The 16 best shows to watch during Pride Month

The Other Two

The Other Two is the funniest show about being gay that has ever graced television. From rogue hole pics to Instagays gone mild, the humor is always razor-sharp but never cruel or vindictive. Created by SNL alums Chris Kelly and Sarah Schneider, the sitcom follows the misadventures of brother-and-sister duo Cary and Brooke Dubek (the hilarious Drew Tarver and Heléne Yorke) as they try to siphon off a bit of the spotlight from their newly famous little brother, and later, mother (noted legend and gay icon Molly Shannon) for themselves. Though Cary and Brooke find their own kind of fame and success, like so many queer shows, The Other Two is ultimately about family — and under all that uproarious shtick is a heart of gold. —Lester Fabian Brathwaite

Young Royals

Swedish royal Prince Wilhelm (Edvin Ryding) must choose between duty and love in the heartfelt coming-of-age drama Young Royals. After facing a public scandal, Wilhelm is sent to a boarding school, and that's where he meets Simon Eriksson (Omar Rudberg), a scholarship student and rising star in the school choir who Wilhelm begins to have feelings for. While exploring his sexuality, Wilhelm must also deal with the responsibility he has to his nation — and then figure out how to navigate when those two things come into conflict. It all makes for one very complex LGBTQ+ character. Ryding and Rudberg's portrayals of Wilhelm and Simon will have you rooting for these two bold, young men in a powerful story about first love. —Alamin Yohannes

​Our Flag Means Death

Who knew that a ragtag pirate comedy would become one of TV's sweetest and smartest examples of queer representation? Our Flag Means Death is a swashbuckling delight, following "Gentleman Pirate" Stede Bonnet (Rhys Darby) as he ditches his privileged life on land to seek adventure on the high seas. Soon, he finds an unlikely ally in the notorious Blackbeard (Taika Waititi, who also directs), and the two captains strike up a friendship and eventual romance.

There's something refreshing about watching their slow-burn love affair unfold, especially when TV has a long, ugly history of queerbaiting. So many shows have hinted at similar relationships between male characters, only to reveal that it's just a platonic bromance. But there's a real heart to Stede and Blackbeard's courtship, and they're not the only queer characters on OFMD, either: The ship's crew is a delightfully quirky ensemble, from Nathan Foad's writer Lucius to Vico Ortiz's nonbinary assassin Jim. The result is a show that isn't just the best gay pirate rom-com on TV, but one of TV's most charming comedies, period. —Devan Coggan

Harley Quinn

Ever since their first pairing in the iconic "Harley and Ivy" episode of Batman: The Animated Series, the sapphic subtext between Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy has slowly simmered into text. The DC comics duo had an instant chemistry many fans recognized as more than just a fiendish friendship. In season 2 of the hilarious animated series Harley Quinn, their relationship is finally given the space to bloom, as Harley (Kaley Cuoco) grows outside the shadow of the Joker. With Ivy's (Lake Bell) wedding to her fiancée Kite Man (Matt Oberg) looming on the horizon, the budding feelings between the criminal gal pals begin to push their way to the surface and take root. Will these Gotham City Sirens finally couple up? Or will Ivy say "I do" to a lifetime of kite-themed couples' crimes? Tune in this Pride month to find out. Same Quinn time! Same Quinn channel! —Andrew Walsh

Heartstopper

Released in April 2022, Heartstopper wasted no time in stealing — or perhaps more accurately, stopping — the hearts of everyone who watched it. The love story of super-shy nerd Charlie (Joe Locke) and charismatic popular guy Nick (Kit Connor) is nothing if not a feel-good show. As Charlie struggles with being one of the only openly gay kids at his school, he befriends Nick, the school's (seemingly straight) star rugby player. Their friendship then blossoms into something more as Nick starts to explore his own sexuality. The result is a beautifully optimistic show about love and the journey of finding yourself that is sure to leave you with a smile on your face. —Samantha Highfill

First Day

Hannah Bradford (Evie MacDonald) is a 12-year-old transgender girl who begins a new chapter in high school as her authentic self in the Australian series First Day. Between Hannah's concerns about making friends to the return of a bully from the past and her parents trying their hardest to keep their child safe, First Day explores what young transgender people face. Season 1 centers on Hannah's journey to acclimate to her new life and navigate the difficulties any high school student faces alongside her coming into her own, while season 2 sees Hannah deal with microaggressions and hate speech as she competes against a former friend for class captain.

