Let’s be real, it’s been a rough week, and we could all use a little escape from reality. That’s why we’ve rounded up the best LGBTQ+ Hallmark movies for you to binge because the stakes are low, the entertainment value is high, and the problems are always solved by the end of the film.
Are the movies formulaic? Of course, but that’s what we need right now. Who wants to be surprised by a depressing or stressful plot twist when you can leave your brain behind and sink into a Hallmark movie? Take comfort in the quaint small-town vibes, quirky characters, predictable cheesy plot that will warm your heart, and a guaranteed happy ending.
There is no “bury your gays” trope to be found here; it’s only happily ever afters for these characters. While the Hallmark Channel still largely focuses on straight couples, they have made a handful of LGBTQ+ rom-coms and films with queer leads. So forget about the stressors of the election and focus on binge-watching as many adorable romance movies as you can!
Courtesy of Hallmark
Christmas on Cherry Lane is one of those fun rom-coms with a large ensemble cast. The film follows three different couples, including a gay couple played by gay actor Jonathan Bennet and Vincent Rodriguez III, who are having 24 guests over for the holidays while their kitchen is being remodeled — it’s the kind of silly plot that will entertain and relax your over-stressed brain.
Where to watch: Hallmark+, Netflix
Courtesy of Hallmark
The fall-themed gay rom-com Notes of Autumn stars out Bros actor Luke Mcfarlane as best-selling author Leo, who swaps places with his best friend Ellie when he’s in a writing slump. Leo moves to the big city and falls for Ellie’s friend Matt, played by Peter Porte.
Where to watch: Hallmark+, Hoopla, or rent on VOD
Courtesy of Hallmark
Fake dating is always a fun trope in rom-coms, but it’s even better in Friends & Family Christmas because it’s queer! Marking Hallmark’s first lesbian holiday romance, the film follows photographer Dani (Humberly Gonzalez), who asks lawyer Amelia, played by queer actress Ali Liebert, to pretend to be her girlfriend when her parents surprise her with a visit. Of course, the two catch feelings and fall hopelessly in love.
Where to watch: Hallmark+
Courtesy of Hallmark
Out actors Jonathan Bennett and Brad Harder play the Hallmark Channel’s first gay married couple in The Christmas House. The film centers around an older couple and their two adult children who come home for Christmas. Bennet plays son Brandon, who is hoping to adopt a child with his husband Jake (Harder).
Where to watch: Prime Video, Peacock
While Raise a Glass to Love is a romance about a straight couple, it stars Juan Pablo Di Pace, who came out publicly in 2019 in a TEDx talk in the Netherlands. The film follows aspiring master sommelier Jenna, who returns to her family vineyard to study but ends up falling for a handsome Argentinian winemaker named Marcelo, played by Di Pace.
Where to watch: Hallmark+, Peacock, or Tubi
Courtesy of Hallmark
Jonathan Bennett stars in, and executive produced The Holiday Sitter, the network’s first Christmas movie with a gay couple as the main love story. Not only does the cute movie star Bennett, but his love interest is played by another out actor, George Krissa. In the film, the Mean Girls actor plays Sam, who puts his bachelor lifestyle on hold to babysit his niece and nephew around the holidays and ends up falling for his handsome neighbor Jason, played by Krissa.
Where to watch: Hallmark+
Courtesy of Hallmark
Donia Kash made history as the first openly nonbinary actor to star in a Hallmark movie. Kash plays queer character Suzette in The Secrets of Bella Vista, a film about a woman who inherits an apple orchard that is deep in debt with a half-sister she didn’t know about and then uses her knowledge of antiques to save the orchard.
Where to watch: Hallmark+, Peacock
Courtesy of Hallmark
Kyle Dean Massey, who has acted alongside his real-life husband Taylor Frey in several films, stars in this quaint Hallmark movie. A Merry Christmas Match follows a woman who wonders if she should have left town and followed her dreams instead of working in her mother’s antique shop in a small ski village after she meets a handsome man.
Where to watch: Hallmark+
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