Recommended watch by the Students’ Union

Heartstopper – Netflix - Rated: 12

Adapted from Alice Oseman’s graphic novel of the same name, Heartstopper is a coming-of-age romantic comedy series which features teenagers Charlie and Nick discovering that they are more than just friends to one another.

Our thoughts – “Heartstopper took the world by storm this year with it’s coming of age story of two boys falling in love. Heartstopper successfully gives a true representation of what it is like to grow up as an LGBT+ person. Whilst arguably most LGBT+ representations in media are rooted in trauma, this is not the main focus of this series. The majority of the series celebrates the queer experience and offers hope for societal changes in equality. With uplifting, humorous, emotional teenage angst moments, Heartstopper really does have it all.

From the online reception of this series, it is clear that Heartstopper has resonated with a lot of people. We like many others can’t wait to see what future seasons have in store. Hopefully more cameos from Olivia Coleman.”

Sex Education -  Netflix - Rated: 18

Hilarity ensues in Laurie Nunns British comedy-drama series as main protagonist and teenager Otis Milburn turns sex therapist for the students of Moordale Secondary School, aided by his best friends Eric Effiong and Maeve Wiley.

Our thoughts – “So it’s not strictly an LGBT+ show, but the show explores the complexities of growing up and adolescent sexuality. It has several queer characters throughout the series, and whilst the aim of the show is to present hard hitting topics in a comedic light, it does not reduce LGBT+ experiences to artificial stereotypes as a means of comedy relief.

This show is ultimately a feel good series filled with uplifting British Humour. If you haven’t seen it you are seriously missing out!”

Pose – FX – Available on BBC iPlayer - Rated: G

Pose is a ground-breaking US series exploring the underground worls of 1980s ball culture, set at the height of the AIDs epidemic.

Our thoughts – “If you’re a fan of famous Drag Race catch phrases, POSE will give you a history lesson on where they came from. Whilst some of the script has been made meme worthy on social media, the overarching story line for these characters brings a voice to those who went unheard.

Inspired by the 1990 documentary ‘Paris is Burning’, Pose offers a deeper look into the lives of the Black and Latino Trans and Gay stories that made up the New York Ball scene in 1987.

The show is celebrated for having the largest trans cast in scripted television history and we love to see the representation and authentic portrayals of the hard-hitting storylines. This series will definitely leave its mark, having you laugh one minute, and in tears by the next.”

Please note this series contains strong language, nudity and scenes of a sexual nature, some offensive language, and scenes some may find distressing.

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 Did you know B&FC achieved the Lancashire LGBT+ Quality Mark in 2021 which helps to improve our service and reduce barriers which LGBT people often experience when accessing services. Watch this space for exciting new developments to be involved in shaping our offer for LGBT+ students in 2022/23 academic year as part of the new EDI strategy.