Despite what some random attention-seeker in the media wants you to think, everything in TV and film isn’t actually gay. In fact, most shows and films are—gasp!—pretty darn heteronormative. The struggle for more diverse representation in media is ongoing, and we want more than just white cis gay guys on TV. Heck, we need more than that. Give us lesbians! Bisexuals! Trans people! Non-binary folk! We queer people are greedy, and we want (and frankly, deserve) it all. Divisions are high these days (to put it lightly), and more representation in the media genuinely makes a difference and helps people understand that we’re all more alike than some might choose to believe.
We’ve been hungry for quality queer content for so long, but my lord, it feels like we are finally being fed! This year offered a veritable buffet of queer content, which is a relief, since so many of us have been starved for quality LGBTQ+ content for our whole lives. There’s still a long way to go, but it’s really starting to feel like real, legitimate progress is happening on our screens, and that’s a very special feeling. Across everything from big studio releases to reality TV to animation, here are the 12 finest, most delectably queer moments in film and television of 2022.
Barney bares his soul in Dead End: Paranormal Park
Dead End: Paranormal Park is one of the most impactful new TV shows of the year. It’s gorgeous to look at, incredibly funny, and effortlessly charming. It’s also unapologetically queer, celebrating trans kids with incredible passion. There are endless moments to choose from for this list, but the very best is in Season 1’s wonderful musical episode “The Phantom of the Theme Park.” Barney (Zach Barack), a heartfelt (and trans) teen, sings of his love for co-worker Logs (Kenny Tran). It’s not just a lovely, catchy song—it’s a radical, spectacular celebration of queer romance.
The queens of We’re Here head to Granbury, Texas
Yes, this is a celebration of specific moments, but every second of We’re Here feels like a miracle. The reality show’s concept is simple and beautiful: Three drag queens (Eureka, Shangela, and Bob the Drag Queen) travel to small towns across America, dressing people in drag for a one-night-only drag celebration. This is a show that happens in the here and now, and the show’s third season premiere, set in Granbury, Texas, feels incredibly urgent. The queens face frightening levels of backlash for coming to town, and their drag queen story time is threatened. But through it all, they persevere to bring a sense of unity to the queer community of Granbury. The episode is equal parts devastating and euphoric. If there’s any show that has the magic, emotion, and raw honesty to effect change, it’s We’re Here.
Lydia Tár calling herself a “U-Haul lesbian” in Tár
One of the most talked about films of the year (for good reason), Todd Field’s nearly three-hour Tár is an extraordinary piece of work. It follows Lydia Tár (Cate Blanchett), one of the world’s leading conductors, as she’s about to record Mahler’s Symphony No. 5, a major career moment for a woman who’s seemingly already on top of the world. If, for some reason, you’ve not seen the film yet, it works best the less you know. But one detail is too important to leave out: Lydia is an out-and-proud lesbian. So much so that, while delivering an all-important university lecture and dressed in a blazer, buttoned-up shirt, and baggy trousers, she refers to herself as a U-Haul lesbian. It’s magnificent. Between her work in this and Carol, I’m not sure if there’s a person alive that plays gay better than Blanchett.
A long-awaited kiss in The Owl House
The Owl House has been a staple of queer animation since it premiered on the Disney Channel in 2020. Creator Dana Terrace hasn’t been quiet about her struggles to get Disney to allow the inclusion of LGBTQ+ characters, but that hasn’t stopped her: The Owl House stars bisexual, non-binary, and trans characters, which is something to celebrate. The show delivered something truly beautiful this year, as girlfriends Amity (Mae Whitman) and Luz (Sarah-Nicole Robles) shared a long-desired moment: their first kiss! It’s a gorgeous, tender scene of quiet intimacy, animated to perfection. Unfortunately, Disney has closed the book on this whimsical, glorious show, but not before it delivered one of the most valuable queer moments of the year.
The surprise four-way in Bros
Billy Eichner’s Bros made waves this year for breaking ground as a gay romantic comedy released in cinemas by a major studio (Universal). You can say whatever you like about the film’s marketing, but have no doubt: Bros is one of the best rom coms out there—and it’s super-duper gay! It’s also deliciously subversive. In a particularly hilarious moment, Bobby (Billy Eichner) and Aaron (Luke Macfarlane) appear to finally have their long-awaited romantic moment—they’re going to have sex! But the camera pulls back on the shirtless pair to reveal they aren’t alone, and Aaron is in fact being pleasured by two other men on their knees. It’s ridiculous and hilarious, and it provides an important reminder that not all relationships—especially queer ones—look the same.
