The Gayt Christmas Ever: Insi 2020's Big, Queer Holiday Explosn

gay christmas

The songs really make the Yuleti <i>gay</i>.

Contents:

THE GAYT CHRISTMAS EVER: INSI 2020’S BIG, QUEER HOLIDAY EXPLOSN

From ‘Happit Season’ and ‘Carol’ to Netflix’s ‘Sgle All the Way’ and Lifetime’s ‘Unr the Christmas Tree,’ the are the bt gay and lbian Christmas movi. Holiday-romance movi aren’t jt for the straights, and the LGBTQ films prove . * gay christmas *

This holiday season has gifted dienc wh four—y, four—gay Christmas roms: Hallmark’s The Christmas Hoe, Hulu’s Happit Season, Lifetime’s The Christmas Set-Up (December 12), and Paramount’s Dashg December (December 13).

“I thk when they said make the Yuleti gay, they meant , ” said Jonathan Bent, one half of the gay uple at the heart of Hallmark’s The Christmas Hoe. '” The works—Hallmark, Lifetime, Paramount—fally donned their gay apparel, jtifyg s of passn for this historilly heteronormative holiday. “It’s so classic, so typil that the queer muni have often loved a lot of the stutns that have not necsarily loved back, ” said Ben Lewis, the other half of The Christmas Setup’s gay power uple, sharg a sentiment echoed by pretty much everyone else terviewed.

And so I thk for gay men, I thk even for Christmas enthiasts, I thk we’re chasg after that childhood fort and safety that maybe we missed at that time.

WHY HALLOWEEN IS 'GAY CHRISTMAS' TO MANY LGBTQ AMERINS

The new, LGBTQ+ holiday films and seri are gog to make the yuleti hella gay this holiday season! * gay christmas *

Victor Garber—a hero to a generatn of gay people thanks to his work on Broadway, Tanic, Alias, Legends of Tomorrow, and jt beg Victor Garber—played straight Happit Season as closeted Harper Caldwell’s uptight polician father. I remember meetg a lot of gay kids when I was growg up who weren’t so happy about Christmas and, not unlike Happit Season, would have to go home and pretend [to be straight]. Benjam Bradley lov Christmas Connecticut for gay in Barbara Stanwyck, and Na Wt returns to Whe Christmas every year thanks to the looks and stunts of Vera-Ellen and Rosemary Clooney.

BenDeLaCreme realized as an adult that Christmas at Pee-wee’s Playhoe is “the gayt thg, ” part bee “Miss Yvonne is the bt Christmas drag queen anyone uld ever hope for. Particularly wh stop motn — to put that amount of pastakg tail, the amount of hand glterg that mt have gone to the makg of any one of those movi, is textbook gay. “I thk [Happit Season is] groundbreakg bee ’s an hont-to-god holiday-themed rom that is for queer people, by queer people, ” said Jkx Monsoon of Happit Season, Hulu’s star-studd, major stud gay holiday rom starrg Kristen Stewart and Mackenzie Davis.

THE BT QUEER HOLIDAY MOVI TO MAKE THE YULETI GAY

From Netflix to Hallmark, here's where to watch this year's crop of gay apparel * gay christmas *

That may be why he didn’t ially nsir makg Dashg December a gay romance—and then leapt at the chance to make this particular dream e te (a dream starrg out actors starrg Peter Porte and Juan Pablo Di Pace). ” This simple tweak opened up the entire story for Helgren, turng what was jt a uple sentenc of plot to a full-fledged screenplay that speaks to not only the holiday season, but to the specific experience of beg gay a small, ral muny.

The scene that mattered the most to Bent, and every sgle queer person watchg The Christmas Hoe at home, was Brandon and Jake’s kiss—y, a gay kiss on Hallmark. "Merrie cherryAn extravaganza of the supernatural, all thgs sweet and larger-than-life stum, many LGBTQ Amerins like Roberts hail Halloween as "gay Christmas. " But the ntemporary excement around the supernatural holiday has a long history wh the LGBTQ morn phrase "gay Christmas" actually stems om an earlier queer nickname for the holiday, "bch Christmas, " acrdg to Marc Ste, a profsor of history at San Francis State Universy, and thor of "Cy of Sisterly and Brotherly Lov.

