The Advocate's Top 175 Essential Films of All Time for LGBT Viewers

The Advocate's Top 175 Essential Films of All Time for LGBT Viewers's icon

Created by MovieDearest.

Favorited 26 times, disliked 1 time, added to 26 watchlists.

Published June 23, 2014 on Advocate.com:

"Everyone agrees a set of movies exists that are must-sees for any LGBT viewer. We just don't agree on which ones.

Dare ask a gay man for his list, and he's likely to rattle off a few that come to mind quickly and then make amendments to it for the rest of your adult lives. Women don't start with the same list. Some movies are incredibly impactful on depictions of trans people or those living with HIV, or mark major firsts in film. Some are too campy to ignore (at least not if you want to keep up at brunch). The bottom line is there are legions of reasons why a movie could be considered "essential" to the LGBT community.

We've ventured into the tricky territory of ranking which are most essential. To accomplish this feat, everyone on staff was asked for a top 10, then we asked readers for theirs, and finally began the arguing — always politely. Television movies aren't included (sorry, The Laramie Project, An Early Frost, and Gia). Television series aren't included either (apologies to Tales of the City, AbFab, and Angels in America). The result is potentially a guide for anyone who wants to examine our roots through film.

Oh, and we reserve the right to amend it for the rest of our lives. — The Editors"

Remove ads

Filter

  1. 166 new

    Mädchen in Uniform

    1931, in 5 top lists Check
  2. 23 new

    The Wizard of Oz

    1939, in 38 top lists Check
  3. 32 new

    The Women

    1939, in 8 top lists Check
  4. 117 new

    Rebecca

    1940, in 23 top lists Check
  5. 151 new

    Mildred Pierce

    1945, in 17 top lists Check
  6. 130 new

    Gilda

    1946, in 13 top lists Check
  7. 64 new

    Rope

    1948, in 10 top lists Check
  8. 18 new

    All About Eve

    1950, in 25 top lists Check
  9. 95 new

    Sunset Blvd.

    1950 — a.k.a. Sunset Boulevard, in 35 top lists Check
  10. 36 new

    Strangers on a Train

    1951, in 17 top lists Check
  11. 129 new

    A Streetcar Named Desire

    1951, in 15 top lists Check
  12. 124 new

    Rebel Without a Cause

    1955, in 16 top lists Check
  13. 24 new

    Auntie Mame

    1958, in 3 top lists Check
  14. 75 new

    Some Like It Hot

    1959, in 35 top lists Check
  15. 152 new

    Suddenly, Last Summer

    1959, in 2 top lists Check
  16. 65 new

    The Children's Hour

    1961, in 0 top lists Check
  17. 96 new

    Victim

    1961, in 7 top lists Check
  18. 120 new

    What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?

    1962, in 15 top lists Check
  19. 159 new

    Scorpio Rising

    1963, in 9 top lists Check
  20. 174 new

    The Fox

    1967, in 1 top list Check
  21. 56 new

    Valley of the Dolls

    1967, in 1 top list Check
  22. 163 new

    The Killing of Sister George

    1968, in 2 top lists Check
  23. 161 new

    Lonesome Cowboys

    1968 — a.k.a. Horse, in 2 top lists Check
  24. 5 new

    The Boys in the Band

    1970, in 1 top list Check
  25. 141 new

    Morte a Venezia

    1971 — a.k.a. Death in Venice, in 13 top lists Check
  26. 92 new

    Sunday Bloody Sunday

    1971, in 9 top lists Check
  27. 4 new

    Cabaret

    1972, in 24 top lists Check
  28. 43 new

    Pink Flamingos

    1972, in 13 top lists Check
  29. 60 new

    The Last of Sheila

    1973, in 0 top lists Check
  30. 149 new

    Dog Day Afternoon

    1975, in 23 top lists Check
  31. 121 new

    Grey Gardens

    1975, in 10 top lists Check
  32. 30 new

    The Rocky Horror Picture Show

    1975, in 13 top lists Check
  33. 119 new

    The Ritz

    1976, in 0 top lists Check
  34. 63 new

    La cage aux folles

    1978, in 4 top lists Check
  35. 54 new

    Cruising

    1980, in 2 top lists Check
  36. 101 new

    Fame

    1980, in 3 top lists Check
  37. 83 new

    Mommie Dearest

    1981, in 2 top lists Check
  38. 164 new

    Come Back to the 5 & Dime Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean

    1982, in 1 top list Check
  39. 11 new

    Making Love

    1982, in 0 top lists Check
  40. 123 new

    Personal Best

    1982, in 0 top lists Check
  41. 78 new

    Querelle

    1982, in 3 top lists Check
  42. 39 new

    Victor/Victoria

    1982, in 3 top lists Check
  43. 169 new

    The World According to Garp

    1982, in 1 top list Check
  44. 118 new

    The Hunger

    1983, in 2 top lists Check
  45. 171 new

    Lianna

    1983, in 0 top lists Check
  46. 167 new

    Silkwood

    1983, in 4 top lists Check
  47. 143 new

    Yentl

    1983, in 2 top lists Check
  48. 38 new

    Another Country

    1984, in 0 top lists Check
  49. 22 new

    The Times of Harvey Milk

    1984, in 8 top lists Check
  50. 98 new

    The Color Purple

    1985, in 8 top lists Check
Remove ads
Show all 175 movies

Last updated on Jun 25, 2014; source