Image Credits: Olly Alexander via Getty Images (left) | Ncuti Gatwa in ‘Doctor Who,’ BBC/Disney+ (center) | Hannah Einbinder in ‘Hacks,’ Max (right)

It’s a new dawn, it’s a new May, and we’re feeling good!

With “Pride Season” rapidly approaching, things are heating up both literally and figuratively as the major streaming platforms deliver some high-profile, highly anticipated LGBTQ+ content for our gay little eyeballs to enjoy.

Over the next 31 days, there are plenty of queer-friendly films, TV series, and specials worth tuning in for. May will see queer star Nucti Gatwa take on the Time Lord mantle for his first official season of Doctor Who, the long-awaited return of comedy gem Hacks, a new crop of legendary queens returning to the Werk Room for All Stars 9, the gauntlet of gaggery known as the Eurovision Song Contest, and the streaming debuts for plenty of favorites, new and old

Whether you use Netflix, Prime Video, (HBO) Max, Hulu, Paramount+, Peacock, Tubi—or some combo of the those—Queerty has your can’t-miss recommendations for each.

So, get those watch lists ready; it’s going to be a very gay May.

Jump to your streaming platform of choice:

Netflix • Prime Video • Max • Hulu • Paramount+ • Peacock • Tubi

What’s new and gay on Netflix in May 2024

Spotlight: Eric (May 30)

Image Credit: McKinley Belcher III in ‘Eric,’ Netflix

The magic of Netflix is that a dark, peculiar, and thrilling U.K. series like Baby Reindeer can come out of nowhere and become a global sensation. On that tip, we have our eyes on the mysterious yet intriguing Eric about a puppeteer in 1980s New York (Benedict Cumberbatch) whose nine-year-old child goes missing, sending him sinking into an abyss of substance abuse where he becomes convinced his seven-foot-tall puppet, Eric, can help him reunite with his son. From writer Abi Morgan (Shame, The Hour), the psychological drama also stars Gabby Hoffman and queer stars Roberta Colindrez and McKinley Belcher III.

Also Don’t Miss:

  • Reba, Season 1 – 6 (May 6): You know the drill: A single mom who works too hard, who loves her kids and never stops. Your next “comfort food” binge-watch is here!
  • Mother Of The Bride (May 9): Queerty fave Wilson Cruz co-stars in this rom-com about a mom (Brooke Shields) who is surprised to learn her daughter’s future father-in-law is her ex.
  • Bridgerton, Season 3 – Part 1 (May 16): The sexy, saucy Regency Era drama is back with a season that promises to feature more Jonathan Bailey and its first queer romance.
  • Power (May 17): Black, trans-masc director Yance Ford follows up his Oscar-nominated Strong Island with an urgent, eye-opening new doc about the history of American policing.

Amazon Prime Video’s LGBTQ+ offerings in May 2024

Spotlight: After Forever, Final Season (May 8)

After fifty-something Brian (Kevin Spirtas of Days Of Our Lives) loses his husband Jason (Party Of Five‘s Mitchell Anderson) to cancer, he must confront his grief and eventually contend with the gay dating scene for the first time in decades. The independently produced “micro-series” won us over when it first premiered back in 2018, and now returns for its final season, which will see Brian exploring a potential relationship with his younger employee (Chrissy Judy‘s Wyatt Fenner) and trying to prioritize happiness after his unimaginable loss. Tony winner Cady Huffman, Dawson’s Creek‘s Mary Beth Piel, and Sex And The City‘s Julie Halston also star.

Also Don’t Miss:

  • Pillow Talk, 1959 (May 1): Closeted silver screen star Rock Hudson plays a straight man pretending to be gay in this romantic farce opposite his longtime friend Doris Day.
  • Rope, 1948 (May 1): A classic Alfred Hitchcock thriller about two well-to-do friends—who all but say they’re in a relationship—attempting to prove they pulled off “the perfect murder.”
  • The Idea Of You (May 2): A single mom falls for a much younger, world famous pop star. There’s nothing gay about it, but it stars Anne Hathaway and the dreamy Nicholas Galitzine, so… we’re in!
  • The Goat (May 8): A cast of reality TV favorites—including Drag Race‘s Alyssa Edwards & RHONY‘s Jill Zarin—compete to see who’s the Greatest Of All That. (The G.O.A.T., get it?)

