The Best LGBTQ+ Movies and TV Shows: Why Positive Gay Representation Matters 🌈 | S4 E2

[@happyhealthyhomo]

🌈 If you want to get your hands on our very first WEARABLE merchandise, then head to happyhealthyhomo.com/#shop and get your HHH socks today! 🌈

[@michaelkrupar9808]

I can't say how much I LOVE Red White and Royal Blue. As an older gay man who came out in the midst of the 80's and the entire AIDS and gay-bashing culture of that era, it is so wonderful to watch a movie of two men who accidentally fall in love and make it work by standing up for themselves and who they are for each other. And NO ONE died, NO ONE got beat up, NO ONE was rejected by their families and/or their friends.

[@romaneros4583]

I agree completely. We need more positive gay love stories. Have you seen Single All the Way. My favorite gay Christmas movie.

[@michaelkrupar9808]

@@romaneros4583 Yes, I did and really liked it too, although, there are a ton of people who hated it. Weird also because I'm not a fan of Christmas but I enjoyed that movie.

[@romaneros4583]

@michaelkrupar9808 it was also about emotions instead of hooking up.

[@michaelkrupar9808]

@@romaneros4583 YES, although, that's what it was "supposed to be" until their hearts got involved.

[@hedwy]

Thank you, guys. I'm 23 and I'm struggling right now because I feel this is the time for my coming out before my family (I just can't move forward without it) but I can't find courage to do it, and I don't want to be yet another problem for them. Listening to your podcasts really helps to feel myself in the right place.

[@romaneros4583]

You don't have to "come out". Just live your life and if and when someone asks, be honest and don't treat it like a big deal.

[@hedwy]

​@@romaneros4583 I wish, but things are not as easy as that for me It may work like that when you live in a healthy/big society or at least in a country that has nothing against gay people

[@romaneros4583]

@@hedwy iam sorry to read this. I hope you are safe. Where do you live?

[@hedwy]

​@@romaneros4583 relatively small town in Russia Small enough for me not to see or heard of another people like me (not that they do not exist here, well...)

[@romaneros4583]

@hedwy do not come out until you are able to financially take care of yourself.

[@XTransitMasterX]

I'm 25 Years old from Canada and Openly Gay. The TV Series that I grew up with is (Queer as Folk). Which it made me feel True who I really am. Which I thru my Entire Life since 2004 when I was 5 Years Old I was only Attracted to Guys. Even since then I've been not Hiding who I'm really am.

[@christopheroliver7589]

I'm 51 and remember seeing the movies, Get Real and Trick, back in the late nineties. I was late realizing my sexuality, so seeing these two movies for the first time, was very liberating indeed. I live in Minnesota so I became enthralled with the American version of Queer As Folk. Thank you, both, for your continued work on Happy Healthy Homo.

[@romaneros4583]

I enjoyed the american version, but it lost its way the last season.

[@TomCanon-o7b]

The best gay movie I've watched lately is "Lie With Me". I have watched it twice now and both times I've been really moved by it. I won't go into too much detail, but the scene towards the end where the older guy tells the adult son of his old highschool boyfriend, (who never came out), how his father really did love him brought me to tears. Really is worth watching. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did (twice).

[@romaneros4583]

It was a very good film and treated the subject matter tenderly.

[@Thorn99855]

I loved Tales of the City. It seemed very accurate even though I have never lived in one of those very gay urban areas and have only visited them. Which is kind of odd since I was in a 4 year gay relationship, and we were near the city, but just not immersed in the culture. It was touch and go. But full immersion does seem really nice.

[@josephpatrick4375]

My all time favorite gay flick is Big Eden (2000) which begins in New York but is mostly set in the fictional town of Big Eden, Montana. Henry Hart (Arye Gross) is an up and coming out gay artist who, on the eve of the opening of his exhibit, is called back to Big Eden where his grandfather, Sam Hart (George Coe) has just had a stroke. He is reunited with a childhood friend, Dean Stewart, (Tim DeKay) and revisits the strong emotional (and somewhat confusing) attachment the two have shared off and on throughout their lives. Added to this is the painfully shy Native American owner of the local general store, Pike Dexter (Eric Schweig) whom the local school teacher, Grace Cornwell (Louise Fletcher) enlists to deliver home cooked meals prepared by the kind hearted but somewhat meddlesome Widow Thayer (Nan Martin) to Sam and Henry. Pike (hopelessly in love with Henry but afraid to express his feelings in person) secretly takes over the cooking for the Harts, substituting the Widow's old fashioned and unhealthy fare with more sophisticated (and healthier) gourmet offerings. Similar to Schitt's Creek, the Big Eden townspeople prove to be generously supportive of a relationship between Henry and Dexter even though both men try their best to hide their true feelings from everybody. Funny, heartwarming, romantic, and idealistic. Link: kzbin.info/www/bejne/f5jSfq2eesd2o5osi=2RfXotPbX1T7FeUc

[@romaneros4583]

Big Eden is such a sweet film. I love how the town folk support the gay couple getting together.

