Hey, y’all June is LGBTQ+ Pride Month and while it’s certainly a time to remember our elders and keep fighting the good fight ( ✊🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️!), it’s also a time to celebrate! With that in mind, for this month’s Queer Tested, Teacher Approved, let’s focus on queer joy! So, here is a list of 2SLGBTQ+ YA media that puts a smile on my face and makes my queer heart sing with joy.
Caveat: this YA media being full of queer joy doesn’t mean there isn’t any gayngst — sadly, it comes with the territory — and bear in mind, some of these works are from my own teenage-hood, two decades ago (😱), so they may not be the most, woke, as the Republicans would say. Please do read the content warnings.
As per uzh, mild spoilers ahead.
Without further ado, here are 14 YA LGBTQ+ books, movies and TV shows that are bursting with queer joy:
But I’m a Cheerleader
Who knew a movie about a gay conversion therapy camp could bring so much queer joy? I mean, it helps that But I’m a Cheerleader puts the camp in camp. I have to not think too hard about the concept of this one, though, ’cause how horrifying to be 1) sent to conversion therapy and 2) sent because people think you’re gay?
Apart from a few questionable moments I chalk up to this film being from the 1990s, watching Natasha Lyonne‘s performance as Megan, going from cluelessness to realization, to denial to acceptance to joy about her gayness is just brill.
Crush
Crush is a super new movie (it released on April 29 this year), so compared to But I’m a Cheerleader, its sensibility is much more likely to resonate with modern audiences. Plot-wise, Crush is a pretty paint-by-the-numbers teen romcom, but its unabashed queerness turns the whole thing on its head.
In some ways, you could compare it to 2018’s Love, Simon, but unlike the latter, there’s no coming out story here, no questioning whether Paige’s (Rowan Blanchard) two crushes are queer. No, it’s simply a case of whether she likes AJ (Auliʻi Cravalho) or Gabriela (Isabella Ferreira) more.
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Degrassi
Degrassi is a show whose praises I will sing till my dying day. This Canadian gem has been a trailblazer in queer YA media for literal decades, and even most of its missteps are understandable, given how early Degrassi started playing the game. What’s more, the queer storylines continued to improve, as the show grew with the times and listened to audience feedback.
Degrassi was on air for about 35 years before being canceled five years ago. But ho! What’s this? Degrassi lives once more? Maybe I really will be able to watch this show for the rest of my life. HBO Max has ordered a reboot, which is slated to begin shooting this summer, to air next year. At least one of the OG queers, Zoe (Ana Golja) is expected to return.
Ellie & Abbie (& Ellie’s Dead Aunt)
In Ellie & Abbie (& Ellie’s Dead Aunt), Ellie (Sophie Hawkshaw) is a little hopeless when it comes to asking out her crush. Luckily, her Ghost Aunt Tara (Julia Billington) is there to help her out, as her “Fairy Godmother.” Will she help baby gay Ellie or hinder her as she works to woo Abbie (Zoe Terakes)?
This Australian film is based on writer-director Monica Zanetti’s own stage play, but she couldn’t get studio funding for the movie because she insisted Ellie & Abbie (& Ellie’s Dead Aunt) feature an at least 50 percent LGBT+ cast. So, that’s neat! Crowdfunding ftw!
Heartstopper
This entry is about Alice Oseman‘s graphic novels/webtoons. Sure, there’s a fair amount of heavy themes touched upon in Heartstopper, but Oseman never luxuriates in them. In her world, being queer doesn’t equal trauma — trauma is just part of life. Heartstopper is sweet, romantic and oh-so British.
Nearly every main character in Heartstopper is queer and Oseman successfully incorporates practically every letter of the alphabet mafia into their series. I also appreciate that so much of this series is about actually being in a relationship, rather than the getting together bit, which I feel like isn’t something we get to see enough of.
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I Wish You All the Best
As I’ve said before, Mason Deaver‘s I Wish You All the Best holds a special place in my heart because it’s the book that helped me realize I’m nonbinary. Main character Ben’s story starts out with quite a bit of sadness — their parents kick them out after they come out. However, the peace Ben finds by the end is uplifting.
Ben’s sister and husband take them in, y’all, and Ben’s life blossoms from there. I am just a sucker for a good sibling relationship in media. Bonus, Ben’s best friend is a nonbinary, hijabi YouTube star.
In Deeper Waters
F.T. Lukens‘s In Deeper Waters is absolute queer joy. It’s silly and romantic and magical all at the same time — in the best possible way. It’s about the last magical prince and the last [barely spoiler] of a fantasy land falling in love. They each have to hide their identities, but these Captains Obviouses are too transparent for their own good, repeatedly get kidnapped and it’s just a circle of saving one another. And kisses. Lots of kisses.
