Pride 2025: A Q+ Celebration!
June 3
Some Strange Music Draws Me In by Griffin Hansbury
Griffin Hansbury (who you may also know by his pen name Augusten Burroughs) delivers a lyrical, moving exploration of gender and memory in Some Strange Music Draws Me In. Told in alternating timelines, the novel follows Jamie, a transgender man looking back on his teenage years in a working-class 1980s town while grappling with the legacy of trauma, repression, and love that still shapes his adult life. The emotional heart of the book lies in Jamie’s relationship with a boy named Tinker, who changed everything for him before disappearing. As Jamie reconnects with old friends and uncovers long-buried truths, we’re taken on a journey that’s both deeply personal and universally resonant.
Hansbury’s prose is atmospheric and emotionally rich, blending queer longing with the bittersweet ache of time lost. It’s a book that doesn’t flinch from the difficult parts of being trans in a hostile world, but it’s also full of grace, dignity, and hope. If you’re in the mood for a reflective, powerful read that sits with you long after the final page, Some Strange Music Draws Me In is a must-add to your list. This one’s for the deep thinkers, the late-night feelers, and anyone who’s ever wondered what could’ve been, and what still might be.
Where to buy? Some Strange Music Draws Me In is available to purchase at all reputable booksellers.
The Wedding Banquet (2025)
We’ve seen remakes go sideways before, but this reimagining of Ang Lee’s 1993 queer classic The Wedding Banquet is a total win, and honestly, it couldn’t have come at a better time. Directed by Andrew Ahn and starring Bowen Yang, Lily Gladstone, Kelly Marie Tran, and Han Gi-chan, this 2025 update takes everything we loved about the original and gives it a thoughtful, thoroughly modern twist. Instead of a gay man faking a straight marriage, this version centers on Angela and Lee, a queer couple hoping to start a family, whose best friend Min—a recent immigrant—finds himself at risk of deportation. The solution? A green-card marriage to Min’s traditional grandmother’s dismay and, of course, a wedding banquet that spirals into comedic, chaotic, and ultimately heartfelt territory.
Set in present-day Seattle, the film dives into the intersections of queerness, immigration, family pressure, and chosen community with the same tender, funny energy as its predecessor. It’s full of small, grounded moments that will make you laugh one second and cry the next (in true Q+ fashion), and it’s a rare treat to see Asian and queer narratives honored so deeply and beautifully on screen. Whether or not you’ve seen the original, this one stands on its own, and it’s here to remind us that family isn’t always about blood, but about the people who choose to show up and love you anyway.
Where to watch? The Wedding Banquet is currently playing in select theaters and is expected to be available for streaming later this summer.
Overcompensating
We didn’t think we needed another college comedy until Overcompensating hit Prime Video and quickly became one of our Pride Month faves. Created by and starring Benito Skinner (aka Benny Drama), the show follows Benny, a closeted former high school football star who’s used to being the guy in town—but now he’s just another freshman at Yates University, desperately trying to keep up appearances. Benny’s stuck between trying to fit in with the cool crowd and figuring out who he actually is. And it’s honestly a hot mess, but in the best way possible.
Enter Carmen (Wally Baram): a total outsider with a big personality and no filter who somehow becomes Benny’s unexpected partner-in-crime. Together, they dive headfirst into everything college life has to offer—from parties and pranks to awkward hookups and fake IDs. But beyond all the chaos and comedy, Benny and Carmen help each other discover what it means to be yourself when you’re constantly trying to live up to an image. The show is full of wild situations but never loses sight of how hard it can be to just be—especially when you’re figuring out where you belong.
What sets Overcompensating apart is how it hilariously leans into old-school tropes (yes, the actors are definitely pushing 30 and yes, that’s part of the joke), while also carving out space for real, emotional conversations about identity, internalized homophobia, and figuring out who you are when no one’s watching. It’s raunchy, self-aware, and a little bit messy—but so is college. And so are we. If you’re craving something that’s equal parts ridiculous and heartfelt, don’t sleep on this one.
Where to watch? Overcompensating is streaming now on Prime Video.
Happy Pride 2025! Follow us on X and Instagram for all queer stuff!
Featured Image: Images Courtesy of Netflix, Max, Amazon MGM Studios, Focus Feature, Getty Images, Disney+, Apple TV.