[@SteveL2012]

Big Eden, big time! The best.

[@adam4180west]

Guys you need to give Heart stopper another chance its a really good series ,,and Jonathan Baily is in season 3 xxxx and your Aussie accent was hilarious

[@jarrodh8041]

...and there will be a second Red, White Royal Blue. I liked it as well! Also liked Pose as well🏳‍🌈

[@romaneros4583]

I don't have a tv but I loved the book.

[@pcroberts4061]

Absolutely positive imagery and representation needs to be in the movies, in our TV shows and in our advertising. It’s still like the don’t ask don’t tell if I don’t see it. It doesn’t exist rules for gays in the military in the United States. It’s absurd to completely ignore a segment of the population that has always existed and exist now and will exist tomorrow.

[@mysticjason05]

I recently watched a gay Irish movie called Dating Amber and I LOVED it! it was so funny and touching. I can't recommend it enough.

[@jeffwatkins352]

You’re both young. I’m 72, and Boys in the Band did for me very much what Heartstopper does for today’s kids. It offered a permission structure for accepting myself. Yes, it’s harrowing. Yes, there’s a lot of pain and anger. But that’s how it was at the time for most of us who were gay as testified by the author and all the cast themselves being gay. And if you can see Looking, you must! Jonathan Groff is a volcano of talent as is Russell Tovey, and its creator/director Andrew Haigh went on to make All of Us Strangers.

[@anilaboutme]

Yeah, 46 here and I thought Heartstoppers was amazing. A cloud 9 experience. Wish I had that when I was younger. Loved it!!! But as a former ballet dancer and having dance often in (gay) movies. It's often portrayed incorrectly so I can understand that Keegan is turned off by it and it's hard to then get back to focussing on the story. I can relate...

[@andyloretto1827]

X-Men is low key VERY gay.

[@calvind2054]

Oh, so I’m not the only one who noticed this. 😅

[@romaneros4583]

"Have you tried not being a mutant?"

[@paulhilder1309]

Man in an orange shirt. Super

[@martinmaynard141]

La Cage aux Folles was orginally a French film. It was THE gay film of the early 1980s. Not very positive but at the time better than nothing Joel you said you don't like films but you have got to watch Pride (2014) the true story of Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners who supported a community in Wales during the miners strike and the miners came to London for the Pride March. I knew most of the main (gay) charaters and it is so true to life - when I first saw it my first reaction was "he doesn't look like Mark" and then the actor started speaking and it was Mark. This is your homework!

[@dawnevans157]

I love the Pride film brilliant and so much more because it was a true story.

[@susanforson5574]

You absolutely should see Ammonite with Kate Winslet and Saoirse Ronan. It’s both beautiful and powerful.

[@paulhilder1309]

How can one not love Fellow Travellers

[@willistaylor4077]

Meryl Streep, played a male Jewish priest, in the version of Angels in America, that i saw years ago.

[@dawnevans157]

Not seen Beautiful Thing mentioned if looking for a 90s gay themed film starring actors from The Bill and EastEnders.

[@rickyestevez4698]

Keegan is correct in that Harvey Fierstein wrote the book for the Broadway musical version of "La Cage Aux Folles." Harvey's Torch Song Trilogy is a personal favorite but see if you can find an HBO film they did of the third and final play in his other trilogy Safe Sex entitled "Tidy Endings" starring Harvey and Stockard Channing as the companion and ex wife, respectively, of a man recently passed away from AIDS. Quite powerful and moving.

[@gregorytoner6488]

Joel you should have let Keegan stop you “criticizing “ Heartstopper, I am a 62 year old man and Heartstopper changed my life. It healed trauma i didn’t know I had and gave me immense joy. The first season was a standalone they didn’t know if they would get more seasons but following the story of Nick and Charlie and the issues and problems they have but that are solved so beautifully is wonderful… season 2 and soon to be released season 3 are game changers. I would suggest watching again but you really threw me that it was so distasteful to you. Really disappointed but you do you, everyone opinion matters, but yours is wrong this time 😊

[@willistaylor4077]

As an Australian, Keegan u were Terrible! 🤪🤪🤪😂😂😂🤣🤣

[@kuransays]

