Pride 2025: A Q+ Celebration!
June 18
Greta & Valdin by Rebecca K. Reilly
In this sharp, hilarious, and quietly tender novel, Māori-Russian siblings Greta and Valdin navigate love, family, and identity in contemporary Auckland. Greta is a bisexual linguistics tutor still heartbroken over her ex-girlfriend. Valdin, a TV weatherman, is quietly pining over his former professor. As the two orbit around each other—and their charmingly chaotic extended family—they reflect on everything from colonialism to queer love to who’s stealing their leftover dumplings.
Rebecca K. Reilly’s voice is fresh and distinctive, combining biting humor with moments of real emotional insight. The novel touches on bisexuality, queerness, and being mixed-race in New Zealand with a rare combination of playfulness and depth. If you’re into books that feel like hanging out with your smartest, funniest friends while also dealing with real stuff—this one’s a must-read.
Where to buy? Something Close to Nothing is available to purchase via Catapult, Bookshop.org, and other reputable booksellers.
Emilia Pérez
Part musical, part political thriller, part gender transition drama—Emilia Pérez is unlike anything we’ve seen in years. Directed by Jacques Audiard, this Spanish-language film tells the story of a cartel boss (Karla Sofía Gascón) who fakes his death to transition and live life as a woman, Emilia, away from violence. When she hires a disillusioned lawyer (Zoë Saldaña) to help her start over, the film veers into a glittering, sometimes surreal meditation on identity, justice, and redemption.
But Emilia Pérez hasn’t landed without controversy. While Gascón, a trans actress, won praise (and the Best Actress award at Cannes, alongside co-stars Saldaña, Selena Gomez, and Adriana Paz), some critics and viewers have questioned whether the film sensationalizes trans identities or exploits trauma and the Mexican culture for spectacle. It’s a fair conversation, and one worth having. What’s undeniable is the film’s bold ambition and performances, and the rare presence of a trans woman at the heart of a major film.
Where to watch? Emilia Pérez is available to stream on Netflix and Paramount+. The film is also available to rent or purchase on Prime Video, YouTube, and Apple TV.
Girls5eva
A one-hit-wonder girl group from the early 2000s reunites in their 40s for a shot at pop stardom, what could go wrong? In Girls5eva, co-created by Meredith Scardino and produced by Tina Fey, the answer is: just enough to keep you laughing (and crying). Starring Sara Bareilles, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Paula Pell, and Busy Philipps, the show is a whip-smart satire of the music industry and a love letter to second chances.
More than just nostalgic fun, Girls5eva explores friendship, fame, aging, and reinvention, especially for women who’ve been told their time is up. Plus, the original songs are both hilarious and sneakily catchy (we still have “Famous 5eva” on repeat). With three seasons now streaming, it’s the perfect binge for Pride month: joyful, absurd, empowering, and unabashedly queer-inclusive.
Where to watch? Girls5eva is available to stream on Netflix.
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Featured Image: Images Courtesy of Netflix, Max, Amazon MGM Studios, Focus Feature, Getty Images, Disney+, Apple TV.
