A Redditor recently asked fellow users to name the first LGBT movie they watched, and the responses ranged from 1980s erotic horror films to ‘90s indie darlings to modern-day blockbusters. As these commenters can probably attest, there’s nothing quite like seeing yourself reflected on screen…
“I still clearly remember watching my first gay movie. It was Taekwondo, directed by Marco Berger. I downloaded it online without telling anyone and watched it on my computer alone in my room one night. This was at the point when I was finally starting to admit to myself that I was gay. It would be a while before I was ready to tell many others. The movie is not a masterpiece (it’s basically just 2 hours of eye candy), but it was my first gay film so it made a huge impression on me. The ending of the movie — spoiler! — when the two main guys kiss made me feel so validated!”
Related: On Stonewall 50, relive the essential Judy Garland films the fueled our fire
“Love, Simon. The book is better though. … I really enjoyed the book mostly because you get to know a lot more about Simon then you do in the film. Don’t get me wrong though, the film is still really good.”
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“Pretty sure it was Beautiful Thing, way back in the 90s. It made me think what my life could be like. I thill think it’s a great film.”
Related: These queer films earned major billing at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival
“Shelter. It was so nerve-racking watching it. Trying to watch a whole gay movie straight and not get caught by your parents was terrifying. I paused so many times during the movie thinking they would pop up as they move like ninjas.”
“Maurice. I haven’t seen it since I was a kid, but all I remember is seeing the two guys kissing. Just made me think, ‘Wow… this makes sense to me…’”
“Rent applies as an LGBT movie even though it’s not the only theme. I came out 2 months later, helped me a lot. I still listen to the OST when I feel bad and need a pick-me-up.”
“The Hunger. That’s what passed for LGBT movies in the early 80s.”
What was your first queer movie? Let us know in the comments.
Littlebum2002
In And Out. My parents rented it from Blockbuster but i don’t think they knew what it was about. I’m pretty sure it taught me what “gay” meant.
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
Mine was actually a porn flick at one of the old many theatres and peep jerk and hook booths on 42nd St in New York. This was before the age of having a million porn videos of every kind in your pocket.
Was really an awakening to be in a theater full of guys a fairly large percentage of them
di cks in hand. I then suddenly did the math and realized I was probably sitting in decades of jizz and we made a fairly quick dash towards the exit..,
DarkZephyr
I guess if you can count it as “LGBT”, mine would have been a rented copy of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show”. After that, “Jeffrey”, in case “Rocky Horror” doesn’t count.
Very recently I found out about and watched “A Very Natural Thing” from 1974. While not the first Post-Stonewall “LGBT” themed film aimed at an LGBT audience ever made (that honor goes to “The Boys in the Band”), it was the first that was made BY a gay man FOR gay men. It was a surprisingly good film that was surprisingly frank and free with its language and displays of physical affection for the time period. I enjoyed its very real footage of very early Pride events as well, when Pride was still brand spanking new.
Harley
Boys in the Band. I just showed my age. Wasn’t much gay cinema when I was growing up. Glad things have changed.
Aires the Ram
“Cruising” was my first one.
Juanjo
Fortune and Men’s Eyes was my first gay movie followed by Boys in the Band.
Kangol2
The first one I saw and fully understood was a queer film is probably 1982’s Making Love, though Cruising also made a (very negative) impression.
Josh447
Making Love was it for me also, for a full length LGB movie. I found it to be an excellent show. I’d watch it again in a heartbeat.
Seth
Gregg Araki’s The Living End, in 1992, in a double feature with My Own Private Idaho. My boyfriend and I had to drive 3 hours to get to the “arty” theater and were so enamored of the whole renegade, outlaw queer plots that we drove back 4 or 5 times to see it, again.
michel_banen
“Beautiful thing” was so damn sweet ! Watched it with my 1st boyfriend some 20 years ago. He’s now my husband 🙂
bayamon_55
I went with a friend to see the movie Making Love. he though it was something else (we were young then and he wanted to see tits on screen). he hated the movie but me deep inside I was a revelation.
