With the summer heat in full swing, we’re ready to stay inside and binge all things queer. Here are some of the LGBTQ+ movies and television shows coming this August.
Reservation Dogs made history in 2021 as the first series to feature all Indigenous writers and directors, and an almost entirely Indigenous cast and production team. The third and final season of this LGBTQ-inclusive TV show about indigenous teens living in Oklahoma premiered on Hulu on August 2.
I could watch season 1 of Heartstopper over and over again due to the heart-melting romance between Charlie (Joe Locke) and Nick (Kit Connor), and their queer and trans friends. Season 2 of this queer romantic comedy series premiered on Netflix on August 3, and promises a school trip to Paris, prom, and Nick coming out as queer. My heart is ready!
In Passages, out actor Ben Whishaw is one half of a same-sex couple whose marriage is thrown into disarray when his husband begins a torrid love affair with a young woman. Set in contemporary Paris, Passages premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January, and hit theaters on August 4.
Out queer comic Sherry Cola has had quite the year. Aside from her role as Alice Kwan in Good Trouble, she starred in the raunchy comedy Joy Ride, and this August, she’ll be playing a queer character in Randall Park’s directorial debut, Shortcomings. This film premiered at Sundance earlier this year, and hit theaters on August 4.
Alejandro is an aspiring toy designer from El Salvador, struggling to bring his unusual ideas to life in New York City. As time on his work visa runs out, a job assisting an erratic art-world outcast becomes his only hope to stay in the country and realize his dream. From writer and director Julio Torres comes a surreal adventure through the equally treacherous worlds of New York City and the U.S. Immigration system. You can catch it in theaters starting August 4.
Lena Waithe’s drama series The Chi has always been unapologetically Black and queer, and we can’t wait to see what comes next in this incredible show about life on the South Side of Chicago. In a recent interview, Waithe teased that this season will be the “most emotional” yet. The first half of Season 6 of The Chi premiered on Paramount+ and on demand on August 4.
My sapphic heart blossomed last year when Selena Gomez and Cara Delevingne played love interests on the mystery comedy series, Only Murders in the Building. The third season of Only Murders in the Building includes none other than Meryl Streep, and premieres on Hulu on August 8.
After 17 years, we finally have confirmation that Ryan Evans (Lucas Grabeel) of the High School Musical franchise is gay. In a teaser for the fourth and final season of High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, Grabeel returns as Ryan and kisses his partner, who is played by out gay singer Scott Hoying of a cappella group Pentatonix. High School Musical: The Musical: The Series returns to Disney+ on August 9.
Medusa Deluxe is a queer-inclusive British murder mystery film that sets up a whodunnit at a competitive hairdressing contest. In 2022, the film premiered at the Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland, and will be released in the United States on August 11.
In May 2019, author Casey McQuiston took the LGBT romance genre by storm with her debut novel Red, White & Royal Blue, a steamy romance between the first son of the United States and a British prince. Now, the book is being turned into a romantic comedy starring Nicholas Galitzine and Taylor Zakhar Perez. Red, White & Royal Blue premieres on August 11 on Amazon Prime.
From her role as Shuli in the Max comedy The Other Two to her Netflix comedy special I’m An Entertainer, out lesbian comedian Wanda Sykes has made me laugh all this year. On August 17, she’ll return to Netflix as Lucretia Turner in season 3 of The Upshaws, a comedy series about a Black family living in Indiana, which she co-created with Regina Y. Hicks.
After her portrayal of Dr. Barbie in one of this year’s most talked about films, transgender actress Hari Nef is returning to the screen for the horror film Bad Things, which centers around a group of queer friends on a terrifying weekend getaway. Written and directed by queer filmmaker Stewart Throndike, Bad Things will be released on Shudder and AMC+ on August 18.
Earlier this year, Lío Mehiel made history when he became the first trans actor to win the Sundance Special Jury Award for Acting for his role in the film, Mutt. Set in New York City, Mutt tells the story of a young trans man navigating hard times and complicated relationships over the course of a summer day. Mutt will be released in theaters on August 25.
If you loved Shiva Baby, you will certainly enjoy Bottoms because both films were directed by Emma Seligman. Seligman co-wrote Bottoms with actress and comedian Rachel Sennott, who starred in Shiva Baby and also stars in Bottoms. The film follows two high school senior girls who set up a “fight club” to hook up with cheerleaders at their school. Bottoms hits theaters on August 25.
