Queer Streaming Guide 2026: Your complete list of new LGBTQ+ TV shows and where to find them
A full list of every new TV show that came out in 2026 on streaming with lesbian, gay, trans, bi, and other queer characters.
See the 2025 list below!
Aurelie Chazal
How queer the show is:
- 🏳️🌈🏳️🌈🏳️🌈🏳️🌈🏳️🌈: It wouldn’t exist without queer characters
- 🏳️🌈🏳️🌈🏳️🌈🏳️🌈: There is an essential queer storyline spanning across multiple episodes, but it’s not the entire plot
- 🏳️🌈🏳️🌈🏳️🌈: At least one of the main characters is openly queer but mostly doing non queer stuff, or it has a smaller queer side plot involving recurring characters
- 🏳️🌈🏳️🌈: There is at least one recurring queer character, but most of their plot lines have nothing to do with their queerness, or there are multiple queer guest characters with plot lines addressing their queerness
- 🏳️🌈: There is at least one guest queer character making an appearance during the show, but very little importance is given to their storyline or queerness
- 🚩: There are hints or sprinkles of queerness, but it mostly ends up being negative. This could be queerbaiting, where some characters are hinted to be queer without ever confirming it, or just negative treatment of a queer character or storyline, where there is little to no positive representation to get from it
Other details
- ❤️: The show features at least one queer romance storyline or queer couple (👭: WLW (woman love woman) couple | 👬: MLM (man love man) couple | ♾️: Polyamorous couple | 🧑🤝🧑: Non-binary couple)
- 🏳️⚧️: The show features at least one trans character
- 🫱🏽🫲🏿: The show features queer characters of color
Final Note
I keep the list updated with new shows once I can verify that they include queer representation. This often means I update with a 1-month or more delay to account for weekly releases. I haven’t seen all the shows listed, but I only include shows for which I can verify the queer representation from trustworthy sources. I also only include returning shows I’ve watched so don’t expect that section to be exhaustive. Mainly because it’s just too much for one person to follow everything 😅. If you see something that doesn’t sound right, let me know in the comments!
Newly added
- Madam Beja • Season 1 • 🏳️🌈🏳️🌈🏳️🌈 | 🫱🏽🫲🏿 | 🏳️⚧️ | ❤️ 👬
- Glitter & Gold: Ice Dancing • Season 1 • 🏳️🌈🏳️🌈🏳️🌈
New Queer Shows
All shows that debuted in 2026 and featured at least 1 queer character
Ponies • Season 1
🏳️🌈🏳️🌈🏳️🌈🏳️🌈 | ❤️👭
Peacock • Wold War Drama • 🇺🇸 United States • Fate Unknown
Stylish espionage thriller where two American embassy secretaries in Moscow are forced to become CIA spies after their husbands die in a suspicious plane crash. It’s basically what happens when you take the "invisible" women of the era and give them wiretaps and high-stakes missions because the KGB doesn't think they are important enough to watch. Reviews are calling it a "Laverne and Shirley meets The Americans" vibe, mostly because of the weirdly great chemistry between Emilia Clarke’s buttoned-up Bea and Haley Lu Richardson’s chaotic, wisecracking Twila.
- Queer representation: Twila and Dane add some queer depth to the 1977 Moscow setting. Twila figures out her attraction to local merchant Ivanna while they're on risky missions together, and Dane deals with the constant stress of being a closeted gay guy in the CIA. Their stories feel like a big part of the season, especially Twila's romance with Ivanna, which really helps her come into her own, while Dane's arc shows the tough reality for queer folks stuck in government work back then.
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy • Season 1
🏳️🌈🏳️🌈🏳️🌈🏳️🌈 | ❤️👭
Paramount+ • Space SciFi • 🇺🇸 United States • Renewed
YA sci-fi drama reboot set in the 32nd century that follows the first class of cadets to enter the Academy after a hundred-year shutdown. Fans love the polished visuals and the return of legacy characters like the Doctor, though reviews are pretty split on whether the "horny teenager" energy fits the typical Starfleet vibe.
- Queer representation: Starfleet Academy features a diverse LGBTQ+ cast of characters, including Jett Reno (lesbian), Lura Thok (queer), and Darem Reymi (bisexual), whose identities are naturally integrated into the 32nd-century setting. Episode 3 serves as a major milestone, explicitly confirming a romantic relationship between Lura Thok and Jett.
The Valley: Persian Style • Season 1
🏳️🌈🏳️🌈🏳️🌈🏳️🌈 | 🫱🏽🫲🏿 | ❤️ 👬
Bravo • Friend Group Reality • 🇺🇸 United States • Fate Unknown
Messy reality spinoff looking at three Shahs of Sunset OGs who swap their flashy Beverly Hills lifestyles for the suburbs of the Valley only to realize that a new zip code doesn't fix old habits. The cast navigates parenthood and crumbling marriages while dealing with family drama from legends like MJ's mom, Vida. Most fans are obsessed with the "newbie" cast members like Amir, who actually brings some vulnerability to the screen, while the OGs mostly just keep doing the same wild things that got them famous in the first place.
