Pride Month Picks: AAPI Works Celebrating LGBTQIA+ Voices
Our recommended books, movies, and TV shows featuring queer AAPI narratives
Pride Month may be coming to an end, but celebrating and supporting the queer members within our communities never stops.
LGBTQIA+ narratives featuring AAPI folx have historically been hard to come by both on the page and screen. In recent years particularly, the landscape is changing, and the work coming from queer AAPI authors, actors, and directors stands out as some of the most compelling storytelling in contemporary times. Even so, although authentic portrayals of LGBTQ+ characters and identities have made real strides, the increased visibility has also brought added scrutiny, with censorship efforts like book bans continuing to put these stories at risk – making it more important than ever to seek out, acknowledge, and uplift these stories while we still can.
Whether you're looking to see a version of yourself reflected in a story for the first time or simply want to expand your media diet this summer, these picks celebrate the richness, complexity, and joy of queer AAPI folx and the communities they’re from. From literature to film and beyond, each form of media brings its own voice and perspective, offering something authentic for people across the full spectrum of gender identities and sexual orientations within the AAPI community.
(Note: The following descriptions for each work may contain minor thematic spoilers.)
Books/Graphic Novels:
Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo
This National Book Award-winning novel follows Chinese-American teenager Lily Hu as she discovers her queer identity in 1950s San Francisco. Drawn to a local lesbian bar called the Telegraph Club, Lily finds herself falling for her classmate Kathleen Miller at a time when her family and community are under threat from the Red Scare. Tender and atmospheric, it is a wonderful story about first love, self-discovery, and the courage it takes to live authentically.
Great for: Readers who like slow-burn romances and emotionally immersive historical fiction, especially stories where social and political forces shape the characters’ lives.
Similar to: Carol (previously titled The Price of Salt), The Miseducation of Cameron Post
Last Words from Montmartre by Qiu Miaojin
An epistolary novel free from the constraints of chronology and distance, Qiu Miaojin is unafraid to stare desire and loneliness in the face. It is a testament to the depth of human emotion and the excruciating intimacy of the written word. She explores everything from her infatuation with another woman to her favorite films to her relationship with creating art. Though published posthumously, by the end of this love letter-suicide note-memoir you feel as if you've known her in life. (Content warning: this novel deals with very heavy themes including suicidal ideation, self-harm, grief, depression, and mental illness.)
Great for: Anyone who’s in the mood for something bleak and emotionally dense. Recommended by Lotus Mag staff member Michelle Wong!
Similar to: Confessions of a Mask, The Color Purple
Messy Roots: A Graphic Memoir of a Wuhanese-American by Laura Gao
Messy Roots is a graphic memoir by Laura Gao that chronicles her journey growing up as a Chinese immigrant in Texas, navigating the push and pull between her heritage and her American life. With warmth and humor, Gao reflects on the challenges of feeling caught between two cultures while also coming to terms with her identity as a queer person. It’s a visually engaging coming-of-age story about a girl who “simply wants to make the basketball team, escape Chinese school, and figure out why girls make her heart flutter.”
Great for: Anyone looking for something funny, honest, and uplifting. Or anyone wanting to relate to the feeling of not quite fitting in and slowly learning to embrace who you are. Recommended by Lotus Mag staff member Emily Fang!
Similar to: Almost American Girl, Fun Home
The Magic Fish by Trung Le Nguyen
This graphic novel by Trung Le Nguyen follows a young Vietnamese-American boy, Tiến, who uses fairy tales to bridge the language gap with his immigrant mother. As Tiến navigates the complexities of adolescence and struggles to find the words to come out as gay, the boundaries between reality and the storybook worlds he and his mother share begin to blur. With its gorgeous and detailed illustrations, this novel explores the power of storytelling to connect people across generations and experiences.
Great for: Anyone who’s in the mood for a gentle, reflective read and enjoys stories that are poetic and understated rather than plot-driven. Recommended by Lotus Mag co-founder Alyssa Chiang!
