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There are a lot of great titles out there for viewers interested in what used to be an obscure corner of the video store if that section existed at all. In the present day, those same shows and movies are displayed front and center. There’s no doubt in the entertainment industry that we’re here, we’re queer, and you better get used to it.
6 The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994)
Also a great selection for fans of Ozploitation, this is a story about three aspiring performers who take their drag show on the road. That road goes from the big city of Sydney to the small casino-resort town of Alice Springs near the northern coast. The journey is a perilous one through the Outback, and our heroes have to brave both the savagery of nature and small towns.
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The story isn’t about the destination, of course, because it never is with road-trip movies. Stars include Terrance Stamp, Guy Pearce, and Hugo Weaving as the three “lay girls” who “unplug their curling wands to go bush” in a bus they’ve named Priscilla. This obscure independent film has some much-deserved recognition for costuming and sets, which is one of the ways it got some global attention.
5 The Birdcage (1996)
It’s easy to gush over movies about the young and beautiful people, but what about that older couple struggling with the pressures of a long relationship and a college-aged kid who wants to get married? This is a unique story that hadn’t been seen in big-budget movies before, and the French film on which it was based, La Cage aux Folles, was almost twenty years old.
The real issue that drives the plot of this movie isn’t the impending marriage of their son Valentine to the daughter of an outspoken Conservative politician. Albert is the star of the drag show that happens every weekend in Armand’s club, and despite having top billing and making the venue a success, the lack of a palimony agreement makes Albert feel vulnerable since he has no legal stake in the property or the profits. This was before gay marriage was legal, and in the late 1990s, this was a clever way to bring attention to this issue.
4 Brokeback Mountain (2005)
It’s not just Brokeback Mountain itself but the legacy it left behind. Viewers today take the LGBTQ+ genre for granted but it wasn’t always mainstream. It’s because of this tragic and timeless story that we now have movies like Moonlight, Disobedience, and Call Me By Your Name.
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The story of Ennis and Jack, played by Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal, is a neo-Western that’s missing the stereotypes often associated with the lives of gay men. There are no villains here unless the viewer counts society at large as the main antagonist. It’s about two star-crossed lovers told in the same romantic spirit as classics like Romeo and Juliet with none of the pretension.
3 Breakfast On Pluto (2005)
Based on a novel of the same name by Patrick McCade, whose wheelhouse is the dark side of small-town Ireland, Breakfast On Pluto takes on the issues of the church and family along with the marginalization of the trans community. The premise of a search for identity, when it seems like everyone has something to hide in a society laced with guilt and shame, is something a lot of people understand.
The movie is both a comedy and a drama, directed by Neil Jordan, who also gave us The Crying Game. Cillian Murphy stars as Patricia Braden, also known as Kitten, who was raised in foster care but searching for her long-lost mother. Her journey reveals all kinds of interesting secrets, and not just about herself, but about who hides what, and why.
2 The Imitation Game (2014)
The contribution that Alan Turing made to the war effort can’t be understated, which is why his ultimate fate is that much more tragic. The Imitation Game isn’t just about how Turing cracked the Nazi codes but how the country he served used his homosexuality to prosecute him even after his service.
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The title of the movie is Turing’s original name for the decoding process he invented, which we know as the Turing Test. This is still used today when it comes to assessing the potential of a developing AI system. It’s not just a great LGBTQ+-themed film but also an excellent spy thriller.
1 The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1979)
The light over at the Frankenstein place might be the beacon that leads to Heaven or Hell, depending on what side of the pearl necklace you happen to be on. The 1970s was a daring time for sex in cinema, which is one of the reasons the opportunity popped up for a live-action movie version of the popular if controversial musical, The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
A low-budget mix of comedy, film noir, science fiction, camp, and horror in addition to having an iconic soundtrack, big names like Susan Sarandon and Tim Curry round out the cast, never mind the infamous appearance by rock star Meatloaf. Beneath the flamboyant dance numbers and elaborate costumes, there’s a message here about the mystery of life and what it means to be human.
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