Pride 2025: A Q+ Celebration!
June 7
A Nice Indian Boy
A Nice Indian Boy, directed by Roshan Sethi, is the kind of rom-com we’ve been craving, one that doesn’t just center a gay love story, but folds it beautifully into the fabric of culture, family, and tradition. Based on Madhuri Shekar’s beloved play of the same name, the film follows Naveen Gavaskar (Karan Soni), a charming, somewhat awkward Indian-American guy looking for love. When he meets the confident and totally swoon-worthy Jay (Jonathan Groff), sparks fly fast, but introducing Jay to his traditional parents is a whole other story.
What sets A Nice Indian Boy apart is the way it navigates queerness within the context of a diasporic South Asian family, not as a crisis, but as a conversation. Sure, there are awkward dinners, generational clashes, and a few laugh-out-loud moments of miscommunication, but this isn’t a coming-out trauma story. It’s joyful, romantic, and deeply rooted in love—for family, for heritage, and for the person who challenges you to live more honestly. It’s the kind of film that feels both specific and universal, and it delivers its heartwarming message with a wink, a smile, and a healthy dose of wedding drama.
Where to watch? A Nice Indian Boy is available to rent or purchase on Prime Video, Apple TV, and Fandango at Home.
The Boyfriend
Netflix’s The Boyfriend is Japan’s first-ever gay reality dating show, and trust us, this one’s a game-changer. Set in a gorgeous beach house with sleek interiors and lots of quiet tension, eight queer men from different walks of life move in together, hoping to find love (or at least a good flirtation). But this isn’t your typical love-island chaos; The Boyfriend is tender, thoughtful, and emotionally intelligent in ways that Western dating shows rarely allow.
The show gives its contestants space to be vulnerable and sincere, whether they’re talking about past heartbreak, grappling with cultural expectations, or simply trying to understand how they feel. There’s a softness to the format that feels intentional, like a gentle invitation to watch queer men fall in love with each other and themselves. The editing is slow, the glances are lingering, and the conversations are real. If you’re into the emotional slow-burn of Terrace House but wish it was gay, The Boyfriend is your new obsession.
Where to watch? The Boyfriend is streaming now on Netflix.
The Lotus Empire by Tasha Suri
Tasha Suri has been gifting us with lush, sapphic fantasy for years, and with The Lotus Empire, the epic conclusion to her Burning Kingdoms trilogy, she pulls no punches. This sweeping novel brings together forbidden magic, palace intrigue, and a powerful romance between two women who refuse to be anyone’s pawns. Following the threads laid in The Jasmine Throne and The Oleander Sword, this final chapter is brimming with tension, sacrifice, and the kind of emotional payoffs we’ve been waiting for.
Suri doesn’t just create a fantasy world—she builds empires layered with queerness, power, and resistance. Her prose is lyrical without ever being too precious, and her characters are complex, morally grey, and deeply, beautifully human. At the heart of it all is the relationship between Malini, an exiled princess with a sharp mind and sharper will, and Priya, a former temple servant who’s wielding god-like power. Their love story is messy, passionate, and political—which, let’s be honest, is exactly how we like it. Add this story to your Pride 2025 list, you won’t regreat it!
Where to buy? The Lotus Empire is available to purchase at all reputable booksellers.
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Featured Image: Images Courtesy of Netflix, Max, Amazon MGM Studios, Focus Feature, Getty Images, Disney+, Apple TV.
