Top 10 LGBTQ+ Characters in Teen Movies
#10: Alex Truelove “Alex Strangelove” (2018)
Partially based on the life of writer/director Craig Johnson, Alex Truelove is a confused character many will relate to. Hesitant to sleep with his long-term girlfriend Claire, Alex meets openly gay teenager Elliott and sparks fly. Alex is a wildlife nerd who does well in school, but while he understands all kinds of animals, it takes him most of the film to understand himself. He eventually realizes that he’s been repressing his sexuality due to a traumatic experience as a kid, and through reconciling with this he’s finally able to find his identity. It says a lot about changing attitudes that Alex’s coming out is met with acceptance across the board.
#9: Randy Dean “The Incredibly True Adventure of Two Girls in Love” (1995)
High school kids falling in love is a tale as old as time, but this lesbian teen romance cleverly uses the genre to reflect mid nineties attitudes on gay representation. It tells the story of Randy Dean and Evie Roy navigating all the pitfalls of being young and gay in a small town. Randy captures the essence of the unapologetic, working-class tomboy, living with her gay aunt, her aunt’s girlfriend, and her aunt’s ex-girlfriend, she knows who she is from the start. For young girls who aren’t typically feminine, Randy's on screen presence is a watershed moment.
#8: Damian Leigh “Mean Girls” (2004)
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While it would have been easy to relegate Damien to the cliché of “gay best friend”, this 2004 high school comedy avoids this trope with its clever take on the genre. An outcast whose best friend is also the target of homophobic ridicule, Damien endears himself to audiences through his kind treatment of high school-newcomer Cady, as well as his awesome one-liners. Actor Danny Franzese, who didn’t publicly come out until the movie’s 10th anniversary, was initially resentful of his inability to land a role afterwards, but he’s since changed his mind after being told by fans how much it meant for them to see a gay character in a mainstream comedy who wasn’t always the butt of the joke.
#7: Amy Antsler “Booksmart” (2019)
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Much like other entries in this list, “Booksmart” injects a queer twist into a familiar story to get great results. The story follows Amy, an awkward overachiever who’s openly lesbian, and her equally ambitious best friend Molly as the two focus on going to one final high school party before they graduate. Amy's already out and proud at the beginning of the movie, which gives the character license to explore classic awkward moments outside of the coming out narrative. In one scene she tries to slyly find out if her classmate Ryan is gay before suffering the all-too-familiar heartbreak of seeing Ryan in the pool later kissing a boy. Amy’s orientation is central to her character without having to be the focus of the plot, which shows just how far gay representation has come.
#6: Patrick “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” (2012)
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When Charlie begins attending high school, Sam and Patrick become his closest friends, despite being seniors on the cusp of graduation. We slowly learn not only that Patrick is gay but also that he’s in a secret relationship with Brad, the high school quarterback, who is as closeted as they come. Things culminate in a fight between Patrick and Brad that sees Charlie defending his friend, and Patrick returning the favor by visiting Charlie during his time of need at the end. But perhaps Patrick’s best moment is his senior prank against the homophobic shop teacher, where he paints all of the tools bright pink.
#5: Leonardo “The Way He Looks” (2014)
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Leo is a victory for intersectional representation, offering some much-needed visibility for disabled people as well as those on the LGBT spectrum. His blindness isn’t portrayed as something to be overcome, but something to be understood and learned about, and this is exactly what his love interest Gabriel aims to do. As his relationship with Gabriel grows, so does he, standing up to both bullies and his overbearing parents. The movie’s closing scene has Leo riding a bike with Gabriel guiding him, something he previously said he would never be able to do, in a meaningful display of young love.
#4: Megan Bloomfield “But I’m a Cheerleader” (1999)
Natash Lyonne stars as a high school cheerleader whose parents suspect she’s a lesbian, thanks to her interest in tofu and female athletes. She gets sent away to be “turned straight” at the True Directions Camp, operated by an authoritarian homophobe. Ironically, it’s only after she’s sent away that she realizes she’s gay, falling in love with fellow camper Graham. Megan eventually comes to terms with this part of herself and abandons the camp, leaving behind the notion that anything about her needs to be “cured.” At the closing graduation ceremony she finally wins Graham over – and even her parents accept in the end – in a fitting vindication for her rebellious spirit.
#3: Elio Perlman “Call Me By Your Name” (2017)
During a hot summer in rural Italy, teenager Elio attracts the attention of Oliver, a grad student working with Elio’s archaeologist father. Though Elio initially thinks Oliver is rude and shirks his advances, he quickly acknowledges his desire and they begin to connect. While the 1980s setting means they have to keep their tryst hidden, it’s clearly shown that being gay is nothing to be ashamed of, and this secrecy is an unfortunate necessity. Despite their age gap the two are more than a match; Elio is quick-witted, intelligent, and it’s he who first pursues Oliver and eventually gets his way.
#2: Chiron “Moonlight” (2016)
Coming-of-age drama “Moonlight” tells the story of Chiron, who grows from a boy to a man over the course of the film. Painting a picture of life as a black, gay man in the United States, this Oscar winning film helped expose a traditionally underrepresented story to mainstream audiences in a big way. Chiron struggles not only with his sexuality and the bullying he receives when he’s younger, but also with the impact of drugs and poverty in the form of his mother’s addiction and his later job as a drug dealer. Through it all, it’s Chiron’s complicated relationship with his best friend Kevin that anchors the story, and helps him navigate the complexities of his world. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few Honorable Mentions: Jared Eamons “Boy Erased” (2018) Christian Stovitz “Clueless” (1995) Cynthia Rose “Pitch Perfect” series (2012-17) Eric Hunter “Edge of Seventeen” (1998) Brandon “Easy A” (2010)
#1: Simon Spier “Love, Simon” (2018)
This movie follows Simon Spier, a closeted high-school kid who confides anonymously over email with a fellow closeted classmate. While Simon’s confident his family and friends wouldn’t treat him differently if they knew he was gay, this story taps into feelings and fears LGBTQ people in even the most welcoming places have about coming out. His angry exchange with a classmate who outs him is a profound moment, as is the scene where his dad apologises to Simon for his insensitive jokes. When his anonymous love interest is finally revealed to be Bram, the two share a romantic moment atop the ferris wheel in a heartfelt display of vulnerability that feels instantly iconic.