MAKE THE YULETI GAY WH THE NEW LGBTQ CHRISTMAS MOVI

* gay christmas *

"Followg the wave of LGBTQ activism and visibily sparked by the 1969 Stonewall rts, more formal versns of queer Halloween celebratns began poppg up "gayborhoods" around the untry. " As a gay man, he scribed Halloween as one of the only tim a year growg up when he was not "ostracized or punished or cricized for havg the flamboyant, creative tennci.

Early the ntemporary queer holiday non, 2005’s The Fay Stone, which stars gay in Sarah Jsi Parker as a (shocker) snobby New Yorker spendg the holidays at her boyiend’s fay home, beme a queer h for s B-plot gay uple wh ambns to adopt a baby. That is, gay and lbian Christmas movi actually center queer people now — same-sex holiday revelers csh and fall love, break up, rega romance, and jt live the same celebratory December existence every heterosexual (or closeted) character has gotten for, well, ever. Hallmark’s first-ever gay Christmas romance is a sparkly, trope-y film about the virtu of settlg down and startg a fay a glzy world where homophobia don’t exist.

Nearby, handsome sgle-gay-father-aspiree Jason (Gee Krissa) studi an adoptn pamphlet his ftively rated mansn while his dotg mom nsol him via phone om her home across the street. Netflix’s first te gay Christmas movie (2019’s Let It Snow has a cute queer-teen subplot) follows plant daddy Peter (Michael Urie) as he heads home to New Hampshire wh his bt iend and pretend boyiend, Nick (Philemon Chambers), to avoid his mom’s (Kathy Najimy) naggg about his perpetual sgle stat. The tradn ntu 2021, wh films starrg RuPl, Michael Urie, Jonathan Ben and more — pl appearanc by gay favor like Jennifer your holiday season bge-watchg ssns acrdgly wh the upg movi and specials.

THE 10 BT GAY/LGBTQIA+ CHRISTMAS MOVI OF ALL TIME

2, NetflixTony-wng director Michael Mayer (“Sprg Awakeng”) helms Netflix’s first gay holiday film, which se perpetually sgle Peter (Michael Urie) beggg his bt iend, Nick (Philemon Chambers), to e home wh him and pretend to be his boyiend to put an end to his fay’s nstant meddlg. But the se is put to the tt when his mother (another gay fave, Kathy Najimy) sets him up wh her hunky traer (“Brothers and Sisters” actor Le Macfarlane) to “Sgle All the Way” for stg three out actors as gay characters — and for stg Jennifer Coolidge, perd.

3, NetflixFormer nttants return to the tents for a pair of holiday-themed episos: In “The Great Christmas Bakg Show, ” out ic Tom Allen subs for Noel Fieldg to -host wh gay prenter Matt Lus as season ne’s Jon Jenks and Kim-Joy Hewlett and season 11’s Herme and Rowan Williams whip up wondro Yuleti treats. “The showstopper challenge, they’ve got to make a ftive feast illn ke, ” judge Pl Hollywood teased, acrdg to “The Great New Year’s Bakg Show, ” 's season five wner Nancy Birtwhistle up agast season ne champn Rahul Mandal and two nttants om season 19: Gay nerd Henry Bird and wchy Helena Garcia.

HAPPY HOLIGAYS: EVERY 2021 LGBTQ+ HOLIDAY MOVIE

Baneatta’s gay son, Kenny (Anthony Chatmon II), brgs his boyiend, Logan (Derek Chadwick), home for the holidays but is given an icy receptn.

12 MERRY AND GAY MOVI TO SPICE UP YOUR HOLIDAY

18, Hallmark ChannelLast year, after sparkg outrage by pullg a jewelry ad featurg lbian bris, Hallmark ma amends by featurg the first gay uple one of s many, many holiday movi: "The Christmas Hoe" sred more than 13 ln viewgs over the 2020 holiday season, so a sequel was a no-braer. In the origal, Bill and Phylis Mchell (Treat Williams and Sharon Lawrence) ved their adult sons home for the holidays, then drop a bomb that they’re sellg the fay time around, gay son Brandon (Jonathan Ben) and his hband, Jake (Brad Harr), pete wh Brandon’s straight brother, Mike (Robert Buckley), to see who n create the most ftively rated Christmas hoe.

