LGBTQ+ Christmas movies have seen a major surge since 2020. Hulu’s hit movie Happiest Season deserves some credit for this rise in queer holiday stories. The Kristen Stewart-led film proved that people didn’t just want more gay stories, but also loved them. Happiest Season may be one of the first mainstream LGBTQ+ Christmas movies, but it’s not the only one.
These holiday films were a rarity before 2020 but became a holiday staple. LGBTQ+ Christmas movies are now a holiday tradition in the same way Christmas Hallmark movies and new covers of beloved Christmas songs have become an annual event. These films stay true to the idea of making the Yuletide gay. We composed a list of 17 LGBTQ+ Christmas movies you need to see.
Happiest Season (2020)
Happiest Season starts with Abby (Kristen Stewart) planning to propose to Harper (Mackenzie Davis), but she then learns that she’s going to have to go back into the closet while they’re around Harper’s family. Harper’s family is a bunch of ambitious, kind of jerky people, except for Jane (Mary Holland). Happiest Season is mainly a coming-out story.
Why It’s A Good LGBTQ+ Christmas Movie: The film explores Harper finally being brave enough to tell her family about her true self. The biggest strength of Happiest Season is the supporting cast, especially Mary Holland as Jane, Mary Steenburgen as Harper’s mother, Aubrey Plaza as Riley, and Daniel Levy as John. Happiest Season was released on Hulu in November 2020.
Stream Happiest Season on Hulu.
Make The Yuletide Gay (2009)
Degrassi: The Next Generation star Adamo Ruggiero stars alongside Keith Jordan in Make the Yuletide Gay. The film has almost the same premise as Happiest Season. When abandoned by his family during the holidays, Nathan (Adamo Ruggiero) surprises his boyfriend Olaf (Keith Jordan) by joining him for the holidays. Olaf then gives Nathan a surprise by informing him that his family doesn’t know that he’s gay.
Why It’s A Good LGBTQ+ Christmas Movie: Make the Yuletide Gay is one of those comedies with many winks and nods to its own jokes. It’s sometimes a little cheesy but the film is sweet with its heart in the right place. Despite Olaf’s parents being very quirky (with names Anya and Sven – yes I think they may have a case against Frozen too), he still worries that they may reject him if he reveals that he’s gay. Make the Yuletide Gay is available to rent or buy on your favorite VOD service.
Rent/buy Make the Yuletide Gay on Amazon Prime.
The Christmas House (2020)
The Christmas House is Hallmark’s first movie featuring an LGBTQ+ couple as key characters. It follows the star of the fictional series Handsome Justice, Mike (Robert Buckley) as he heads back home to help his family turn their home into the Christmas house. Quickly, Mike learns that this Christmas isn’t going to be as happy and magical as he expects.
Jonathan Bennett plays Mike’s brother Brandon, and Brad Harder plays Brandon’s husband Jake. Treat Williams and Sharon Lawrence play their parents. Ana Ayora plays Andi, Mike’s hometown love interest.
Why It’s A Good LGBTQ+ Christmas Movie: The Christmas House was quite different from many Hallmark Christmas movies, in a good way—mainly because it dealt with more somber topics before it got its Christmas cheer. Brandon and Jake’s storyline was a subplot, but an important one as it dealt with them trying to adopt. The LGBTQ+ storyline was seamlessly and naturally added into the fold without Hallmark making a big deal about them being a same-sex couple, or adding any prejudice or coming out storylines.
In 2021, Hallmark made a sequel to this movie called The Christmas House 2: Deck Those Halls. It’s also available to stream or rent.
Stream The Christmas House on Hallmark Movie Now.
Rent/buy The Christmas House 2: Deck Those Halls on Amazon.
Let It Snow (2019)
Let It Snow features a collection of interconnecting stories happening around Christmas time and focused on young love. One of the stories focuses on a lesbian couple. The two girls had a magical day together, but when one of them tries to show her affection to the other in public, she’s ignored and rejected.
Why It’s A Good LGBTQ+ Christmas Movie: Let It Snow is a simple Netflix Original Movie that’s great for some good ol’ Christmas fluff. At first, it seems like Dorrie (Liv Hewson) and Kerry’s (Anna Akana) romance story might be one of the few in Let it Snow without a happy ending, but then it gets the cheesy happy ending that it deserves.
Stream Let it Snow on Netflix.
Holiday Heart (2000)
Holiday Heart follows a drag queen named Holiday Heart (Ving Rhames) as he takes in a drug addict, Wanda (Alfre Woodard), and her daughter, Niki (Jesika Reynolds). Holiday Heart is dramatic with a capital D, so much so that it becomes melodramatic at times, but honestly, aren’t many holiday movies?
