10 Best LGBTQ+ Shows to Watch on Netflix Right Now

If you’ve ever scrolled through Netflix for what feels like an hour trying to find something meaningful to watch, not just background noise, this list is for you.

Over the past few years, Netflix has become one of the biggest champions of LGBTQ+ storytelling, offering shows that don’t just tick diversity boxes but actually reflect real queer lives, the awkward, the joyful, the romantic, and sometimes the heartbreaking parts of being human.

From teen dramas that make you relive first crushes to dark comedies and emotional documentaries, the streaming platform has built a lineup that captures how far queer representation has come and where it’s still going.

1. Heartstopper (2022–)

Few shows capture the delicate beauty of first love like Heartstopper. Based on the acclaimed graphic novels by Alice Oseman, the series follows Charlie Spring and Nick Nelson, two teens whose friendship slowly blossoms into something more.

Set in an English grammar school, it’s as tender as it is sincere, a coming-of-age story that replaces cynicism with warmth.

What makes Heartstopper remarkable is how it portrays queer love with such natural simplicity. It doesn’t rely on shock value or tragedy; instead, it highlights moments that feel deeply personal, nervous glances, text messages, and quiet confessions.

The show also gives space to lesbian, bisexual, and transgender characters, painting a full picture of modern queer adolescence.

2. Sex Education (2019–2024)

Sex Education is messy, hilarious, awkward, and that’s exactly why it works. It centers around Otis Milburn, a teenager whose mom is a sex therapist, and his classmates at Moordale Secondary as they navigate relationships, identity, and self-expression.

The show’s true strength lies in its inclusivity. Queer representation here isn’t a subplot; it’s the backbone. Eric Effiong’s (Ncuti Gatwa) journey from bullied teen to confident, joyous gay man is one of television’s most uplifting arcs.

Meanwhile, Sex Education also features trans, nonbinary, pansexual, and asexual characters, all treated with humor and heart.

3. Young Royals (2021–2023)

If The Crown met Call Me By Your Name, you’d get Young Royals. This Swedish teen drama follows Prince Wilhelm, the heir to the throne, who falls for Simon, a scholarship student at his elite boarding school.

What begins as a secret romance evolves into a tender, complicated love story weighed down by duty and reputation.

The show feels grounded and emotionally raw; it’s not about fairy-tale royalty but about the pressure to hide who you are when the world demands perfection.

The chemistry between Edvin Ryding (Wilhelm) and Omar Rudberg (Simon) is magnetic, and the quiet moments between them carry more emotion than most TV love scenes ever could.

4. Orange Is the New Black (2013–2019)

Netflix’s breakout hit Orange Is the New Black wasn’t just a prison drama; it was a cultural shift. The show gave mainstream audiences one of the most diverse LGBTQ+ ensembles ever seen on television.

Set in a women’s prison, the series explored sexuality, gender identity, and systemic injustice through a wide range of characters, including Sophia Burset (Laverne Cox), a transgender woman fighting for dignity behind bars.

OITNB balanced humor and heartbreak, proving that queer stories could be messy, political, and deeply human all at once.

5. Feel Good (2020–2021)

Comedian Mae Martin stars as a fictionalized version of themself in Feel Good, a semi-autobiographical dramedy about love, addiction, and identity.

The story follows Mae, a Canadian stand-up comedian living in London, and their intense relationship with George, a woman who’s just beginning to explore her sexuality.

What makes Feel Good extraordinary is its honesty. It doesn’t glamorize queer love or addiction; it shows them in all their complexity. It’s funny and heartbreaking in equal measure, anchored by raw performances and a script that understands both humor and pain.

6. The Sandman (2022–)

Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman isn’t a traditional LGBTQ+ show, but it features some of the most nuanced queer and gender-diverse characters in fantasy television.

Among them is Desire, played by nonbinary actor Mason Alexander Park, whose performance steals every scene.

The show’s universe naturally includes queer love and nonbinary identity as part of its mythology, without explanation or tokenism. In a genre that often avoids sexuality, The Sandman stands out for treating queerness as an intrinsic part of its world.

7. Grace and Frankie (2015–2022)

At first glance, Grace and Frankie looks like a comedy about two older women rebuilding their lives. But it’s also one of the most refreshing LGBTQ+ stories on Netflix.

The series begins when Grace’s and Frankie’s husbands reveal they’re in love with each other.

What follows is a hilarious and surprisingly moving exploration of love, friendship, aging, and second chances. The show treats queerness not as a youthful discovery, but as a lifelong journey, one that doesn’t end at 60.

8. The Haunting of Bly Manor (2020)

You might not expect a gothic horror to make a list of LGBTQ+ shows, but The Haunting of Bly Manor deserves its place.

Beneath the ghost stories and eerie hallways lies one of television’s most beautiful queer love stories between Dani and Jamie, a gardener and a governess whose romance defies time and death.

It’s rare for a horror series to show tenderness like this. Their relationship unfolds slowly, intimately, and without fanfare, making the emotional payoff unforgettable.

9. Queer Eye (2018–)

Reality TV has rarely been this heartwarming. Queer Eye follows the Fab Five, experts in style, design, culture, food, and grooming, as they help people transform their lives, inside and out.

What sets this reboot apart is its sincerity. It’s not just about fashion makeovers; it’s about emotional healing, acceptance, and the small acts of kindness that rebuild confidence.

Queer Eye has normalized queer visibility in spaces that used to feel closed off, proving that compassion transcends identity.

10. Special (2019–2021)

Created by and starring Ryan O’Connell, Special is a short but unforgettable series about a gay man with cerebral palsy navigating love, independence, and identity.

With episodes under 20 minutes, it’s an easy binge, but every moment is loaded with authenticity and humor.

The show is revolutionary not because it shouts about diversity, but because it lives it. O’Connell’s character isn’t defined by disability or sexuality; he’s funny, flawed, messy, and real.

Final Thoughts

Queer storytelling on Netflix has evolved from background representation to center stage, covering everything from royal romances to supernatural love stories.

These shows do more than entertain; they affirm. They give visibility to voices long overlooked and remind us that LGBTQ+ lives are not a monolith but a mosaic: joyful, complicated, hilarious, heartbreaking, and endlessly human.