LGBTQ+ Film & TV recommendations to celebrate queer love this Valentine's Day

With the abundance of heterosexual love stories in Film and TV, there's no better time than today to reject heteronormativity and embrace Queer love stories. <3

Nicole Quy, Co-Editor-in-Chief of The Croft

It goes without saying that most mainstream romance lms and TV shows tend to skew heterosexual. Narratives that do o er a non-heteronormative perspective tend also to fall into tropes of prejudiced stereotyping or, though with the best intentions, focus on the hardships and plights that can sometimes accompany LGBTQ+ relationships, which, whilst important and equally emotional, don’t always harbour that celebratory, feel-good feeling that you might be after when choosing something to watch on Valentine’s Day.

It is even less surprising that the most frequented rom-coms adorning Valentine’s Day recommendation lists centre around cisgender heterosexual, predominantly white relationships. Don’t get me wrong, About Time (2013) and Sleepless in Seattle (1993) deserve their place on the tier list of Valentine’s classics, but everyone of all genders and sexualities deserves to see themselves represented in romantic lms just as often as straight people.

With the month of February marking LGBTQ+ History Month, the list below compiles some of the best romantic lms that focus on the beauty, compassion and reality of queer love.

Carol (2015) jokes, and engaging drama, the show is a vital chronicle of queer existence.

This poignant drama explores the passionate relationship that develops between Carol (Cate Blanchett), a stylish matriarch in a failing marriage, and Therese (Rooney Mara), a young shopgirl on the verge of her sexual awakening.

It's a beautiful, devastating lm that stays with you long after you've nished watching it. Poignant through and through, it showcases the bittersweet reality of closeted gay women trying to survive and make their way through the world in a society where they have to hide their true selves.

Heartstopper (2022-)

Heartstopper took the world by storm this year. The super-sweet show follows the budding romance between classmates Charlie (Joe Locke) and Nick (Kit Connor). Not only is it a lovely watch, but the series also hammers home the fear that comes with realising you’re di erent and how terrifying it can be to actually come out.

In the most wonderful (and most heart-stopping) scene, Nick nally summons the courage to come out to his mother, played by none other than British treasure Olivia Colman. After he bares his feelings with his mom, she couldn’t be more pleased, immediately wrapping up Nick in a warm hug.

win for non-binary representation in entertainment,” the lm presents a compelling and beautifully shot love story wrapped in a nuanced depiction of young artists’ journey toward their true selves.

The alternation of the actor for the protagonist is certainly an interesting choice, but perhaps epitomises the di erent stages of transition or, rather, the mental breakthroughs in transition.

show’s second season.

Part of that pride comes with Leighton having an explicit vast amount of sex with an array of various women, showcased visually in an exhilarating montage of Leighton bringing di erent ladies back to her dorm room. There’s a lot more to Leighton’s character than just having sex, but it's so rare to see queer women having lots of sex with lots of people and not be shamed for it.

Indeed, The Sex Lives of College Girls wisely celebrates Leighton doing exactly what she wants with her own body, and, whilst maybe not inherently romantic or heartfelt as some of the other watches on this list, it’s just as much worthy on a day celebrating love and attraction in all its forms.

The Sex Lives of College Girls (2021)

A League of Their Own (2022-)

Not inherently romantic, but nonetheless an utter joy to watch and wonderfully queer, the show re ects on the di culties that queer women face (it’s set in the ’40s, so that’s only natural). It is also, however, an unapologetic celebration of lesbian joy, which is still way too hard to come by. Featuring historical accuracy, great

The scene nishes with Nick’s mom reminding him that she loves him, hugging him one more time to tie a bow on this heart-warming, highly emotional moment.

Under My Skin (2020)

Celebrated by Variety as a “big

Again, perhaps a little less romance-centred, but nevertheless as equally comforting and tantalising, Mindy Kialing and Justin Noble’s The Sex Lives of College Girls is arguably one of TV’s most enjoyable shows, delivering great humour with a dose of character growth and relentless raunchiness.

Though not exclusively LGBQT+ based, the show’s most intriguing character is Leighton (Reneé Rapp): uber-rich, preppy, and unapologetically judgemental. Leighton is also a lesbian, and she nally gets the condence to be out and proud in the

Duck Butter (2018)

This popular 2018 ick follows two women who embark on a 24hour experiment to see if they can have a totally honest relationship.

It’s packed with comedy, some steamy moments, and a whole lot of heart. If you fancy something light-hearted and a little less serious than the romance lms that’ll clear you out of tissues, this is for you.