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Examples of LGBTQ+ storytelling in film and television is increasing year-on-year, and while it's often misinformed and regularly tokenistic, seeing LGBTQ+ lives on screen is not a new thing.
An #LGBTHistoryMonth 
thread
An #LGBTHistoryMonth thread
The 1894 Dickson Experimental Sound Film is often described as the earliest example of same sex imagery on film. It shows two men dancing together, and attempted to record sound and moving image together. The experiment failed but was restored in 1998.
Although it is often referred to as âThe Gay Brothersâ, there is no evidence the men were intended to be presented as queer, though some film historians do interpret it this way.
The first winner of the Academy Award for Best Picture was Wings (1927). The story ends with the male protagonists sharing a tender kiss. Although their relationship is described as a âfriendshipâ, it is considered to be one of the first romantic kisses between two men on screen.
The camera stays fixed on the men throughout most of their tender farewell and there are no jokes made â an important distinction compared to many portrayals of queer people at the time. Not all representations were so thoughtful for many years to come.
The 1930âs saw fewer people going to the cinema. Filmmakers created âcontroversialâ storylines to attract audiences back to the big screen. This included a lot of stereotyping and queer characters designed to shock audiences.
Sexuality and gender expectations were entwined and films from the period often feature queer male characters presented as weak or effeminate and designed to be ridiculed, as well as queer women often shown dressed in suits, top hats and with slicked back hair.
In the 1932 film Morocco, queer icon Marlene Deitrich is the first woman to share a same sex onscreen kiss. Dressed in a suit and hat, the kiss is met with laughter in the scene and would have been received as a comedy moment by audiences.
Some countries began to censor films heavily at this time and directors presented characters drenched in subtext. What came next were queer and gender non-conforming characters presented as villains, criminals or having mental ill health.
In more recent times, we've seen much more positive representations of LGBTQ+ lives and relationships on our screens.
The Watermelon Woman (1996) centered on questions of race, identity, and representation of Black lesbians across film history. There are so many reasons to love this film and not just because Cheryl spends a lot of time digging through archives â relatable.
Jamie Babbittâs 1999 cult classic But Iâm a Cheerleader turns stereotypes of sexuality and turns them on their head to create this mockery of gender norms. It acknowledges the rigid gender expectations that underpin society and actually ends happily â we love to see it!
1999 was a great year for cinema â in our humble opinion â and the year of Pedro Almodavarâs All About My Mother, a comedy drama that speaks to the idea of choosing your own family as a queer person, living with HIV and it gives us multi-layered characters to boot.
Six years earlier, in 1993, Philadelphia, starring Tom Hanks and Antonio Banderas, was praised for its depiction of a character living with HIV, however the two male lovers never even share an onscreen kiss.
Then 2005âs Brokeback Mountain happened. It represented a huge turning point in queer cinema and was upfront in its portrayal of two complex characters with their romantic relationship and its centre.
With a $14 million budget it also had the platform to change the narrative.
With a $14 million budget it also had the platform to change the narrative.
In 2015, a ÂŁ100,000 budget and a set of iPhone 5's were used to produce classic-in-the-making, Tangerine. The film follows Sin-Dee Rella, a transgender woman who finds out her boyfriend has been cheating. Itâs as sweet and tender as it is sharp and witty.
Then in 2016, our screens were blessed with Moonlight.
Almost 90 years after Wingsâ Best Picture win, coming-of-age drama Moonlight picked up the award for its nuanced storytelling. The film went down in history as the first winner of Best Picture with an all-Black cast.
Almost 90 years after Wingsâ Best Picture win, coming-of-age drama Moonlight picked up the award for its nuanced storytelling. The film went down in history as the first winner of Best Picture with an all-Black cast.
Weâve barely scratched the surface with the history of LGBTQ+ cinema so keep an eye on our website for blogs and more of a deep dive into the tangled history of queer lives on the big and small screen.
