Why Do We Love LGBTQ Movies So Much?
Let’s be honest. Some of us see a movie described as having gay characters, a gay romance, or an LGBTQ storyline and immediately think, “Okay, where do I sign up?”
Maybe you have a friend who loves time-travel movies. Give him a movie about someone going back to 1955, changing the future, getting stuck in 1842, or accidentally meeting himself in 2097, and he is READY. It doesn't matter if the movie is a masterpiece or a complete mess. If there is time travel, he wants to see it.
Well, LGBTQ movies can have that same kind of pull.
You don't necessarily need a deep psychological explanation for why you love them. Sometimes you simply love seeing gay and lesbian characters at the center of the story. But there are plenty of reasons these movies can hit differently for different people.
Maybe you recognize yourself in the characters. There is something special about watching people who look like you, love like you, or experience the world in a way that feels familiar.
Maybe it's about belonging. Watching LGBTQ characters find friends, community, love, and acceptance can remind us that we are part of something bigger than ourselves.
Maybe you enjoy the feeling of validation. Seeing gay characters fall in love, screw things up, make up, get their hearts broken, chase their dreams, grow old, laugh, cry and occasionally make spectacularly bad decisions can say something very simple:
Our lives are worth telling, too.
Or maybe you're catching up on stories you didn't get to see when you were younger.
For some of us, there simply weren't that many positive LGBTQ movies around when we were growing up. So discovering them later can feel a little like finding a box of movies that somebody forgot to give you 30 years ago.
And then there's romance.
Come on. We like a good love story!
The flirting. The chemistry. The first kiss. The awkward date. The heartbreak. The reunion. The person who clearly should have been calling three months ago but somehow waits until Christmas Eve.
Sometimes you don't need to analyze it. It's just fun.
You might also love LGBTQ movies because you're curious about other people's experiences. Every gay character isn't representing every gay person, just like every straight romantic comedy isn't representing every straight person. These stories can introduce us to different generations, cultures, personalities, relationships and ways of living.
Maybe you enjoy LGBTQ history. Maybe you like seeing how people found love during times when being open about it wasn't easy. Maybe you're fascinated by the changes in our community and how much the world has—and hasn't—changed.
Maybe some movies remind you of your own past.
A certain song, hairstyle, nightclub, neighborhood, fashion choice or painfully questionable boyfriend can suddenly transport you right back to another time. And before you know it, you're watching the movie while thinking, “Oh honey... I remember THAT era.”
Some movies also give us something we don't always get enough of in real life: a happy ending.
We get to watch the character who was lonely find someone. The person who was hiding finally become comfortable. The couple who couldn't be together finally get their chance. The family finally understands. The person who spent years thinking something was wrong with them realizes there never was.
And sometimes that's exactly the movie we need that day.
Of course, there is also the extremely complicated psychological explanation known as:
“They're hot.”
😂
Let's not pretend that doesn't count.
Sometimes the reason we watch a movie is simply because we like looking at the people in it. We're adults. We can appreciate a good storyline and a good-looking man. These two things can coexist peacefully.
And maybe you just love the genre.
That's probably one of the biggest reasons of all.
Just like some people will watch anything involving vampires, superheroes, murder mysteries, Christmas romance, zombies or time travel, you might see “LGBTQ movie” and think, “Yep. That's my kind of movie.”
At that point, you don't need a 14-page psychological report.
You know what you like.
And here's the really fun part: you don't have to love every LGBTQ movie for the same reason.
One might make you laugh. Another might remind you of your younger days. One might introduce you to a story you never knew. Another might make you cry into your popcorn. One might have an incredible plot.
And one might simply have a ridiculously handsome man walking around in a towel.
We contain multitudes.
So if you love gay-themed movies, LGBTQ characters, queer storylines or just stories where people from our community get to be the main characters, there's absolutely nothing strange about having a whole list of them ready to watch.
And that's exactly what we're doing today.
I've pulled together a few LGBTQ movies available on Amazon Prime that you can check out right now.
So grab your snacks, get comfortable, cancel whatever boring thing you were about to do, and settle in.
Find something you haven't seen before. Discover a new favorite. Laugh. Cry. Fall in love with the characters. And most importantly... Click on the titles to watch.. ENJOY!
CLICK HERE to Get Prime/Prime Video: <affiliate link>
Fredy is a teenager who lives in the countryside and denies his homosexual inclinations. When rumors start circulating in the village, he decides to go to Havana, where he meets a group of people who help him realize that it is best to accept himself.