19, LifetimeLast year, Lifetime buted s first gaycentric holiday flick, "The Christmas Setup, " and this season, 's brgg a lbian romance to the small this holiday tale om "The Christmas Setup" screenwrer Michael J.

A BIG GAY GUI TO THIS YEAR’S QUEER CHRISTMAS MOVI

Drama and secrets get exposed this brand new, queer-clive fay saga that featur a gay uple played by Broadway actor/photographer Anthony Chatmon II and out mol Derek Chadwick!

A SUPER GAY CHRISTMAS

Nonbary actor Hugh Sheridan is takg on their first gay role, playg the happily married David alongsi hubby (played by Nicholas Brown) the Asie Christmas rom- Christmas on the Farm! Directed by Tony wner Michael Mayer and starrg a stacked st that clus Michael Urie, Philemon Chambers, Le MacFarlane, Barry Bostwick, Jennifer Robertson, and edy screen legends Jennifer Coolidge and Kathy Najimy, Sgle All the Way is Netflix's highly-anticipated, first gay holiday film and tells the story of a gay man named Peter who is "sperate to avoid his fay's judgment about his perpetual sgle stat, " acrdg to the film's official (and relatable AF) scriptn. Emmy-wng TV in and Drag Race legend RuPl is gettg on all of the gay cheer this year by releasg her very own special holiday special for VH1, aptly entled The Bch Who Stole Christmas!

25 CHRISTMAS SONGS ONLY GAY PEOPLE AND (INTELLIGENT) STRAIGHT PEOPLE KNOW ARE TLY GAY BOPS

Tellg the story of the Diaz fay, the seri featur a gay uple, as well as one of the first transgenr love stori to ever be featured a holiday rom-! Part of the Hallmark Channel's imprsive and packed slate of 41 brand-new Christmas movi beg released this holiday season, the upg sequel to last year's gay-clive The Christmas Hoe, tentatively entled Deck Those Halls, is rng the origal st for another round of queer holiday cheer, cludg Mean Girls alum Jonathan Bent and Brad Harr, the two actors who played the loveable hband-hband duo the first movie.

GAY CHRISTMAS

Dec 11 (starrg Mean Girls' Jonathan Bent and Gee Krissa, 's the work's first-ever holiday rom- wh a same-sex uple ont and center), now is a great time to round up the all-time bt gay/LGBTQIA+ Christmas movi ever this list, all feature films that heavily feature Christmas and LGBTQIA+ characters are fair game.

Related: See Hallmark's Christmas Movie Lp for This YearPhilemon Chambers and Michael Urie the Christmas movie "Sgle All the Way" on NetflixNetflixSgle All the Way (2021)Michael Urie, Philemon Chambers, Hoc Poc' Kathy Najimy and LGBTQ in Jennifer Coolidge (h off her bt performance ever, The Whe Lot) star Netflix's exclive high-profile rom- about gay bt iends who disver feelgs over the holiday season, as one pos as the other's boyiend. Related: The Bt Christmas Episos of Your Favore TV ShowsThe Christmas Setup (2020)Ben Lewis, Blake Lee and gay in Fran Drcher star the Lifetime origal movie The Christmas Setup, about a New York attorney who llis wh his high school csh on a holiday vis back home. Released 2009, the film follows Gunn, a llege stunt who’s openly gay at school and is headg home – and back to the closet – for Christmas wh his fay.

'GAY CHRISTMAS' IS FOR EVERYONE WHO CAN’T BEAR THE HOLIDAYS WH FAY THIS YEAR

The two gay characters, Brandon and Jake, are fully accepted by their relativ and iends and their sexualy isn’t the ma foc of the storyle, stead foc on their efforts to adopt a child. Why You Can’t Miss It: This movie puts a gay twist on the classic fake-relatnship-for-the-holidays plot, adds a love triangle angle, and brgs Kathy Najimy and Jennifer Coolidge together? In recent years, however, the yuleti has never been gayer thanks to historic rom-s such as Lifetime’s The Christmas Setup, Hallmark’s The Christmas Hoe and Hulu’s Happit Season, which notably beme the first gay Christmas film released by a major stud.