First Day is a much-needed series for young trans people in the vein of many of the programs about cisgender, straight students that generations have grown up on. Follow along as Hannah tries to start a club for LGBTQ+ students, helps a friend come to terms with his own gender identity, and considers dating a classmate. —A.Y.

Chucky

Possessed doll, serial killer and…queer "friend to the end"? If you're looking to spice up your Pride month viewing with a few jump scares — and laughs — then this SyFy/USA Network continuation of the original Child's Play franchise is for you. A horror tale that doesn't relegate the LGBTQ+ elements to the background, season one follows the bloody "coming-of-rage" of 14-year-old Jake Wheeler (Zackary Arthur). Throughout its eight episodes, Jake grapples with his sexual identity, first love, and a growing pile of bodies courtesy of the titular murderous doll. But it's not all rampages and terror. In one of the series' more tender moments, Chucky (voiced once again by Brad Dourif) tells a surprised Jake that he supports his genderfluid kid (Glen/Glenda from 2004's Seed of Chucky) because he's "not a monster." Could the diminutive killer have a softer side underneath his hard, plastic exterior? This wild series, overseen by Chucky's openly gay creator Don Mancini, is sure to please queer horror fans — and their straight (human and doll) allies. —A.W.

Everything's Gonna Be Okay

Josh Thomas' follow-up to his iconic series Please Like Me is equally charming and groundbreaking. The series follows Nicholas Moss as he tries to take care of his half-sisters after their father dies. Nicholas, his boyfriend Alex, and his two sisters create their new family and learn how to take care of one another as they come to terms with their new normal. Like Thomas' past work, the show is hilarious and charming as it navigates everyday life. The most remarkable part of the series is Kayla Cromer and Maeve Press, who play Nicholas' sisters Matilda and Genevieve respectively. They are talented young actresses who breathe life into their roles as their characters put new obstacles in Nicholas' way as he enters his parental era. Cromer's Matilda in particular is an astonishing character. The autistic teenager's character has storylines about dating as an autistic person, a coming out story, and coming into adulthood. —A.Y.

Pose

People looooooove to throw around the word "groundbreaking" like so much glitter in the air, but in the case of this Emmy-winning treasure from Steven Canals and Ryan Murphy, there is no word more fitting. Featuring a cast of queer, trans, and nonbinary people of color, the (all-too-short) three seasons of FX's ballroom saga vacillate between high-stakes melodrama and camptastic O-P-U-L-E-N-C-E, all in service to giving brilliant voice to members of the underrepresented Black and brown LGBTQ+ community and their indelible contributions not only to the queer civil rights movement, but also to our collective history and culture.—L.F.B.

Sort Of

Created by Bilal Baig and Fab Filippo, Sort Of is a funny and tender series that further enhances LGBTQ visibility. Sabi Mehboob (Baig) is a first-generation Pakistani-Canadian trying to navigate cultural expectations and embrace their non-binary identity. When Sabi's employer and friend Bessy Kaneko (Grace Lynn Kung) falls into a coma after a biking accident, they have to decide whether to go to Berlin with a friend as planned or help Bessy's family. Sabi is a character unique to television because of their specificity, and Baig's performance is one of the charming comedy's biggest assets, making Sabi's search to be seen and find themselves universal. —A.Y.