I agree with all the TV shows recommended in this video, especially Fellow Travelers, which was absolutely beautiful! I also wanted to add that I just recently finished How to Get Away with Murder with Viola Davis, superb show with LGBT characters as well, loved it so much. At this point, my 2 favorite gay films are Hawaii and All of Us Strangers. Both of these gems had me bawling at the end, Hawaii moreso for its use of setting and atmosphere that really showcase how special those bonds with the people you touch throughout your life can have unforeseen effects on the human condition and was just very beautiful to watch. Hawaii had me completely entranced from start to finish. All of Us Strangers has a masterful sense of storytelling that is hard to match and really resonated with me in tugging at the loneliness one can feel later in life when not approaching the notion of coming out and how the protagonist copes with that is so beautifully portrayed. His love interest played by Paul Mescal does a wonderful job as well, adding even more layers of complexity to this fantastic movie that had me questioning how healthy the decisions I've made throughout my life were before and after coming out at age 37. I cannot recommend both of these films enough, they are both beautifully filmed, acted and written 😊❤

[@robertschwartz4810]

I remember seeing "Boys in the Band" when it first came out in 1970. It was pretty bold and revolutionary to have a gay theme go mainstream in those days. It was, indeed, very depressing, full of the Catholic guilt of that time. However, I took that in my stride as something that must be endured until better times ahead.

[@RCSVirginia]

I call "Shelter" the Gay Chick Flick. It has a terrific story and cast, as well as a wonderful soundtrack by Shane Mack. It's my favourite gay move, and I rewatch it at least once a year.

[@mhollick63]

I can't watch these shows on gay movies and TV shows by gays in the 20s or 30s. They only mention movies from 2000 and onward. No one remembers Maurice or My Beautiful Launderette from the 1980s and even Boys in the Band from the 1960s. I'm a gay man of 61 and there was art before 1990.

[@darkzomb]

YES KEEGAN! X-Men is FULL of LGBT Subtext! ESPECIALLY the Chris Calremont (writer) run of the comics from '75-'91, a 16 year run! He brought us so many subtextually LGBT characters (And personally I think EVERY X-man during that time is Bisexual)! The idea of Mutants/X-Men being a metaphor for minorities is not new, its sort of always baked in, but examining it too closely it does start to fall apart. In general, the X-men tryign to protect a world that hates a fears them because of how they were born strikes a chord with many queer/minority readers. Some of my Favorite LGBT X-Men are: Iceman (Bobby Drake - comes out as gay while older after his younger self comes out whilst time traveling), Mystique (Raven Darkholme - Bi since forever but wasn't alowed by editorial to call Destiny her wife until 2021), Destiny (Irene Adler - Lesbian, old lady when she was introduced, Wife to Raven, Died and Got Better), Anole (Viktor Borokowski - was originally proposed to commit S******de due to bullying before editorial said, no lets not, now hes a hot Lizard Twink bartender in NYC, hes also been to hell), Fang (Akihiro - half japanses half canadian son of wolvering, COMPLETE diasaster Bi), Askani (Rachel Summers - Long suffering bisexual/Lesbian Telelpath from an alternate timeline), and Shatterstar (Gaveedra 7 - famous bi/pan alternate dimensional time traveler who he fell in love with his best friend, and declared it by kissing him, once he understood what a relationship was)! But there are so many! Check out the Cerebro Podcast, where Connor Goldsmith spends each episode talking about 1 character with a guest, hes just starting his 4th year, and its AMAZING (if you like X-Men stuff). I listen while doing errands and cooking. Sorry for the ramble, but you got me excited. Aso, check out a Movie called "Trick" (unknown if you can stream it), and a series called "Dead Boy Detectives" (Netflix). Keep it up Boys!

[@rickyestevez4698]

I agree with Joel 100% regarding Dominique Jackson's performance as Elektra in the first season but her acting improved exponentially as the series went on. By the end of show's run, she was very good and committed to the role. But she was definitely very wooden and unconvincing in the first season. I think you'll, ultimately, grow to love it and her as much as I and all my friends did.

