Gay Movies about Politics - Gay Films Matter

Y Tu Mamá También

2001 Drama

In Mexico, two teenage boys and an older woman embark on a road trip and learn a thing or two about life and each other.

Charlatan

2020 Drama

The life of Jan Mikolasek, a Czech healer in the totalitarian fifties, unfolds as he uses intuition and plant knowledge to heal, against the backdrop of a turbulent historical period.

Third Man Out

2005 Mystery, Thriller

A gay detective is hired to find who has been been threatening a notorious member of the gay community noted for outing people.

Longtime Companion

1989 Drama, Romance

The emergence and impact of the AIDS epidemic in the 1980s is depicted through the lives of several gay men, highlighting their struggles and resilience.

Holiday

2014 Drama

Set in chaotic turn-of-the-millennium Ecuador, a young man grapples with newfound emotions for Juano after a life-changing rescue, navigating turbulent times and personal turmoil.

How We Got Gay

2013 Documentary

The story of how gay men and women went from being the ultimate outsiders to occupying the halls of power, with a profound influence on our cultural, political and social lives.

La Cage aux Folles

1978 Comedy

About the manager of a Saint-Tropez nightclub featuring drag performances and his star attraction are a gay couple. Chaos ensues when his straight son brings home his fiancée and her ultra-conservative parents for a visit.

The Times of Harvey Milk

1984 Documentary

A documentary on San Francisco's first openly gay city supervisor, examining his career and tragic assassination.

Before Stonewall

1984 Documentary

The history of the Gay and Lesbian community before the Stonewall riots sets the stage for the early struggles and triumphs of the gay rights movement.

Law of Desire

1987 Comedy, Drama, Thriller

A gay filmmaker navigates an obsessive fan while yearning for a lost love and managing a complex relationship with his trans sister.

Totally F***ed Up

1993 Comedy, Drama, Romance

Six queer teenagers confront various obstacles and discover themselves amidst the complexities of adolescence.

Kiss of the Spider Woman

1985 Drama

A gay man and a political prisoner are together in a prison. The gay man narrates the stories of two fake movies and his own life.

Velvet Goldmine

1998 Drama, Musical

In 1984, British journalist Arthur Stuart investigates the career of 1970s glam superstar Brian Slade, who was heavily influenced by the rebellious American singer Curt Wild.

Head On

1998 Drama, Romance

A 19-year-old Greek Australian grapples with his sexuality, navigating awkward straight encounters and his personal desire.

Flawless

1999 Drama

A conservative guard's stroke leads to singing lessons with a drag queen, challenging his beliefs.

Before Night Falls

2000 Drama, Romance

The life of Cuban writer Reinaldo Arenas is examined, including his struggles and triumphs.

The Trip

2002 Comedy, Drama, Romance

Two men navigate romance, politics, and humor over an 11-year journey of passion and self-discovery.

Poster Boy

2004 Drama

With the help of an older acquaintance, the closeted son of a conservative U.S. Senator puts a shocking spin on his father's re-election campaign.

SHORT FILM

Occupy Me

2015 Drama

David, a Jewish-American, and Sam, a Palestinian-American, engage in a tense debate, replacing potential romance with bitterness.

Eating Out

2004 Comedy, Drama, Romance

Caleb's love life takes a turn when he's mistaken for gay, setting off a chain of humorous misunderstandings.

The Mostly Unfabulous Social Life of Ethan Green

2005 Comedy, Romance

Balancing his career as a personal assistant, a young gay man searches for love amid the challenges of modern life.

The Bubble

2006 Comedy, Drama, Romance

Follows a group of young people in Tel Aviv, Israel, dealing with the challenges of living in the region. Their routine is disrupted when a young Palestinian man enters their lives.

Boystown

2007 Comedy

In Madrid's Chueca, Victor murders elderly owners to sell apartments to affluent gay couples, aiming to transform the area. Ray inherits a victim's apartment, causing tension with his mother Antonia and drawing Inspector Mila's investigation as Victor targets Antonia through Leo.

Young Soul Rebels

1991 Musical, Mystery, Thriller

Two disc jockeys have a friend's murder to solve in the fringe-group melting pot of 1977 London.

Outrage

2009 Documentary

An indictment of closeted politicians lobbying anti-gay legislation unfolds in the U.S.

SHORT FILM

No Man Is an Island

2025 Documentary, Drama

Combining dramatic re-enactments with restored archival footage, the film explores the painful consequences of public humiliation in a tight-knit island community. As fear spreads over the upcoming changes to laws around gay relationships, the media steps in as an unofficial enforcer, pressuring men to hide their identities even beyond the reach of the courts.

SHORT FILM

A Drowning Man

2017 Drama

Alone and far from home, The Kid makes his way through a strange city looking for the means to get through his day. Surrounded by predators, he is forced to make compromises merely to survive; his life of exile grows one day longer.