Hallmark’s first film to promently feature a gay uple, The Christmas Hoe, is back for a sequel wh Jonathan Bent and Brad Harr reprisg their rol as married uple Brandon and Jake. My parents are played by Barry Bostwick and Kathy Najimy — a batn that scientists agree n only produce sons who are gay and love Christmas. TV holiday rom-s have bee a ttage dtry over the last 20 years, so some may be surprised ’s taken this long for Hallmark and Lifetime to send jad gay urban home for Christmas to fd the love of their mastream holiday movi are largely aimed at straight women, wh predictable plots and sackfuls of stereotyp about relatnships, genr rol, fay and “the te meang of Christmas.

*BEAR-MAGAZINE.COM* GAY CHRISTMAS

Comment on this story</tle><path d="M14 14V2H2v9.47h8.18L12.43 13ZM3 10.52V3h10v9.23l-2.5-1.66Z"></path></svg></button><span aria-hidn="te" class="wpds-c-fBEbFG">Comment</span><span class="wpds-c-fOvfhP wpds-c-fOvfhP-kshkDy-isCommentType-te none" aria-hidn="te"><span class="ment-unt font-xxxxs sc-ral-unt"><span></span></span></span></div></div></div></div></div><div class="teaser-ntent grid-center"><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py drop-p" dir="null">Chey rom-s aren’t ually Robby Bailey’s preferred genre durg the holiday season, but after he watched Netflix’s gay Christmas movie “Sgle All the Way” wh his partner, he was pleasantly surprised.</p></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">Gay characters other movi often seem like ritur, wrten by someone who “met a gay person once,” Bailey, 37, said. But the characters were “jt like everybody else,” he said. “It felt more relatable.”</p></div></div><div></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">Holiday movie season is rampg up aga, and so is queer visibily recent years s formulaic wtry rom-s. For some people like Bailey who are part of the LGBTQ muny, that reprentatn has add to the holiday joy.</p></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">“We believe that everyone serv love and that our storytellg is enriched by reflectg the diverse voic, perspectiv, tradns and fai of our dience,” Lisa Haton Daly, Hallmark Media’s executive vice print of programmg, wrote a statement to The Washgton Post. “Our top prry is to create a posive entertament experience for everyone — one which all viewers n see themselv, regardls of race, ethnicy, relign, cultural background, and sexual orientatn.”</p></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body grid-tablet-full-bleed" data-qa="article-body"><div data-qa="article-image" class="hi-for-prt"><div style="m-height:358px"></div></div></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">Some backlash has followed, remiscent of <a href=" target=_blank>what Disney has faced om nservativ</a> for <a href=" target=_blank>cludg gay characters recent movi</a>. Candace Cameron Bure, a veteran of TV Christmas cema, left Hallmark this year to jo Great Amerin Fay, a nservative work that “will keep tradnal marriage at the re,” she told <a href=">the Wall Street Journal Magaze</a>.</p></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body" data-qa="article-body"><p><span class="wpds-c-gnhuPA wpds-c-gnhuPA-hqeSyH-variant-terstial wpds-c-gnhuPA-iPJLV-css hi-for-prt"><a data-qa="terstial-lk" href=">‘Lightyear’ same-sex uple is part of an evolutn at Pixar</a></span></p></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">Holiday movi that rporate characters who queer people root for aren’t new. Toronto sger-songwrer Cory Stewart, 38, noted that many LGBTQ Christmas fans relate to characters like the Grch, who stggl as an outsir but forms a chosen fay wh his dog, Max. And actrs whose work is adored by queer fans, such as Jennifer Coolidge, Fran Drcher and Ldsey Lohan, directly ve their LGBTQ followgs to support their holiday projects, too.