Publications
Partners
Cape Town - Why was the month of June chosen as the global celebration for Pride? On 28 June 1969, NYC police raided the Stonewall Inn, a gay club in Greenwich Village, Manhattan, on the back of widespread homophobia and discrimination against establishments that served as places of refuge for members of the gay community.
The raid sparked six days of violent clashes by patrons and neighbourhood residents against law enforcement. These riots served as a catalyst for the gay rights movement in the States and around the world.
Here are the best LGBTQ shows and movies on Showmax, DStv Now and Netflix.
1. Gentleman Jack (Showmax and DStv Now)
Yorkshire, England, 1832. Landowner Anne Lister will do whatever it takes to save her ancestral home, and that includes marrying well - but not to a man. Based on the story of the real-life Anne and her search for a wife. New episodes land on Showmax and on DStv Now every Tuesday at 22:00.
2. While You Weren’t Looking (Showmax)
Winner of four international awards, While You Weren't Looking interweaves the lives and experiences of a cross section of Cape Town queers. Produced by the dearly missed Out in Africa Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, the star-studded cast includes the likes of SAFTA winners Lionel Newton and Thishiwe Ziqubu, as well as SAFTA nominee Petronella Tshuma (Of Good Report, also available on Showmax).
3. A Very English Scandal (Showmax)
Hugh Grant portrays the real-life Jeremy Thorpe, who had tongues wagging in the 1960s. He was a Liberal Member of Parliament engaged in a secret affair with a man at a time when homosexuality was illegal. Based on the book.
4. The L Word (Showmax)
The full boxset of the long-running and award-winning drama about the lives and loves of a group of women in LA, with all the hookups, breakups... and everything in between.
5. Sally4Ever (Showmax)
When Sally is courted by the free-spirited Emma, she drops her boring fiancé for a wild affair. Emma might not be as harmless as she seems – but maybe that’s exactly what Sally needs. Quirky and crude British comedy that’s definitely NSFW.
6. HBO’s Looking (Showmax)
This critically acclaimed dramedy follows three gay men, Patrick, Dom and Augustin, who live in San Francisco. The friends support one another as they navigate life, relationships and family.
7. Arrow S7 (DStv Now)
Arrow? Pride? Seriously? Well, yes – in the special Elseworlds crossover episode, which aired on DStv Now on 25 June (where it is currently still available), Ruby Rose’s Batwoman, aka Kate Kane, made her TV debut. The lesbian superhero has her own show, too, which will be coming to DStv Now in future, so keep your ear to the ground for that one.
8. The Perfection (Netflix)
In this 2018 horror/thriller, troubled musical prodigy Charlotte (Allison Williams) seeks out Elizabeth (Logan Browning), the new star pupil of her former school. The encounter sends both musicians down a sinister path with shocking consequences.
9. Carol (Netflix)
Carol (Cate Blanchett), a wealthy married woman, starts an affair with Therese (Rooney Mara), an aspiring photographer who works as a department store clerk in 1950s New York. The relationship leads to both liberating joy and terrible heartache, as the two women have to come face-to-face with a world in which their attraction is forbidden.
10. Pose (Netflix)
If you love dancing, musicals, drama and all things fabulous, immerse yourself in the glamour and luxury of 1980s New York in this highly rated LGBTQ musical dance series starring Evan Peters, MJ Rodriguez, Kate Mara and James Van Der Beek.
11. Bonding (Netflix)
Tiff is a grad student in New York City by day, and by night, she makes ends meet by being a dominatrix. But she needs a bodyguard – and can’t think of anyone more suited to the role than Pete, her gay BFF from high school.