- Queer representation: Reza and Adam are back and proving that queer domestic life in the Valley is just as dramatic as Beverly Hills. They’re 14 years in and still the show’s main queer anchors. I personally find them annoying but that's just me.
Suddenly Amish • Season 1
🏳️🌈🏳️🌈🏳️🌈 | 🫱🏽🫲🏿
TLC • Social Experiment Reality • 🇺🇸 United States • Fate Unknown
Absurdist reality experiment where six outsiders move into a traditional Amish community to see if they can hack the simple life and save the church from a shrinking population. It’s a total culture clash featuring everything from a bougie rapper with a germ phobia to a content creator getting roasted for her wardrobe. Reviewers are calling it "unhinged" and "messy," mostly because of the high-stakes drama over things like fake nails and hidden sex toys. Also, it's TLC, what do we expect?
- Queer representation: Judah, a young Black bisexual contestant, decides to come out in the final episode by dropping the line “My name is Judah…and I am bi.” during a game of Shabooya Roll Call. It's not lost on me that the only queer person is named Judah.
Time Flies • Season 1
🏳️🌈🏳️🌈🏳️🌈 | 🫱🏽🫲🏿
Netflix • Crime Dramedy • 🇦🇷 Argentina • Ended
Gritty crime dramedy about two middle-aged women who try to go straight by starting a bug-killing business after fifteen years in prison. Their attempt at a normal life goes sideways when a wealthy client blackmails them into securing a lethal poison for a murder plot. Reviews usually praise the "Thelma and Louise" energy between the two leads and the weirdly specific way it uses bug metaphors to describe human survival.
- Queer representation: One of the two leads, La Manca, is a lesbian ex-convict whose identity is a key part of her survival and resilience. She uses her sexuality to try and extract information from a housekeeper in one of the episodes, but it doesn't seem to be a central plot point other than that.
Best Medicine • Season 1
🏳️🌈🏳️🌈🏳️🌈 | 🫱🏽🫲🏿 | ❤️ 👬
Hulu • Medical Workplace Comedy • 🇺🇸 United States • Fate Unknown
Quirky small-town dramedy remake of the British hit Doc Martin that follows a brilliant Boston surgeon who moves to a tiny Maine fishing village after developing a debilitating phobia of blood. He spends most of his time being a total grump to the eccentric locals while solving a different medical mystery every week in between games of community baseball and town-wide baked bean suppers. Fans love the cozy, "comfort food" vibe and Josh Charles’s talent for playing a lovable jerk, though some reviews mention that the supporting characters can feel a little over-the-top compared to the original series.
- Queer representation: Recurring characters Greg Garrison and George Brady are a gay, mixed-race couple who own and operate a local restaurant in the small town of Port Wenn.
The Beauty • Season 1
🏳️🌈🏳️🌈🏳️🌈 | 🏳️⚧️
Hulu • Body Horror • 🇺🇸 United States • Fate Unknown
Satirical body-horror thriller offering a wild look at a world where a sexually transmitted virus turns people into "perfect" physical specimens before making them literally explode from the inside out. It follows two FBI agents trying to track the source of the epidemic while a tech billionaire tries to gatekeep the "cure" for his own profit. Reviews are obsessed with the grotesque transformation scenes and most people agree that Ashton Kutcher playing a sociopathic tech bro is a weirdly perfect casting choice.
- Queer representation: Episode 6 is a standout episode focusing on Clara, an older trans lab tech. In a moving sequence, she takes the "Beauty" drug because she believes that if it transforms people into their "true" selves, she will finally look like the woman she knows she is.
Canada Shore • Season 1
🏳️🌈🏳️🌈🏳️🌈 | 🫱🏽🫲🏿
Paramount+ • Friend Group Reality • 🇨🇦 Canada • Fate Unknown
Canadian spin-off of Jersey Shore with ten singles from across Canada who move into a lake house in Kelowna to prove they can out-drink and out-party their American counterparts. It’s a total chaotic train wreck featuring everything from "hockey rink" first kisses to a surprise appearance by Snooki acting as a mentor for the new crew. While critics are calling it a dull psy-op, fans love the "un-Canadian" amount of screaming and the way the housemates somehow become best friends immediately after nearly coming to blows.
- Queer representation: Christopher is the sole gay man in the house. Toronto-born with Jamaican roots, he is known for his confidence, quick wit, and chaotic charm, and joined Canada Shore to show there's more to him than a party persona. Pre-show promotional material described him as effortlessly fluid, likened to a "brunch baby" of Snooki and Lil Nas X, with party girl precision and a confessional arc.