</p></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">But more studs recent years have centered gay relatnships their rom- storyl. In 2020 alone, Hulu released “Happit Season,” Hallmark “The Christmas Hoe,” and Lifetime “The Christmas Setup,” the works’ first origal holiday movi to feature same-sex upl promently. Last year, Netflix add <a href=" target="_blank">“Sgle All the Way”</a> to the LGBTQ non. Hallmark’s “The Holiday Ster” and the theatril release of “Spoiler Alert” followed this year.</p></div><div class="article-body grid-full-bleed" data-qa="article-body"><div class="cb dn db-ns" data-qa="article-body-ad" data-ttid="article-body-ad-sktop"><div aria-hidn="te" class="hi-for-prt relative flex jtify-center ntent-box ems-center b bh mb-md mt-none pt-lg pb-lg" style="m-height:250px;borr-top-lor:;borr-bottom-lor:"><div class="center absolute w-100 borr-box" style="top:"><div class="dib gray-dark pl-xs pr-xs font-sans-serif light font-xxxxs lh-md" style="--primary-borr-lor:"></div></div><div data-ttid="placeholr-box" class="w-100 h-100 absolute flex flex-lumn jtify-center borr-box bg-offwhe" style="width:300px;height:250px"><div class="flex flex-lumn jtify-center font-sans-serif center font-xxs light gray-dark lh-md"><div>Advertisement</div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="article-body grid-full-bleed" data-qa="article-body"><div class="cb db dn-ns" data-qa="article-body-ad" data-ttid="article-body-ad-mobile"><div aria-hidn="te" class="hi-for-prt relative flex jtify-center ntent-box ems-center b bh mb-md mt-sm pt-sm pb-sm" style="m-height:250px;borr-top-lor:;borr-bottom-lor:"><div class="center absolute w-100 borr-box" style="top:"><div class="dib gray-dark pl-xs pr-xs font-sans-serif light font-xxxxs lh-md" style="--primary-borr-lor:"></div></div><div data-ttid="placeholr-box" class="w-100 h-100 absolute flex flex-lumn jtify-center borr-box bg-offwhe" style="width:300px;height:250px"><div class="flex flex-lumn jtify-center font-sans-serif center font-xxs light gray-dark lh-md"></div></div></div></div></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">On one hand, ’s rehg to be reflected media and the silly, mpy plotl that make up holiday rom-s, said Edmond Chang, an assistant profsor, and a women’s, genr and sexualy studi scholar at Oh Universy.</p></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">But Chang also worri that the trend is jt a bs tactic, pecially as be profable to tap to new dienc the relatively low-st holiday genre.</p></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">“The downsi of reprentatn is sometim ’s flat, ’s stereotypil, ’s not very nuanced<i>,</i>” they said.</p></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body" data-qa="article-body"><p><span class="wpds-c-gnhuPA wpds-c-gnhuPA-hqeSyH-variant-terstial wpds-c-gnhuPA-iPJLV-css hi-for-prt"><a data-qa="terstial-lk" href=">Review: ‘Bros,’ the first big-stud R-rated gay rom-, is for everyone</a></span></p></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">“Sgle All the Way,” and other gay holiday movi like , follow the same rough storyle Hollywood shaped for their heterosexual equivalents, which the attractive big cy maven returns to their small town for the holidays and fds te love. But the Netflix origal also fed tails that brought pth to the gay characters.</p></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">“You n see people who are funny and who love their parents and are msy and plited when to love,” Bailey said.</p></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">“Sgle All the Way” was “the first time where wasn’t a movie jt about g out or somethg negative,” said Stewart. “It was more jt about an acceptg fay and someone g home for Christmas.”</p></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body" data-qa="article-body"><p><span class="wpds-c-gnhuPA wpds-c-gnhuPA-hqeSyH-variant-terstial wpds-c-gnhuPA-iPJLV-css hi-for-prt"><a data-qa="terstial-lk" href=">‘Jennifer’s Body’ has bee a hallmark of queer horror. The fans expla why.