Pride 2026: A Q+ Celebration
June 23
The Bisexual
Created by and starring Desiree Akhavan, The Bisexual follows Leila, a woman whose life is thrown into disarray after she ends a long-term relationship with her girlfriend and creative partner, Sadie (Maxine Peake). Hoping to figure out who she is outside of that relationship, Leila moves in with Gabe (Brian Gleeson), a straight male novelist whose outlook on life couldn’t be more different from her own. The change forces her to confront questions about her sexuality, identity, and the assumptions other people make about both.
What makes the series stand out is its refusal to simplify bisexuality into a neat explanation. As Leila begins dating men for the first time in years, she encounters skepticism from friends, confusion from potential partners, and even doubt from within LGBTQ+ spaces. The show tackles these experiences with humor and honesty, exploring the messy realities of self-discovery without ever losing sight of the emotional stakes involved.
Funny, awkward, and refreshingly candid, The Bisexual examines how difficult it can be to fit into categories that other people expect you to occupy. Rather than offering easy answers, it embraces uncertainty and contradiction, creating a deeply human story about identity, relationships, and the ongoing process of understanding yourself. It’s one of the most thoughtful and nuanced explorations of bisexuality ever put on television.
Where to watch? The Bisexual is available to stream on Hulu, Disney+, and Prime Video depending on the region.
Swimming in the Dark by Tomasz Jedrowski
Set in 1980s communist Poland, Swimming in the Dark begins when Ludwik and Janusz meet at a summer agricultural camp and form an immediate connection. What starts as friendship soon develops into a passionate romance, one that must remain hidden in a society where homosexuality is not only stigmatized but dangerous. During stolen moments together, the two young men dream about the future and imagine lives beyond the limitations imposed on them by the political system surrounding them.
As they grow older, however, their paths begin to diverge. Janusz becomes increasingly drawn to the opportunities and security offered by the Communist Party, while Ludwik remains skeptical of the compromises required to succeed within the system. Their differing ambitions place growing strain on their relationship, forcing both men to choose between personal authenticity and the futures they believe are possible.
Told through Ludwik’s reflections on a love that shaped his life, Swimming in the Dark is both an intimate romance and a portrait of a country on the verge of transformation. Tomasz Jedrowski captures the exhilaration of first love alongside the pressures of politics, class, and social expectation. The result is a deeply emotional novel about desire, freedom, and the painful choices people make when love and survival seem to demand different things.
Where to buy? Swimming in the Dark is available to purchase at all reputable booksellers.
Assembly
Some documentaries aim to capture a moment, Assembly aims to imagine a future. This ambitious hybrid film follows acclaimed artist Rashaad Newsome as he transforms New York’s historic Park Avenue Armory into a sprawling multimedia celebration of Black and queer creativity. Through video installations, sculpture, dance, music, holograms, and performance art, Newsome reclaims a space once associated with power and exclusion, turning it into a living monument to resilience, self-expression, and community.
As Newsome’s vision takes shape, the film introduces us to a diverse group of collaborators from around the world whose personal stories become part of the artwork itself. Dancers, musicians, poets, and performers bring their own experiences into the project, using art to confront trauma, challenge expectations, and imagine new possibilities for themselves and their communities. The result is a powerful exploration of how creativity can become both resistance and healing.
One of the film’s innovations is Being, a non-binary artificial intelligence created by Newsome that serves as both narrator and participant. As Being learns about history, colonialism, and liberation, its journey mirrors the themes explored throughout the film. Blending documentary, performance, speculative fiction, and visual art, Assembly becomes more than a record of an exhibition. It’s a moving meditation on ancestry, collective memory, and the joyful, expansive futures that Black and queer communities continue to build for themselves.
Where to watch? Assembly is available on PBS’ Independent Lens and 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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