Pride on Screen: 25 Essential Queer Films (And 25 Honorable Mentions) - Page 2

Seeing our experiences reflected through popular art, particularly cinema, is something queer people have vigorously sought, long before Moonlight broke multiple barriers and clinched a Best Picture Oscar in front of a global audience. It's why we've sniffed out subtext wherever we could, from Ben-Hur to bromances: because our stories have too rarely been told in the texts themselves. If we've latched onto implicitly queer films like we would wayward lovers, then we've held these titles, which tell our tales outright, square up against our hearts. Whether their comedy gave us permission to be wildly flamboyant or their tragedy gave us the courage to tackle pain we thought we couldn't face, these movies have been windows into worlds we needed strength to step into ourselves. They haven't just imitated life—they've prepared us for it.