The representation of the LGBTQIA+ community has never been better on screen. With influencers like Lilly Singh coming out as bi-sexual and media platforms, especially Netflix ruling the roost, the amount of characters that are portrayed with panache and a strong storyline have increased significantly in the last five years. Gone are the days when the community was nothing but mocked, characters kept as jesters for comic relief especially in India.

To welcom Pride month, here's our list of our favourite Netflix shows that have won our hearts not just with their stories, but also with the portrayal of characters from the community.

Queer Eye

With Queer Eye winning Critics' Choice Real TV Awards 2019 as the best non-fiction show and our beloved Jonathan Van Ness winning Male Star Of The Year, we could not be more delighted.

But for those who have not watched the show yet, this show is a reboot of an earlier version ‘Queer Eye For The Straight Guy’. Five grown men make over people from different walks of life. This show is the EXACT thing we need in today’s times as we stuggle in various aspects of life just like the people feature in it.  Watch as Tan France, Karamo Brown, Jonathan Van Ness, Antoni Porowski and Bobby Berk transform lives (even yours) as you cry happy tears through it.

Related Article: Thank Gay Culture For The Slangs We Use Every Day!

Bonding

Bonding is one of the shortest possible shows on Netflix and yet, has managed to touch several aspects of LGBT relationships as well as sex in their time-constricted series. The lead Tiff, has a sexually explicit job, so reconnects with former high school BFF Pete, a recently out gay man and cash-strapped to recruit him as an assistant.

The dynamic between Tiff and Pete may not be at its best through the series, but Pete’s relationship with his new boyfriend goes as well as we can imagine.

Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina 

This gritty reboot of Sabrina the Teenage Witch has become a hit as soon as season 1 was launched on Netflix. There’s a daring and yet entertaining portrayal of the community with two major characters being part of it. Susie Putnam’s non-binary story makes the show an engaging watch. Ambrose, Sabrina’s cousin is pansexual and owns it proudly as we see him have a relationship with Luke through the series.

Grace & Frankie

Cinema legends Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin star in this show. Both play two unlikely friends who bond after their husbands leave them… for each other! The show is hilarious and witty, and has received glowing reviews since the premiere, and the entire cast’s performance has been lauded. The show even got nominated for at the Primetime Emmy Awards and Golden Globe Awards. We see so much representation for LGBTQ youth on our TV screens, so Grace and Frankie is a breath of fresh air.

Dear White People

The 2014 film of the same name has been an inspiration for the series. It is a story of several black college students at Winchester University, an Ivy League institution, and often touches upon issues surrounding relationships of modern American race. Horton’s character, Lionel Higgins, is coming to terms with his sexuality in the series and is interesting to watch. He struggles with being a black man in the queer community, as well as a queer man in the black community.

Riverdale

Based on characters from the iconic Archie Comics, Riverdale is known for providing plenty of adorable couples for viewers to obsess over. However, it is Cheryl Blossom played by Madeline Pestch and Toni Topaz who get our hearts racing when we look at Choni. At end of the show’s second season Toni helped Cheryl come to terms with her bisexuality and later saved her from a gay conversion ‘therapy’ camp. Riverdale has received great reviews for its portrayal of LGBTQ characters, like a gay romance in its first season, and the coming out of a major character in the second.

Sex Education

Netflix original coming-of-age dramedy Sex Education follows a sexually awkward teenager living with his sex therapist mother, and his friendship with gay character Eric. The show has been highly acclaimed from fans as well as critics for cast’s performances as well as dealing with a sensitive subjects and a largely diverse representation of the LGBTQ community. Netflix later announced that the series received over 40 million streams within its first month of release, becoming one of Netflix’s most successful shows in history.