10 LGBT+ Christmas films to stream this festive season including Netflix’s Single All The Way
The best LGBT+ Christmas films to stream this festive season.
It’s officially December, which means it’s time to get cosy and stream your favourite Christmas films.
This year you might want to give Love Actually and The Holiday a miss though, and make the yuletide gay with an LGBT+ Christmas film.
Festive rom-coms are often straight and white, but more recently some film studios have been catching up and we’re finally getting broader representation in Christmas films.
From Netflix’s upcoming Single All The Way to Lifetime and Hallmark channels releasing their first ever LGBT+ Christmas films, there are more movies than ever to choose from.
Below we’ve put together a list of 10 LGBT+ Christmas films to add to your watch list this year.
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1. Single All The Way
First up is this year’s big release, Single All The Way. The LGBT+ Christmas film from Netflix is a long time coming.
The film stars Michael Urie as Peter, a gay man who lives in Los Angeles with his best friend Nick. After yet another romance falls through, Peter convinces Nick to pretend they’re in a relationship when they both return to his family home for the festive season.
But when Peter’s mother (Kathy Najimy) sets him up on a blind date with her handsome trainer James (Luke Macfarlane), Peter’s plan goes awry.
In an interview with PinkNews, Urie said: “It tells a story that isn’t about coming out of the closet or any kind of trauma – it’s just a guy who has been single and his family wants him to be coupled, and that’s the problem.
“I’m really proud that we’re pioneering this with Netflix,” he adds.
Oh, and Jennifer Coolidge is in the film too, which will be released on 3 December on Netflix.
2. Happiest Season
Released last year, Happiest Season stars Kristen Stewart as Abby, who learns that her girlfriend has kept their relationship a secret from her family. Planning to propose at her family’s annual Christmas dinner proves to be harder than she thought, as she begins to question the girlfriend she thought she knew. The lesbian festive rom-com also stars Mackenzie Davis and Schitt’s Creek’s Dan Levy.
It’s also recently been teased that a sequel is on the way, which is set to focus on Aubrey Plaza’s scene-stealing character, Riley and we can’t wait to see her find love.
The film is available on Hulu in the US and Amazon Prime Video in the UK.
3. Make the Yuletide Gay
Make the Yuletide Gay jumped so Happiest Season could fly. Released in 2009, the film follows Gunn, a college student who’s openly gay at school and is heading home – and back into the closet – for Christmas with his family. His boyfriend surprises him at the house and he is forced to tell them that it’s his roommate before deciding whether to reveal the truth to his family.
The film is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video channel Dekkoo.
4. The Christmas House
The Christmas House became a landmark moment, as it was the first Hallmark movie to prominently feature a same-sex couple. The two gay characters, Brandon and Jake, are fully accepted by their relatives and friends and their sexuality isn’t the main focus of the storyline, instead it focuses on their efforts to adopt a child.
It stars Jonathan Bennett, aka Aaron Samuels and Brad Harder as Brandon and Jake, and the film is available to stream on the Hallmark channel.
5. Carol
Starring Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara, Carol has been considered a cult-favourite Christmas film, as the story takes place during the festive period.
It’s set in New York City during the early 1950s and tells the story of a forbidden affair between an aspiring female photographer and an older woman going through a difficult divorce.
The film is available to stream on Netflix in select countries, or rent and buy from Amazon.
6. Let It Snow
Let It Snow follows the stories of a group of high school seniors, whose friendships and love lives collide when a snowstorm hits a small town on Christmas Eve.
The feel-good festive film features an LGBT+ storyline in Dorrie, a waitress at the local Waffle Town and Kerry, a closeted cheerleader who frequents the restaurant with her friends.
The film is available to stream on Netflix.
7. Dashing in December
Another fairly recent LGBT+ Christmas release is Dashing in December. The film follows a man who goes home for the holidays to convince his mother to sell the family ranch. He never imagines that while he’s there he’ll have his mind changed, and his heart stolen, by a cute new ranch hand who has big dreams of saving the property.
The storyline wouldn’t sound out of place in a classic heterosexual Hallmark movie, but the writers clearly said “make it gayer”.
It’s available to stream on Paramount Plus.
8. A New York Christmas Wedding
A New York Christmas Wedding follows the story of a bride-to-be, who is visited by an angel before her Christmas Eve wedding. She discovers what might have happened if she hadn’t denied her feelings for her childhood best friend.
Released in 2020, the film flips the traditional festive romance film on its head with queer characters and is available to stream on Netflix.
9. The Christmas Setup
The Christmas Setup premiered in 2020 and became the first ever LGBT-themed Christmas film broadcast by Lifetime. It follows Hugo, an uptight New York City attorney who comes home with his best friend, Madelyn for Christmas.
They visit his meddling mother Kate, played by the iconic Fran Drescher, and he is reconnected with his high school crush Patrick just as he’s offered a promotion to his firm’s office in London.
The film is available to stream on mylifetime.com.
10. Christmas on the Square
So, this film doesn’t technically have an LGBT+ storyline but it does star Dolly Parton, Jenifer Lewis and Christine Baranski – what more do you need in a Christmas film?!
The plot follows the wealthy Regina Fuller, who returns to her hometown to evict the residents and sell the land to a mall developer, plus it’s a musical and Dolly Parton plays an actual angel.
The festive feast is available to stream on Netflix.
