What’s New in Queer TV #16: Physical Asia, Rulers of Fortune, Juan Gabriel I Must I Can I Will, Bad Influencer, Breathless, Tremembé
A few gay romances in Rulers of fortune and breathless, Queer representation in Physical Asia and Bad Influencers, another super queer prison drama and a documentary about gay icon Juan Gabriel
Welcome to the weekly post where I discuss new additions to my 2025 queer streaming guide.
Aurelie Chazal
Disclaimer: All the shows listed below came out about one month ago because I've noticed that's how long it usually takes me to be able to confidently verify whether a show has queer representation. I'm not able to watch everything, but I'll only include shows that have proven queer characters as verified online through reputable sources.
Physical: Asia • Season 1
Netflix • Physical Competition • 🇰🇷 South Korea • Fate Unknown
Queer-o-meter: 🏳️🌈
Type of queer representation: Gay
This is a physical competition where different Asian countries compete against each other. Promotion for the show and social posts highlight team Thailand player James Rusameekae as a proud queer athlete.
Read more about it:
Stephany Montero
Rulers of Fortune • Season 1
Netflix • Organized Crime Drama • 🇧🇷 Brazil • Fate Unknown
Queer-o-meter: 🏳️🌈🏳️🌈🏳️🌈
Type of queer representation: Gay (Including romance)
This drama show about illegal gambling features a central, passionate relationship between two men, Délcio and Sombra, which is woven into the high-stakes plot of the illegal gambling underworld in Rio de Janeiro. However, in typical bury your gays fashion, their relationship is tragically cut short when Sombra is killed by a rival.
Read more about it:
Matthew Moore
Juan Gabriel: I Must, I Can, I Will • Season 1
Netflix • Celebrity Documentary • 🇲🇽 Mexico • Ended
Queer-o-meter: 🏳️🌈🏳️🌈🏳️🌈
Type of queer representation: Gay Icon (never came out but largely thought to have been gay)
Juan Gabriel is widely regarded as a queer icon in Latin America. Although he “never explicitly talked about his sexuality,” his flamboyant style and performance, as well as his ambiguous public persona, led many to view him as queer. It also showcases his complex relationship with public and private life, including his choice to keep much of his personal life private while remaining true to himself on stage
Read more about it:
A Martínez
Bad Influencer • Season 1
Netflix • Con Artist Drama • 🇿🇦 South Africa • Ended
Queer-o-meter: 🏳️🌈🏳️🌈
Type of queer representation: Queer (actor is non binary)
One of the actors in the show, Kamohelo Pule, use they/them pronouns, and identify as queer. In an interview, Pule said that their character in Bad Influencer, Lelz, “is a queer character himself.”
Read more about it:
Sahiba Tahleel
Breathless • Season 2
Netflix • Medical Drama • 🇪🇸 Spain • Fate Unknown
Queer-o-meter: 🏳️🌈🏳️🌈🏳️🌈
Type of queer representation: Gay (including romance)
The series features a significant central queer relationship between two white male doctors, Quique and Jon, whose romance is a major personal and emotional subplot throughout the season. Their story provides a dramatic arc for Quique as he navigates a new relationship after a troubled past, with the added context of the actor playing Jon being openly gay.
Read more about it:
Aahana Swrup
Tremembé • Season 1
Prime Video • Prison Drama • 🇧🇷 Brazil • Fate Unknown
Queer-o-meter: 🏳️🌈🏳️🌈🏳️🌈🏳️🌈
Type of queer representation: Gay (including romance)
Prison drama with multiple queer relationships as subplots in both the men's and women's prisons. Some of the most central relationships portrayed are between Sandrão and Elize on the woman's side and Luka and Cris on the men's side. Honestly, I expect every prison drama to be gay at this point.
Read / Watch more about it:
