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2020 was a garbage year but at least it had one thing going for it: 2020 gave us the queerest Christmas ever. For the first time in pop culture history, the LGBTQ community could tune into holiday content—specifically schmaltzy holiday romcoms—and see ourselves being schmaltzy.
Somehow we got Hulu’s Happiest Season, Hallmark’s The Christmas House, Lifetime’s The Christmas Set-Up, and Paramount’s Dashing in December all in one holiday season—and that wasn’t even all the queer holiday content released at the end of 2020. Netflix dropped Holiday Home Makeover with Mr. Christmas starring out interior decorator Benjamin Bradley, and Hulu acquired the streaming rights to Drag Race alums Jinkx Monsoon and BenDeLaCreme’s holiday special. We were positively spoiled with big gay riches. And after all that very merry representation last year, we are eager to don our gay apparel and watch what 2021’s holiday season got for us. So, what’s in store for viewers in terms of LGBTQ+ rep this year?
On the negative side: not much more than what we got last year. If you were expecting networks like Hallmark and Lifetime to increase their queer output from one movie a season to two? No such luck—at least not yet. This year, we’ve got three movies with queer leads and three more with decent representation to look forward to. So while we’ve not reached parity just yet—there are roughly 135 new holiday movies coming out this year, so we should have at least 13 that are queer as hell!—this is still better than where we were two years ago. Keep reading!
'Zoey's Extraordinary Christmas' (Roku)
Starring: Jane Levy, Mary Steenburgen, Skylar Astin, John Clarence Stewart, Alex Newell, Andrew Leeds, Alice Lee, Michael Thomas Grant, Kapil Talwalkar, David St. Louis, Peter Gallagher, Bernadette Peters
Roku Synopsis: On her first holiday without her father, Zoey attempts to create a magical Christmas for her family just like the ones Mitch used to do.
Why You Can’t Miss It: Holiday episodes are special, musical episodes are always a blast, and we love it when a canceled series makes a comeback. Zoey’s Extraordinary Christmas is all three of those in one truly jubilant feature-length special. Plus, any movie that gives us Alex Newell singing Christmas songs is a must watch.
Premiere Date: Wednesday, December 1 on Roku
'Single All the Way' (Netflix)
Starring: Michael Urie, Philemon Chambers, Luke Macfarlane, Barry Bostwick, Jennifer Coolidge, Kathy Najimy
Netflix Synopsis: Desperate to avoid his family’s judgment about his perpetual single status, Peter (Michael Urie) convinces his best friend Nick (Philemon Chambers) to join him for the holidays and pretend that they’re now in a relationship. But when Peter’s mother (Kathy Najimy) sets him up on a blind date with her handsome trainer James (Luke Macfarlane)— the plan goes awry.
Why You Can’t Miss It: This movie puts a gay twist on the classic fake-relationship-for-the-holidays plot, adds a love triangle angle, and brings Kathy Najimy and Jennifer Coolidge together? This movie was created in a North Pole lab specifically for all of the holiday gays.
Premiere Date: Thursday, December 2 at 3 a.m. ET on Netflix
'The Bitch Who Stole Christmas' (VH1)
Starring: RuPaul, Krysta Rodriguez, Andy Ridings, Michelle Visage, Ginger Minj, Brooke Lynn Hytes, Peppermint, Jan Sport, Jaymes Mansfield, Latrice Royale, Gottmik, Morgan McMichaels, Porkchop, Carson Kressley, Ross Mathews, Chad Michaels, Heidi N Closet, Kelly Mantle, Kimora Blac, Laganja Estranja, Manila Luzon, Mayhem Miller, Pandora Boxx, Raven, Rock M. Sakura, Kylie Sonique Love, Kim Petras, Charo, Anna Maria Horsford
VH1 Synopsis: In the draggiest Christmas movie ever made, a workaholic big-city fashion journalist is sent to a Christmas-obsessed small town to dig up a story when she finds herself in the middle of cut-throat housewives, a high-stakes “Winter Ball” competition, and a sinister plot that could destroy Christmas fore-evah!
Why You Can’t Miss It: Super-fans have probably watched close to 90 hours of new Drag Race this year alone, so a scripted holiday comedy sounds like a treat after seeing the queens in a nonstop carousel of runways and Maxi Challenges. These snow queens are multi-talented and we cannot wait to see how they werk in the holiday movie genre. Plus—Kim Petras and Charo in the same movie? That is gay nonsense and we are here for it.
Premiere Date: Thursday, December 2 at 9 p.m. ET on VH1
'The Housewives of the North Pole' (Peacock)
Starring: Betsy Brandt, Kyle Richards, Jearnest Corchado, Kyle Selig, Tetona Jackson, Carlos Ponce, Alec Mapa, Damon Dayoub
Peacock Synopsis: The Christmas Queens of North Pole, Vermont, Trish (Kyle Richards) and Diana (Betsy Brandt), have won the Best Holiday House decorating competition every year for the past nine years. But days before Christmas, a friendship-ending argument sparks a town-wide feud and draws the attention of a national magazine writer hoping to make a name for herself with her scintillating expose.
Why You Can’t Miss It: No, this isn’t a queer romcom, but having Housewives in the title immediately makes the movie gay. And it does have queer cred with Alec Mapa in the cast. The film’s original title was The Real Housewives of the North Pole, which I guess was changed because it evoked images of elf wives in tight dresses chucking mugs of peppermint cocoa at each other. Now that’s a movie we’d love to see. 2022, please?
Premiere Date: Thursday, December 9 at 3 a.m. ET on Peacock
'The Christmas House 2: Deck Those Halls' (Hallmark)
Starring: Robert Buckley, Ana Ayora, Jonathan Bennett, with Sharon Lawrence, Treat Williams, Brad Harder
Hallmark Synopsis: The Mitchell brothers compete to see who can create the best Christmas house.
Why You Can’t Miss It: Remember The Christmas House, one of last year’s big gay movies? It’s getting a sequel! It’s no surprise why; the first film was also legitimately great Christmas movie! That is why this sequel is one you can’t miss. You just gotta see what the Housers are up to this year! Note: that is not their last name, although I wouldn’t put it past a Hallmark movie.
Premiere Date: Saturday, December 18 at 8 p.m. ET on the Hallmark Channel
'Under the Christmas Tree' (Lifetime)
Starring: Elise Bauman, Tattiawna Jones, Ricki Lake
Lifetime Synopsis: Marketing whiz Alma Beltran (Elise Bauman) and Christmas tree whisperer Charlie Freemont (Tattiawna Jones) cross paths when Charlie finds the perfect tree for the Maine Governor’s Holiday Celebration – right in Alma’s back yard. While they initially spar, romantic sparks soon begin to fly between the two women as the enchanting tree and some Christmas fairy dust from the town’s pâtissière extraordinaire (Ricki Lake) bring out the best in them and spark each other to take leaps of faith and fight for love and Christmas magic.
Why You Can’t Miss It: In the grand tradition of last year’s The Christmas Setup, Lifetime returns with a new queer romcom called Under the Christmas Tree. We’re always going to show up for diversity during the holidays, especially when it includes a pâtissière extraordinaire played by original Tracy Turnblad Ricki Lake.
Premiere Date: Sunday, December 19 at 8 p.m. ET on Lifetime
