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7 Netflix shows you NEED to watch this Pride month
One of the quickest ways to educate yourself on issues the LGBTQIA+ community faces is by consuming media made by and for members.
While Pride Month may have significantly changed due to the pandemic, limiting, or in many cases, canceling parades and large gathering events throughout the world — there are still many ways to celebrate the history and members of the community. Most importantly, there are ample opportunities to educate yourself on how to be a better ally. From books to shows and movies, research and history can educate you from the comfort of your home. Here is a list of shows and movies to watch on Netflix this pride month:
Circus of Books
A documentary that follows a gay adult shop in Los Angeles during the 1980’s while the AIDS epidemic was prominent. A young Jewish couple started the shop with the intent to make a living, but soon became a safe haven for many. The film is directed by the couple’s daughter.
A Secret Love
This is a documentary that follows two older women throughout their lives as they kept their love a secret. It is also directed by a gay man, Ryan Murphy.
Laerte-se
This 2017 documentary follows Laerte Coutinho, a famous Brazil cartoonist who comes out as a transgender woman after 60 years. In recent years, Brazil has garnered a reputation as being the LGBT “murder capital” — making this documentary particularly poignant.
The Half of It
A small town is the setting of this coming of age film where a young Asian girl comes to terms with who she is only after she agrees to help a boy write love letters to the girl she is in love with.
Pose
Drag culture is highlighted in this Netflix series, told through the voices of Black and Latinx characters while providing a stark highlight of the AID’s epidemic. This show provides lens to the diversity of the LGBTQIA+ community.
This documentary will comes to Netflix on June 19 and examines transgender representation in entertainment and Hollywood.
Moonlight
While this movie is a few years old, the impact of it continues to stick with me, personally. As our world protests the unjust death of George Floyd as Pride Month unfolds, Moonlight is a portrait of the journey of a gay black man.
If you are questioning why I’ve left out The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson from this list, since Marsha was a central figure during the Stonewall Riots — it is because this film was stolen from a black trans woman by a white man. The original version of this film is available to stream on Amazon Prime. It’s also important to note that 51 years after the original Stonewall Riots, the world is coming together to riot and protest again for Black Lives Matter. These films and shows show why education on the experiences of the pride community, minorities, and marginalized people are important.
We cannot change the past, but we can learn from it, and self education is the first step.