Another month, another set of questions regarding the intentions of assorted television networks to deliver unto us, worthy subscribers, a bevy of new and original content that we will enjoy because it is gay and goddammit, so are we. What is gay and streaming in January 2021? Let’s discuss!

Netflix Content for Girls, Gays and Theys in January 2021

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (2011) – January 5

Hot sad bisexual hacker Lisbeth Salmander (Roony Mara) is enlisted by journalist Mikael Blomkvist (Daniel Craig) to track down a Killer of Women who is responsible for the disappearance of a woman 40 years ago. This very intense remake of the excellent original Swedish film which was an adaptation of the book by Stieg Larsson also requires a very intense trigger warning for sexual assault.

History of Swear Words (Netflix Original Series) – January 5

One of the trailers for this six-part documentary series starring Nicholas Cage of all people features a montage of Bitch Magazines, which is enough to warrant its inclusion here. But also, the group of entertainers who make remarks in this film include Patti Harrison and a lot of feminist scholars and linguists so it should be a really good time.

L.A.’s Finest: Season One – January 5

This Bad Boys spinoff stars Gabrielle Union and Jessica Alba as …. cops! Neat. Union plays Syd Burnett, a bisexual with an “unapologetic lifestyle” and some skeletons in her closet who’s partnered up with Nancy McKenna, a working Mom who also has a very complicated past.

Pretend It’s a City (2021) – January 8

Legendary Lesbian Fashion Icon and New York Jew Fran Lebowitz is Martin Scorsese following Fran around the city as she delivers her myriad opinions on numerous topics.

Last Tango in Halifax: Season 4 – January 12

Due to the two-part Christmas Special that some refer to as Season 4 and some smash into Season 3, it was not immediately clear to me which season of Last Tango in Halifax we could expect to drop on Netflix this year, but rest assured I’ve settled the matter: it’s Season 4/5. There’s a new relationship for the widowed Caroline. Sally says that Season Five “has a lot to love (if you can forgive it for Season Three).”

The Magicians: Season 5 – January 15

Which activities will the students of the Brakebills College for Magical Pedagogy get up to in Season 5? If you’ve already seen it, you already know, but if you haven’t, now’s the time! There’s a lot of sexual fluidity on this show including Margo, who LezWatchTV describes as “the baddest bitch you are ever going to meet.”

Call My Agent! (Dix pour cent): Season 4 – January 21

This French series follows the agents at top Paris talent firm ASK, including Andréa Martel, a lesbian who finds herself in charge of a now-precariously-established agency when season four gets jumping. The series has definitely made some missteps with Andrea’s character in past season. Update: read the comments of this post for the details on whether or not this is worth your time!

So My Grandma’s a Lesbian (2019) – January 22

I am going to go ahead and give this film a pre-emptive Pulitzer Prize for its title. This Spanish comedy follows a young Spanish lawyer whose plans to marry some rich Scottish dude from a conservative family are put into jeopardy when her 70-year-old grandmother, Sofia, comes out and announces her intention to marry her best friend. Good for them.

Hulu Streaming in Gay January 2021

Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist: Season 2 Premiere (NBC) – January 12

Zoey Clark is a smart tech kid who, after a very strange event, finds herself able to hear the innermost thoughts, wants and desires of everybody around her, but as songs! Her neighbor and close pal Mo, played by Alex Newell, is gender fluid.

9-1-1: Season 4 Premiere (Fox) – January 19

We have been told to expect the following: Athena works to put her physical and emotional injuries behind her to get back into the job, Maddie and Chimney prepare to have a baby, and an exploration into Buck’s childhood. What will happen to our beloved Hen (Aisha Hinds)?? We will find out.

9-1-1: Lone Star – Season 2 Premiere (Fox) – January 19

Liv Tyler won’t be returning for Season 2 (she did not want to travel to the U.S. to film during a pandemic) and Gina Torres will be joining the cast. Brain Michael Smith will return as trans firefightere Paul Strickland.

Grown-ish: Season 3B Premiere – January 22

In the back half of Season 3, we will see “the Cal U gang as they navigate the second half of junior year and begin to step out as adults into the real world. After dropping out to focus on her fashion career, Zoey wonders if life outside of Cal U is all it’s cracked up to be or if she still has some growing left to do.” And uh, Nomi has her baby so that’ll be interesting.

Streaming in Queer on Amazon Prime January 2021

Flack: Season 1 – January 22 

Anna Pacquin is Robyn, a bisexual and unflappable PR person/fixer with a messy personal life. You know; an antihero! The show was abruptly cancelled by PopTV earlier this year but picked up by Amazon for its first and second seasons. Variety described the show as “often too blunt to be as interesting as it palpably wants to be, burying any shred of nuance by underlining its themes in red marker to make sure you can’t miss them.