Why It’s A Good LGBTQ+ Christmas Movie: Holiday Heart has the right intentions with Holiday being the most sensible, sane, and kind character of them all. He’s also very secure with himself and never tries to hide his identity. It’s a movie about pride and kindness, and the families you make.
A New York Christmas Wedding (2020)
A New York Christmas Wedding is a 2020 Christmas movie about Jennifer (Nia Fairweather), a woman who is about to marry her fiancé David (Otoja Abit) on Christmas Eve, but then she saves a young man named Azrael (Cooper Koch) and gets to see what would have happened had she pursued feelings for her best friend.
In 1999, around Christmas, Jennifer (Camilla Harden) had a falling out with her best friend Gabrielle (Natasha Goodman). The falling out leads to a chain of tragic events, including Jennifer burying the side of herself that was in love with Gabrielle. Azrael turns out to be Jennifer’s guardian angel and gives her a life with Gabrielle (Adriana DeMeo).
Why It’s A Good LGBTQ+ Christmas Movie: A New York Christmas Wedding is all about second chances and even has a religious storyline with Chris Noth as Father Kelly. I would say the film is less about Gabrielle and Jennifer’s love story and more about Jennifer discovering what and who she wants. It’s about finding yourself and your sexuality when the time is right.
Stream A New York Christmas Wedding on Tubi.
The Unattainably Perfect Gay Christmas/Red Lodge (2013)
Originally this film was entitled Red Lodge, but on Amazon Prime, it’s called The Unattainably Perfect Gay Christmas. The film starts with Jordan (Joseph Lim Kim) proposing to his boyfriend Dave (Richard Pierre-Louis), but Dave is hesitant to respond. This leads to an awkward Christmas with Jordan’s family.
Why It’s A Good LGBTQ+ Christmas Movie: The Unattainably Perfect Gay Christmas is a film that feels authentic. Everything that happens and is said between Dave, Jordan, and their family feels believable. I appreciated that the film felt so realistic and simple. The movie also has an appearance by Stephnie Weir as a “psychic” that’s the highlight of the film because it’s just so funny.
Rent/buy The Unattainably Perfect Gay Christmas on Amazon.
Dashing In December (2020)
Dashing in December is a Paramount Network original film that premiered in 2020. Juan Pablo Di Pace, Peter Porte, and Andie MacDowell star. It centers around two gay men meeting when Wyatt (Peter Porte) returns to his hometown for the holidays. He arrives to help his mother and maybe sell their ranch.
Why It’s A Good LGBTQ+ Christmas Movie: It starts as an enemies-to-lovers story as both main characters make assumptions about the other. However, eventually, they realize that they may just be a good fit. It feels like a Hallmark or Lifetime movie with a bit more depth.
Buy Dashing in December on Amazon.
The Christmas Setup (2020)
The Christmas Setup is Lifetime’s first Christmas film centered on a gay couple. It features real-life married couple Blake Lee and Ben Lewis. Hugo (Ben Lewis) travels home to Milwaukee to spend Christmas with his best friend, Madelyn (Ellen Wong), his mother, Kate (Fran Drescher), and his brother, Aiden (Chad Connell). His mother tries to play matchmaker by setting Hugo up with his old high school crush, Patrick (Blake Lee).
Why It’s A Good LGBTQ+ Christmas Movie: The Christmas Setup was part of Lifetime’s massive 30 new Christmas movies. The Christmas Setup is adorable and obviously, as a real-life married couple, Blake Lee and Ben Lewis have great on-screen chemistry.
Buy The Christmas Setup on Amazon.
Under The Christmas Tree (2021)
Under the Christmas Tree is a Lifetime original movie. Charlie (Tattiawna Jones) and Alma (Elise Bauman) are immediately drawn to each other. However, their relationship hits an immediate barrier when Charlie wants Alma’s tree, but she refuses to sell it.The Under the Christmas Tree cast includes Ricki Lake and Enrico Colantoni.
Why It’s A Good LGBTQ+ Christmas Movie: These women may seem like they’re from different worlds, but their chemistry, kindness, and business-savvy nature make them a good match. This Lifetime movie relies heavily on the leads' chemistry, and thankfully Jones and Bauman deliver plenty of it. Under the Christmas Tree has the perfect amount of charm and sweetness for this queer Christmas romance.
Stream Under the Christmas Tree on Hulu.
Rent/buy Under the Christmas Tree on Amazon.
Single All The Way (2021)
Single All the Way is one of the best Netflix Christmas movies. It follows best friends Peter (Michael Urie) and Nick (Philemon Chambers) as they travel to Peter’s home. Many members of Peter’s family find it bewildering that Nick and Peter aren’t together because they seem so meant to be.
