The real world is horrible, and every day more . That’s why when a series like ‘Heartstopper’ arrives, which makes you feel like you’re between cotton cushions, wrapped in a warm blanket and hugging a giant teddy bear, many fall in love with it. Netflix’s latest LGTBIQ+ phenomenon is a British series starring a teenage boy who falls in love with his rugby player friend… and it just might be reciprocated.
‘Heartstopper’ is a type of series in which the conflicts are soft and short-lived, the characters love each other and treat each other well, there is beautiful music in the background and one ends up feeling part of that institute whose colors are coincidentally those of the flag of Ukraine. There are those who have already seen the series several times despite having been released for a week. So for those who can’t get out of Truham Grammar or part with Nick, Charlie, Tao, Elle, Tara and Darcy, we have the solution: get hooked on other similar series.
Because LGTBIQ+ lives do not have to be dramas or tragedies, we bring you 16 series that show characters from the group with normality, naturalness and everyday life. Even, sometimes, from idealization. Teen comedies, groups of university friends, adult sit-coms, animated series or fantastic or musical dramas… Even some reality shows. Below is a list in which the series come in all shapes and colors but they all have one thing in common: you are going to want to live in them .
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Where to watch it : Netflix
How many seasons does it have : 1 (so far)
Perhaps the cutest series on the entire list, it is made to make you smile silly during the eight episodes of its first season. A gay protagonist, a bisexual, a trans girl, two lesbians… and they all navigate the normal problems of being in high school, just like anyone else. The series that we all would have needed to see at the age of 15.
Synopsis : Teenagers Charlie and Nick discover their friendship could be so much more than that as they grapple with school and love in this series about coming of age.
Where to watch it : Netflix
How many seasons does it have : 3 (so far)
It has the characteristics of many of the Netflix series: well-intentioned comedy that hooks you because of the affection you take for the characters, a lot of diversity and representation, and a cast overflowing with charisma. With Gillian Anderson playing a delicious sexologist, what more do you want?
Synopsis : A teenager whose mother is a sexologist teams up with a classmate to set up an undercover sexology clinic at their high school.
Where to watch it : Disney+
How many seasons does it have : 2 (so far)
Before ‘Heartstopper’, we homosexuals already had the romantic comedy “feel good” that we deserved in ‘With love, Simon’. And so Fox decided to create a series that was a spin-off, in the same well-intentioned spirit. Just the same old high school series… but with a twist.
Synopsis : Victor is a new student at Creekwood High who is on his own journey of self-discovery, facing challenges at home, adjusting to a new city and discovering his sexuality.
Where to watch it : Netflix
How many seasons does it have : 4
Australian comedian Josh Thomas poured into this series many of his real anxieties and nerves (and part of his own life). Perhaps the closest thing we have to a gay equivalent of ‘Girls’, you may not be able to stand Josh at times, but you will fall in love with this gang of weird friends (and their delicious dinners).
Synopsis : After breaking up with his girlfriend, Josh realizes he’s gay. With the help of (his now ex-girlfriend) Claire and her friends, Josh navigates this new phase.
Where to watch it : Netflix
How many seasons does it have : 1
Many ‘Fleabag’ fans don’t know about this other Phoebe Waller-Bridge series. And okay, it’s not that good, not even close, but it meets the requirements: the abandoned hospital where these ninis in their thirties (or more) with a teenage soul live is a “happy place”. And it has a very sexy and adorable gay plot that we better not reveal.
Synopsis : Comedy about a group of young people in their twenties or thirties who live together in an abandoned hospital.
Where to see it : ATRESplayer PREMIUM
How many seasons does it have : 2 (so far)
When we learned that the phenomenon ‘Rupaul’s Drag Race’ would arrive in Spain, many of us received it with open arms and a little distrust. But the Spanish spin-off of this drag queen competition reality show has turned out to be one of the favorites of fans around the world. A national pride, and the pride thing is not only because it is full of people from the LGTBIQ+ collective.
Synopsis : The best ‘drag’ superstar in Spain is sought through weekly tests and challenges.
Where to watch it : Netflix and Disney+
How many seasons does it have : 6
Before becoming the TV star that he is now thanks to phenomena like ‘American Horror Story’, Ryan Murphy was already creating successful series like this one, a high school musical filled with characters of all ethnicities and sexual orientations (before he was in fashion). Although if you want it to continue to be a “happy place” it is better not to know how some of the actors in the cast have ended up.
Synopsis : A group of ambitious misfits try to escape the harsh realities of high school by joining a club.