Chick Fight (2020) – January 29

This certified hot mess of a film written and directed by men about women punching each other in the face centers on Anna (Malin Akerman), a girl going nowhere with a lesbian police officer best friend, Charleen (Dulce Sloan), who convinces her to join an all-female fight club headed up by Bear (Fortune Feimster). Bisexual actress Bella Thorne stars as Olivia, the fight club’s usual champion. There are also some men who insert themselves into this already muddled narrative full of stereotypes and tired humor.

January 2021 Streaming and Queer on HBO Max

Gossip Girl: Seasons 1 – 6 – January 6

You probably won’t watch this show strictly for the eventual very brief kiss between Hilary Duff and Jessic Szohr (also, Penn Padgley is there, so) but, just so you know, that does happen. It’s there waiting for you. In 2017, the co-creators of the soapy teen drama about rich kids in Manhattan said their only regret about the show was that they didn’t have enough gay or POC representation. So we are all on the same page there.

The Color Purple (1985) – January 1

Alice Walker’s epistolary novel was de-gayed for this wildly successful Steven Spielberg adaptation starring Danny Glover, Oprah Winfrey, Rae Dawn Chong and Whoopi Goldberg. Goldberg plays Celie, a teenager in rural Georgia with an abusive family who falls for showgirl Shug Avery, her husband’s mistress who Celie nurses back into health.

Mullholland Drive (2001) – January 1

Drew called this twisty surrealist neo-noir thriller “a cinematic masterpiece and one of David Lynch’s finest works.” Naomi Watts plays Betty, an actress new to Los Angeles who is immediately drawn to and falls for an amnesiac woman recovering from a car crash.

Ready Player One (2018) – January 1

Based on Ernest Cline’s sci-fi novel, Ready Player One is set in a dystopian 2045 where humans escape the real world through the virtual world of OASIS, where they can adopt characters of their choice and compete for elusive escape from their bleak reality. Lena Waithe plays lead character Wade’s best friend, lesbian gamer Aech/Helen Harris, who Heather describes as “[weaving] a magic spell around that audience, ping-ponging them between flashes of awe and fits of giggles.”

V for Vendetta (2005) – January 1

WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH THIS MOVIE? Literally every month it is leaving or arriving at a new streaming network. I actually stopped erasing old streaming guides from wordpress after I released a new one specifically because I didn’t want to have to keep writing new blurbs for V for Vendetta. It came to HBO Max in September, must have left at some point (perhaps for its November engagement with Netflix? Who can say), and now it’s back. As aforementioned, V for Vendetta is a dystopian political action film from the Wachowskis starring Natalie Portman. A*terE*len’s Sarah Warn called, in 2006, “One of the most pro-gay films ever.”

Lost and Delirious (2001) – January 12

This objectively terrible film that for some reason remains beloved amongst huge swaths of the lesbian and bisexual population, including by our noted film critic Drew Gregory, will be entering your homes via HBO Max if you desire boarding school lesbians, Mischa Barton, ravens, and mixed metaphors.

Person of Interest: Seasons 1-5  – January 23

This sci-fi crime drama follows a group of detectives and assorted nerds who seek to stop various violent crimes using a computer program that predicts terrorist acts. Computer hacker Root (Amy Acker) joins the crew in Season Two after guesting in Season One and eventually one of the show’s only romantic storylines erupts between her and psychopathic assassin Shaw (Sarah Shahi)

Euphoria: Part 2: Jules: “F*ck Anyone Who’s Not a Sea Blob,” Special Episode Premiere – January 24

Hunter Schafer co-wrote and co-executive produced part two of Euphoria’s two part special episodes. The first part focused on Rue and her attempts at sobriety, and the second part will be focused squarely on Jules, following her over the Christmas holiday as she “reflects on the year.”

Babylon 5: Seasons 1-5 – January 26

This ’90s series set on a space station had one poorly handled implied relationship between bisexual Space Jew Susan Ivanova and bisexual corporate telepath Talia Winters, but you probably liked it despite that not because of it.

Gay and Streaming on Apple+ TV in January 2021

Dickinson: Season 2 (Apple+ Original) – January 8th

Season Two will continue to explore why Dickinson’s poems were only published posthumously — this time, it’s not just the patriarchy to blame, but Emily’s own “ambivalent relationship to fame.” “Season Two is really all about fame and the attention economy, which was a central concern in Emily Dikcinson’s poems,” said showrunner Alena Smith. You can watch a featurette right here.

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