</a></span></p></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">More LGBTQ stori should strive to be siarly cheerful, said Taylor Cowan, a 26-year-old Transportatn Secury Admistratn agent Sarasota, Fla.</p></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">Aware that her optns to see lbians like herself movi are limed, Cowan says she’s open to watchg any gay movie. But pecially durg the holidays, she wants to see relatable queer characters who aren’t sufferg.</p></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body" data-qa="article-body"><div id="gift-share-le" data-ttid="gift-share-le" class="PJLV PJLV-ilotWTr-css hi-for-prt"><button aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-expand="false" aria-ntrols="gift-share-drawer" role="button" tabx="0" aria-label="Share this article" id="gift-share-drawer-ntrol-le" data-ttid="gift-share-drawer-ntrol-le" class="wpds-c-PJLV wpds-c-gsmDXe wpds-c-gsmDXe-goNocI-placement-Inle foc-highlight"><div data-ttid="gift-share-terstial-trigger" class="wpds-c-kPqOkS wpds-c-kPqOkS-jtSXsT-hasSubsText-false"><span class="wpds-c-hBJqc"><span class="wpds-c-dzSncg">Share this article</span></span><span class="wpds-c-eCvK"><span class="wpds-c-enedHQ wpds-c-enedHQ-cCdK-isShown-false">Share</span><svg xmlns=" fill="currentColor" viewBox="0 0 16 16" aria-hidn="te" focable="false" role="img" class="wpds-c-fBqPWp wpds-c-fDHGth"><path fill="currentColor" d="M8 .6v3.8h.1c-4.4 0-7.3 4.5-6.9 8.8.1.8.2 1.2.2 1.2l.2 1 .4-1.3c.8-2 2-4 6.2-3.9H8v4l7-6.9L8 .6Zm1 11.3V9.3h-.9c-3 0-4.8.5-6.2 2.9.5-3.3 2.7-6.8 6.2-6.8H9V3l4.5 4.4L9 11.9Z"></path></svg></span></div></button></div></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">“So many gay movi are very sad to watch, and they might be really good and betiful and everythg, but they’re not enjoyable, per se,” she said. “Sometim you want to watch somethg that puts you a lighthearted mood.”</p></div><div class="article-body grid-full-bleed" data-qa="article-body"><div data-qa="article-image" class="hi-for-prt"><div style="m-height:358px"></div></div></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">Cowan appreciat when LGBTQ cultural referenc films are subtle and specific, she said, like when a character is talkg to their plants they named or when a scene is punctuated by a lser-known Brney Spears tune.</p></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">“Everybody serv to see themselv reprented, and if you are at a pot your life where you’re nfed about your inty or you’re tryg to e to terms wh , ’s fely helpful to see characters like that that you n relate to media,” she said. “I kd of figured out when I was 19 years old, but I feel like wouldn’t have taken me so long to figure out had I seen more of that reprented.”</p></div><div class="article-body grid-full-bleed" data-qa="article-body"><div class="cb dn db-ns" data-qa="article-body-ad" data-ttid="article-body-ad-sktop"><div aria-hidn="te" class="hi-for-prt relative flex jtify-center ntent-box ems-center b bh mb-md mt-none pt-lg pb-lg" style="m-height:250px;borr-top-lor:;borr-bottom-lor:"><div class="center absolute w-100 borr-box" style="top:"><div class="dib gray-dark pl-xs pr-xs font-sans-serif light font-xxxxs lh-md" style="--primary-borr-lor:"></div></div><div data-ttid="placeholr-box" class="w-100 h-100 absolute flex flex-lumn jtify-center borr-box bg-offwhe" style="width:300px;height:250px"><div class="flex flex-lumn jtify-center font-sans-serif center font-xxs light gray-dark lh-md"><div>Advertisement</div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="article-body grid-full-bleed" data-qa="article-body"><div class="cb db dn-ns" data-qa="article-body-ad" data-ttid="article-body-ad-mobile"><div aria-hidn="te" class="hi-for-prt relative flex jtify-center ntent-box ems-center b bh mb-md mt-sm pt-sm pb-sm" style="m-height:250px;borr-top-lor:;borr-bottom-lor:"><div class="center absolute w-100 borr-box" style="top:"><div class="dib gray-dark pl-xs pr-xs font-sans-serif light font-xxxxs lh-md" style="--primary-borr-lor:"></div></div><div