Beauty 

Straight to Streaming Release

Vito Russo Test: PASS

This film, which many have interpreted as an allegory for the life of late singer Whitney Houston, follows Beauty, a young singer who is offered a lucrative contract and wrestles with the cost of fame. Beauty has a girlfriend, Jasmine, and is warned by both her parents and executives that being queer will tank her career. Her parents and the industry at large are both shown to be a toxic presence in this film and their homophobia is a clear part of that narrative. Beauty also briefly has a flirtation with her male neighbor. Though having a queer Black lead is an exciting step in the right direction, it would have been preferred to have more depth to Beauty and Jasmine’s relationship and insight into Beauty as a character. 

Blonde

Widest Release: UNKNOWN

Vito Russo Test: FAIL

This biopic of Marilyn Monroe made headlines regarding its unfair treatment of the iconic actress. The film shows her cycling through different men in her life who constantly put her down. Two of these men are Cass Chaplin and Eddy Robinson who, together, seduce Marilyn and begin a romantic and sexual relationship with her. Cass and Eddy often refer to each other as “us” but do not show any physical affection with each other, only with Marilyn. When the relationship ends, Cass and Eddy show Marilyn’s new boyfriend photos of her naked, an act of malice to ruin her relationship. That’s the last they are seen until Eddy calls Marilyn near the end of the movie, bereaved that Cass has died. 

It is clear that Eddy and Cass cared a great deal for each other and that they were in a triad relationship with Marilyn. However, the film shied away from showing any physical intimacy between the two men despite their confirmed relationship. It also portrays them as manipulative toward Marilyn, feeding into negative bisexual stereotypes. Unfortunately, the actualities and the nuance of two men and a woman in a relationship together were fully glossed over in favor of focusing on the abuse Monroe faced.

Brazen

Straight to Streaming Release

Vito Russo Test: PASS

Brazen is a romantic thriller about Grace Miller, a popular mystery writer whose sister, Kathleen, a teacher moonlighting as a dominatrix, is murdered. Grace must team up with Kathleen’s neighbor, the handsome detective Ed Jennings, to solve the murder and get justice for her sister. One of the students in Kathleen’s class, Rand, is in the closet. Rand is in a relationship with Richie, who runs the webcams for the cam site Kathleen worked on. At one point in the film, Rand is the primary suspect in the investigation, but is ultimately cleared of the blame when it is discovered that he is gay and was with Richie at the time of the murder. While there is queer representation in this film, the queer characters have no agency over their own stories. Grace learns they are gay through Richie’s cousin and then tells Ed. Rand is also severely injured by the actual killer, and is last seen beaten and bruised in a hospital bed. While it is positive that Grace and Ed did not out Rand to his father, the complete stripping of agency from Rand’s character is disappointing, as it feels like the queer characters are just a prop to further the plot rather than actually realized characters. 

The Bubble

Widest Release: UNKNOWN

Vito Russo Test: PASS

The Bubble is a satirical comedy about filming a movie inside a quarantine bubble during a pandemic. One of the actors in the fictional film, Dieter, is looking for a romantic partner early in the film, and finds one of the employees at the hotel, Anika. However, Anika turns him down at first, as she wants to build a real relationship before they have sex. Dieter, unfulfilled in his desires, later propositions two other set workers, one man and one woman. The moment is not just played for laughs and Dieter seems earnest in his ask, although both turn him down. While a casual inclusion of bisexuality is certainly welcome, the queer representation in such a large ensemble film could have been greater. Furthermore, Dieter has only one brief moment that shows interest in men, and then it is never mentioned again, with him fully focusing on women for the remainder of the film. It would have been preferable for him to be a fully realized bisexual character, rather than just one offhand comment of his sexuality. 

