The Best 13 Queer TV Shows of 2025 (According to me)

Below are my favorite new TV series from 2025 with gay, lesbian, trans, and wider LGBTQ+ representation. If you're wondering why the list has exactly 13 entries, it’s because that is the number of shows I watched that featured significant queer characters and managed not to be completely terrible.

Let's face it, 2025 was a pretty mediocre year for humanity. Thankfully, we at least got surprisingly good television out of it. A few of the shows below have even made it into my all-time favorites.

Without further ado, let's jump into it!

13 • The Hunting Wives

Netflix • Soap Opera Crime Drama • 🇺🇸 United States • Renewed

Type of queer representation: Casual lesbian relationships

This is a classic, high-gloss soap opera centered on the lives of wealthy Texas women who spend most of their time juggling affairs, crimes, and family scandals. The queer representation is pretty front-and-center. The two leads, Margo and Sophie, have a very steamy romance that serves as a core storyline. Margo, the wife of a conservative politician, seems to have a habit of sleeping with her "lady friends," so there’s no shortage of sapphic drama here. It’s not a show that aims for deep social commentary, so expect a good dose of stereotypes.

Watch for: Smutty scenes, southern accents, relaxing after a hard day with low-stakes entertainment.

12 • Running Point

Netflix • Sports Comedy • 🇺🇸 United States • Renewed

Type of queer representation: Long-term gay relationship

This is a lighthearted sports comedy centered on Isla Gordon, who finds herself running the family’s pro basketball team after her brother is sidelined. The humor isn't exactly subtle, but it has a decent amount of heart and a lot of potential. On the queer representation front, we have Sandy (one of Isla’s brothers), who is out to his family but keeping his boyfriend a secret for unclear reasons. He's also kind of a douche if I'm honest, but he redeems himself with a typical romcom grand gesture at the end. The sibling dynamics are also quite sweet. They’re very supportive, even if their attempts at being "good allies" are a bit clumsy.

Watch for: Low stress-comedy, clumsy but sweet allyship, and your typical "hiding your gay partner" angst with a solid rom-com ending.

11 • The Crow Girl

Netflix • Crime Thriller • 🇬🇧 United Kingdom • Ended

Type of queer representation: New lesbian romance

A dark, twisty psychological thriller that follows a detective and a psychologist as they navigate a series of heavy cases. It’s a well-executed crime story with a very satisfying ending, but it gets pretty grim. There are significant storylines involving sexual assault and torture, so it’s not for everyone. When it comes to queer representation, the two female leads share a persistent "will-they-won't-they" energy that builds throughout the season. While they both start out in relationships with men, they eventually move on and get together. It’s a slow burn, but it actually pays off.

Watch for: Intense psychological drama, a solid slow-burn romance, and a very satisfying twist.

10 • Amy Bradley Is Missing

Netflix • True Crime Documentary • 🇺🇸 United States • Ended

Type of queer representation: Lesbian representation, including talks of past romances

This is a standard true-crime docuseries revisiting the 1998 disappearance of Amy Bradley from a Caribbean cruise ship. It follows the usual format of interviews with family, crew members, and people claiming to have seen her years later. What makes it worth watching is that it adds a layer that many other retellings have ignored. The series reveals that Amy was gay and includes interviews with two of her ex-girlfriends, while also addressing her parents' lack of support when she came out shortly before the trip. It’s a relevant detail that finally gets some airtime here, especially since previous deep-dives into the case suggested she might have run out with a guy.

Watch for: A fresh perspective on a cold case, and a more complete picture of who Amy was.

9 • The Four Seasons

Netflix • Friends Dramedy • 🇺🇸 United States • Renewed

Type of queer representation: Long-term gay relationship

This dramedy follows three longtime couples who meet up for quarterly getaways, only for things to get complicated when one couple divorces and someone brings a much younger partner along. It’s a bit of a departure from the usual Tina Fey style, blending sharp mid-life humor with some genuinely poignant moments. One of the couples consists of two men in an open relationship who remain deeply committed to each other. They actually get one of the sweetest endings of the bunch, which is a rare occurrence for us queers.

Watch for: Mid-life representation, a refreshing take on open relationships, and a genuinely sweet ending (for the gay couple, I won't spoil the rest, but it's not all sweet).

8 • Overcompensating

Prime Video • College Comedy • 🇺🇸 United States • Renewed

Type of queer representation: A closeted gay guy with some romance moments, a snobby, "alternative" lesbian couple

This show feels like a 2010 college comedy complete with frat parties, questionable decisions, and plenty of alcohol. It follows Benny, a closeted freshman trying (and mostly failing) to pass as straight. The show does a great job of capturing that specific, internal exhaustion of trying to hide that most queer kids go through. As someone who went to college in the 2010s, it was definitely a nostalgic walk down memory lane. The show also rounds out the cast with a lesbian couple and a confident, openly gay student who has zero patience for Benny’s clumsy attempts at "acting straight."

Watch for: Relatable pre-coming-out teenage angst, a good dose of wholesomeness, and 2010s-style college campus vibe.

7 • Adults

FX / Hulu • Friends comedy • 🇺🇸 United States • Renewed

Type of queer representation: Two very secure queer guys, one gay and one pansexual (or at least fluid)

This is an ensemble comedy set in Queens that follows five Gen-Z friends crammed into a childhood home while navigating the usual mess of work, dating, and roommate friction. It’s been compared to Friends or Girls, but with a bit more of a modern, crowded-apartment reality. It also manages to grab your attention from episode 1 which is pretty rare for a sitcom. One of the roommates, Anton, is gay and is such a well rounded character outside of his sexuality it's a breath of fresh air. My favorite, though, has to be Paul Baker. He's the opposite of toxic masculinity. He's just so sweet and positive, you can't help but love him.

