13 films that will provide you with all the festive queer this Christmas

Yuletide? Yeah, let’s make it gay!

WORDS BY SAM DAMSHENAS

Although Christmas is camp as tits, holiday films have been surprisingly slow to embrace queerness. No more!

In recent years, the yuletide has been delightfully queerified, with networks and streaming services putting LGBTQIA+ stories front and center in Mariah Carey’s annual holiday season — from Netflix’s Single All The Way to Lifetime’s The Holiday Sitter and Hulu’s Happiest Season, the latter making history as the first gay Christmas film released by a major studio.

If you’re tired of watching Will Ferrell parade around as an eccentric elf-human or Catherine O’Hara play a negligent parent, it’s time to check out some of these recent LGBTQIA+ films that are well on their way to becoming Christmas classics.

The Bitch Who Stole Christmas (2021)

Cast: RuPaul, Krysta Rodriguez, Michelle Visage, Ross Matthews, Carson Kressley, Peppermint, Latrice Royale, Laganja Estranja, Pandora Boxx, Brooke Lynn Hytes, Kimora Blac, Heidi N Closet, Porkchop, Gottmik, Jaymes Mansfield, Jan, Ginger Minj, Chad Michaels, Kelly Mantle, Rock M Sakura, Kylie Sonique Love, Mayhem Miller, Manila Luzon, Morgan McMichaels, Raven, Kim Petras, Charo, Anna Maria Horsford

Boasting an all-star cast of Drag Race alum — including Brooke Lynn Hytes, Chad Michaels, Ginger Minj, Kylie Sonique Love, Manila Luzon, and Peppermint — The Bitch Who Stole Christmas follows fashion journalist Krysta Rodriguez, who is sent on assignment to a Christmas-obsessed town by her ruthless editor, RuPaul. Intent on digging up a juicy story, she unexpectedly gets swept up in the town’s annual winter ball competition. Of course, the festivities come with a dark side: cutthroat housewives and ruthless townsfolk scheming to ruin the holiday season. Slay! (Or should we say… sleigh?) The feel-good comedy also features appearances from Michelle Visage, Ross Matthews, Carson Kressley, Kim Petras, Charo, and Anna Maria Horsford.

Carol (2015)

Cast: Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara, Sarah Paulson, Jake Lacy, Kyle Chandler, John Magaro, Cory Michael Smith

Set in the 1950s, Carol stars Cate Blanchett as an older woman navigating a difficult divorce, who embarks on a forbidden affair with an aspiring female photographer, played by Rooney Mara. The impact of homophobia and a jealous soon-to-be ex-husband on their relationship is heartbreaking, and the sheer melodrama of it all will leave you in a state of melancholy. Blanchett earned universal acclaim for her performance, receiving nominations at the Academy Awards, Golden Globes, BAFTAs, Critics’ Choice Awards, and Screen Actors Guild Awards. We challenge you to find a film more breathtaking — and more heartbreaking — than Carol.

The Christmas House (2020)

Cast: Jonathan Bennett, Brad Harder, Robert Buckley, Ana Ayora, Treat Williams, Sharon Lawrence

Hallmark kicked off the decade with their first-ever gay Christmas film, The Christmas House, which follows Brandon (Jonathan Bennett) and his husband Jake (Brad Harder) as they visit Brandon’s parents for the holidays, anxiously awaiting news about the adoption of their first child. Bill (Treat Williams) and Phylis (Sharon Lawrence), their parents, hope that “bringing the family together to recreate the Christmas house will help them find resolution and make a memorable holiday for the entire family and community”. It was followed by a sequel, The Christmas House 2: Deck Those Halls.

The Christmas Setup (2020)

Cast: Ben Lewis, Blake Lee, Ellen Wong, Fran Drescher

Ben Lewis, known to audiences for his role as William Clayton on Arrow, stars as Hugo, an NYC-based lawyer who returns to his small hometown in Milwaukee to spend Christmas with his best friend Madelyn (Ellen Wong) and mother Kate (Fran Drescher). Unbeknownst to him, Madelyn has arranged a surprise reunion with his high school friend and former crush Patrick (played by Lewis’ real-life husband, Blake Lee), who has returned from a successful career in Silicon Valley. When Hugo is offered a job promotion that would relocate him to London, he is forced to reconsider his life, love, and future. The Christmas Setup received a nomination for the 2021 GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding TV Movie.

Dashing in December (2020)

Cast: Peter Porte, Juan Pablo Di Pace, Andie MacDowell, Caroline Harris, Carlos Sanz, Katherine Bailess

Dashing in December (what a title!) stars Pete Porte, known for The Young and the Restless, as Wyatt Burwall, a prim and proper city man who returns to his rural hometown for the holidays (yes, we love this trope). Along the way, he meets the new ranch hand Heath Ramos (Juan Pablo Di Pace), and — surprise, surprise! — a romance unexpectedly sparks between them. As well as saving his property, Heath makes it his mission to awaken Wyatt’s Christmas spirit. It’s cute, it’s gay, and it even stars Andie MacDowell as Wyatt’s mother, Deb. Enough said, right?

Happiest Season (2020)

Cast: Kristen Stewart, Mackenzie Davis, Dan Levy, Aubrey Plaza, Alison Brie, Mary Holland, Mary Steenburgen, Victor Garber

Writer, actor and director Clea DuVall, who instantly became an LGBTQIA+ icon with her role in But I’m a Cheerleader, helmed the first major LGBTQIA+ Christmas film in 2020 with Happiest Season. Released to overwhelmingly positive reviews, the rom-com places queer female narratives front and center, following Abby (Kristen Stewart) and Harper (Mackenzie Davis). When the couple attend Harper’s annual Christmas festivities, Abby discovers that Harper hasn’t come out to her conservative parents (Mary Steenburgen and Victor Garber) or her dysfunctional sisters (Alison Brie and Mary Holland). If all the mega-stars above weren’t enough, the film also features Aubrey Plaza and Dan Levy (!). Yes, we need a sequel — and we need it now.

