Pride Month 2020: Here are the top five Netflix series to catch

All over the world LGBTQ+ communities are celebrating June as Pride Month. Celebrate and binge-watch these top five LGBTQ+ friendly series. Whether you are into drama, comedy, reality or animation, there is something for everyone in the rainbow.

Discussions and labelling are powerful in a world where world-wide approval might never be promised, but now that more LGBTQ+ representatives are appearing on various media platforms, it is time that more diverse stories are heard and told.

The importance of LGBTQ+ television shows lies in the focus of trials, tribulations, milestones and achievements. Representation through identity ultimately has an impact on your place in the world.

Here is a list of our top five Netflix series to watch during Pride Month:

1. Pose

This American family drama is set in New York in the 1980s and ‘90s, a time where the HIV/Aids epidemic, the fight for gay rights and the rise of drag ballroom culture was and continues to be of utmost importance. It addresses New York City’s Latino and African-American gender-non-conforming and LGBTQ ballroom culture scene, featuring models and dancers who compete for acknowledgement and awards in this underground society.

There is a sense of support seen in a system of chosen families known as “Houses”, such as: House Evangelista, House Wintour, House Abundance and House Ferocity. These “Houses” are built from the ground up by forsaken bisexual, gay and transgender souls who feature as “House Mothers”.

The show starts conversations around love, family, lost and parenting. In addition, Pose makes television history as it features the largest cast of transgender actors and provides a voice of mentorship, representation and guidance for those in similar situations.

(2 seasons)

2. Queer Eye

A reality television franchise based on a team of gay professionals called the “Fab 5” who operate in New York and Atlanta. The Fab 5 consist of the following members who advise those in need of lifestyle makeovers:

• Tan France (fashion designer)
• Antoni Porowski (food & wine specialist)
• Karamo Brown (culture expert)
• Bobby Berk (interior designer)
• Jonathan Van Ness (grooming consultant)

These professionals often forge relationships with those who have different beliefs which leads to notes of social accounts mixed with style advice. Their brand of self-care, self-acceptance, self-love and self-improvement is a major focus. Queer Eye is more than just your everyday reality television show, it takes a deep dive into finding out what people need and who they are. It’s as extremely moving as it is entertaining.

(5 seasons)

3. The Politician

This is a television series known for being an American comedy-drama. It revolves around an affluent Santa Barbara resident by the name of Payton Hobart, someone who has known he would be  the United States president from the time he was seven years old.

But first Payton will have to navigate through the most precarious political terrain of all: Saint Sebastian High School. In addition, Hobart feels the need to win the election in order to become the student body president, which he believes will secure his spot at Harvard University and ultimately lead him on the path to success.

Achieving such a goal will require Payton to outsmart the his ruthless classmates without ruining his carefully crafted public image and sacrificing his morality. However, what is refreshing about this series is that the sexuality of each character constitutes only one aspect of their lives. Quieter forms of representation are used to make a powerful statement in The Politician.

(1 season)

4. She-RA and the Princess of Power

This American animated television series revolves around the main character: She-Ra, who leads a rebellion to free her land (Etheria) from the grotesque raiders called the Horde. Filled with action and excitement, She-Ra and the Princess of Power blur the line between good and evil in a way that is magnificently nuanced. In a sense it is a reimagining of the 1980s He-Man and the Masters of the Universe show.

The colourful, gripping and plot-driven show centres around the following themes: power, friendship, liberation, love, justice, control and chance. Overall, this particular series has been critically acclaimed as it is praised for its complex homosexual and heterosexual relationships and diverse cast displayed against a backdrop of a war zone.

(5 seasons)

5. Glow

This American comedy-drama is set in the 1980s. It revolves around an all-women pro-wrestling league which relates back to the title “GLOW” – Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling. Although warm and emotional, the show also deals with topics of betrayal, immigration, bulimia, friendship, welfare, motivation and love.

Underneath all the glitter and gold outfits, LGBTQ+ representation in the show examines the intersection between politics, sexuality and race without patronising its subjects. This is something which is not an easy thing to do in a show where women are jumping on one another in latex and spandex.

(3 seasons)