This Valentine’s Day, queer love is in the air — and on your TV screen. For decades, heterosexual couples have dominated on-screen romance. While I thank the straight romance genre for giving us the incredible 50 First Dates and The Summer I Turned Pretty, it’s time for queer romance shows and movies to receive the same attention and praise. My rule for the perfect romance show or movie this Valentine’s Day? The gayer, the better.
While straight couples have historically taken the forefront of romance TV and film, we now have a growing library of queer shows and movies that are perfect for a Valentine’s Day binge watch. From tear-jerking forbidden love stories like Portrait of a Lady on Fire to campy high school comedies like Bottoms, there’s a queer show or movie for everyone this Valentine’s Day. Whether you’re watching to laugh or cry (because being single and crying on V-Day is totally valid), these queer shows and movies are must-sees.
Whether you’re spending Valentine’s Day with a partner, friends, or alone (we love a solo date!), watching a lovey-dovey flick will perfectly set the vibe. If cuddling up for a show or movie is part of your Valentine’s Day plans this year, I’ve got you covered. Here are 10 queer shows and movies to watch this Valentine’s Day 2026.
- Bottoms
-
“Will the ugly, untalented gays please report to the principal’s office?” Be warned, you’ll have a stomachache from laughing if Bottoms is your Valentine’s Day movie pick. It follows two teenage lesbians, Josie and PJ (played by Ayo Edebiri and Rachel Sennott), who are hopelessly crushing on two popular cheerleaders at their high school. In hopes of gaining their attention, Josie and PJ start an all-girls fight club on campus. Bottoms hilariously hyperbolizes the social hierarchy of high school, with romantic subplots that’ll have you swooning.
- But I’m a Cheerleader
-
Feminine, pink-loving cheerleader Megan (Natasha Lyonne) is sent by her parents to conversion therapy to “cure” her lesbianism in this satirical comedy. Despite the “therapy” she receives at camp, Megan learns to accept her sexuality and falls in love with one of her campmates. A must-watch film, But I’m a Cheerleader beautifully pays homage to femme lesbians and their experiences with compulsory heterosexuality. Pro tip: Have tissues ready for the ending scene, you’ll need them.
- Moonlight
-
While not a romance movie by definition, Moonlight is a must-watch film that thoughtfully portrays the life and coming-of-age of a Black gay man, Chiron (his different ages are played by Trevante Rhodes, Ashton Sanders, and Alex Hibbert). Chiron’s lifelong relationship with his friend and love interest, Kevin (his different ages are played by André Holland, Jharrel Jerome, and Jaden Piner), is a focal point of the film as the two drift apart and reconnect over the years.
- Dickinson
-
A period piece, but make it a comedy? Immediately yes. Dickinson, based on the life and poetry of American writer Emily Dickinson, portrays Emily (Hailee Steinfeld) navigating her young adult years in 19th-century Amherst, Massachusetts. That includes her illicit relationship with Susan Gilbert (Ella Hunt), her best friend and brother’s fiancée. You’ll be laughing and crying as you watch Emily and Susan’s romance unfold onscreen.
- Heated Rivalry
-
If Heated Rivalry isn’t dominating your TikTok FYP every other scroll, you might be living under a rock. Heated Rivalry follows rival professional ice hockey players Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov (played by Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie, respectively). While their public rivalry makes major league hockey headlines, a romantic connection sparks between them behind closed doors. They deem it a casual sexual relationship at first, but their connection grows deeper as the years pass. For sports romance lovers, you’ll have to tune into Heated Rivalry for the first — or 10th — time this Valentine’s Day.
- Rafiki
-
Rafiki isn’t just an incredible movie — it’s a groundbreaking part of queer Kenyan history. It follows the relationship between two young women, Kena and Ziki (played by Samantha Mugatsia and Sheila Munyiva, respectively), whose fathers are rival candidates in a local election. On top of family tensions and political rivalry, they also navigate the greater trouble of their relationship: it has to stay a secret, as homosexuality is illegal in Kenya. Rafiki may be fictional, but its story rings true, as the film was banned in Kenya for promoting homosexuality and was only screened in theaters for one week during a brief ban lift.
- XO, Kitty
-
If you’re looking for a lighthearted teenage rom-com, XO, Kitty is the perfect show for you. As a spinoff of the To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before movies, XO, Kitty follows Kitty (Anna Cathcart) as an American exchange student at a South Korean high school. She transfers to the school to close the gap with her long-distance boyfriend (Choi Min-yeong), only to arrive on campus and learn he has been secretly dating another girl (played by Gia Kim). Full of jokes and unexpected plot twists in every episode, XO, Kitty beautifully portrays coming out, teenage love, and the family found within queer friend groups.
- Imagine Me & You
-
For classic 2000s rom-com vibes, Imagine Me & You takes the cake. It’s wedding day for bride Rachel (Piper Perabo), but things go awry when she notices Luce (Lena Headey) in the audience. After the two meet and spark a friendship, Rachel realizes she is falling for Luce. In classic rom-com fashion, Rachel has to decide whether she’ll stay in her marriage to her husband or leave for Luce, whom her heart truly desires.
- Portrait of a Lady on Fire
-
If you’re in the mood to cry this Valentine’s Day (we’ve all been there), Portrait of a Lady on Fire should be the first movie on your queue. Set in 18th-century France, Portrait of a Lady on Fire follows a young painter (played by Noémie Merlant) tasked with painting the portrait of an aristocrat (played by Adèle Haenel) in the days before her unwanted arranged marriage. A deep connection sparks as the two women spend time together, leading to a brief but intense love affair that’ll have you weeping by the movie’s end.
- The Half of It
-
In The Half of It, teenage Ellie Chu (Leah Lewis) is the only Asian girl in her small town — and she might be the only queer girl, too. She’s socially ostracized until she sparks an unexpected friendship with Paul (Daniel Diemer), who enlists her help in writing love letters to a popular girl at their school, Aster (Alexxis Lemire). It would be an easy task if only Ellie weren’t secretly in love with Aster, too. While romance is the catalyst of The Half of It, its heartwarming portrayal of friendship and queer self-acceptance takes center stage.