4 LGBTQ shows on Netflix with over 90% on Rotten Tomatoes to stream while you wait for The Boyfriend

A group of people stand with their backs to the camera all arm in arm
(Image credit: Netflix)

Netflix’s reality dating show library just got bigger with the announcement of a groundbreaking new series called The Boyfriend. The world’s best streaming service is a trailblazer when it comes to dating shows with the likes of Love Is Blind and Too Hot to Handle.

But The Boyfriend particularly stands out from the rest as it’s Japan’s first same-sex romance reality series. Premiering on July 9, the show sees nine men live and work together in a beach house, while working shifts at a peppermint green coffee truck, to try and find love. Netflix promises that it will be a "rollercoaster of emotions". 

The Boyfriend | Official Teaser | Netflix - YouTube The Boyfriend | Official Teaser | Netflix - YouTube
Watch On

The release of the teaser trailer (see above) for The Boyfriend has coincided perfectly with Pride Month and what a better way to celebrate the occasion than streaming the best-rated LGBTQ+ TV shows on Netflix? Here are four rated 90% and higher on Rotten Tomatoes to watch while you wait for The Boyfriend to be released.

Heartstopper

Heartstopper | Official Trailer | Netflix - YouTube Heartstopper | Official Trailer | Netflix - YouTube
Watch On

Heartstopper won a place in everyone’s hearts and went down as one of the best Netflix shows in recent years for its touching love story between two high school students.

Based on Alice Oseman's graphic novel series of the same name, Heartstopper is a coming-of-age series that follows gentle schoolboy Charlie Spring (Joe Locke) and rugby fanatic Nick Nelson (Kit Connor), who strike up an unlikely friendship. They soon realize that there could be something more between them as they navigate school, love and discover who they really are.

Heartstopper is a tale about young love and queerness. It's like a warm hug for your soul, so it’s no surprise that there’s now a season three in the works. 

Smiley

Smiley | Tráiler oficial | Netflix España - YouTube Smiley | Tráiler oficial | Netflix España - YouTube
Watch On

Smiley is a Spanish romantic comedy based on the play of the same name by Guillem Clua. It's about heartbroken bartender Alex (Carlos Cuevas), who has an embarrassing moment when he mistakenly sends a voicemail to a stranger called Bruno (Miki Esparbé) instead of his ex. Little do they know, this mishap is about to lead to a budding romance. 

The series has been praised for its diverse LGBTQ+ cast, so fans were understandably disappointed when Netflix cancelled the second season. Although Alex and Bruno’s story may have come to an end in season one, there’s no reason why you can’t still indulge while it’s on Netflix.

Queer Eye

Queer Eye | Official Trailer [HD] | Netflix - YouTube Queer Eye | Official Trailer [HD] | Netflix - YouTube
Watch On

Queer Eye has become a huge success when it comes to reality TV reboots. More than ten years after the original series aired, Netflix rebooted the Queer Eye franchise with an all-new 'Fab Five' who travel the US and forge relationships with people that have different beliefs.

Mixing style advice with social commentary, it has cemented itself as one of the best queer shows on Netflix and has won a slew of awards over the years, including a 2021 Emmy for Outstanding Cinematography for a Reality Program.

With eight seasons and two spinoffs, including Queer Eye: We’re in Japan!, it’s perfect if you’re looking for something to binge watch. 

Special

Special: Season 1 | Official Trailer [HD] | Netflix - YouTube Special: Season 1 | Official Trailer [HD] | Netflix - YouTube
Watch On

Special is a semi-autobiographical series based on Ryan O’Connell’s memoir I'm Special: And Other Lies We Tell Ourselves. O’Connell stars as Ryan, a gay man with cerebral palsy who spreads his wings and goes after the life he wants.

The series is an honest and sweet portrayal of independence, disability and sexuality. It’s a story with a heart of gold and you will have no problem getting stuck into two seasons of the drama.

You might also like

Want a TV upgrade? Our top 3 picks for all budgets

Grace Morris
Entertainment Writer

After graduating with a degree in Writing and Film Studies, Grace dived into the world of entertainment where she started writing all about the must-watch shows and movies at What To Watch. Now Grace is on her next writing adventure at TechRadar, where she uses her expertise to help readers keep up to date on the biggest TV shows and movies in the ever-changing world of streaming. If she’s not writing about her passion for entertainment, you’ll find her watching reality shows while feasting on chocolate. 

Read more
Belle Gibson wearing red lipstick and smiling at the camera with a microphone in front of her in Apple Cider Vinegar.
Best Netflix shows: 54 great TV series to watch in February 2025
Kristen Bell and Adam Brody on a couch looking at each other with a laptop in front of them
Disney Plus had two of the most-streamed shows of 2024 – here are the 3 I recommend watching on Netflix, Hulu and Prime Video
Marriage Story
7 romance movies I recommend streaming on Netflix, Hulu, and more to anyone who doesn’t like romance
The trio Kneecap from their movie of the same name
I streamed more movies and shows than ever before in January 2025 – here are 9 of my favorites on Netflix, Prime Video, and more
Two people sit in front of a carousel
5 romance movies new to Prime Video with over 90% on Rotten Tomatoes
A collage image showing stills from the movie The Gorge, season 3 of The White Lotus and season 6 part 3 of Cobra Kai.
7 new movies and TV shows to stream on Netflix, Prime Video, Max, and more this weekend (February 14)
Latest in Netflix
The cast of Black Mirror season 7
Everything new on Netflix in April 2025 – including Black Mirror season 7 and Love on the Spectrum
Freddie Prinze Jr., Sarah Michelle Gellar, Matthew Liliard and Linda Cardinelli in Scooby Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed
Netflix is firing up the Mystery Machine with a live action Scooby-Doo series
The cast of The Residence peek from a doorway
Netflix's #2 most-watched show is the new madcap whodunnit The Residence –here are 3 more mysteries to stream next
Netflix Ads
Netflix adds HDR10+ support – great news for Samsung TV owners, but don't expect LG and Sony to do the same any time soon
Wonka poster
Netflix cooks up sweet new reality TV series based on Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and it's a dream come true for me
Eddie Miller (Stephen Graham) looks as his anxious son Jamie (Owen Cooper) in a prison cell.
Netflix's #1 show Adolescence is one of the best crime dramas I've seen – here are 3 more with over 80% on Rotten Tomatoes
Latest in Features
Assassin's Creed
Assassin's Creed Shadows has Max subscribers streaming the 2016 movie flop – here are 3 better video game adaptations with over 90% on Rotten Tomatoes
David Kampf #64 of the Toronto Maple Leafs warms-up before playing the Philadelphia Flyers at the Scotiabank Arena on March 25, 2025 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
ChatGPT and Gemini Deep Research helped me choose an NHL team to support, and now I'm obsessed with ice hockey
Context Windows
Why are AI context windows important?
A collage of a demasked Spider-Man, Captain Marvel staring into the camera, and Daredevil shouting
17 Marvel heroes I want to see added to the Avengers: Doomsday cast – Spider-Man, Ms Marvel, Wolverine, and more
BERT
What is BERT, and why should we care?
Google Gemini 2.5 and ChatGPT o3-mini
I pitted Gemini 2.5 Pro against ChatGPT o3-mini to find out which AI reasoning model is best