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10 Netflix LGBTQ+ Documentaries You Should Watch In 2021

Updated: Dec 8, 2021

Back in January, we gave you a list of 19 Binge-Worthy Netflix Shows to Help Get You Through Lockdown. Now, lockdown restrictions are starting to lift, but Netflix still has plenty of great queer cinema on offer - including documentaries. From heartwarming love stories to heartbreaking struggles, historical landmark events to beautiful coming-out stories, here are 10 queer Netflix documentaries available in the UK right now.



1. DISCLOSURE: TRANS LIVES ON SCREEN (2020)

Disclosure: Trans Lives on Screen is a 2020 American documentary film directed and produced by Sam Feder and features famous trans voices from the film industry including Laverne Cox, Jen Richards, and Jamie Clayton. The film takes an in-depth look at Hollywood's depiction of transgender people and the impact these stories have on trans lives and American culture.


IMDb Rating: 8.2

Genre: Documentary

Starring: Laverne Cox, Bianca Leigh, Jen Richards

Director: Sam Feder

Rating: 15

Film Length: 1h 48min



2. CIRCUS OF BOOKS (2019)

Circus Of Books offers a rare glimpse into an untold chapter of queer history. In 1976, Karen and Barry Mason fell on hard times and were looking for a way to support their young family when they answered an ad in the Los Angeles Times. What was expected to be a brief sideline led to their becoming fully immersed in the LGBT community as they took over a local store, Circus of Books. Directed by their daughter Rachel Mason.


IMDb Rating: 7.1

Genre: Documentary | Biography | History

Starring: Karen Mason, Barry Mason, Micah Mason

Director: Rachel Mason

Rating: Not Rated

Film Length: 1h 32min



3. LAERTE-SE (2017)

Laerte-se is a 2017 Brazilian documentary film directed by Lygia Barbosa and Eliane Brum following the Brazilian cartoonist Laerte Coutinho, who came out as a transgender woman late in life. The film examines gender identity and what it means to be masculine/feminine, while also exploring the issues Learte is faces introducing herself as a woman and her talents as an artist.


IMDb Rating: 6.9

Genre: Biography, Documentary

Original Language: Portuguese (Brazil)

Starring: Laerte Coutinho, Eliane Brum, Rafael Coutinho

Directors: Lygia Barbosa, Eliane Brum

Rating: TV-MA

Film Length: 1h 40min



4. PRAY AWAY (2021)

Approximately 700,000 people in the US have gone through conversion therapy through their church. Pray Away is a 2021 American documentary following survivors of conversion therapy and former leaders of the "pray the gay away" movement. Some leaders deal with the aftermath of their actions, while other survivors seek healing and acceptance from more than a decade of trauma.


IMDb Rating: 6.3

Genre: Documentary

Director: Kristine Stolakis

Rating: PG-13

Film Length: 1h 41min



5. TRIXIE MATTEL: MOVING PARTS (2019)

Directed by Nick Zeig-Owens, Trixie Mattel: Moving Parts documents the highs and lows of drag queen Trixie Mattel's rise to fame after her success on RuPauls Drag Race All Stars. The documentary gives audiences a look at the man behind the makeup, following Trixie over the course of a year and highlighting the struggles of managing relationships while on tour.


IMDb Rating: 7.3

Genre: Documentary

Starring: Trixie Mattel, Benjamin Putnam, Caldwell Tidicue

Director: Nicholas Zeig-Owens

Rating: Not Rated

Film Length: 1h 31min



6. THE DEATH AND LIFE OF MARSHA P. JOHNSON (2017)

The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson follows LGBT+ rights activist Victoria Cruz as she investigates the mysterious death of Marsha P. Johnson - a black gay rights activist and Stonewall veteran. The documentary uses archive interviews with Johnson alongside her family, friends and fellow activists. It's an important and powerful documentary that we'd recommend anyone interested in the history of LGBT+ rights to watch.


IMDb Rating: 7.3

Genre: Documentary

Starring: Kurt Wolfe, Sue Yacka, Catherine Shugrue Dos Santos

Director: David France

Rating: 15

Film Length: 1h 45min



7. A SECRET LOVE (2020)

A Secret Love tells the story of two women falling in love in the 1940s. Pro baseball player Terry Donahue and Pat Henschel met in 1947 and kept their lesbian relationship a secret from their families for almost seven decades. The documentary is a touching a heartbreaking story of falling in love, keeping secrets and the realities of aging and ill health. A beautiful and heartbreaking watch.


IMDb Rating: 7.3

Genre: Documentary