data-ttid="placeholr-box" class="w-100 h-100 absolute flex flex-lumn jtify-center borr-box bg-offwhe" style="width:300px;height:250px"><div class="flex flex-lumn jtify-center font-sans-serif center font-xxs light gray-dark lh-md"></div></div></div></div></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">Bailey said his self-disveri were tied to movi such as the 1998 g-of-age film <a href=">“Edge of Seventeen,”</a> pecially while growg up a small town where there weren’t many gay people. Stewart said he ed to hi away his bedroom to watch <a href=">“Queer as Folk,”</a> an early-2000s Showtime drama seri that showsed a group of gay iends and was filmed near where Stewart lived. Watchg the show, Stewart said, gave him hope that life would get better.</p></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">“Sgle All the Way” remd him of .</p></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body" data-qa="article-body"><p><span class="wpds-c-gnhuPA wpds-c-gnhuPA-hqeSyH-variant-terstial wpds-c-gnhuPA-iPJLV-css hi-for-prt"><a data-qa="terstial-lk" href=">A queer mp unselor was told not to e back. So they opened their own mp.</a></span></p></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">“For Christmas movi to be shown where there are happy reprentatns of queer upl and queer life I’m sure has ma an impact on kids who are gog through siar thgs right now small towns all over North Ameri,” he said. “I’m very enuraged.”</p></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body grid-tablet-full-bleed" data-qa="article-body"><div data-qa="article-image" class="hi-for-prt"><div style="m-height:358px"></div></div></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">Frankl Mason, 29, was feelg more hant. Mason, who liv Washgton, and works acuntg, lov pg life’s difficulti durg Christmastime: ckg out<b> </b>his Christmas tree, stockg up on rich eggnog and pesg BET Pl for chey holiday movi to watch. Last year, he found and watched “A Jenks Fay Christmas,” which clus a lead character who’s gay and Black, like he is.</p></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">But Mason regniz that many Black movi ter to unrlyg homophobia among Black people, wh gay characters ma palatable for straight dienc. Sometim, that means seeg some gay characters who are overly flamboyant or unrealistic. Wh “A Jenks Fay Christmas,” stck him as odd to see the Black, gay character the story fend his cisn to only date Whe, gay men.</p></div><div class="article-body grid-full-bleed" data-qa="article-body"><div class="cb dn db-ns" data-qa="article-body-ad" data-ttid="article-body-ad-sktop"><div aria-hidn="te" class="hi-for-prt relative flex jtify-center ntent-box ems-center b bh mb-md mt-none pt-lg pb-lg" style="m-height:250px;borr-top-lor:;borr-bottom-lor:"><div class="center absolute w-100 borr-box" style="top:"><div class="dib gray-dark pl-xs pr-xs font-sans-serif light font-xxxxs lh-md" style="--primary-borr-lor:"></div></div><div data-ttid="placeholr-box" class="w-100 h-100 absolute flex flex-lumn jtify-center borr-box bg-offwhe" style="width:300px;height:250px"><div class="flex flex-lumn jtify-center font-sans-serif center font-xxs light gray-dark lh-md"><div>Advertisement</div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="article-body grid-full-bleed" data-qa="article-body"><div class="cb db dn-ns" data-qa="article-body-ad" data-ttid="article-body-ad-mobile"><div aria-hidn="te" class="hi-for-prt relative flex jtify-center ntent-box ems-center b bh mb-md mt-sm pt-sm pb-sm" style="m-height:250px;borr-top-lor:;borr-bottom-lor:"><div class="center absolute w-100 borr-box" style="top:"><div class="dib gray-dark pl-xs pr-xs font-sans-serif light font-xxxxs lh-md" style="--primary-borr-lor:"></div></div><div data-ttid="placeholr-box" class="w-100 h-100 absolute flex flex-lumn jtify-center borr-box bg-offwhe" style="width:300px;height:250px"><div class="flex flex-lumn jtify-center font-sans-serif center font-xxs light gray-dark lh-md"></div></div></div></div></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">“I do thk when you start peelg back the layers and askg more qutns, ’s often rooted … self-hate and isn’t the full picture,” Mason said. “I thk ’s disgenuo. It’s based off stereotyp and assumptns.”