Pride 2026: A Q+ Celebration
Here at Q+, we don’t wait for June to start waving our flags. We celebrate queerness every day of the year—in the stories we cover, the creators we champion, and the community that continues to inspire us. But when Pride Month arrives? Well, that’s when we turn the volume all the way up. So welcome to our Pride 2026 celebration!
For the fourth year in a row, we’re spending the entire month of June doing one of our favorite traditions. If you joined us for Pride 2023, Pride 2024, or Pride 2025, you already know the drill: every single day of Pride Month, we’ll be highlighting one LGBTQ+ film, one LGBTQ+ TV show, and one LGBTQ+ book that we think deserve a spot on your watchlist, bookshelf, or comfort-media rotation. Some of these picks are brand new, some are hidden gems, and some are beloved classics we’ll happily recommend over and over again. But all of them tell queer stories that matter.
By the time June 30 rolls around, you’ll have 90 LGBTQ+ recommendations to explore. That’s 30 films, 30 TV shows, and 30 books celebrating our community in all its joy, heartbreak, resilience, messiness, romance, and brilliance. Whether you’re looking to laugh, cry, scream into a pillow, fall in love, or simply feel seen, we’ve got something for you.
Now, as we were putting together this year’s list, though, we noticed something that deserves a conversation of its own. While we had no shortage of incredible books and films to choose from, finding 30 television series that hadn’t already appeared in previous years proved noticeably harder. Since launching this celebration in 2023, we’ve spotlighted dozens upon dozens of queer shows, and for the first time, we found ourselves confronting a simple reality: there still aren’t enough of them.
That’s not because LGBTQ+ television isn’t thriving creatively. Some of the most exciting and impactful stories on TV today are queer stories. The challenge is that there simply aren’t enough of them. Despite years of progress, queer series are still canceled too quickly, struggle to secure renewals, or never get the chance to exist in the first place. Representation matters not only because audiences deserve to see themselves reflected on screen, but because a healthy, sustainable ecosystem of queer storytelling requires continued investment, support, and opportunities to grow.
In a way, that realization makes this year’s celebration feel even more important. Every recommendation on this list is a reminder of why these stories deserve to exist—and why we need even more of them.
A couple of quick notes before we get started: if your favorite title doesn’t appear on this year’s list, don’t panic. It may have already been featured in one of our previous Pride celebrations, it could be coming later this month, or we simply couldn’t squeeze everything we love into 30 days. Trust us, narrowing these lists down is never easy. We should also acknowledge one small technicality: this year’s lineup includes a title that longtime readers may recognize from a previous Pride celebration. We have a perfectly reasonable explanation, and all will be revealed in due time. Some of y’all may already know exactly which one we’re talking about.
But anygays, we’ll be updating this article every single day throughout Pride Month, so be sure to keep checking back for new recommendations. And if you haven’t already, make sure you’re following Q+ across our platforms so you never miss a single pick.
So grab your rainbow snacks, clear some space on your watchlist, and prepare to add far too many books to your TBR. Pride 2026 is officially underway, and we can’t wait to celebrate with all of you.
Happy Pride, fam. 🏳️🌈🫶
PSA: You can navigate through the days using the page buttons at the end of this piece—after the share buttons.
June 30
The Long Game by Rachel Reid
After everything Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov endured in Heated Rivalry (Book #2 of the Game Changers series), The Long Game (Book #6) explores what happens after the two hockey superstars finally commit to building a life together. Loving each other was never the hard part—but maintaining a relationship while juggling demanding NHL careers, media scrutiny, personal expectations, and long stretches in different cities proves far more complicated than either of them imagined. Shane and Ilya quickly discover that happily ever after isn’t a destination—it’s something you have to keep choosing every day.
What makes the novel so satisfying is that it doesn’t manufacture unnecessary drama. Instead, Rachel Reid focuses on something far more meaningful: showing two men who are deeply committed to each other learning how to communicate, compromise, and build a future despite the obstacles that remain. Their relationship feels more mature than ever, while Ilya and Shane continue to prove why they’re two of the most beloved characters in modern queer romance.
We couldn’t think of a better book to close out this year’s celebration. With Heated Rivalry (both book and tv show) kicking off our recommendations on June 1 and The Long Game bringing us to June 30, it feels like we’ve come full circle. And with Season 2 of Heated Rivalry already on the horizon, now is the perfect time to experience the novel before seeing Shane and Ilya’s next chapter come to life on screen.
Where to buy? The Long Game is available to purchase at all reputable booksellers.
The Queen of My Dreams
Set between Canada and Pakistan across multiple decades, The Queen of My Dreams follows Azra (Amrit Kaur), a queer Pakistani Canadian woman who returns to her family’s homeland after the sudden death of her father. As she reconnects with relatives and revisits memories of her childhood, the film gradually reveals the complicated relationship she shares with her mother, Mariam (Nimra Bucha). Through flashbacks that mirror the glamorous style of classic Bollywood films, we also witness Mariam’s own youth, dreams, and the expectations that shaped the woman she would become.
What makes the film so special is the compassion it extends to every generation. Rather than painting Azra and Mariam as opposites, it invites us to understand how culture, migration, grief, faith, and family have influenced them both. As we wrote in our review, it’s a story about identity and the things we inherit—not just traditions and trauma, but also resilience, love, and the possibility of understanding one another even after years of distance.
Warm, funny, and deeply emotional, The Queen of My Dreams reminds us that family relationships are rarely simple. It’s a beautiful exploration of queer identity, cultural heritage, and the ways parents and children continue discovering each other long after they think they already know one another.
Where to watch? The Queen of My Dreams is available to stream on Prime Video, MUBI, and Apple TV, depending on the region.
We’ve Been Around
One of the biggest misconceptions about transgender people is that they’re somehow “new.” We’ve Been Around exists to prove the opposite. Created by Rhys Ernst, this remarkable documentary miniseries brings six transgender pioneers to life through short dramatized episodes, introducing viewers to people whose stories were too often erased from history despite the enormous impact they had on their communities.
Across its six episodes, the series spotlights figures including Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera’s fight for trans liberation after Stonewall, Civil War soldier Albert Cashier, activist Lou Sullivan, gospel singer Wilmer Broadnax, Lucy Hicks Anderson’s battle to protect her marriage, and activists Leslie Feinberg and Riki Wilchins. Each episode runs only a few minutes, but together they paint a much larger picture: trans people have always existed, and they’ve always helped shape history, even when history tried to forget them.
We’ve Been Around is an essential watch not just because it’s educational, but because it’s deeply human. It transforms names that many people have never heard into fully realized individuals with dreams, struggles, and extraordinary courage. As we close out Pride Month, it feels like the perfect reminder that queer history didn’t begin yesterday—it stretches back for generations, carried forward by people who refused to disappear.
Where to watch? We’ve Been Around is available to stream on YouTube.
Happy Pride 2026! Follow us on X and Instagram for all queer stuff!
Featured Image: Images Courtesy of Netflix, HBO Max, Amazon MGM Studios, Focus Features, Getty Images, Disney+, Apple TV, Crave.
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