This is a growing list of books, movies, podcasts, and comics I’ve consumed that have at least one LGBT+ character. At some point, I will write detailed reviews for some of these.
If you have any favorites I didn’t list, let me know and I’ll watch/listen/read! Maybe they’ll get added.
Looking for advice on how to write GSM/LGBT+ characters? Listen to our Writing GSM Diversity episode. Looking for more stuff Kit likes? Check out her article on masculinity in Uncanny Counter here, or her solo episode about recontextualization here.
*M is for mature content. E is for everyone. Some of the M is only mature at times, some of the E has innuendos.*
Books/Audiobooks
Title | Maturity | Genre | What’s to like | Reviewed |
---|---|---|---|---|
Karen Memory, by Elizabeth Bear | M | Steampunk, Wild West | Lesbian sex worker in a lightly steam-punk Wild West. Sisterhood. First person pov. |
Podcasts
Title | Maturity | Genre | What’s to like | Reviewed |
---|---|---|---|---|
Elixir | M | Fantasy, Roaring 20’s, Alt-History | Lesbian love, enemies to lovers, friendships, sisterhood, family, gender-fluid character | |
The Asexuality Podcast | M | Educational | Two asexual people dispel myths, talk love, and explain what being ace is like irl. | |
The Vela | M | Sci-Fi | Season one is great. Season two hasn’t started out with much promise. One main character is a sexually confident trans lesbian refugee. The other main character is a non-binary ace (probably, there have only been platonic relationships so far). Poly relationships, excellent storytelling, good character work. |
Films/Movies
Title | Maturity | Genre | What’s to like | Reviewed |
---|---|---|---|---|
The Naked Kitchen | M | Contemporary, Romance | Shows the growth of a love triangle into a (possibly) polyamorous arrangement. | |
The Handmaiden | M | Romance, Mystery, Thriller | Gorgeous filmmaking, 1920’s Korea, who’s deceiving whom, lesbian love and sex scenes. Based on Sarah Waters’ Fingersmith series, but set in South Korea in the 1920’s. |
Webtoon/Comics
Title | Maturity | Genre | What’s to like | Reviewed |
---|---|---|---|---|
Mage and Demon Queen | M | Romance, Adventure | Starts off weird with a ‘mommy’ fantasy, but quickly drops that bit. Lesbian romance, forbidden love. | |
Life Outside the Circle | E | Romance, Slice of Life | Trans man, gay community, unexpected love, coming out, adults, starting a family. | |
Freaking Romance | M | Romance, Fantasy | BFF is gender-fluid, main character is bi. | |
Woman World | E | Slice of Life, Alt-Present | All the men are gone, only women are born. People run around naked, talk about all kinds of bodies, all kinds of love. | |
Miss Abbott and the Doctor | M | Romance, Alt-1800s | Fun and weird. Learning how to love, feminist. BFF is lesbian, there are gay male characters. | |
Circuits and Veins | E | Futuristic Romance, Sci-Fi | Android and human fall in love. Chronic illness. Living in poverty. Which beings deserve basic ‘human’ rights. Sweet love. | |
Waffles and Pancakes | M | College, Friendship, Slice of Life, Humor | Daily life of two probably hetero best friends (platonic). One might be ace. There are no romantic overtones between them, just good friendship. | |
Empyrea | E | Fantasy, Romance | Shipping the prince and his bff. Series has gone on hiatus, but will hopefully come back and show them getting together. | |
Blood-Ink | M | Fantasy, Action, Romance | Lesbian crush, lots of action (not a feel-good comic). | |
The Witch and the Bull | E | Fantasy, Mediterranean, Romance, Adventure | Enemies to lovers. Loving depictions of all kinds of bodies and all kinds of love. | |
Not So Shoujo Love Story | E | High School Romance, Humor | Funny. Subverts genre tropes. Budding lesbian love at the forefront (we’ll see). Strong female friendships. | |
LUFF | E | Romance, Alt-Present | MC has two potential true loves; love triangle or poly v?? | |
Crown of Feathers | M | Adventure, Action | Love between mens. One definitely pansexual/bisexual male. Not a romance comic, though. | |
Brimstone and Roses | M | Romance, Fantasy Present, Adventure | Bi main character, fat representation, enemies to lovers. | |
Lore Olympus | M | Romance, Mythology | Includes ace characters. Excellent art and storytelling. | |
My Dragon Girlfriend | M | Romance, Fantasy, Alt-Present | Almost every character is female-presenting and LGBT+. | |
Love Me Knot | E | Romance, Fantasy, Alt-Present | Some bi characters. | |
Cursed Princess Club | E | Romance, Adventure | Learn to love yourself. Gay characters, healing, familial rejection and reconciliation. Effeminate and beautiful men. | |
The Four of Them | E | High School, Friendships, Romance | Cute. Main character’s sister starts dating main character’s crush. Coming out, changing identities, love and acceptance. | |
Boyfriends | M | College, Romance, Slice of Life | Poly romance between four gay lovers. Also a friend group that’s a lesbian poly quad. | |
The Princess’s Jewels | M | Fantasy, Romance, Action | Seriously mature. Haha. Delicious poly romance with a strong princess at the center. She’s gunning to be the next ruler, with her posse of super handsome and talented lovers behind her | |
My Dictator Boyfriend | M | Fantasy, Romance, Adventure | Main character is gay. Trans characters, gender ambiguous characters, so many gay men, | |
Brass & Sass | E | High School Romance | BFF is gay, has a successful gay romance. | |
Men of the Harem | M | Adventure/Action, Fantasy | Emperor installs a harem of male lovers to secure her power and support her rule. Will she choose one (or more) to be her consort? | |
Adventures of God | E | Humor, Slice of Life | Satan is gay, so God keeps sending him men to date. | |
BOO! It’s Sex | M | Educational, Humor, Slice of Life | A bi ghost educates her living housemates on all matters sex and relationships. | |
Nice to Meet You | E | College, Romance | Really cute main character with ADHD, potential love triangle shifting to poly triad (i ship, i ship, i ship), bff is gay. |
Comments
Pingback: Season 3, Episode 1: Writing GSM Diversity - Writer at Work
Pingback: Self-Publishing Platforms: Pros and Cons - Writer at Work