Why It’s A Good LGBTQ+ Christmas Movie: It’s a charming film that shows that sometimes your soulmate may just be that best friend that you ignored romantically for years.
Stream Single All the Way on Netflix.
The Holiday Exchange (2024)
The Holiday Exchange follows four sets of gay men, and two of them decide to switch homes for the holidays. The new locations open the door to love. The Holiday Exchange stars Taylor Frey, Rick Cosnett, Samer Salem, and Daniel Garcia. It also features Kyle Richards and Days of Our Lives’s Camila Banus.
Why It’s A Good LGBTQ+ Christmas Movie: Have you ever thought The Holiday would be so much better if it were gay? Then The Holiday Exchange may be the perfect holiday film for you. Each set of couples have enchanting chemistry and immediately invest you in their romantic woes.
Stream The Holiday Exchange on Peacock.
Last ExMas (2024)
Maggie (Elena Milo) and Julianne (Shaeane Jimenez) have a messy breakup before heading off to college. Now many years later, they return to their hometown. Tensions rise and sparks fly… maybe the drama of the past can be let go just for the holidays.
Why It’s A Good LGBTQ+ Christmas Movie: Last ExMas feels very unapologetically gay. It’s a film that doesn’t try to downplay its gayness to make it more appealing to all audiences. It knows itself and is happy to let those who get it find it and embrace the queerness of this love story.
Looking For Her (2022)
Taylor (Olivia Buckle) and her girlfriend are no longer together, but this is the first Christmas that her parents have openly invited her girlfriend to the festivities. She doesn’t want to lose this opportunity for her parents to finally accept her. Therefore, she needs to find someone to pretend to be her ex-girlfriend. This is where down-on-her-luck actor Olive (Alexandra Swarens) enters the picture.
Why It’s A Good LGBTQ+ Christmas Movie: Looking for Her is extremely charming. It has the wholesomeness of a Hallmark movie but is not as cheesy. Taylor and Olive are adorable together and you can’t help but root for them. It’s also a holiday movie full of romantic tropes, such as fake dating and opposites attract — maybe making it appealing to general rom-com fans.
Rent/buy Looking for Her on Amazon.
Christmas On Cherry Lane (2023)
Christmas on Cherry Lane is a Hallmark original movie that follows three couples in three different decades during the holidays. Mike (Jonathan Bennett) and Zian (Vincent Rodriguez III) are one of these couples. They’re in the process of adopting. Hallmark made a sequel in 2024 called Season’s Greetings from Cherry Lane.
Why It’s A Good LGBTQ+ Christmas Movie: This is another Hallmark queer Christmas movie so it has all the attributes that we love from the channel. The network continues to prove that cheesy romance holiday movies are for everyone, and we appreciate them for it. Mike and Zian are a fun couple you immediately endear to and want to watch their family grow.
Stream Christmas on Cherry Lane on Hallmark+.
Stream Season’s Greetings from Cherry Lane on Hallmark+.
The Holiday Sitter (2022)
The Holiday Sitter is Hallmark’s first official gay-led Christmas romantic movie. Sam (Jonathan Bennett) gets stuck babysitting his niece and nephew for the holidays. However, it might not be a total disaster with the handsome, gay neighbor Jason (George Krissa) nearby.
Why It’s A Good LGBTQ+ Christmas Movie: The Holiday Sitter may be Hallmark’s best gay-led Christmas movie so far, especially because of Bennett and Krissa’s chemistry. It also does a great job of balancing silly and serious.
Stream The Holiday Sitter on Hallmark+.
Breakfast With Scot (2007)
Breakfast with Scot follows a gay hockey star and his husband, Sam (Ben Shenkman) when they find themselves taking care of a young boy. Eric (Tom Cavanagh) isn’t happy by his sudden fatherhood, especially when Scot (Noah Bernett) shows signs of being gay. It brings up some of his own prejudices about his identity and manhood.
Why It’s A Good LGBTQ+ Christmas Movie: Technically the movie doesn’t reach Christmas time until the end. However, Scot’s obsession with the holiday makes it a main part of the story. It also very much has a holiday vibe all throughout. Breakfast with Scot is different from many others on this list because it’s not about an out and proud man but someone who learns to be out and proud because of the influence of his family, which includes Scot. This makes it a bit more wholesome than one might expect.
Stream Breakfast with Scot on Tubi.
These LGBTQ+ Christmas movies prove that love (in all its many beautiful forms) is more merry and bright during the holidays. Hopefully, the list of great queer holiday movies continues to grow.
