There’s a trend in queer films. They call it the Bury Your Gays trope. While a movie (or book, or show, because we can never have nice things) might have a gay romance or a coming-out story, it will ultimately end in tragedy. It might be a literal death or just utter world-ending sadness. So many queer stories are tragic that it’s rare to find something with a happy ending, and that’s certainly the case for trans stories.
With the absolute shambles that the trans American experience is in right now, from a Montana trans representative barred from speaking in the house to gender-affirming care ban in Tennessee, and much more, things aren’t feeling very welcoming to say the least. While I can’t solve any of that with a single article, I can at least give you a list of some uplifting trans movies you can stream right now. The following films feature a range of trans experiences. While they don’t always end with the couple staying together, they’ll at least leave you feeling warm and fuzzy as the credits roll.
Different for Girls (1996)
Paul crashes his motorcycle right into Kim–and he swears he knows her from somewhere. When he realizes Kim’s his old friend from school, now a woman, he can’t get her out of his head. Did this age well? Not necessarily. Keep in mind, this came out in 1996 when a lot of the language we use today to describe the trans experience didn’t yet exist. But is it nice to have a classic and often slapstick ’90s romantic comedy with a sweet trans romance? Yes, definitely. Watch Different for Girls on Amazon FreeVee.
Romeos (2011)
Lukas, a trans man near the beginning of his journey, tries to figure out how to navigate friendships and romance as the gender he always was inside. How will cis gay man Fabio take it when Lukas reveals that he’s trans? With a name like Romeos, you might worry that it’ll end in tragedy. While this German film certainly has its sad moments, you’ll ultimately feel like, even when things go wrong, life can still have its moments of contentment. Watch Romeos on Vudu.
Boy Meets Girl (2014)
Ricky, a trans woman with a slew of fans from her fashion vlog YouTube channel, falls for a girl for the first time. Francesca is a classic southern belle, but doesn’t mind the attention from Ricky. But what will Ricky’s lifelong best friend, Robby, think of this new relationship? It’s sweet, it’s sappy, and it’s just the kind of rom-com to make you feel like everything will work out just fine. Watch Boy Meets Girl on Prime Video.
Alice Júnior (2019)
You know all those cute coming of age movies that cis people get? Trans people are finally getting them, too, like with Alice Júnior. It’s time for teen movie trans representation. In this Brazilian film, Alice is just a regular high school student navigating friendships and mean students and her very first kiss. And she just happens to be trans. Watch Alice Júnior on Netflix.
Anything’s Possible (2022)
Fresh from Amazon, Anything’s Possible follows trans teen Kelsa as she has a crush on cute classmate Khal. Does he like her back? And if so, how will he handle all the attention he’d get from dating her? It looks like trans romance is catching up with the rest of the teen film genre, and we’re here for it. Best of all, it’s directed by the wonderful Billy Porter. Watch Anything’s Possible on Prime Video.