Do Revenge

Straight to Streaming Release

Vito Russo Test: PASS

This GLAAD Media Award-nominated twisty teen comedy focuses on protagonists Drea and Eleanor who use each other to get revenge on their respective enemies. Drea’s target is her ex Max, who leaked Drea’s nudes, and Eleanor’s is Carissa, a girl who outed her at summer camp and spread rumors that Eleanor was a predator. Part of the revenge scheme is for Eleanor to seduce and then humiliate Max. However, during this, she develops feelings for his sister, Gabbi. As the film progresses, the big plot twist reveals that it was in fact Drea who started the rumor about Eleanor at camp, a fact that she has since forgotten, and Eleanor has been enacting her revenge on Drea this whole time. The conflict between the two mounts, and at the climactic end, Drea reveals Eleanor’s true identity but then apologizes for her past behavior. The two agree they have a sick and twisted friendship to be cherished and both enact revenge on Max. The film also ends with Eleanor and Gabbi together romantically. 

This film paid homage to teen movies of the last few decades while including a queer protagonist and allowing her to be as complex and interesting as the straight protagonist. It also had a queer ensemble including Gabbi, Clarissa, and a quick role of a male student who was interested in Max. Overall, this wildly popular Gen Z film didn’t shy away from portraying the queerness of modern teens.

Enola Holmes 2

Widest Release: UNKNOWN

Vito Russo Test: FAIL

While this film contains no LGBTQ content, there is a brief scene where Enola needs to be in disguise and so trades clothes with a boy on the street. While often, films have used men wearing women’s clothing as a cheap punchline, in this case the boy seemed happy to be wearing Enola’s clothes in the seconds he was on screen, but there was ultimately not enough development of the character to tally.

Falling for Christmas

Straight to Streaming Release

Vito Russo Test: PASS

This Christmas themed romantic comedy follows heiress Sierra and her influencer boyfriend-turned-fiancé Tad on a ski vacation that goes horribly wrong. Sierra has a personal assistant, Terry, who very much falls into the role of the stereotypical gay assistant. After a series of unfortunate events, Sierra falls for local lodge owner Jake and breaks up with Tad on Christmas morning. In response, Tad invites Terry on the trip planned for their engagement. At the end of the film, Jake chases down Tad’s car, thinking Sierra is in it, and confesses his love. Tad rolls down the window and says, “I’m very flattered, but I have other plans” before winking at Terry. This moment confirms that Tad invited Terry as more than a friend. However, it would have been exciting to see more than a wink confirming their romance. The casual inclusion of a bisexual man of color as one of the major characters is a welcome addition to this romantic comedy. There is also a brief scene where two men attend a fundraiser as a couple. 

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery

Widest Release: UNKNOWN

Vito Russo Test: PASS

This second film in the Knives Out series confirmed the sexual orientation of lead character Benoit Blanc. In an early scene, Blanc is in the bathtub when a voice calls to him. Later, when that scene is revisited in flashback, it is made clear that Phillip, Blanc’s live-in partner, is calling for him when someone is at the door. Phillip is a brief inclusion, but shows that Blanc has a male significant other. With the popularity of the Knives Out films, there is an opportunity for more focus on Blanc and Phillip’s relationship in the future.

Hello, Goodbye, and Everything in Between

Straight to Streaming Release

Vito Russo Test: PASS

This teen romance tells the story of Clare and Aiden, a couple who have plans to break up before college. Aiden, however, plans one last magical date to convince Clare that they should stay together. Clare’s best friend is Stella, a lesbian who is harboring a long-time crush on classmate Tess. Though the focus of the film is very much on Clare and Aiden, the thread of Stella’s crush on Tess is an active subplot and ends with Stella and Tess kissing at a party and getting together. Though it would be more exciting to see a Black lesbian couple like Stella and Tess at the center of their own film, including their romance in this film was a nice addition to the straight romance.

Hustle

Widest Release: UNKNOWN

Vito Russo Test: FAIL

There was no LGBTQ content in Hustle, though there were tired gay panic jokes. In one scene where basketball scout Stanley is trying to recruit Spanish player Bo to play for the 76ers using Google Translate, Bo thinks Stanley is making sexual advances on him. There is also a scene where another player trash talks Bo on the court, making jokes about Bo being a “Boa” and unhinging his jaw for oral sex. Both of these moments were unnecessary. 

I Believe in Santa

Straight to Streaming Release

Vito Russo Test: PASS

I Believe in Santa is a romantic comedy in which a single mother, Lisa, who hates Christmas, discovers that her new boyfriend Tom loves Christmas and still believes that Santa is real. Throughout the couple’s entire journey audiences also see Assan, Tom’s best friend and co-worker. Assan’s sexuality is included in his introduction, and then is no longer brought up once the main straight romance plot takes over. However, while Assan does not find love himself, he plays an integral role in the love story of Tom and Lisa, rather than falling entirely into the background. Ultimately, this film is a good example of including casual queer representation while forming a fully realized character. 