Similar to: The Prince and the Dressmaker, American Born Chinese
Mooncakes by Suzanne Walker and Wendy Xu
Mooncakes is a cozy, magical graphic novel about Nova, a young witch whose quiet life at her grandmothers' bookshop takes an unexpected turn when her childhood best friend returns to town. The reunion sets off a whimsical supernatural adventure intertwined with a tender romance, all wrapped in cute, witchy autumn vibes. With this natural and seamless incorporation of queer and disabled characters into the heart of the story, it's a warm and joyful read about the magic of friendship, love, and found family.
Great for: When you want to read a cute, feel-good queer story, especially if you’re into witches/magic/fantasy.
Similar to: Nimona, Kiki’s Delivery Service
Films:
The Wedding Banquet (1993 & 2025 remake)
This 1993 comedy-drama directed by Ang Lee follows Wai-Tung, a gay Taiwanese-American man living in New York City with his partner, who tries to keep his sexuality hidden from his traditional parents by faking a marriage with a friend in need of a green card. When his parents fly in to celebrate the wedding, what was meant to be a simple ruse quickly spirals into a comedy of errors. The film tells a sharp, funny, and deeply humane story about the lengths we’ll go to for family – and the cost of keeping parts of ourselves hidden. The 2025 remake from director Andrew Ahn and starringLily Gladstone,Kelly Marie Tran, andBowen Yang is also worth a watch, as it offers a modern lens on the same beloved story.
Great for:Anyone who likes a mix of emotional scenes and hilarious moments. Something that makes you laugh but also contemplate serious topics like cultural and generational divides.
Similar to: The Farewell, My Big Fat Greek Wedding
Where to Watch: 1993 version: Youtube, Tubi, PLEX (all free); 2025 version: Paramount+ (subscription) or Kanopy (free through public library or university)
Lingua Franca (2019)
Lingua Franca is a quietly powerful drama about Olivia, a Filipina transgender woman working as a caregiver in Brooklyn, whose carefully managed life is complicated by an unexpected romantic relationship. Written, directed by, and starring Isabel Sandoval, it's an intimate and naturalistic film about vulnerability, undocumented life, and the universal desire to find a place to call home.
Great for: Anyone looking for slow, intimate, character-driven storytelling that feels like a window into someone’s life.
Similar to: Minari, Portrait of a Lady on Fire
Where to Watch: The Criterion Channel (subscription) or Kanopy (free through public library or university)
The Half of It (2020)
This charming coming-of-age film puts a fresh spin on the classic French play Cyrano de Bergerac through the eyes of Ellie Chu, a smart but reserved Chinese-American teenager in a small town who writes essays for her high school classmates as a side hustle. When a good-natured jock asks her to ghostwrite his love letters to a girl he admires, Ellie realizes that she’s also developing feelings for the same girl, and the situation quickly grows more complicated than expected. Written and directed by Alice Wu (who also made Saving Face, another great queer film from 2004), and starringLeah Lewis,Daniel Diemer, andAlexxis Lemire, this is a witty and heartfelt story about the many different shapes love can take.
Great for: Anyone who’s in the mood for something that’s funny and light on the surface but carries real emotional depth underneath.
Similar to: The Perks of Being a Wallflower, The Edge of Seventeen
Where to Watch: Netflix (subscription)
The Queen of My Dreams (2023)
The Queen of My Dreams is a 2023 Canadian comedy-drama written and directed by Fawzia Mirza that follows Azra (played by Amrit Kaur), a queer Pakistani-Canadian graduate student in 1990s Toronto whose relationship with her traditional mother has been strained ever since coming out as lesbian. An unexpected event forces Azra to travel to Pakistan and confront the deep cultural and personal gulf between herself and her mother. The film weaves multiple storylines together through inventive Bollywood-inspired sequences in order to convey a warm, funny, and sincere narrative about cultural identity and family.
Great for: Fans of musicals and Bollywood, and anyone looking for something heartfelt and visually joyful.
Similar to: The Persian Version, The Big Sick
Where to Watch: Not available to stream at the moment, but can rent/buy from AppleTV or Prime Video
Girls Like Girls (2026)
Directed by Hayley Kiyoko and based on her book and song of the same name, this film tells the story of Coley (played by Maya da Costa), a 17-year-old who moves to rural Oregon to live with her estranged father after losing her mother. There, an unexpected connection with a girl named Sonya (played by Myra Molloy) sets off a complicated and deeply felt first love. Over the course of one transformative summer, both are forced to confront their self-doubt and learn to embrace their emotions.