</p></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">Nor is expansive. Cisgenr, able-bodied Whe men make up the bulk of gay on-screen<b> </b>reprentatn.</p></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">“The queer spectm is so large, and we only ever seem to see a agment of ,” Stewart said.</p></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body" data-qa="article-body"><p><span class="wpds-c-gnhuPA wpds-c-gnhuPA-hqeSyH-variant-terstial wpds-c-gnhuPA-iPJLV-css hi-for-prt"><a data-qa="terstial-lk" href=">Amid anti-Asian discrimatn, ‘Fire Island’ makers found queer joy</a></span></p></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">Havg more Black queer producers and directors the wrg room uld help avoid those pfalls, Mason suggted. And Chang, the Oh Universy profsor, has found that more LGBTQ filmmakers are succeedg the film dtry.</p></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">In time, Chang said, they hope more queer creators are listened to. Until then, they plan to follow the growg pas of LGBTQ holiday movi anyhow.</p></div><div class="article-body grid-center grid-body" data-qa="article-body"><p data-ttid="drop-p-letter" data-el="text" class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overriStyl font-py" dir="null">“It’s important to see the media that we have right now,” Chang said. “That giv you the leverage to thk about what uld be different.”</p></div><div class="wpds-c-dhzjXW wpds-c-dhzjXW-iPJLV-css mt-md grid-center grid-body"><div id="gift-share-end" data-ttid="gift-share-end" class="PJLV PJLV-idiqKOk-css hi-for-prt"><button aria-haspopup="dialog" aria-expand="false" aria-ntrols="gift-share-drawer" role="button" tabx="0" aria-label="Share this article" id="gift-share-drawer-ntrol-end" data-ttid="gift-share-drawer-ntrol-end" class="wpds-c-PJLV wpds-c-gsmDXe wpds-c-gsmDXe-iIVoLq-placement-Shortcut foc-highlight"><div class="wpds-c-UazGY" id="gift-share-shortcut" data-ttid="gift-share-shortcut"><svg xmlns=" fill="var(--wpds-lors-primary)" viewBox="0 0 16 16" aria-hidn="te" focable="false" role="img" class="wpds-c-fVfumU "><path fill="currentColor" d="M8 .6v3.8h.1c-4.4 0-7.3 4.5-6.9 8.8.1.8.2 1.2.2 1.2l.2 1 .4-1.3c.8-2 2-4 6.2-3.9H8v4l7-6.9L8 .6Zm1 11.3V9.3h-.9c-3 0-4.8.5-6.2 2.9.5-3.3 2.7-6.8 6.2-6.8H9V3l4.5 4.4L9 11.9Z"></path></svg><div class="PJLV wpds-c-kwcHlj">Share</div></div></button></div><div class="wpds-c-hcekgi"><div class="mb-lg-mod" data-qa="ments-btn-div"><button aria-label="Scroll to the ments sectn" data-qa="ments-btn" class="wpds-c-kSOqLF wpds-c-kSOqLF-SQjOY-variant-sendary wpds-c-kSOqLF-eHdizY-nsy-flt wpds-c-kSOqLF-ejCoEP-in-left wpds-c-kSOqLF-igqYgPb-css ments hi-for-prt"><svg xmlns=" viewBox="0 0 16 16" fill="currentColor" aria-hidn="te" focable="false" role="img" class="wpds-c-fBqPWp "><path d="M14 14V2H2v9.47h8.18L12.43 13ZM3 10.52V3h10v9.23l-2.5-1.66Z"></path></svg><span></span> Comments</button></div></div></div><div class="grid-center grid-body"><div></div></div></article><div class="centered-layout grid-layout"><div class="grid-center grid-mobile-full-bleed"><div class="hi-for-prt ml-to mr-to mt-md pt-lg recirc" data-qa="recirc"><div class="flex-l jtify-center hi-for-prt"><div class="pr-sm ml-sm ml-0-ns b-l br-l bc-gray-darkt more-om-post"><div></div><div class="dn db-l pb-md pt-md"><div data-qa="newsletter" class="hi-for-prt relative"><div class="dib w-100"><div><div class="flex jtify-center align self-center center transn-all duratn-400 ease--out" data-qa="sc-newsletter-signup" aria-label=""><svg aria-labelledby="react-aria-1-aria" role="img" viewBox="0 0 100 80"><tle id="react-aria-1-aria">Loadg... .

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