What’s gay on the way to Max in May 2024

Spotlight: Hacks, Season 3 (May 2)

Hacks is back! After Deborah Vance’s (Jean Smart) comedy special becomes a hit and gives the icon the comeback she’s been waiting for, she has to deal with modern-day fame while setting her sights on achieving her lifelong dream. Ava (Hannah Einbinder), meanwhile, is enjoying some success of her own in LA, and hasn’t seen Deborah since she was fired a year ago. But these two can’t stay apart for long, and once again find themselves in one another’s orbit, for good and for bad. We’re just thrilled to see one of the best and queerest ensembles on TV again—with some great guest stars (J. Smith Cameron! Helen Hunt!) joining the fun, too.

Also Don’t Miss:

  • All About My Mother, 1999 (May 1): Queer Spanish filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar’s acclaimed, Oscar-winning melodrama about a bereaved mother.
  • The Lighthouse, 2019 (May 1): Before there was Challengers, there was The Lighthouse, about two seamen (Robert Pattinson, Willem DaFoe) and their strange homoerotic bond.
  • Pretty Little Liars: Summer School (May 9): The prequel to the soapy teen mystery returns with a queer-inclusive cast and yet another blood-thirsty villain on the loose.
  • The Iron Claw (May 10): Though the story of the Von Erich wrestling dynasty is a tragic one, this film features eye candy in the form of Zac Efron, Jeremy Allen White & Harris Dickinson.

The best and queerest on Hulu this May 2024

Spotlight: Black Twitter: A People’s History (May 9)

Social media, and the internet at large, would be nowhere near as fun without “Black Twitter,” the phenomenon that has birthed countless memes, given folks from all over the world a digital social gathering space, and helped shape our country as we know it, from pop culture to politics. Insecure showrunner Prentice Penny directs this documentary that chronicles the rise and influence of this unique platform, as told by the people who shaped it—including a number of LGBTQ+ voices like Raquel Willis, Kid Fury, Roxane Gay, and more who weigh in on how Twitter has both provided space for community and bigotry.

Also Don’t Miss:

  • Prom Dates (May 3): After dual break-ups, two high school BFFs (Antonia Gentry, Julia Lester) are in a scramble to find prom dates for the big night in this queer-inclusive teen comedy.
  • Eileen, 2023 (May 10): A repressed prison employee (Thomasin McKenzie) is bewitched by her new co-worker (Anne Hathaway) in this dark period piece with one heck of a shocking twist.
  • I Am Not Your Negro, 2016 (May 15): The unfinished manuscript of influential Black, queer writer James Baldwin provides the basis for this documentary about race relations in America.
  • Birth/Rebirth, 2023 (May 17): A modern, sapphic, and gruesome twist on the Frankenstein story about a morgue technician who reanimates the corpse of a young girl.

All the gay streaming picks on Paramount+ in May 2024

Spotlight: RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 9 (May 17)

They’re back, back, back, back again—and, this time, they’re doing it for charity! Eight returning, fan-favorite queens are stepping back into the Werk Room for the ultimate drag championship, where the challenges, personalities, and yes the drag promise to be bigger than ever. There’s Season 14’s Angeria Paris VanMicheals & Jorgeous; 13’s Gottmik; 11’s Nina West, Plastique Tiara, & Vanessa Vanjie Matteo; and returning All Stars Roxxxy Andrews & Shannel ready to throw it down. And with the return of the non-elimination format, we”ll be excited to see what drama comes from these eight dynamic divas sharing work stations week after week.

