Paris Is Burning
1991
RNo user ratings available yet
Representation score: 10.0 out of 10
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LGBTQ+ Representation
These lists use approved LGBTQ+ representation scores for films that have written notes. Highest-scoring films are those whose notes describe more on-screen LGBTQ+ representation. Lowest-scoring films are those whose notes describe little or none. Neither list is a quality ranking.
Highest-scoring
The film centers on trans women, drag queens, and gay men, treating their identities as central to the narrative rather than secondary elements.
Queer identity is the default setting, not a subplot. Nick and Charlie’s gay romance anchors the film, while Elle’s trans identity and Tao’s bisexuality are woven naturally into daily life.
The film explores queer identity through a nuanced lens, avoiding stereotypes by showing how same-sex intimacy interacts with societal pressures.
The central narrative focuses on the romantic and erotic bond between Sook-hee and Hideko. Their relationship serves as a powerful act of defiance against a restrictive social order.
The film highlights non-traditional gender expressions through Dr. Frank-N-Furter, who embodies radical gender presentation and sexual fluidity.
The film focuses on a deep romantic and erotic relationship between two women. It goes beyond token representation to show a central queer experience within an 18th-century setting.
The film highlights LGBTQ+ identity by placing it at the center of political discussions. It shows how the LGBTQ+ community drives change through organizing and activism.
The film focuses entirely on the life of a trans woman, moving beyond just showing her presence. It emphasizes how her gender identity shapes her actions and drives the plot.
The film centers its entire narrative on a transgender man, exploring trans masculinity and romantic intimacy with profound depth. It avoids treating identity as a subplot and instead places it at the core of the story.
The film focuses entirely on queer lives, going beyond token representation. It portrays same-sex relationships as essential to human connection.
The film centers an intimate relationship between two women, making same-sex intimacy the core of its tension and momentum. It prioritizes sexual liberation and empowerment rather than portraying queerness as a tragic subplot.
The film focuses on a same-sex relationship between Adam and Harry, which serves as the main emotional core. It uses time shifts to explore the historical impact and trauma of being queer.
The film explores the psychological impact of forced conformity on queer identity. It goes beyond including someone from a minority group without giving them real depth to criticize the institutional suppression of non-conforming identities.
The film focuses on the experiences of queer adolescents, using the heart as a symbol for vulnerability. It highlights the risks of coming out and the importance of true identity.
The film focuses on queer characters who play key roles in political and social change. It shows same-sex relationships and domestic life with honesty and authenticity, while criticizing assumptions that everyone is straight or cisgender.
The film focuses on LGBTQ+ identities, making the queer experience central to the narrative.
The film focuses on trans feminine identities as central to its storyline. Characters have strong ability to act and complex emotions, avoiding the typical tragic stereotypes often seen in mainstream movies.
The film uses a supernatural TV show to symbolize the queer experience, focusing on the psychological tension between internal identity and societal expectations.
The film centers on the transgender experience, focusing on the protagonist's struggle with gender dysphoria and her journey towards femininity in the world of ballet.
The film focuses on a transgender woman and her partner, a trans man, highlighting their relationship within a romantic and domestic context. This portrayal normalizes trans identities and challenges traditional heterosexual norms.
The film centers on Marina, a transgender woman, presenting her as a fully realized individual. It avoids tragic clichés and focuses on her dignity and the societal attempts to invalidate her grief.
The film focuses on LGBTQ+ identities as key drivers of the plot. It delves into the psychological complexities of same-sex relationships and the challenges of living in the closet.
The film centers on a genderqueer experience that goes beyond the traditional gender binary. Hedwig's journey explores the complexities of transgender identity through a unique sense of self.
The film focuses on a same-sex romance, where the main characters pursue intimacy and legal recognition as the core of their story.
The film focuses on queer identity and male-to-male desire as key themes. It also provides a nuanced look at gender identity through the character Tina, who is transgender, avoiding superficial representation.
Funeral Parade of Roses
1969
Not RatedNo user ratings available yetRepresentation score: 9.8 out of 10This important film centers its narrative on the lives of gender-nonconforming individuals in Shinjuku. It explores same-sex relationships and non-traditional gender identities by focusing on the internal experiences of these characters.
The film focuses on a romantic relationship between Elio and Oliver, highlighting their emotional and sexual intimacy with sensitivity and nuance.
The film centers its narrative around a lesbian relationship, exploring themes of sexual awakening and domestic life without relegating these elements to minor roles. It provides a strong foundation for queer cinema by focusing on these themes throughout the story.
The film explores same-sex intimacy deeply and emotionally, avoiding tragic clichés. It highlights the ability to act and depth of feelings in the central relationship.
The film highlights the dignity and emotional depth of transgender and lesbian characters, such as Agronia, who is portrayed with respect and authenticity. It treats fluid gender identities and lesbian relationships as natural and integral to the story, rather than sensationalizing them.