MikeM
My Beautiful Launderette. First time at an indie cinema as well.
mcs
Brokeback Mountain was my first I guess…
Rick Notch
“The Children’s Hour” on late night TV in 1967. I was 12. Could not understand why all the hatred about one women loving another woman. The next morning my questions about the film unnerved my parents.
Zambos271
“Speedway Junky” and “Johns” were the first two that I watched. They basically reinforced that gay love is often unrequited.
VaJohn
My first “Gay” movie showed Gays and homosexuality in a very poor light, but nevertheless was a start at helping me realize what Iwas, and what I wanted, and right around the same time period, Rod Steiger’s kiss in “The Sergeant ” both horrified, thrilled, and electrified me all at the same time. Thank God, things have gotten better from when even being Gay was a crime!
VaJohn
Sorry, meant to say first “Gay” movie was “Advise and Consent”.
Ladisteele
Torch Song Trilogy!
Tim44309
1982 – “Making Love,” with Michael Ontkean, Kate Jackson, and Harry Hamlin . . . my mother was away for the weekend, and I quite sheepishly rented it from Blockbuster. Watched it several times…cried my eyes out each time. It represented a world I couldn’t imagine existing.
Josh447
Totally awesome show.
Kangol2
It really was a powerful, moving film. I also was fascinated by the dichotomy between Michael Ontkean’s character, who wanted a loving relationship (and gets one), and Harry Hamlin’s, who wanted to play the field and was hitting bathhouses. It was an important film to see as a young teenager right as the HIV/AIDS pandemic was unfolding too.
adj05
To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything Julie Newmar. Watched over and over until the vhs tape was but messed up
JessPH
Longtime Companion. I was channel surfing when I suddenly saw two men hugging and being affectionate to each other on TV. It was the early 90s. I was just around 11 or 12 years old and I have totally no idea what homosexuality is so the whole movie shooketh me beyond words. I did not understand the film then but I got to re-watch it in my 20s and I fell in love with the film.
djmcgamester
Wasn’t my first, but saw this in June 1992 when I came out. (Thanks, PBS.) Fell in love with it. Very difficult to find but I do enjoy re-watching it.
Jerry
I saw Partners in 1982 with my Summer of 82 crush. Weekends were wonderful at 16 and experimenting, well I’m not sure we were experimenting after the 2nd time… we were quite good at it. He was also my first kiss.
Gay Veteran
When it comes to movies I started with the classics, Shelter and Latter Days. I think Latter Days came first. Queer as Folk was definitely my first tv show.
djmcgamester
Probably “Making Love” with Kate Jackson, Harry Hamlin and Michael Ontkean. I mostly only remember that because I made a comic character in 1984 that had the last name Ontkean specifically because I thought the actor was handsome and the last name was unusual. I was 13 or 14, depending on the time of the year. Despite liking the movie, I still had no concept of my sexuality.
queerbec
The absolutely splendid “Parting Glances” which was one of Steve Buscemi’s first films, as a gay man dying of AIDS, though that is just a subplot. About a good looking gay couple with growing pains–also introduced Kathy Kinney of the old Drew Carey show and still good looking John Bolger.
QJ201
Summer before high school… The Boys in the Band, late at night, on HBO
Freshman year… RHPS and doing Brad at the local midnight shows.
TN-George
A lot of people might not consider this an LGBT movie but I believe that it was and it is a British movie called Women In Love ( no pun intended ) with Oliver Reed and Alan Bates. One scene in particular focused on Alan Bates character trying to tell Oliver Reed’s character that the was in love with him but Alan Bates was also in love with a woman he’d been seeing and kind of wanted to incorporate the two of them into his life and that was right after Alan Bates character beat Oliver Reed’s character in a nude wrestling match in front of a huge fireplace and after Alan Bates had bested Oliver Reed the scene implied that the two of them had sex in one form or another and both had ejaculated. Gerald, Oliver Reed character didn’t consider himself to be bi or gay, not even after just having sex with a man. He became very smug and condescending towards the man that just professed his love for him and in true heartless fashion rejected it second most probably boys in the band you got to love the character Harold
EasyGuy
Cabaret film (1972). I know I’m really old! It was just one quick moment when Brian says to Sally regarding screwing Maximilian, so do I.