Queer Entertainment on Streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, HBO, and Revry have become an important part of taking LGBTQ+ representation into the mainstream. Subscribers to these services have given so many of us an escape from reality and offer us fun, joy, love, and even tears. We don’t know what Quarantine would have been like without some of our favorite shows like RuPaul’s Drag Race, Pose, Legendary, Queer Eye, Disclosure, and We’re Here just to name a few. It’s comforting to know that all around the world and in millions of households we are all able to connect and grow from these shows.
Probably the most mainstream show for the Queer community is RuPaul’s Drag Race. We were able to watch Season 12 and All Stars, thankfully recorded before the pandemic. We fell in love with the amazing cast members. Congrats to the winners, Jaida Essence Hall and Shea Coulee. It was great to see members of the Black community taking the crown, especially in light of recent protests against racial inequality.
Another moving and award-nominated show that moved audiences is “We’re Here” on HBO. This “show on the road” features Drag Race alum Bob The Drag Queen, Shangela, and Eureka O’ Hara as they bring messages of love and acceptance (and over the top drag shows) to small towns across America. It is a nod to past drag cinema like ‘To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar,” and “Priscilla Queen of The Desert.” This show is a real-life, non-scripted journey into what life is like for queer people in places where it may not be safe or accepted to come out. Not all queer people live in major cities, and that’s why this is so important. We are happy to hear that it is renewed for season two. We can hear Shangela saying “Halleloo!” You go Queens!
On the heels of a competition-based reality TV show, we also had the chance to watch Legendary, a show that pays tribute to the legendary houses and community that is Ballroom. For those of you that don’t know, Vogue-ing is an important part of Queer History. If you haven’t watched Paris is Burning do it as soon as possible. Houses are important because when many LGBTQ+ people are kicked out of their homes they find new family and friendships in the community. This show highlights the amazing talent and dedication that it takes to make it to the top. The set is amazing and the shows are the best.
Another show that tells the story of houses and families is Pose. It is scripted and takes place during the 1980’s / 1990’s AIDS crisis in New York. The cast is mainly composed of people of color as well as the history making trans women cast as lead characters. Although the show’s black trans cast members were snubbed at the Emmy® Awards ceremony, we know that their representation is important to the LGBTQ+ community and we are so inspired by the story.
Queer Eye, another show featuring gay men traveling through America, even made their way to Japan! The importance of this show is that it shows how people from all walks of life can transform for the better with the help of the “Fab 5” cast, Antoni Porowski–food and wine, Tan France–fashion, Karamo Brown–culture and lifestyle, Bobby Berk–design, Jonathan Van Ness–grooming. There are usually tears shed in each episode. This means that the impact shows like this have on the world are nothing short of amazing.