The film is groundbreaking for LGBTQ+ representation, featuring drag performers and a transgender woman as key figures driving the plot. It delves deeply into themes of gender performance and same-sex friendships, giving these characters substantial roles and ability to act.
The film uses non-human Gems as powerful symbols for non-traditional gender identities and sexual orientations. It highlights identity fluidity and rejects strict, traditional assumptions about gender and sexuality, making queer and non-binary identities central to the story.
The film centers on a transgender protagonist named Pat/Kitten, exploring queer identity and survival in the 1970s. It challenges traditional assumptions about sexuality and gender without relying on clichés.
Phastos is portrayed with depth, showing a normalized marriage to Egois. His queer identity is a core part of his character rather than a superficial plot device, and his technical skills play a key role in the story.
The film centers its emotional core on the queer experience through Joy, a lesbian character. Her identity drives the primary conflict, exploring themes of belonging and the friction caused by traditionalist familial expectations.
The film centers a profound, long-term queer relationship between Ennis and Jack. It goes beyond including someone from a minority group without giving them real depth to explore the emotional and physical intimacy of their bond while criticizing the systemic entrapment of the closet.
The film focuses its entire storyline on a character's journey with a non-binary gender identity. The protagonist's experience with gender fluidity and biological changes is crucial to the story's structure and progression.
The film focuses on the queer romance between Alex Claremont-Diaz and Prince Henry. It goes beyond including a single diverse character by delving into the complexities of their relationship within high-pressure political environments.
The film centers around a lesbian domestic partnership, treating queer identity as a normalized part of daily life rather than a source of conflict. Characters navigate their relationships with significant influence and control.
The film centers on a queer protagonist, exploring the psychological impact of societal pressure to conform to heterosexual norms. It also highlights the harmful effects of conversion therapy.
The film includes a normalized same-sex relationship between Ethan Clade and Omar. Their relationship is presented as a regular part of their lives, not a source of conflict.
The film centers a lesbian relationship as its main storyline. It explores same-sex intimacy with significant nuance, treating queer identity as the core of the narrative.
The film focuses on same-sex relationships as its main storyline rather than a side plot. Jasmine and Dallas play key roles, making their connection a deep exploration of identity and sexual awakening.
The film centers its narrative on a romantic and sexual bond between Benedetta and Sister Agnese, which challenges 17th-century mandates of celibacy. Queer desire drives the plot, highlighting the complexity of their relationship.
The film focuses on Laurence's journey as a transgender woman, making her transition the main emotional storyline. It delves into the intricacies of non-binary gender identity and queer relationships with great depth.
The film focuses on queer identity and same-sex relationships, avoiding common clichés by exploring the intersection of intimacy and family trauma through psychological realism.
The film focuses on the romantic relationship between Lai Yiu-fai and Ho Po-wing, exploring the complexities of same-sex intimacy and domestic life without reducing their orientation to a minor subplot.
The film centers on a non-straight protagonist, exploring the psychological impact of hiding one's sexuality and the complexities of same-sex relationships during a restrictive time period.
The film includes a range of sexual orientations and gender expressions as key elements of the story. It challenges the idea that everyone is straight or cisgender by showing authentic same-sex relationships.
The film focuses on gay male identities and the cruising subculture, showing same-sex intimacy in a raw, naturalistic way that avoids sanitized mainstream depictions.
Lowest-scoring
The film focuses solely on straight and cisgender relationships, with no LGBTQ+ characters or non-binary identities appearing in the main or supporting cast.
The film does not include any LGBTQ+ characters and does not explore non-straight identities. The social structures in Gotham are based on traditional heterosexual relationships.
The film focuses primarily on cisgender male characters and relationships, with no visible LGBTQ+ characters or non-assuming gender matches what was assigned at birth identities.
The film assumes that everyone is straight and cisgender, with no representation of LGBTQ+ identities or stories involving queer theory.
The wizarding world focuses on traditional heterosexual and cisgender structures. There are no characters representing LGBTQ+ identities or non-binary gender roles.
The film does not include any LGBTQ+ characters or explore non-straight relationships. The interpersonal dynamics center on traditional romantic tension between the main character and his female associate.
The film doesn't show same-sex relationships or non-binary gender identities. LGBTQ+ characters aren't central to the story.
The film does not include any LGBTQ+ characters or explore non-straight identities. The social framework adheres strictly to the rigid hierarchies of the Antebellum South.
The film does not depict any non-binary or LGBTQ+ identities or same-sex relationships. The interpersonal dynamics are based on the assumption that everyone is straight or cisgender.
The film does not include explicit LGBTQ+ identities or non-cisgender gender expressions. Character dynamics focus on heterosexual and platonic relationships within traditional epic themes.
The film focuses on traditional, objectified romantic structures and does not include any non-assuming gender matches what was assigned at birth identities.
The film does not include any LGBTQ+ characters or non-straight relationships. The interpersonal dynamics center around traditional heterosexual structures, particularly the protagonist's relationship with his deceased wife.