Great for: Anyone looking for a feel-good movie about young queer love. Make sure to stay for the post-credits scene!
Similar to: Call Me By Your Name, Heartstopper (TV series)
Where to Watch: Currently in theatres, and may be available on streaming platforms in the coming months
TV Shows/Documentaries:
Sort Of (2021-2024, 3 seasons)
Sort Of is a Canadian sitcom about Sabi Mehboob, a gender-fluid Pakistani-Canadian millennial juggling their immigrant family, their queer chosen family, and their job as a nanny in Toronto. Created by and starring Zaiba Baig, the series is praised for its sharp writing and deeply human take on messy, everyday life.
Great for: Anyone looking for a good laugh, especially if you like deadpan humor.
Similar to: We Are Lady Parts, Schitt’s Creek
Where to Watch: HBO Max (subscription) or Hulu (subscription)
Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin (2022-2024, 2 seasons)
This spinoff of the classic TV series Pretty Little Liars is a slasher mystery drama that follows a group of teenage girls in a small Pennsylvania town who find themselves tormented by a mysterious figure known only as “A”. One of the teenagers, Mouse (played by Malia Pyles), is queer and the daughter of an Asian-American lesbian couple, Elodie and Shirley (played by Lea Salonga and Kim Berrios Lin). The show features diverse characters and doesn't shy away from bringing up social issues like trauma, toxic masculinity, and racism.
Great for: Anyone looking for a teen drama mixed with some darker mystery and horror vibes.
Similar to: Stranger Things, Yellowjackets
Where to Watch: HBO Max (subscription), Hulu (subscription), or Youtube TV (subscription)
No Good Deed (2024, 1 season)
No Good Deed is a dark comedy about three different families competing to buy a house in Los Angeles with a mysterious past. One of them is a lesbian couple: Leslie (played by Abbi Jacobson) and Sarah (played by Poppy Liu) who are navigating marriage and the decision to have a baby. The show presents a sharply satirical look at ambition, desperation, and the chaos that ensues when people want the same thing badly enough.
Great for: Fans of murder mysteries with fast-paced plots and unexpected twists. As a standalone mini series, it’s also perfect for anyone looking for a weekend binge.
Similar to: The White Lotus, Knives Out (film)
Where to Watch: Netflix (subscription)
XO, Kitty (2023-present, 3 seasons)
A spinoff of the To All the Boys film trilogy by Jenny Han, this romcom series follows Kitty Song-Covey, a high school student of mixed Korean-American descent and younger sister of Lara Jean Song-Covey (the main character from the films). Kitty travels to Seoul for boarding school and experiences a bisexual awakening, navigating feelings for both boys and girls throughout the series.
Great for: Anyone who’s in the mood for a lighthearted teen romance with a dynamic, twist-filled plot.
Similar to: The Summer I Turned Pretty, Never Have I Ever
Where to Watch: Netflix (subscription)
The A List: 15 Stories from Asian and Pacific Diasporas (2026)
This documentary presents a diverse collection of personal narratives from across the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) communities in America, bringing together stories from well-known celebrities to ordinary community members. Among the queer voices featured are trans athlete and advocate Schuyler Bailar, musician DJ Rekha, and comedian Bowen Yang. Hearing how each person navigated the intersection of their Asian heritage and American identity makes for a thought-provoking and genuinely inspiring watch.
Great for: Anyone looking for something educational, informative, emotionally resonant and authentic.
Similar to: The film is part of Timothy Greenfield-Sanders' ongoing “List” series, a long-running collection of documentaries and portrait photography celebrating underrepresented communities, including HBO's The Black List, The Trans List, The Out List, and The Latino List.
Where to Watch: HBO Max (subscription)
Queer AAPI representation has come a long way from where it once started, and as the LGBTQIA+ platform continues to grow, these stories are connecting with younger and older generations alike in ways that feel both timely and transformative.
Got any recommendations that didn’t make our list? We’d love to hear your favorite queer AAPI picks! Drop them in the comments below!