

Based on the 2007 novel of the same name, Call Me By Your Name was a wildly popular but somewhat controversial film by auteur Luca Guadagnino. The film sees 17-year-old Elio (Timothee Chalamet) fall in love with 24-year-old Oliver (Armie Hammer). 

Like most of Guadagnino’s films, Call Me By Your Name is super pulpy and melodramatic, but in a way that you can’t look away from. He somehow blends high-brow and guilty pleasure together seamlessly, creating movies that are artful enough to earn Oscar nominations, but salacious enough to garner tons of gossip and online fanfare (the peach!!!!). However, as stated, the film is also loaded with controversy, but its success (it scored four Oscar noms, including Best Picture) and its widespread adoration from viewers can’t be ignored as a part of queer history. If you’re a fan of other Guadagnino movies like Queer (2024) or Challengers (2024), this is the film for you. 

Based on the 2015 novel Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda, the teen rom-com Love, Simon sees a closeted student (Nick Robinson) get blackmailed by the school bully. In order to keep his secret, he needs to set the bully up with his friend, Abby (Alexandra Shipp). Naturally, madness ensues, lessons are learned, and queer love blossoms. 

The movie was a huge hit and really helped bring gay storytelling into the mainstream rom-com space, whereas gay films previously were (largely) bitter dramas about secret lovers or dying of AIDS. This marked a significant moment for Hollywood, which finally realized that gay storytelling didn’t just mean focusing on the painful and the dramatic. If you love other gay rom-coms like Bros (2022) or Single All the Way (2021), then check out this hit movie. You can even watch its sequel series, Love, Victor (2020). 

Based on the 2019 novel of the same name, Red, White and Royal Blue follows a handsome politician’s son (Taylor Zakhar Perez) as he falls in love with a hunky British royal (Nicholas Galitzine). The rest of the film is just a pure, good-ol’ rom-com romp filled with the kind of juicy romance that puts butterflies in your tummy.

The movie was so impactful because it was a huge success for Amazon despite coming out in 2023, after Republicans had already begun their new witch hunt against the LGBTQ community, claiming all queer content to be obscene, perverse, and designed to “groom” children. Red, White and Royal Blue was a fearless response that showed how normal a gay rom-com could be, instantly proving bigots wrong. We’re even set to get a sequel next year. 

The musical crime drama Emilia Perez is a very controversial film for a variety of reasons. But its impact on culture can’t be denied. The movie follows a cartel leader (Karla Sofie Gascon) who quits the business and starts a new life as a woman. Her wife (Selena Gomez) is none the wiser, and her entire ordeal is aided by her American friend, Rita (Zoe Saldaña). 

Look… the movie has some issues, and Gascon has some issues, and nobody really knows how this film will be viewed in five, ten, or twenty years from now. But it was a massive hit, garnered tons of chatter online, and scored 13 Oscar nominations, including Best Picture. It also earned Saldaña a win for Best Supporting Actress, and Gascon became the first trans person to earn an Oscar nomination ever. 

So, yeah, the movie and its star have problems, but they made quite the splash. So, whether it’s good or bad, Emilia Perez is cemented in the history books of the queer experience. If you enjoyed other trans stories, like Transparent (2014), or experimental musicals like Idlewild (2006), check out Emilia Perez. 

The Canadian hockey series Heated Rivalry took the streaming world by storm when it premiered in 2025. The show follows two closeted hockey stars, Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams) and Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie), who begin having a secret, heated affair. But before long, the two realize they might actually be developing feelings for each other. 

The show is unapologetically gay and features tons of hot, steamy scenes that have gotten the entire internet talking. Streaming on Crave in Canada and HBO Max in the US, the show quickly climbed the charts and got so popular that halfway through the first season, a second season was greenlit. Heated Rivalry is so remarkable because it didn’t have to hide its queerness to get popular. In fact, its ample sex scenes are actually part of what’s bringing in viewers. Think of it as all the romance of Red, White and Royal Blue mixed with the daring passion (and nudity) of Queer as Folk (2000).