As our own Lauren Darnell put it, “If you need more of the fluffy and swashbuckling side of Our Flag Means Death, you’ll love this YA fantasy read.”
The Fosters
Do I care that Freeform’s The Fosters is so earnest it’s actually a show about a foster family whose last name is Foster? Heck no, ’cause behind the veneer of absolute over-the-top-ness is a queer joy that is a flat-out celebration. The Fosters, err, excuse me, the Adams-Foster family, is headed by lesbian moms Stef (Teri Polo) and Lena (Sherri Saum ❤️🔥).
They have a brood of bio, adopted and foster kids of all ethnicities. One of those kiddos is Jude (Hayden Byerly). He and his boyfriend Connor (Gavin MacIntosh) made history as the youngest same-gender kiss on TV back in 2015 — their characters were 13. I’m not sure if that record has been broken or repeated since.
Out of the Blue
I’ve described Jason June‘s Out of the Blue as “The Little Mermaid meets Pinocchio meets all the queer joy.” In this book, Jason June puts a unique spin on mermaid lore that raises a lot of questions about how western societies live. Of course, it’s wrapped up in a beautiful bow of a lovely queer summer romance.
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Reading this, I felt like I was back in Los Angeles — the magical version filled with driving through the canyons, fairy lights, vegan Vietnamese food and nights out in West Hollywood. I’ll just ignore the part where virtually no one actually swims in the Californian Pacific.
One Day at a Time
One Day at a Time was the little reboot that could, at least for a while. It ran for three seasons on Netflix, only to be canceled, then revived by PopTV, then canceled again after seven episodes. This wonderful sit-dramedy follows Penelope (Justina Machado) as she navigates life as a solo mom to her two kids, Elena (Isabella Gomez) and Alex (Marcel Ruiz). And of course, their grandma, the fabulous Rita Moreno, lives with them.
Elena is a lesbian, which — ugh — causes conflict with her dad, Victor (James Martinez). However, much of Elena’s story is about her growing into herself as feminist, activist and masculine-of-center. She’s also got a lovely romance with her “sydnificant other,” Syd (Sheridan Pierce), who is nonbinary.
The Rules of Ever After
Killian B Brewer’s The Rules of After falls into that grey zone between middle grade and young adult. It’s one of those “all the stories are true” deals, which is exactly my cup of tea. The Rules of Ever After is chiefly a retelling of Rapunzel and The Princess and the Pea. It’s a very silly, very sweet story that could honestly be enjoyed by the whole family.
I mean, Prince Daniel’s and Prince Phillip’s love story is utterly ridiculous in the best way possible. If you’re a fan of the musical Once Upon a Mattress, but wish it were a bit gayer, this is for you.
The Summer of Everything
The next piece of queer joy on our list is The Summer of Everything. Julian Winters‘s novel is about Wesley, a self-proclaimed comic book geek, who is determined to have the best summer ever before college starts. I remember how turning 18 felt. How it seemed like everything truly was changing, like nothing would ever be the same again.
RELATED: Julian Winters Talks Comic Books, Diversity and Right Where I Left You
Winters perfectly captures that joy and anxiety and utter chaos. The Summer of Everything made me nostalgic for the brink of adulthood, even though when I really think about it, would I want to relive those years? I’ll just stick to rereading Wesley’s story …
Weetzie Bat
Francesca Lia Block‘s prose is the written equivalent of a heavily filtered Instagram post; you’ll want to eat what she’s eating, but it’ll never taste as good as her photo. I fell in love with Los Angeles after having read their Weetzie Bat series, Dangerous Angels. Now, I can’t say I was disappointed with IRL Los Angeles when I moved there, but let’s just say it doesn’t have the same “Fresh Boho Vintage Vibes” I felt in Block’s writing.
Weetzie Bat‘s plot is simple: A young girl and her GBFF, Dirk, find love, fame and family in Hollywood. Things get darker and heavier as the series progresses and the characters age. The magical realism also turns into more straight-up magic the more serious the series gets.
You Should See Me in a Crown
The last book on this list of YA media bursting with queer joy is Leah Johnson‘s You Should See Me in a Crown. Liz Lighty lives in a small town where she feels like an outsider for being Black, poor, awkward and queer. Suddenly, Liz finds herself in need of a scholarship that comes in the form of winning her school’s title of prom queen. How’s that going to happen?
Liz is such a wonderful character; she’s relatable, warm, complicated and perfectly imperfect. Also great is that while You Should See Me in a Crown has a sweet romance, the story is mostly about Liz’s personal journey.
So, there you have it folx, 14 YA movies, TV shows and books brimming with queer joy! What YA media brings you queer joy? What are you doing this Pride to celebrate?
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