Happy Pride, everyone! Even though we’re seeing more progression in Hollywood regarding telling LGBTQ+ stories, the genre is still woefully underfed. However, there are some pretty great queer romantic comedies out there, and I’ve compiled a list of ten that I think are worth watching this month… or any month, really! If you’ve got a suggestion of your own, feel free to leave a comment.
01. Fire Island (2022)
A group of queer best friends gather in the Fire Island Pines for their annual week of love and laughter, but when a sudden change of events jeopardizes their summer in gay paradise, their bonds as a chosen family are pushed to the limit. This is a fantastic modern retelling of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice!
02. The Half of It (2020)
A shy, straight-A Chinese-American student helps the school jock woo a girl whom, secretly, they both desire. They find themselves connecting and learn about the nature of love. As much a coming-of-age story as it is rom-dramedy, The Half of It is definitely worth a watch.
03. But, I’m a Cheerleader (1999)
Megan (Natasha Lyonne) considers herself a typical American girl. She excels in school and cheerleading and has a handsome football-playing boyfriend, even though she isn’t that crazy about him. So she’s stunned when her parents decide she’s gay and send her to True Directions, a boot camp meant to alter her sexual orientation. While there, Megan meets a rebellious and unashamed teen lesbian, Graham (Clea DuVall). Though Megan still feels confused, she starts to have feelings for Graham.
04. Love, Simon (2018)
Everyone deserves a great love story, but for 17-year-old Simon Spier, it’s a little more complicated. He hasn’t told his family or friends that he’s gay, and he doesn’t know the identity of the anonymous classmate that he’s fallen for online. Resolving both issues proves hilarious, terrifying, and life-changing.
05. Imagine Me & You (2005)
During her wedding ceremony, Rachel (Piper Perabo) notices Luce (Lena Headey) in the audience and feels instantly drawn to her. The two women become close friends, and when Rachel learns that Luce is a lesbian, she realizes that she is falling for Luce despite her happy marriage to Heck (Matthew Goode). As she questions her sexual orientation, Rachel must decide between her stable relationship with Heck and her exhilarating new romance with Luce.
06. Kissing Jessica Stein (2001)
Jessica (Jennifer Westfeldt) is at the end of her emotional rope. She happens upon an intriguing personal ad, whose only drawback is that it’s in the “women seeking women” section. On a daring whim, she decides to answer it. She meets funky downtown hipster Helen Cooper (Heather Juergensen) for drinks, and to her surprise, they click instantly. With conventional gender roles absent, the two women muddle through an earnest but hilarious courtship, making up the rules as they go.
07. Bros (2022)
Bobby is a neurotic podcast host who’s happy to go on Tinder dates and content not to have a serious relationship. That all changes when he meets Aaron, an equally detached lawyer who likes to play the field. Repeatedly drawn to each other, both men begin to show their vulnerable sides as their undeniable attraction turns into something resembling a commitment.
08. The Wedding Banquet (1993)
Wai-Tung (Winston Chao) and his boyfriend (Mitchell Lichtenstein) live happily as a gay couple in New York City. Wai-Tung has not been open about his sexuality with his Taiwanese parents (Sihung Lung, Ah-Leh Gua), and decides to acquiesce to their wish for a traditional Chinese union by marrying Wei-Wei (May Chin), a struggling artist desperate for a green card. But the simple arrangement turns into a lavish debacle when Wai-Tung’s parents plan an extravagant wedding banquet.
09. The Thing About Harry (2020)
Sam is a young gay man who’s forced to share a car ride with Harry — a popular jock who was his enemy in high school. But things take an unexpected turn when Sam learns that Harry has come out, opening the door for a potential romance.
10. Saving Face (2004)
Wil (Michelle Krusiec) is a lesbian, but she not dare tell her widowed mother, Hwei-lan (Joan Chen), or her very traditional grandparents. She’s shocked, however, to find out she’s not the only one in her family with romantic secrets when she learns that her 48-year-old mother is pregnant. Unwilling to reveal who the father is, Hwei-lan is kicked out of her parent’s home and must move in with Wil, which puts a strain on Wil’s budding relationship with openly gay Vivian (Lynn Chen).
