Gay Movies about Politics - Gay Films Matter

SHORT FILM

The Beauty President

2021 Documentary

In 1992, at the height of the AIDS pandemic, activist Terence Alan Smith made a historic bid for president of the United States as his drag queen persona Joan Jett Blakk. Today, Smith reflects back on his seminal civil rights campaign and its place in American history.

Four More Years

2010 Comedy, Drama, Romance

Political leader David risks scandal with his forbidden love for Martin from a rival party, navigating a perilous path to keep their relationship alive.

Limited Partnership

2015 Documentary

The story of a Filipino-American and his Australian husband, who in 1975, became one of the first same-sex couples to be legally married in the world.

SHORT FILM

Baba

2021 Drama

An unexpected discovery forces Britannia, a gay Libyan teenager, to question whether to stay or flee his beloved homeland.

Vito

2011 Documentary

The story of Vito Russo, a key figure in the gay liberation movement, author of "The Celluloid Closet", and a vocal AIDS activist during the 1980s.

Voices from the Front

1991 Documentary

In 1990 AIDS activists converge on the National Institute of Health, calling for a more equitable clinical trial system and expanded research into new drugs and treatment. A distillation of pictures and words from events organized to change public consciousness, expose the failure of the health care systems, and challenge government inaction and neglect concerning AIDS.

Santa & Andrés

2016 Drama

The story of an improbable friendship between a revolutionary country girl and a noncompliant gay writer she has to watch over for three consecutive days.

SHORT FILM

Why We Ran From Iran

2017 Documentary

Tells the story of sex Iranian LGBT refugees in Turkey, hoping to gain political asylum in the US and Canada.

Underground Orange

2024 Comedy, Drama

A Californian backpacker becomes entangled in a polyamorous relationship with a gang of young actors who plot to kidnap the US Ambassador to Argentina.

Kiki

2016 Documentary

A group of LGBTQ youths of color unite to form a safe gathering space.

COMING SOON

The Dinner

2025 Comedy, Drama

Spain, April 15, 1939. With the Civil War concluded, and with the intention of celebrating his victory, General Franco attends a dinner with his generals at the Palace Hotel.

SHORT FILM

The Hidden Dimension

2023 Documentary

An intimate portrait of queer photographer Leo Maki. A dreamlike journey into his mind that explores the artists life in Poland, the creative process behind his work and the embrace of his own sexuality.

SHORT FILM

Russian Kiss

2014 Musical

Protest song by Norwegian singer Annie and visual artist Bjarne Melgaard, created as a bold act of collaboration and defiance.

Rustin

2023 Drama

Activist Bayard Rustin faces racism and homophobia as he helps change the course of Civil Rights history by orchestrating the 1963 March on Washington.

Dance of the 41

2020 Drama

In the late 1800s, Ignacio de la Torre wed the daughter of Mexico's president, Porfirio Díaz. While navigating the conventional realm of politics, Ignacio secretly participated in an underground society, leading a life of hidden duality.

Boys Life

1995 Compilation

Each of the three short films in this collection presents a young gay man at the threshold of adulthood.

Boys on Film 14: Worlds Collide

2016 Compilation

Worlds collide in more ways than one in this stunning collection of award winning short films. Confidence is violated, classes clash and desire is concealed, yet love still triumphs regardless of the consequences.

Beautiful Evening, Beautiful Day

2024 Drama

Four close friends are renowned filmmakers in Yugoslavia in the 1950s, but their sexuality raises suspicion. A communist party loyalist is sent to sabotage their lives, turning their pursuit of freedom into a battle for survival.

I Wanna Be a Republican

2006 Comedy, Musical

The Kinsey Sicks, America's favorite drag a cappella quartet, stage a satirical Republican fundraiser, using sharp comedy and musical performances to celebrate greed, corruption, tokenism and conservative politics.

Urinal

1988 Drama

Dead gay artists scrutinize Toronto police's handling of washroom intimacy, discovering they are targets of surveillance in a political thriller.

SHORT FILM

To Freely Flourish

2024 Drama, Musical

In 2017 Sydney, as the Marriage Equality debate fills the air with talk of love, Peter, an Australian-born Chinese teen, wrestles with its meaning amid his parents’ tension and his father’s distance. When a new piano teacher arrives, she helps him find understanding and hope through music.

SHORT FILM

Netuser

2021 Thriller

Haunted by dreams of political assassination, Peter Sardovski warns that an LGBT candidate is in danger. After a controversial video sparks public outrage, he must confront a secret that threatens his family and future, while growing evidence suggests his dream may have been a premonition.

SHORT FILM

Paisley & Willis

2025 Comedy

When two incompetent gardeners accidentally derail a political fundraiser, they embark on a desperate struggle to prevent their sexy boss from finding out.

My boyfriend el fascista

2025 Documentary

Matthias, an Italian filmmaker, and Sadiel, a Cuban activist, begin a romance in the Alps. As Sadiel grows disillusioned with communism and drifts toward right-wing beliefs, their relationship is tested amid shifting ideals and personal change.