LGBTQ+ Stories We’re Excited to See
Happy June and Pride Month! When it comes to LGBTQ+ stories onscreen, there’s a lot to celebrate.
From the Stonewall Riots to Pride parades, “State of Pride” is a YouTube Original documentary that takes a look at the significance of Pride today, 50 years after the first brick was thrown at Stonewall. Oscar-winning filmmakers Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman and host Raymond Braun traverse the country to communities large and small to find out what Pride means to this generation of LGBTQ+ folks—the joy of celebration, the issues of inclusion within the movement, and the continued fight for equality for all.
“State of Pride” is available to stream free on YouTube.
Created by Ryan Murphy, known for TV hits including “Glee” and “The People v. O.J. Simpson,” the FX series “Pose” has made history by featuring the largest cast of trans actors portraying trans characters on television. Season 1, which aired last summer, explored the drag ballroom scene in late-1980’s New York City—the glamour, the fashion, and the drama cultivated by trans people of color that continues to influence our culture to this day. But beyond the glitz and pageantry, “Pose” brings to light real issues in the LGBTQ+ community during this time, such as homelessness and the AIDS/HIV epidemic, while portraying “the universal quest for identity, family, and respect,” Murphy has said. (As NPR observed about the series, which made its list of favorite shows in 2018: “The best thing about seeing previously marginalized groups claim their own space in pop culture is it often ends up showing—in the most compelling ways—how alike we all are.”) We’ll be interested to see what happens in season 2 as the show makes the jump forward to 1990 and continues to depict timely social issues and champion representation.
Season 2 of “Pose” is out June 11 on FX, and you can catch up on the first season on Netflix.
On the heels of the long-beloved kids’ show “Arthur” featuring a historic same-sex wedding in its 22nd season, Hulu has announced a new LGBTQ+-inclusive animated children’s series, “The Bravest Knight.” Based on Daniel Errico’s 2014 book “The Bravest Knight Who Ever Lived,”it follows a mixed race, same-sex couple, Sir Cedric and Prince Andrew, as they raise their 10-year-old adopted daughter, Nia, and tell her their fairytale backstory, including how one of her dads became a knight. Not only is the series breaking ground in LGBTQ+ representation in children’s programming, but also the heroine of the story, aspiring knight Nia, is a young girl of color (voiced by actress Storm Reid).
“The Bravest Knight” premieres June 21 on Hulu, with this title sequence.