Watch for: A Gen-Z take on FRIENDS, examples of positive masculinity and just for having a laugh and a good time with characters who feel like old friends

6 • Murderbot

Apple TV+ • Scifi Space Comedy • 🇺🇸 United States • Renewed

Type of queer representation: Pretty much everyone is a shade of queer in this show. There's a nonbinary character, a throuple that involves this character, and everything in between

I will warn you, this is a weird, quirky comedy centered on a sarcastic security robot that has hacked its own systems, not to stage a violent uprising, but so it can be left alone to binge-watch soap operas. He's forced to protect a group of scientists and ends up begrudgingly forming a bond with them. The show’s universe is casually queer. The crew includes a non-binary character in a polyamorous relationship and a captain who mentions having multiple spouses. It’s a refreshing setting where race and orientation aren't sources of conflict and are just there.

Watch for: A uniquely quirky sci-fi comedy with short episodes, a world where everyone is a share of queer

5 • Clean Slate

Prime Video • Family Sitcom • 🇺🇸 United States • Cancelled

Type of queer representation: The main character is a trans woman and she's friends with a closeted gay guy

I'm still mad at Amazon for cancelling this one. It's my Dead Boy Detectives of 2025. It follows Laverne Cox who plays the estranged daughter of a grumpy car wash owner from Alabama who decides to come home after years living in a big city. Desiree’s identity as a trans woman is central to the plot, and while the local pastor has his opinions, most of the town is heartwarmingly supportive. This is a show about allyship and showing up for the people you love. It doesn't really get political and focuses mainly on the human side of being queer in a more conservative southern state. It ends up being a really wholesome watch.

Watch for: A good dose of wholesomeness and examples of sweet allyship from southern people who just love Desiree and want to show up for her

4 • Surviving Mormonism With Heather Gay

Bravo • Culture Documentary • 🇺🇸 United States • Ended

Type of queer representation: There are multiple gay ex-mormon men featured, including a married couple

You can tell that this show meant a lot to Heather Gay (from Real Housewives of Salt Lake City) as she unpacks her life within the Mormon Church and what it actually costs to leave it. It’s a thoughtful look at faith, guilt, and the process of rebuilding yourself after religion, all grounded in Heather’s very direct, relatable honesty. The queer representation is heavy but necessary. The first episode features an interview with David Matheson, a former leader of a conversion therapy program who was eventually outed himself. The show also dives into the lives of Heather’s gay friends, including her best friend Shane and his husband, highlighting the abuse he faced. It’s a tough watch, but you can see it helps ex-Mormons not feel as isolated and find others like them who suffered while in the church.

Watch for: A tough look inside the Mormon church, if you're an RHOSLC fan, it helps get a better understanding of Heather's feelings toward the church, and deep dives into religious trauma

3 • Boots

Netflix • Army Comedy • 🇺🇸 United States • Cancelled

Type of queer representation: Multiple gay men in the Marine Corps under "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policies

You know the type of shows that have such a unique atmosphere and visuals. This is what Boots was for me this year. It's a surprisingly heartwarming comedy about a gay teen who joins the Marines during the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" era to stay close to his best friend. It has all the standard military tropes (lots of shouting, questionable jokes, and the usual obsession with firearms), but there is a real emotional core underneath the chaos. The story focuses on Cam as he navigates the toxic masculinity of 1990s military life while hiding his identity. Along the way, he discovers he’s not as alone as he thinks, crossing paths with a closeted drill sergeant and another gay recruit. It’s a bit of a "found family" story set in a place that was actively designed to keep people like Cam out, and it hits much harder than I expected it to. Also, I found out it was cancelled while writing this and I am not ok.

Watch for: Intense drill sergeants Full Metal Jacket style, a nostalgic look at the 90s, and a lot of unexpected heart.

2 • Heated Rivalry

HBO Max • Sports Romance • 🇨🇦 Canada • Renewed

Type of queer representation: Two gay couples with LOOOOOTS of smutt and grand gestures and all the feels

Let me tell you, it was a close race for first place. I just have a soft spot for sci-fi, otherwise, this would have been it. It's the absolute perfect adaptation of a smutty romance book. I really hope they do more of those in the future, including lesbian romance novels. Pleeeeaaaase! Now about the show: It is a spicy sports romance that follows two elite hockey players who go from bitter rivals to accidentally falling into a secret relationship. It shows them meeting up in hotel rooms and apartments over the years until they entirely fall in love and start thinking about building a life together. One of the episodes also focuses on another gay couple between an American hockey player and a barista from a smoothie place. It's a lot cuter and less smutty and was hands down my favorite episode. It culminates into a grand gesture public coming out scene later on that might have made me cry.

Watch for: Lots of hot sex scenes (don't watch with family... you've been warned), romance overload complete with grand gestures and emotional monologues

1 • Pluribus

Apple TV • Scifi Drama • 🇺🇸 United States • Renewed

Type of queer representation: Grumpy lesbian with a hint of romance

This is a truly unique sci-fi drama (from the creator of Breaking Bad) set in a near-future where an alien-triggered virus has "cured" humanity by merging almost everyone into a single, blissed-out hive mind. It follows Carol Sturka, a novelist who is one of the few people immune to the transition, as she tries to navigate a world where individuality has become an endangered species. It was easily my favorite show of the year. It didn't hurt that Carol’s identity as a lesbian is central to her character. The show opens with the tragic loss of her partner, Helen, during the initial invasion and there's a slow burn romance throughout the show with her hive mind "liaison" Zosia which culminated in the last 2 episodes. It's always great to see a show where the gay vibes are real and lead to something.

Watch for: Mind bending sci-fi that will make you question your sense of self, amazing action with fun cameos, just a top tier show all around