Queer Christmas Movies to Watch This Holiday Season

The Christmas season is almost upon us, which means the shops fill with advent calendars, the streets fill with Christmas lights, and Netflix fills with Christmas films. While historically it hasn’t been the most inclusive genre, Christmas movies have come a long way in terms of LGBTQ+ inclusion. There are now lots of queer, festive movies to choose from, and even more on the horizon.

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10 Best LGBTQ Holiday Movies

If you’re ready to make the yuletide gay, we’ve compiled 10 of the best queer movies to get you in the festive spirit.

1. Happiest Season

Last year, iconic lesbian director Clea DuVall gave us the gift of Kristen Stewart in a gay Christmas film. The Twilight star plays a lesbian woman planning to propose to her girlfriend (Mackenzie Davis) at her family’s Christmas celebrations, only to discover she hasn’t actually told them she’s gay. Schitt’s Creek legend Dan Levy also stars as Stewart’s best friend.

2. The Christmas House

The Hallmark Channel is the leader of the pack when it comes to Christmas movies, and last year it brought us The Christmas House. It’s the first Hallmark movie to ever have an LGBTQ+ couple as main characters. Plus, their queerness is treated as completely normal and accepted by everyone, which we love to see. It’s the perfect family Christmas film.

3. A New York Christmas Wedding

In a Christmas Carol-style plot, A New York Christmas Wedding follows Jennifer, who is visited by an angel who shows her what her life could have been like if she accepted her feelings for her childhood best friend. It’s equal parts emotional and adorable, and should definitely be on your Christmas watch list.

4. The Christmas Setup

In Lifetime’s first LGBTQ+ Christmas film, The Christmas Setup is your classic festive rom-com. It follows lawyer Hugo who goes to his mother’s house for the holidays, where he reconnects with his childhood crush Patrick. It will hurt your heart but in a good way.

5. Carol

Carol is arguably the mother of all queer Christmas movies. It stars Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara as yearning, repressed queer women. The queen of the lesbians, Sarah Paulson, also stars. If you haven’t seen it, stop what you’re doing immediately and watch it.

6. Friendsgiving

As you may have guessed from the title, Friendsgiving follows an ensemble cast of friends who come together for a holiday dinner party, which includes a lesbian character who is getting over her break-up. The all-star cast includes Chelsea Peretti, Aisha Tyler, Kat Dennings, Jane Seymour, and queer comedy legends Margaret Cho and Wanda Sykes.

7. Season of Love

If you love a trashy Christmas rom-com, try Seasons of Love. It’s another easy-watching movie focused on the interlinked stories of three couples. It’s six queer women for the price of one, what more could you need?

8. Tangerine

This artsy, independent film is not your usual Christmas movie. It was entirely shot on iPhones and follows a trans sex worker who is released from prison on Christmas eve, only to find out her boyfriend and pimp has been cheating on her. While it missed out on the major awards, it marked the first Oscar campaign run for a trans actor, for its leads Kitana Kiki Rodriguez and Mya Taylor.

9. Red Lodge

Red Lodge is also known as The Unattainably Perfect Gay Christmas, and that about sums it up. It follows a gay couple who get engaged just before Christmas, only for one of them to break it off days later. It’s all gay gossip and drama, and we’re here for it.

10. Dashing in December

Dashing in December follows a man who goes home to his mother’s ranch for Christmas to convince her to sell her home, but he ends up falling for a handsome ranch hand who wants to create a Winter Wonderland on the ranch. It doesn’t get much gayer than that.

New Movies Coming in 2021

Now, almost every year we are treated to a new queer Christmas movie. And this year is no different. So, here are some of the Christmas movies coming this year to bring your family or chosen family together.

Single All the Way

Netflix’s new Canadian Christmas movie Single All the Way follows a man who doesn’t want his family to judge him for being single, so convinces his best friend to pose as his boyfriend for the holidays. It’s planned to hit the streamer on December 2, so save the date.

The Bitch Who Stole Christmas

If you’re a Drag Race fan, you’ll love this. The Bitch Who Stole Christmas is a queer, Christmas extravaganza featuring RuPaul and 20 ex-Drag Race contestants, including the first trans man on the show Gottmik, Latrice Royale, Brooke Lynn Hytes, Cher impersonator Chad Michaels, and many more.

The Humans

The Humans is a star-studded movie following a family who come together for Thanksgiving. The drama is based on the Tony-winning stage show and is slated for release in late November.

The Christmas House 2: Deck Those Halls

If The Christmas House wasn’t enough, we now finally have the sequel: The Christmas House 2: Deck Those Halls. The same family comes together again for the holidays, so expect more queer drama and festive fun.

Under the Christmas Tree

Another LGBTQ+ holiday movie, Under the Christmas Tree, sees two queer women brought together by the hunt for the perfect Christmas tree. It’s being released on December 19, just in time for Christmas.

Find Your Inner Circle with HER

Want to find someone to snuggle on the sofa and watch a Christmas movie with this festive season? Whether you’re looking for some holiday fun, a rom-com worthy love, or some queer friends to become your chosen family, you can find it on HER.

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