Gay Documentary

10 Essential Gay Male Documentaries:

A completely biased list of some of our favorite gay male documentaries…

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The Cockettes

We’ve never longed to live in any other time period until we saw this magnificent film. The Cockettes were a communal living performance troupe of gay men and women in the 1970s’ San Francisco arts scene. This movie defines celebration.

I Exist: Voices from the Lesbian and Gay Middle Eastern Community in the U.S.

An important film about the specific issues surrounding being gay for this growing U.S. minority population. Well balanced between women and men.

Journey to a Hate Free Millennium

Combining the stories of Matthew Shepard, James Byrd, Jr. and the Columbine High School shootings, this powerful film challenges us to move beyond hate into the new century.

Keep the River on Your Right

Tobias Schneebaum is a modern-day hero. This octogenarian has lived more life than most. He is a role model for anyone looking to live passionately and truthfully.

101 Rent Boys Uncut

A searing look into the lives of 101 hustlers working the streets of Los Angeles’ Santa Monica Boulevard. This film is an excellent examination into the complexities of male prostitution. Funny, sexy, creepy, baffling. This one has it all.

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Paragraph 175

The surviving men and women who were in Nazi Concentration Camps as homosexual prisoners tell their stories. This film is quiet, reverent and not to be missed.

Paul Monette – The Brink of Summer’s End

Writer Paul Monette shows us what it’s like to live fully in the now as he struggles with the devastation AIDS takes on his body. Inspirational does not even begin to describe this brave man.

Pierre et Gilles – Love Stories

Fun, sexy and naughty, the camera follows lovers Pierre and Giles in life and work. See how their magical world mirrors the gorgeous photography they create. This one is really hot!

The Times of Harvey Milk

As the first openly gay elected official in the U.S., this documentary shows rare footage guaranteed to give you goose bumps, have you shed a few tears and most importantly, make you proud. Watch it again if it’s been awhile. Essential viewing.

Wigstock: The Movie

For a dozen years, a group of drag queens performed in an annual outdoor festival on Labor Day weekend in New York City. This film captures many of the giggly memories of this very special time in gay New York’s history. Of course RuPaul’s in this, along with organizer Lady Bunny, but our favorite performance is The Dueling Bankheads.