The film lacks prominent LGBTQ+ characters or non-straight-centered identities. Gotham's social framework remains centered on traditional interpersonal dynamics without explicit queer subtext.
The film does not include any LGBTQ+ characters or narratives. The story focuses entirely on the geopolitical and ethnic tensions of World War II.
The film does not include any LGBTQ+ characters or explore non-traditional gender identities. The main focus is on the ideological conflict between the primary characters.
The film focuses on a family structure where everyone is assumed to be straight and cisgender. There are no visible LGBTQ+ characters or non-cisgender identities in the main story.
The film adheres to an assumption that everyone is straight or cisgender. There are no LGBTQ+ characters or non-assuming gender matches what was assigned at birth identities present.
The film does not include any LGBTQ+ characters or non-traditional gender identities.
The film follows a strictly heterosexual and cisgender framework. There are no depictions of LGBTQ+ identities or same-sex relationships, as the romantic storyline follows a conventional path.
The film does not include any LGBTQ+ characters and focuses solely on heterosexual relationships.
The film does not include any LGBTQ+ characters or non-cisgender identities. The romantic tension is limited to a traditional relationship between Han Solo and Princess Leia.
The film does not include any LGBTQ+ characters or non-cisgender identities. Relationships are centered around heterosexual couples, such as Thor and Jane Foster.
The film does not include explicit LGBTQ+ identities or same-sex romantic relationships. The focus is on heterosexual dynamics between Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann.
The film follows traditional romantic themes typical of mid-2000s fantasy. It does not include any explicit portrayal of non-straight or non-cisgender identities or same-sex relationships in the main character arcs.
The film operates on a strictly straight-centered foundation. The central plot relies on the romantic union of the protagonist's parents, with no queer dynamics or non-straight relationships present.
The film does not include any LGBTQ+ characters or explore non-straight relationships. The main romantic storyline centers around the lifelong heterosexual relationship between Carl and Ellie.
The film does not include any LGBTQ+ characters or explore non-straight relationships. The interpersonal dynamics remain focused on traditional relationships.
The film does not include any LGBTQ+ characters or explore non-straight relationships. The story centers on survival and isolation.
The film does not include any LGBTQ+ characters or explore non-binary gender identities. The romantic storyline focuses solely on the relationship between Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson, both assumed to be heterosexual.
The film does not include any LGBTQ+ characters or explore non-straight relationships. It emphasizes traditional family ties and ancestral connections.
The film does not include any LGBTQ+ characters or explore non-straight relationships. The story revolves around the protagonist's relationship with his deceased wife, without any queer themes or subtexts.
The film focuses on a biological framework centered around parents and children, with no depictions of same-sex relationships or non-cisgender identities among the characters.
The film focuses on a deep emotional bond between two robots, but it does not depict any specific LGBTQ+ identities or non-straight gender roles.
The film focuses solely on heterosexual relationships and traditional gender roles, with no depiction of LGBTQ+ intimacy or non-binary identities. Character interactions revolve around competitive male dynamics.
The film focuses solely on a heterosexual marriage dynamic and does not include any LGBTQ+ characters or non-cisgender identities.
The film does not include explicit LGBTQ+ characters or relationships. The main romantic pairing is between Mike Wazowski and Celia Mae, who are heterosexual.
The film adheres to a framework that assumes everyone is straight or cisgender. Character dynamics center around biological lineage and the importance of maintaining the royal bloodline through a queen.
The film focuses on traditional companionship and mentor-protégé relationships. There are no explicit depictions of LGBTQ+ romantic arcs or non-straight identities among the main characters.
The film does not feature any LGBTQ+ characters or explore non-straight relationships. The main romantic relationship between Louise Banks and Ian Donnelly follows a conventional heterosexual storyline.
The film does not include any non-straight or non-cisgender identities. There is no indication of queer themes or subtext in the story.
The film adheres to a strict assumption that everyone is straight or cisgender. There are no visible representations of LGBTQ+ identities or same-sex relationships.
The film does not include any LGBTQ+ characters or stories. The social setting focuses solely on heterosexual and cisgender families.
The film does not include any LGBTQ+ characters and focuses on traditional heterosexual relationships, such as between Clark Kent and Lois Lane.
The film centers on a traditional, straight family without any LGBTQ+ characters or non-straight identities.
The film focuses solely on heterosexual relationships and does not include any characters with non-traditional gender identities or critiques of heterosexuality.
The film doesn't include explicit LGBTQ+ characters or same-sex relationships. The romantic storyline focuses on the heterosexual relationship between Han Solo and Princess Leia.
The film does not include any LGBTQ+ characters or stories about non-straight identities. The focus is on a close friendship between two men.
The film contains no visible LGBTQ+ characters or non-straight-centered narrative arcs. The story focuses strictly on the survival-based experiences of soldiers and pilots.
The film stays true to the historical context of the 1940s and does not include LGBTQ+ characters or non-straight relationships.
The film focuses on masculine combat bonds and does not depict any queer identities or subtext.