Glitter & Gold: Ice Dancing • Season 1
🏳️🌈🏳️🌈🏳️🌈
Netflix • Sports Documentary • 🇺🇸 United States • Ended
Glamorous sports docuseries that offers a polished look at the high-stakes world of elite ice dancing as three top teams grind through the pressure of the 2026 Winter Olympics. It focuses heavily on the "main character" energy of married American stars Madison Chock and Evan Bates, while the fan-favorite Canadian duo Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier basically steal the show with their emotional backstories. Reviews generally mention that while it leans into the sparkles and the intense chemistry of the pairs, it plays it a bit safe by glossing over the darker judging scandals and off-ice controversies that usually keep skating message boards on fire.
- Queer representation: Paul Poirier is gay and uses his Olympic-level platform and a RuPaul-themed routine in Episode 2 to celebrate queer visibility. There is also commentary from the iconic Adam Rippon, and the doc features another openly gay athlete: Guillaume Cizeron.
Madam Beja • Season 1
🏳️🌈🏳️🌈🏳️🌈 | 🫱🏽🫲🏿 | 🏳️⚧️ | ❤️ 👬
HBO Max • Period Drama • 🇧🇷 Brazil • Fate Unknown
Steamy period drama focused on a legendary Brazilian historical figure who gets abducted by a creepy official and then decides to open an elite pleasure house as a massive "forget you" to the society that shunned her. It plays out like a darker, more vengeful version of Bridgerton where the main character uses her intelligence and influence to outmaneuver the very men who tried to ruin her. While fans are obsessed with the 3,000 custom-made costumes and the viral romantic subplots, some reviews mention that the heavy themes and soap opera pacing make it a much more intense watch than your average historical romance.
- Queer representation: Fortunato Sampaio is the show’s resident secret-keeper, a gay man living a double life who finally gives in to his desires during a steamy garden encounter in the March 2026 episodes. Meanwhile, Severina is a trans woman living at the Chácara do Jatobá, bringing a much-needed historical trans perspective to the show as she finds safety and a "found family" in Beja’s circle of outcasts.
Shows with minor representation • 🏳️🌈🏳️🌈 • 🏳️🌈
Fear Factor: House of Fear • Season 1
🏳️🌈🏳️🌈 🫱🏽🫲🏿 • Hulu • 🇺🇸 US • Challenge reality competition • Lance, an openly gay flight attendant is competing in the first season of this reboot. He’s a main fixture in the "House of Fear," and his identity as a gay man is established right from the jump in Episode 1.
Finding Her Edge • Season 1
🏳️🌈🏳️🌈 • Netflix • 🇨🇦 CA • Sport Romance • The main story is about a straight romance, but there is a secondary character named JJ who is a fellow skater at the Russo rink and a friend to the main characters. His identity is treated as a matter-of-fact part of his character, and he is explicitly out and talks about his interest in guys during scenes with the other teens.
Returning Queer Shows
Shows with a new season in 2026 and notable queer representation
The Boyfriend • Season 2
🏳️🌈🏳️🌈🏳️🌈🏳️🌈🏳️🌈 | 🫱🏽🫲🏿 | ❤️ 👬
Netflix • Dating Reality • 🇯🇵 Japan • Fate Unknown
This season follows ten queer guys as they run a peppermint coffee truck and actually fall in love, with central storylines like Ryuki’s emotional coming-out journey in Episode 4 and William and Izaya’s romance taking center stage. Season 1 had great reviews saying the show is super wholesome and brings much-needed nuanced queer representation to Japan.
Love Is Blind: Germany • Season 2
🏳️🌈🏳️🌈🏳️🌈
Netflix • Dating Reality • 🇩🇪 Germany • Fate Unknown
The main show is still the usual straight-dating-in-pods vibe, but the Season 2 reunion gave us a total "first" when Jan came out and revealed he’s now happily dating a guy! It’s a bittersweet watch because you see him struggle with intimacy during his engagement to Loan in the earlier episodes, but seeing them show up as best friends at the reunion while he lives his truth was cute.
The Pitt • Season 2
🏳️🌈🏳️🌈 | 🏳️⚧️
HBO Max • Medical Drama • 🇺🇸 United States • Fate Unknown
Early episodes of the second season all but confirmed the sparks between Dr. Santos and Dr. Garcia, using domestic breadcrumbs like shared toothbrushes to hint at their relationship. I'm still waiting for a formal acknowledgment... The season also introduces Dylan, a non-binary social worker played by a trans-masc non-binary actor.
Shows that did not get it right
Shows with mishandled queer representation or queerbait
His & Hers • Season 1
Netflix • Twisty Crime Thriller • 🇺🇸 United States • Ended
The first two female victims, Rachel & Helen, are revealed to be interested in women during the investigation of their deaths. Rachel was bisexual, and Helen was a lesbian. Zoe (the main character's sister) also mentions that Helen had a crush on Rachel when they were younger, and she believes they were romantically involved. It’s bad enough that the only two queer women in the story are killed off and 'outed' posthumously. But the writing takes a truly sour turn when it’s revealed they were actually monsters who lured their friends into an ambush where they got sexually assaulted. Their sexuality adds absolutely nothing to the story.