Love and Gelato

Straight to Streaming Release

Vito Russo Test: FAIL

This romance follows a young woman who goes to Italy to follow her late mother’s wishes and finds herself in a love triangle with two young men, Lorenzo and Alessandro. Lorenzo has two mothers, Martina and Chiara, who he is close with. One of the sources of conflict between the two men is that Alessandro never defended Lorenzo when a classmate used a slur toward his moms. Though it is exciting to see queer families in this genre, Martina and Chiara were a very small part of this film. 

Love in the Villa

Straight to Streaming Release

Vito Russo Test: PASS

This romantic comedy follows Julie, who booked a villa when she was still with her ex, only to find she is now stuck sharing it with an attractive stranger. At the beginning of the film, Julie is seen talking to her coworker Rob who encourages her to go on the trip. There is a moment where we see Rob at home with another man, and it’s clear they are in a relationship and live together, though the other man has no lines. While Rob is in the beginning of the film, his character is quickly discarded after the first 30 minutes. This film scrapes by passing the Vito Russo test only because without Rob’s encouragement, Julie wouldn’t have gone on vacation nor started her prank war that leads to her romance, and so he is the driving force of the plot. However, his actual role is very minor. 

Luckiest Girl Alive

Straight to Streaming Release

Vito Russo Test: FAIL

Based on Jessica Knoll’s novel of the same name, Luckiest Girl Alive delves into lead character Ani’s past and present as a school shooting survivor. In the novel, part of the shooter’s motivations stem from being bullied for being gay. The film however changes the shooter’s motives. While typically, a film erasing gay characters from the source material is harmful, the reverse is true in this case. Changing the identity of the shooters makes it so they avoid the dangerous trope of gay men perpetuating violence in response to homophobia. 

A Madea Homecoming

Straight to Streaming Release

Vito Russo Test: PASS

This new film in the Madea series includes a plot where Madea’s great-grandson Tim comes home from college with his roommate, Davi. Throughout the first half of the movie it’s implied that Tim is dating Davi as they both talk about hiding secrets from their respective families. Tim’s great-uncle Joe makes several jokes about them being “roommates” that border on offensive, as his role is very much the uncouth uncle. Midway through the film, Tim comes out to his family and they are supportive and not surprised. It’s important to note that there is no blatant offensiveness surrounding Tim being gay. However, quickly after this, Davi’s big secret is revealed, which is not that he’s gay, rather that he is dating Tim’s mom, which Tim didn’t know about. It’s unfortunate that Davi dating an older woman is treated the same as being gay, and that the film played on the belief that Davi was gay for a plot twist and shock value. Tim being met with acceptance from his family is the saving grace of this film.

Me Time

Straight to Streaming Release

Vito Russo Test: FAIL

This comedy follows a stay-at-home Dad who gets a week away from his family with his childhood best friend. The film includes a few scenes at various parental events at the children’s school. One of the PTA dads is Stew, who the others make fun of and dub “Combover Stew.” He mentions his male partner, and though he is a subject of mockery, it’s not for being gay. Still, the only gay man in the movie solely existing as the butt of a joke is not a good look. There is also a woman at the PTA, Bethany, who mentions her female partner. Bethany is not as derided as Stew, but is still generally portrayed as a stick in the mud. Though there may have been intent for casual inclusion, having both LGBTQ characters portrayed as jokes or unlikeable was not the way to go about this decision. 

The Noel Diary

Straight to Streaming Release

Vito Russo Test: FAIL

There is one brief moment of inclusion in this Christmas film. The lead is having a book signing at the start of the film and a gay couple are in line to get their book signed. They appear for roughly 10 seconds and have no significant influence on the plot. 