Disney finally embraces the gay in Strange World
Disney has had a … let’s say complicated relationship with queer representation. Its films regularly tease the presence of queer characters, but few have ever really amounted to more than teases. That changed massively this year with the animated sci-fi adventure Strange World. The film’s main character, Ethan Cade (Jaboukie Young-White) is gay, and as a bonus, his narrative doesn’t even involve coming out. His parents and friends already know, and they love and embrace him no matter what.
While the film struggled to find an audience (there’s a decent chance this is your first time even hearing about Strange World), Disney finally gave people the thoughtful, big-screen gay narrative that we’ve been waiting our whole lives for.
Everything in A League Of Their Own
Look, I understand. This is a list of the best queer moments in film and tv. But I’m cheating and including the entire first season of Abbi Jacobson and Will Graham’s A League Of Their Own. If you’ve seen the show, you’ll know why—practically every moment will make you realize you’re queer. And I loved every second of it. It’s frankly embarrassing how few complex portraits of lesbians there are on television, but A League of Their Own is chock full of amazing, rich, fully drawn lesbians. While the show reflects on the difficulties that queer women face (it’s set in the ’40s, so that’s only natural), it’s also an unapologetic celebration of lesbian joy, which is still way too hard to come by. Featuring historical accuracy, great jokes, and engaging drama, the show is a vital chronicle of queer existence.
Leighton banging absolutely everyone in The Sex Lives of College Girls
Mindy Kaling and Justin Noble’s The Sex Lives of College Girls is one of TV’s most enjoyable shows, delivering great humor with a hearty dose of character growth and relentless horniness. The show’s most intriguing character is Leighton (Reneé Rapp), the uber-rich, preppy, and judgmental legend. Leighton is also a lesbian, and she finally gets the confidence to be out and proud in the show’s second season. Part of that pride comes with Leighton having an awful lot of sex with a gaggle of different lesbians, showcased in an excellent montage of Leighton bringing different 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. Slut shaming belongs in a bygone era, and The Sex Lives of College Girls wisely celebrates Leighton doing exactly what she wants with her own body—and that’s placing it against a whole lot of ladies.
Alice’s passion for podcasts in Bodies, Bodies, Bodies
Rachel Sennott doesn’t even play a queer character, but her role, like everything in Bodies, Bodies, Bodies, is overflowing with glorious queer energy. Sennott delivers the most underrated performance of the year as Alice, who has a podcast about hanging out with your smartest and funniest friend. And in the year 2022, what’s gayer than having a podcast? Which one of us queers hasn’t been on a podcast, hosted one of our very own, or patiently waited to be offered a guest spot? Having done all these things, I can confirm that a need for podcasting is inherent within us. I’ve rarely felt more seen by media than Sennott’s overly emotional line reading of the extraordinary grit that goes into a podcast: “You have to organize the guests, do a Google Calendar, and you build a following. It takes a long fucking time!” I salute you, Alice.
Singing Britney Spears on Fire Island
Karaoke is a bona fide staple of queer culture. It’s also an essential tenet of romantic comedies. The best karaoke scene of the year comes in Joel Kim Booster’s wondrous (and underappreciated) Fire Island. Bowen Yang co-stars as Howie, a hopeless romantic who’s never had a boyfriend. Devastated by Charlie’s (James Scully) rejection, Howie feels dejected. His friends’ karaoke tradition then gives way to an honest, vulnerable, and beautiful moment, as Howie performs “Sometimes” by Britney Spears. The scene features every aspect of a typical gratuitous karaoke moment, but that didn’t stop me from getting choked up, and it won’t stop you either.
Coming out to Olivia Colman in Heartstopper
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 realizing you’re different, and how terrifying it can be to actually come out. In the most wonderful (and most heart-stopping) scene, Nick finally summons the courage to come out to his mother, played by none other than British treasure Olivia Colman. After he bares his feelings to his mom, she couldn’t be more pleased, immediately wrapping up Nick in a warm hug. She says the words every queer kid wants to hear: “Thank you for telling me. I’m sorry if I ever made you feel like you couldn’t tell me that.” The scene finishes with Nick’s mom reminding him that she loves him, hugging him one more time to tie a bow on this heartwarming, highly emotional moment.
Drag Race All Stars turns the lights out in Georgia
RuPaul’s Drag Race has been the premier destination for boundless queer joy since 2009. Every competitive episode has ended the same way, with two queens lip-syncing to a song. It’s led to plenty of iconic moments, but Drag Race upped the ante for one stunning episode in All Stars 7, which pitted past winners against each other. Jinkx Monsoon and Monét X Change lip-synced not to a song, but a spoken word piece—a legendary Julia Sugarbaker monologue from the sitcom Designing Women. The moment was absolutely electric. Spoken word has long been a huge part of drag culture, and as it finally made its way onto Drag Race’s main stage, and it was absolutely everything. I can’t think of a more fitting way to top off 2022 than a new generation of queer people being introduced to Designing Women.