The Holiday Sitter (2022)

Cast: Jonathan Bennett, George Krissa, Chelsea Hobbs, Everett Andres, Matthew James Dowden, Amy Goodmurphy

Another “first-ever” incoming! In 2022, Hallmark released their first-ever gay Christmas film, The Holiday Sitter. Mean Girls star Jonathan Bennett — unofficial King of Gay Christmas Movies — plays Sam, a “workaholic bachelor” who enlists his ridiculously ripped neighbour Jason (George Krissa) to help babysit his niece and nephew over the holidays. Speaking with HollywoodLife, Bennett explained that the film “isn’t just for a queer audience” because Christmas is “for everybody.” He added, “The Holiday Sitter’s for everybody, and I know so many people are going to watch this movie and feel so seen and feel like they have a seat at the Hallmark holiday table.”

The Family Stone (2005)

Cast: Diane Keaton, Craig T. Nelson, Dermot Mulroney, Luke Wilson, Elisabeth Reaser, Tyrone Giordano, Rachel McAdams, Sarah Jessica Parker, Claire Danes, Brian J. White

What a cast, huh? Diane Keaton! Rachel McAdams! Claire Danes! Sarah Jessica Parker! The Sex and the City icon stars as Meredith Morton, an uptight career woman who reluctantly spends Christmas with her boyfriend Everett’s (Dermot Mulroney) family. Everett plans to propose with the family’s cherished heirloom ring but quickly finds himself in hot water when conflicts arise with his relatives. During dinner, Everett’s deaf gay brother Thad (Tyrone Giordano) and his partner Patrick (Brian J. White) announce their plans to adopt a child, sparking a spirited debate about sexuality and nature versus nurture.

Let It Snow (2019)

Cast: Isabela Merced, Shameik Moore, Odeya Rush, Mitchell Hope, Kiernan Shipka, Joan Cusack, Liv Hewson, Anna Akana, Jacob Batalon, Matthew Noszka, D’Arcy Carden

Based on the best-selling book by John Green, Maureen Johnson and Lauren Myracle, Let It Snow follows a group of high school seniors whose friendships and love lives intersect after a snowstorm hits their small town on Christmas Eve. The film features a same-sex romance between Liv Hewson (Santa Clarita Diet) and YouTube star Anna Akana. Bonus points: both actors are queer in real life — Liv is non-binary and gay, while Anna is bisexual.

A New York Christmas Wedding (2020)

Cast: Nia Fairweather, Otoja Abit, Adriana DeMeo, Tyra Ferrell, Cooper Koch

A New York Christmas Wedding follows Jennifer (Nia Fairweather), a bisexual woman planning her wedding to David (Otoja Abit). She begins to second-guess the marriage when her fiancé’s overbearing mother (Tyra Ferrell) insists on running the ceremony her way. Still mourning the loss of her father and best friend Gabrielle (Adriana DeMeo), Jennifer is visited by her guardian angel Azrael (Cooper Koch), who transports her to an alternate world where both are still alive. There, Jennifer gets a second chance at love with Gabrielle. Fantastical, Christmassy, and nostalgic as hell, this heartwarming tale is guaranteed to make you blubber.

Rent (2005)

Cast: Rosario Dawson, Taye Diggs, Wilson Jermaine Heredia, Jesse L. Martin, Idina Menzel, Adam Pascal, Anthony Rapp, Tracie Thomas

Broadway’s iconic musical Rent received its first live-action adaptation in 2005, directed by Chris Columbus. Set during the holiday season, it follows a group of struggling New York City artists navigating love, sexuality, addiction and the challenges of paying rent, all under the looming shadow of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. While the film received mixed reviews upon release, it has since been embraced as a cult classic.

Single All The Way (2021)

Cast: Michael Urie, Philemon Chambers, Kathy Najimy, Barry Bostwick, Luke Macfarlane, Jennifer Coolidge

Netflix made history in 2021 with Single All The Way, their first Christmas film centered on a gay romance. The rom-com follows Peter (Michael Urie), who persuades his best friend Nick (Philemon Chambers) to pose as his boyfriend during a holiday trip home, in order to avoid his family’s judgment about his perpetual single status. But Peter’s mother (Kathy Najimy) sets him up on a blind date with her handsome trainer (Luke Macfarlane), and their plan quickly goes… awry. The film also stars Jennifer Coolidge as Peter’s Aunt Sandy, Barry Bostwick as Harold, Jennifer Robertson as Lisa, Madison Brydges as Daniela, Alexandra Beaton as Sofia, Steve Lund as Tim, and Melanie Leishman as Ashleigh.

Tangerine (2015)

Cast: Kitana Kiki Rodriguez, Mya Taylor, James Ransome, Mickey O’Hagan

Filmed entirely on three iPhone 5S smartphones, Tangerine follows LA-based trans sex worker Sin-Dee (Kitana Kiki Rodriguez), who learns from her best friend Alexandra (Mya Taylor) that her boyfriend-slash-pimp Chester (James Ransome) has been cheating on her with a cisgender woman while she was in prison. Set on Christmas Eve, the story unfolds as a hilarious and heartwarming buddy comedy, putting the trans experience front and center without reducing its characters to victims or forcing sympathy. Importantly, Tangerine also set a precedent for casting trans actors in trans roles.

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