Orgasm Inc: The Story of OneTaste

Straight to Streaming Release

Vito Russo Test: PASS

This documentary follows the rise and fall of OneTaste, a sexual wellness company that developed a cult-like mentality and mistreated their workers. Audrey Wright, a former employee and self-identified queer woman, speaks on the toxic culture at OneTaste, how people were forced into non-consensual sexual situations and how her queerness isolated her; she was shamed for being more masculine-presenting than the other women. She also collaborated with the FBI to confirm CEO Nicole Deadone’s identity and helped bring down the company. Audrey is an important voice in the film, not only providing the only queer commentary on this company for women’s pleasure, but also being one of the key figures that exposed Nicole’s exploitative practices. 

A Perfect Pairing

Straight to Streaming Release

Vito Russo Test: PASS

A Perfect Pairing is a romantic comedy that follows LA wine executive Lola and rugged sheep farm manager Max. Lola quits her job and flies to Australia to secure a contract with a wine label looking to go international. In the process of trying to get the deal, Lola offers to work on the sheep farm where she stays in the workers quarters with employees Breeze, Kylie, and Sam. From Sam’s first introduction, we learn that she is engaged to a woman, as her plans to FaceTime her partner are ruined when Lola accidentally shorts out the power. Sam starts as an antagonistic character, hazing and teasing Lola, but the pair ultimately end up as friends. Throughout the film, we hear more about Sam’s relationship and the film’s conclusion takes place at Sam’s wedding. This is one of the few straight romantic comedies that includes a queer kiss and a substantial queer romance. While the final scene at Sam and Heidi’s wedding still centers Lola and Max, they don’t make the whole event about themselves, waiting until they are alone to have their moment. Ultimately, this portrayal of a queer indigenous character that is significant to the plot and fully developed is a good example of including queer characters in a straight story. 

Purple Hearts

Straight to Streaming Release

Vito Russo Test: FAIL

Purple Hearts is a romantic comedy following Luke, a conservative marine, and Cassie, a liberal musician, who agree to a marriage of convenience and commit insurance fraud for the military spouse benefits. The film features one queer character, Nora, Cassie’s co-worker and friend who uses they/them pronouns. Though this casual inclusion is commendable and the character is portrayed by a queer non-binary actor, Nora is primarily relegated to the background and would benefit from being further fleshed out.

That’s Amor

Straight to Streaming Release

Vito Russo Test: FAIL

That’s Amor is a romantic comedy that follows protagonist Sofia after she breaks up with her boyfriend and moves back in with her mother. Her mother signs them up for a cooking class and drags Sofia along, where she meets Matias, her new love interest. The cooking class they join is meant for couples, and one of the pairs in the class is Todd and David, a gay couple. The pair mostly serves to fill out the cooking class and show its diversity, and the portrayal does fall into some stereotypes. They wear matching shirts and Todd repeatedly mentions his attraction to the young instructor Matias. Overall, while the queer representation is present, Todd and David function more as set pieces than actual characters. 

The Royal Treatment

Straight to Streaming Release

Vito Russo Test: PASS

The Royal Treatment is a romantic comedy between a New York Italian hairdresser, Izzy, and Prince Thomas of the fictional country Lavania. Their love story begins when Walter, Thomas’ butler, mistakenly hires Izzy to cut Thomas’ hair. Izzy is then hired to do the hair at Thomas’ wedding in Lavania, but romance blossoms between the two. Walter is present throughout many scenes in the film and is Thomas’ most trusted advisor. In one integral scene in which Thomas is unsure whether or not to pursue Izzy, Walter reveals that he was once in love with a man named Richard but had to give him up. Walter urges Thomas not to make the same choice, because “What does life mean without love?” It is commendable that Walter is an older gay man, a demographic less often seen in media. His story could have been improved by a reunion with Richard, which would have pulled the story together and given the one queer character a romance. Still, Walter’s inclusion was overall positive, as Walter is shown as a trusted advisor, and is integral to the plot of the film. 

Senior Year

Straight to Streaming Release

Vito Russo Test: PASS

Senior Year is a comedy about Australian transplant Stephanie Conway who, after a disastrous bullying prank, is put in a coma in 2002. Stephanie wakes up 20 years later in an entirely new world and decides she’s going to finish out her senior year of high school. One of the ways that Stephanie is shown to be caught in the past is how she speaks of the queer community. She does learn to be respectful over the course of the film, shown in a scene where she has to be told to stop calling things “gay” as an insult. One of her friends from high school, Martha, is now out as a lesbian, although Stephanie doesn’t find out until midway through the film. Martha says anti-gay jokes made high school in the 2000s awful and now, as the principal, she wants to make sure it is not that way for other students.

