In spite of a complete shut-down of LGBTQ employees in any aspect of government (not everyone was fired), the media industry is still distributing LGBTQ products. The Administration has targeted transgender folks for dismissal, and often it criticizes the media for LGBTQ coverage.
The 37th Glaad Media Awards presented about 90 videos (film & TV) in 13 categories. They list 10 films that had wide theatrical release. The remaining are TV or streaming video releases. Glaad doesn’t list plays. Gemini cites 10 shows on network TV and streaming TV. However, they do not include children’s programming like Glaad. Some series have been running for multiple seasons. Teen Heartbreak High on Netflix is almost too saccharine. Heated Rivalry on HMO/MAX seemed to get most of the notoriety because of the hot sex scenes.
Off Broadway has been notorious for gay-themed plays, and it currently has three playing. Broadway, however, has four plays that seem to focus on high camp. One moved from Off Broadway, Titanique. The other three are: Oh, Mary! Death Becomes Her, and & Juliet.
The local North Raleigh Arts & Creative Theatre (NRACT), Burning Coal Theatre, The Justice Theater Project, Raleigh Little Theatre, and Playmakers have staged various plays with LGBTQ themes in recent years. Nearly every community in Wake County has a volunteer drama group, but I can’t find a historical listing of their productions. They usually just pop up on Facebook a few days before or after a production.
The Triangle has its own series of limited-release films that runs at The Carolina Theatre every August, this year from August 13-16, 2026. These are not the big shows, but include some innovative characters and/or directors. Some of the directors or producers appear in person. The series runs about 10 days and draws from all over the area. There also is one in Charlotte later in the year.
A large beer festival scheduled for Raleigh also has gotten some media play because of criticisms of transgender folks. Accordingly, 16 breweries have split off and formed their own festival titled “All Are Welcome.” The Raleigh Convention and Visitor’s Bureau also lists local LGBTQ events that might be of interest to tourists, even though Raleigh is not known as a gay-friendly location. We don’t have the number of gay/lesbian bars that Charlotte has.
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