Where to see it : Movistar Plus+
How many seasons does it have : 11 (in Movistar Plus + there are only the 3 of the revival)
By the end of the 90s we already had this sit-com that was breaking barriers as “the gay ‘Friends'”. Ok, maybe throughout its many seasons they had treatments and plots that can now be problematic, but it was always a very funny series that showed two gay men (well, more or less) and their two friends as valid and happy people. (well more or less).
Synopsis : Will and Grace live together in an apartment in New York City. He’s a gay lawyer, she’s a straight interior designer. His best friends are Jack, a gay and proud gay man, and Karen, a charismatic, filthy-rich, amoral jet-setter.
Where to see it : HBO Max and Movistar +
How many seasons does it have : 5, a movie and an extra miniseries
This series about a boy and his friends the gems fighting across the galaxy premiered in 2013 but lived in 2089, or more. In addition to having an explicitly lesbian relationship, the femininity of its protagonist and the entire spectrum of sexual identities that it covers is a delight almost on par with its beautiful animation.
Synopsis : A team of intergalactic warriors fight to protect the universe, but the combination of three highly trained beings and a quirky boy leaves the team struggling to overcome the dangerous scenarios that come their way.
Where to watch it : HBO Max
How many seasons does it have : 2 and a movie
The gay “‘Sex in New York'” (sorry for the redundancy) lasted too few seasons for the taste of its fans, but at least it had a closed ending. At that time, Michael Lannan and Andrew Haigh (director of ‘Weekend’) had time to build a family of characters that remained in the hearts of their audience forever.
Synopsis : The lives and love affairs of three best friends in San Francisco.
Where to watch it : Netflix
How many seasons does it have : 2
In the style of Josh Thomas, Ryan O’Connell also parodied his own life in this comedy that breaks down barriers showing a protagonist who, in addition to being homosexual, has functional diversity. And his problems go beyond being gay and having cerebral palsy. He also looks almost in one sitting.
Synopsis : A young gay man with cerebral palsy leaves behind a dependent life to build the life he wants. The main character is played by the author of the autobiography that inspired the series.
Where to watch it : Netflix
How many seasons does it have : 2
Although it has a certain dramatic and dark aftertaste, this series has enough lightness and jokes (sexual, especially) so that you sit down to watch it and it will pass in a sigh. And there are a lot of sexy people out there, doing sexy things, with sexy photography. That’s “happy” too, isn’t it?
Synopsis : A graduate student with a night job as a dominatrix hires her best friend from high school as her assistant.
Where to watch it : Netflix
How many seasons does it have : 6
The formula is always the same, and it is infallible: five very bombastic and cheerful homosexual men visit people’s lives for a few days to fix their houses, their wardrobes and their mental problems. The warm heart And if you’ve already seen it, then you can catch the drag version: ‘We Are Here’, on HBO Max.
Synopsis : The Fantastic Five refine the wardrobe, diet, homes and lifestyle of five straight men in Atlanta.
Where to watch it : Netflix
How many seasons does it have : 2
The cancellation of Netflix may have been very traumatic for all the faithful fans of this series, but at least we have two seasons in which the Wachowski sisters created an entire mythology and a fantasy story around an idea that the LGTBIQ+ collective has deeply internalized. : that families are created beyond blood, ethnicity, nationality or even where you are at each moment. We are not alone.
Synopsis : Various people from different parts of the world suddenly become mentally linked, and must find a way to survive their persecution at the hands of those who see them as a threat to the world order.
Where to watch it : Watch on Prime Video. Also on Filmin and RTVE.
How many seasons does it have : 3 (and a spin-off, on Movistar +)
Although this series, a phenomenon on Catalan public television, is not much more than a well-done high school series (which is no small thing!), the public fell in love with this story of a somewhat passive-aggressive attraction between Bruno and Pol. by Carlos Cuevas rests on the shoulders of that character, who has his own university spin-off.
Synopsis : Merlà is a philosophy professor with original teaching methods. The series is about him, the students in his class—including his son—and their relationships, loves, and missteps.
Where to see it : Not available
How many seasons does it have : 3
Another high school series in which LGTBIQ+ characters could lead happy lives with normal problems, and this one is from 2014. Too bad it was canceled, and it can’t be seen on any platform right now.
Synopsis : After numerous attempts to become popular, two best friends decide to come out as lesbians, making them instant celebrities. Seduced by their newfound fame, Karma and Amy decide to continue their romantic lie.