The start of the month brings a lively slate of titles aimed at lesbian, queer and trans+ audiences, with major studio sequels rubbing shoulders with smaller, fiercely original works. This guide highlights the most notable entries coming to cinemas and streaming platforms in May, explains what makes each project worth attention, and points readers toward ways to celebrate and support creators from the LGBTQIA+ community. Expect a mix of high-profile returns, immersive concert filmmaking and a few surprise indie offerings that foreground queer talent both on- and off-screen. Throughout, the titles, platforms and exact release dates are noted so you can plan screenings and watch parties.
Whether you prefer the spectacle of multiplex premieres or the intimacy of stage adaptations and comedies streaming at home, this month’s timetable has something for most tastes. We’ll cover the biggest theatrical draws first and then move to streaming debuts and smaller-distribution gems. Along the way, look out for projects produced by prominent queer artists and performers, and for work that foregrounds sapphic narratives and gender-diverse voices. If you missed some recent drops, there’s also a quick recap of April highlights and details on supporting the outlets that champion this work, including the charitable arm behind a long-running queer magazine.
Big-screen highlights and anticipated sequels
The month opens with a highly anticipated studio sequel: The Devil Wears Prada 2 arrives in cinemas on 1 May, reuniting Anne Hathaway, Meryl Streep, Stanley Tucci and Emily Blunt while adding Simone Ashley and Pauline Chalamet to the ensemble. In the same theatrical window, Andy Serkis’s animated adaptation of Animal Farm lands on 1 May, notable for featuring trans star Laverne Cox as the voice of Snowball. These two entries bookend a mix of franchise-level polish and star-driven animation that will dominate multiplex conversation, offering mainstream visibility for queer and trans performers and characters within widely distributed releases.
Concert cinema and immersive viewing experiences
For fans of live music captured for the big screen, Billie Eilish – Hit Me Hard And Soft: The Tour Movie brings a 3D concert film experience to cinemas on 8 May. This format aims to reproduce the energy of a live show for viewers who missed tickets or prefer cinema-based immersion over crowded arenas. Concert films like this function as both cultural events and accessible alternatives to touring, and they spotlight the significance of queer representation in pop stardom when artists who identify as part of the LGBTQIA+ community are centered in mass-market releases.
Streaming premieres, stage adaptations and smaller-screen gems
Streaming platforms and specialty channels host a strong selection this month. On 8 May the Roku Channel debuts Broad Trip, a comedic mother-daughter road movie starring Sophia Bush alongside Lauren Holly and Steve Guttenberg. Mid-month brings a gripping stage-to-film translation: Is God Is, directed by Aleshea Harris and produced by Tessa Thompson, which is slated for US cinemas on 15 May. Its cast includes Janelle Monáe, Vivica A. Fox, Sterling K. Brown, Kara Young, Erika Alexander and Mallori Johnson; the project converts the intensity of the original play into a cinematic form, an example of how theatre work can reach broader audiences through film.
Other notable streaming and episodic arrivals
Additional notable releases include the Netflix comedy special Wanda Sykes: Legacy on 19 May, the second season of Drag House Rules on OUTFlix on 21 May, and a trio of releases on 22 May: the theatrical film I Love Boosters (featuring Keke Palmer, Alexa Demie and Naomi Ackie) and Netflix’s Mating Season: Season 1 from the creators of Big Mouth, which teases adult-oriented animated storytelling with queer representation. Finally, fans of the YA mystery adaptation will find A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder arriving on Netflix on 27 May, continuing the story of the queer character Cara.
Smaller platforms, indie titles and ways to support queer media
Among smaller-platform offerings, look out for VIV (TBA May) on the long-running sapphic platform Tello, an original thriller that highlights the importance of niche services in sustaining devoted queer audiences. If you’re catching up, the piece also notes that several queer-forward titles landed in April; check platform feeds for previously released content if you missed early-month drops. For readers who want to go beyond viewing, consider supporting publications and organizations that center lesbian, queer and gender-diverse creators. DIVA magazine — which has spotlighted women and gender-diverse people in media for more than 30 years — now operates as a charity under the DIVA Charitable Trust. Learn more at divacharitabletrust.com and consider following their social links such as linkin.bio/ig-divamagazine to stay connected.