Sex Education

Teenager Otis Milburn (Asa Butterfield) runs a secret, unlicensed sex clinic in an abandoned bathroom at Moordale Secondary School. Anonymously doling out advice based on the teachings of his sex therapist single mother, Jean (Gillian Anderson), he attempts to help his classmates with all manner of issues related to their hormones. As Otis pines for his clinic accomplice Maeve (Emma Mackey), his gay best friend Eric (Ncuti Gatwa) juggles romances of his own — including a love triangle involving a former bully. In season 3, Sex Education's diverse cast of LGBTQ+ students tackle some especially powerful story lines surrounding discriminatory school policies and young love. A raunchy teen comedy unafraid to have frank discussions about gender identity, sexual health, and self-discovery, the series provides a nuanced (and funny) take on a range of issues relevant to queer people, both young and old. —A.W.

Vigil

We love LGBTQ+ heroes, and thriller series Vigil has two. Detective Chief Inspector Amy Silva (Suranne Jones) is tasked to enter a nuclear-powered Vanguard-class submarine after a death on board. While DCI Silva is at sea, she tasks Detective Sergeant Kirsten Longacre (Rose Leslie) with following leads on land. The two women used to be in a relationship, so while Amy trusts Kirsten, there is a lot left unsaid between them, which has to wait while they solve this complex crime. Vigil is visually stunning, stacked with twists, has a sprawling story, and is full of dynamic characters (like many of the sailors Amy meets, for instance), making this show a must-watch. —A.Y.

Special

Based on his novel I'm Special: And Other Lies We Tell Ourselves, Ryan O'Connell's Special is a semi-autobiographical show about a gay man with cerebral palsy navigating his professional and personal life. Ryan Hayes (O'Connell) is looking to be happy and self-sufficient in a world that makes it incredibly difficult for him to do so. O'Connell's wit, snark, and comedy live in the episodes of this particularly poignant comedy series. Viewers see how much of a talent O'Connell is as a show creator, writer, and actor, especially given the series comes from his own life experience. It's a testament to his very clear voice as an artist. —A.Y.

Queer as Folk (2022)

The original Queer as Folk (either the British one of the one that ran on Showtime for five years) holds a special place in many a queer heart, but for some of us, the overwhelmingly white, overwhelmingly cis drama never truly spoke our language. Enter Stephen Dunn, who along with writer/executive producer Jaclyn Moore, crafted a QaF for this moment that somehow feels current but not precious. Once senseless gun violence rocks a close-knit LGBTQ+ community in New Orleans, the show becomes less about tragedy and more about survival. At the center are characters who are messy, not always likable, and definitely not trying to be role models or exemplars of queerness; they're just trying to live and have some fun while doing it. In 2022, it's a message that is both relevant and resounding. —L.F.B.

Legendary

Thanks to its mix of schooling and entertaining the children, Legendary brings excellence to audiences every single ball. It features 10 Houses from all over the country (with season 3 adding an international house) competing in balls for the chance to win $100,000. The voguing reality series is similar to other competition shows in that performers get to exhibit their talents week after week by creating the type of big productions that only the support of studios can provide. The challenges are innovative, the performances are grand, and the result is an exciting showcase of undeniable creativity. What makes Legendary unique, however, is that it provides a level of support and uplift, highlighting groups of LGBTQ+ performers in a way that TV rarely has. Successful teams put a supportive family bond on display during their performances, and Legendary judge and ballroom icon Leiomy Maldonado often discusses with contestants how proud she is to see their community on the stage. It's ball or nothing! —A.Y.

P-Valley

P-Valley — based on showrunner Katori Hall's play P----y Valley — follows the ups and downs of the employees of the Pynk, a strip club in the fictional town of Chucalissa, Miss. The show tackles issues surrounding sex work, homophobia, transphobia, and colorism, while crafting a soapy southern noir that treats its subjects as fully realized people. This found family of dancers is led by nonbinary club proprietor Uncle Clifford (Nico Annan), whose tongue is as sharp as her well-manicured nails. Over the course of season 1, she enters a fraught relationship with a closeted up-and-coming rapper, Lil Murda (J. Alphonse Nicholson), while struggling to fend off land developers so she can keep the doors of the Pynk open. A thrilling, funny, and engaging series, P-Valley deserves a spot on your viewing list. —A.W