[@ajaxon319pldunbar]

Keegan, HRH Prince Joel and BTS Harry, this was another entertaining, enlightening podcast. The call messages were particularly insightful, especially the one from the Argentinian school teacher about the impact of the “Heartstopper” series on her students, and the other caller effusing praise about the series “Pose”. As a 60-year-old fuddy duddy, I enjoyed the youthful “Heartstopper” as an insight as to how LGBTQ+ teens today deal with burgeoning love and romance. I’m looking forward to the new season. “Pose” was more of a reflective but fun program that dealt with the Black and Latino queer groups who were already marginalized within society at large but also marginalized by the gay White community. Black & Latino queer ballroom culture which included vogueing existed long before megastar and gay icon, Madonna, thought of singing “Vogue”. She introduced mainstream America and the world to a culture that Black and Latino queers in New York City in particular experienced intimately and regularly. I laughed when Keegan mentioned the gay subtext of the X-men cartoons when he was growing up. Many a superhero has caused a stir in my britches, such as Captain America (That’s America’s a$$!”), Black Panther and the shirtless Namor. However, my all-time gay superpowered being is the purple, massively built hulk of a hunk, Marvel’s Thanos! Huh? What? You didn’t know that Thanos, the purple Titan, was gay? Well, I sussed him out of that comic book closet when he became the balancer of worlds villain of the “Avengers: Infinity War” and “Avengers: Endgame” movies who sought to kill half of every living being throughout the universe. Here are some of my side eye observations of Thanos: 1. Thanos is determined to change worlds across all galaxies with a determinedly sassy fingersnap while wearing an Infinity Stones-bejeweled, bedazzled, single gold glove. 2. The Infinity Stones are the same colors of the Pride flag: yellow(mind), orange(soul), red(reality), green(time), blue(space), and purple(power). 3. His killer posse, The Children of Thanos, are the ultimate "Mean Girls" of the Marvel Universe. No, you cannot sit at their table at lunch at school. 4. Like any gay "House/Haus Mother", he adopts "children" to protect and to train them how to be fierce divas ready to win any and all "Paris is Burning"...no, make that, "Galaxies Are Burning" battles. His “daughters” are Gamora and Nebula. Their names are so very gay! 5. Thanos always makes dramatic entrances emerging from portals or from the sky. 6. Thanos boasts in “Avengers: Infinity War” and “Avengers: Endgame” the following: a) "I am inevitable." That's a fierce diva statement if there ever was one. b) "I never taught you to lie. That's why you're so bad at it." Thanos admonishes his “daughter” Gamora while letting her know he’s Head B*tch in Charge. c) "You're not the only one cursed with knowledge." Thanos serves a clap back to the impetuous Tony Stark/Iron Man. d) Tivan, The Collector, says, “Why would I lie?"; Thanos replies, “I imagine it's like breathing for you." Thanos throws unnecessary shade. e) Loki, Thor’s brother, says, “I do have a bit of experience in that arena." Thanos replies, “If you consider failure experience." Thanos is just a plain messy gay. f) Wanda Maximoff (shortly to become the Scarlet Witch) says, “You took everything from me!" Thanos replies, “I don't even know who you are." Thanos is so dismissively gay for no apparent reason. g) “I ignored my destiny once. I cannot do that again. Even for you.” Thanos says to his daughter Gamora before summarily jettisoning her off a cliff to her death. Dramatic much, gay dad Thanos? h) ”Reality is often disappointing.” Thanos offers a sentiment EVERY gay man has uttered at some point in life. Cheers!❤️🌈😂

[@orielwiggins2225]

Well played! Love this.

[@orielwiggins2225]

What a fun episode! Thanks guys (and bts Harry) can't wait to read all the recommendations.

[@chriss3625]

I liked Heartstopper, but hands down my favorite series is ‘Please Like Me’ there’s so much depth to it and each of the characters are so well developed

[@gs-nr4om]

Normal Heart was/is my favorite. I lost so many friends during that time. It is 100% true. I met Larry Kramer after an act up lecture he gave. He was a brilliant writer/activist. I miss his energy and tenacity. By for now, Greg from Tallahassee!

[@BrianRByrnes]

Some non-English shows that I liked watching are: Young Royals Call Me By Your Name Smiley Merlí: Sapere Aude The Boyfriend

[@baddow315]

The Tales of the City books are excellent. I think you would enjoy them Joel.

[@phillipholtzman3888]

The Hallmark Channel has movies featuring gay characters in leading roles. Luke MacFarlane is one of my favorite actors. Watched "In From the Side" on Amazon Prime. Looking was great until the final episode. Love Russell Tovey and Jonathan Groff together.

[@Nick-zr2rp]

Boys in the band was formative in my early years of coming out and i found positives as well as negatives from it. At the time i was happy that films where being made about the LGBT Community Heartstopper is maybe more for the younger generation and is a little sugar sweet and nothing like real life.

[@richiej5884]

Looking came out on HBO as a series, but now you can catch in on Prime. A really great TV series and then they followed it up with a movie as sort of a well needed closure. Jonathan Groff and Russell Tovey and so many more great actors in that series. I think you would enjoy it!