A number of the students that Stephanie goes to school with are also queer including Yaz, a gay man who is Stephanie’s cheerleading teammate and becomes her close friend, and Lance, the popular girl’s boyfriend, who is described as “gender bendy” and is bisexual+. Martha and Yaz both play key roles in the film and are able to fully embrace their sexualities. While Yaz is somewhat stereotypical, ultimately the queer characters are important to the narrative, and inject both fun and wisdom into the story.

Stay on Board: The Leo Baker Story

Straight to Streaming Release

Vito Russo Test: PASS

This documentary chronicles Leo Baker’s lead-up to the 2020 Olympics while he attempts to balance the pressure of being true to himself as a well-known trans athlete in the gendered world of competitive skateboarding. Leo’s inner circle contains a numberof queer and trans skaters and supporters, who are given ample screen time to examine their own connection to Leo’s story. This includes Leo’s girlfriend Melissa Bueno-Woerner and fellow trans skater Cher Strawberry, who creates a queer skateboarding company, GLUE, with Leo and their friend Stephen Ostrowski. The documentary also features queer professional skateboarder Alexis Sablone, but she does not discuss her sexuality or relationships and is therefore not counted in GLAAD’s tally. 

Stay On Board: The Leo Baker Story opens a necessary and vital conversation during a heightened time of public misinformation over transgender athletes in professional and amateur sports. This documentary sets an excellent example of how to tell a nuanced and unique trans story that reflects a singular personal narrative without spending too much screen time on the protagonist’s medical transition, and by adding commentary on how gendered expectations harm everyone, athlete or not. 

Wendell & Wild

Widest Release: UNKNOWN

Vito Russo Test: PASS

This GLAAD Media Award-nominated stop motion animated film follows Kat, a 13-year-old orphan enrolled in a sinister girls school. While there, she meets and eventually befriends Raúl, an artist at the school and a trans boy. Siobhan, the villain’s daughter and one of the mean girls, deadnames Raúl and immediately apologizes. We also meet Raúl’s mom, who is on the phone with her boss, clarifying that she has her son to feed, fiercely defending his identity. Kat and Raúl become friends, despite Kat claiming she doesn’t do friends. Raúl shows Kat a picture of when he would hang out with the mean girls, and he is pre-transition in the photo. Kat doesn’t react to the photo, simply telling Raúl that he is less annoying than those girls. One of the major ways in which Kat and Raúl defeat the demon Belzer is that Raúl paints a mural of him and his mother, reminding Belzer what is important in life. It’s worth noting that Raúl has a wonderful relationship with his own mother, who supports him. Overall, it was exciting seeing a Latine trans kid save the day and be a major character in a film aimed at kids and family audiences, showing that trans kids are heroes and artists. 

White Hot: The Rise & Fall of Abercrombie & Fitch

Straight to Streaming Release

Vito Russo Test: PASS

This documentary explores Abercrombie & Fitch’s pop culture dominance in the late 1990s and early aughts chronicling its successes and controversies, including its discriminatory and exclusionary marketing and hiring practices. The narrative largely focuses on gay former CEO Michael Jeffries’ alleged sexist, racist, and homophobic behavior, which led to a 2003 class-action lawsuit and a 2015 Supreme Court case. Anderson Cooper is briefly shown reporting on one of these cases. The documentary also highlights the retailer’s public and private relationship to the queer community, interviewing gay former employees Savas Abadsidis, Mark Beard, and Benoit Denizet-Lewis, as well as activist Benjamin O’Keefe, who filed a petition against the company. It is important to note that gay photographer Bruce Webber, who was primarily responsible for shaping A&F’s “homoerotic” aesthetic, was sued for sexual harassment; Webber settled the suits and did not admit guilt to the charges. Both Webber and Jeffries refused to comment on this documentary. White Hot: The Rise & Fall of Abercrombie & Fitch comes to a close with a discussion of Abercrombie’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion efforts, spotlighting the company’s 2021 Pride campaign.