Also Don’t Miss:

  • The Hellraiser Series (May 1): Gay horror maestro Clive Barker’s dark world comes to life in the saga of the Cenobites, demons who can’t differentiate between pain and pleasure.
  • Joy Ride, 2023 (May 1): Queer Asian stars Sherry Cola and Stephanie Hsu are among the ensemble of this hilarious, underrated, and surprisingly raunchy road trip comedy.
  • Rocketman, 2019 (May 1): One of the best music biopics in recent memory finds Taron Egerton playing (and singing!) the great pop-rock legend, Sir Elton John.
  • The Chi, Season 6 – Part 2 (May 10): Lena Waithe produces this epic, sprawling ensemble drama about the interconnected lives on Chicago’s South Side.

Peacock’s upcoming LGBTQ+ releases this May 2024

Spotlight: Eurovision Song Contest 2024 (May 7 – 11)

It’s the most wonderful time of the year: The return of the Eurovision Song Contest, which is basically like the Gay Olympics or Gay Super Bowl (insert your sports metaphor of choice here!). Peacock is your official U.S. streaming home of the festivities with semi-final telecasts from Malmö, Sweden on the 7th and 9th, and the live finale on the 11th. Swedish comedian Petra Mede and Swedish-American actress Malin Åkerman will be our hosts with the mosts as 31 songs from 31 artists from 31 countries go head-to-head. And, we may be biased, but we’ll be rooting for queer star Olly Alexander, who’s representing the U.K. with his hit “Dizzy.”

Also Don’t Miss:

  • The Mummy, 1999 (May 1): Between Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz, this throwback action-adventure/creature-feature no doubt inspired many a sexual awakening for ’90s kids.
  • The American Society Of Magical Negroes, 2024 (May 3): Queer star Justice Smith stars in this satirical fantasy where Black people use magic to make white people’s lives easier.
  • Knock At The Cabin, 2023 (May 24): M. Night Shyamalan’s thriller about gay dads and their daughter, forced to make an impossible decision with apocalyptic outcomes.
  • We Are Lady Parts, Season 2 (May 30): A geeky PHD student is recruited to join an all-female Muslim punk band in the return of this charming British comedy.

Here’s what’s queer coming to Tubi in May 2024

Spotlight: To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar, 1995 (May 1)

The news that the cast of cult classic The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen Of The Desert would be reuniting for a decades-later sequel had us nostalgic for another ’90s movie with a super-long title about a trio of drag queens on a road trip. So thank goodness then that the still hilarious, forever iconic To Wong Foo has a new streaming home this month on Tubi, so we can laugh, cry, and get our life while watching the comical misadventures of Vida Boheme (Patrick Swayze), Noxeema Jackson (Wesley Snipes), and Chi-Chi Rodriguez (John Leguizamo). Now, a sequel might not be in the cards for this one (R.I.P. Swayze!), but is it too much to ask for a remake??

Also Don’t Miss:

  • A League Of Their Own, 1992 (May 1): They say there’s no crying in baseball, but we shed happy tears every time we rewatch this classic with Geena Davis, Madonna, and Rosie O’Donnell
  • Set It Off, 1996 (May 1): Desperately trying to make ends meet, a group of four women work together to pull off a dangerous heist, co-starring the one and only Queen Latifah.
  • Side Effects, 2013 (May 1): Channing Tatum, Rooney Mara, Jude Law, and Catherine Zeta-Jones star in this sharp thriller with *SPOILER ALERT* a wicked gay twist.
  • Underwater, 2020 (May 1): This recent, underrated sci-fi horror gem is like Alien deep below the ocean, with Kristen Stewart giving us her best Ripley/Sigourney Weaver bad*ss hero.

And keep an eye out for: Doctor Who on Disney+ (May 10)

The doctor is in! And, after much anticipation, it sounds like we’re about to get the gayest season of Doctor Who ever, with showrunner Russell T Davies (Queer As Folk) back at the helm. The charming Ncuti Gatwa (Sex Education, Barbie) stars as the iconic Time Lord—the first time a Black or queer actor has played the role—taking us on a series of wild adventures across time and space with Millie Gibson as his bubbly companion Ruby. And there are plenty of surprises in store, including Drag Race‘s “Queen Of All Queens” (and the belle of Broadway!) Jinkx Monsoon playing a musically monstrous villain named Maestro, which is just brilliant casting.

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