[@willistaylor4077]

I loved Boys In The Band. Mind you, im old enough to be your Daddy. 😅❤🌈

[@LorraineinPNW]

My favorite TV show is Modern Family and movie is Boys Don't Cry.

[@calvind2054]

I loved Heartstopper and think you both should watch it again. It was 100% targeted a young audience and just because it’s not for mature audiences. Appreciate the fact that it’s helping to guide the next generation of LGBTQ young people, something we didn’t have. Season 3 of Heartstopper is fast approaching. A few clips released, but most still secret. I believe the season starts in October on Netflix. Talks in progress if a Season 4 would be successful after Season 3.

[@PokhrajRoy.]

Y’all are talking about my favourite topic. Diversity is not tokenism for all the studios out there

[@Dragonmoon1598]

When it comes to Heartstoper, I enjoyed season one a lot. Because it had that hint of tension and excitement between Charlie and Nick. As expected, that was gone in season 2. While I did still enjoy it, there were no standout moments like in season one. (I'm nearing 40, so not the target demographic). So while I'll watch season three. It's more out of curiosity than anticipation. Point is, while it's an overall good show and wonderful cast. I can see why it doesn't resonate with everyone.

[@BillCameronWC]

I first started reading the Tales of the City novels in the mid-late 1980s & have the whole series in print (paperback & hardback) & on my Kindle, and I’ve seen most of the film/tv adaptations. I’m British, but have lived for many years in those days & earlier in the Middle and Far East & mainland Europe, and in the early 80s observed from where I lived then in the Middle East & Hong Kong the ongoing development of the HIV/AIDS crisis, so those novels & films/movies such as Longtime Companion& Torch Song Trilogy were all a part of my earlier years. Indeed my 3d US visit in the mid-80s was based on San Francisco & Northern California, partly influenced by the Tales of the City books! But also on my love of wine & a desire to visit the Sonoma & Napa valleys there, as much as by my fascination with the fictional inhabitants of Barbary Lane 😉👍. I first watched La Cage aux Folles projected on an outside wall of the Australian Embassy compound in Jeddah (before all embassies moved to Riyadh), in the late 1970s - obviously in those days it was billed as purely a comedy. In more recent years, I’ve been married to my Chinese husband for going on 9 years at this point. I never made a point of ‘coming out’, but I think few who got to know me in earlier years were in any doubt that I am gay and in the circles I moved in (personal & professional) it was not ever really an issue. In fact an uncle lived with his male partner for about 30 years from the mid-1950s in London (where they both lived and worked), when my uncle separated from his wife and their two young sons, who he continued to support financially for many years, and when he and his partner came more or less every year to spend a few weeks holiday with my parents, me & my brother (from when I was 7/8 years old) and always occupied a double bed in one of our guest bedrooms and to me as a child this was all perfectly normal, and it was only in later years I came to understand just how unusual all this was at the time. Maybe I have just been lucky. My husband has not had it quite so easy, given the culture he grew up in (in China) but he is a tough determined person & has forged his own path and whilst younger friends/family have known he’s gay for years, for older family members it’s been a slower and ongoing process. I find your vlogs and both your journeys in life very interesting & whilst both me and my husband are definitely much less ‘right on’ & left-wing than both of you appear to be, but we have a wide variety of straight and gay friends in our personal lives too, many of whom are to the left of both of us politically, which does not bother us at all. Life is about variety & tolerance - sometimes less evident from those on the Left unfortunately if truth be told 😉😳, but for us at least it’s not an issue.

[@ricksb5]

How dare you Joel. Electra was an icon. 😂

[@authorjdnichols]

the Xmen cartoons were LOADED with lgbt undertones! And the best to grow up on.

[@darrellleighton777]

The Sum of Us... Russell Crowe. 1994. / The Wedding Banquet 1993 / Beginners Ewan McGregor 2010

[@bikerpaul68]

A film I saw recently and enjoyed was the 2016 Irish film "Handsome Devil", about an unsporty teenage boy at a rugby-mad boarding school (rugby union again, sorry). It deals with bullying and homophobia but there are also light-hearted moments. Keegan, if you want to see a film about rugby league there's the 2007 Australian film "The Final Winter". It stars Matt Nable, who also wrote the screenplay: he was a professional league player in Australia and England, so it should be fairly authentic. No gay content though :-(

[@michaelortiz1561]

Representation can be great but I will say it can have negatives too , I'd say if there were more gsy men on these films that were more like me I wouldn't have felt like i couldn't possibly be gay cause I couldn't see ppl like me it's more in depth and deeper but not easy to put in a comment

[@Cristianoengelke76]

Rent Movie, amazing!!!