June was pride month! That means the best of queer cinema is upon us, and the landscape of entertainment has changed greatly throughout the years. Now, film and television are saturated with queer characters that have made a landmark in cinema. Oftentimes, supporting characters steal the spotlight with quippy one-liners or scene-grabbing moments that enhance film and the world in general.
This list is comprised of the best supporting queer characters throughout film history. It was hard to narrow down since there are so many great queer characters in supporting roles. However, these characters are often the heart of the story, and their incredible dimension goes beyond just who they are on the outside. Here are the five best supporting queer characters in film.
Deadpool 2 – Negasonic Teenage Warhead
The character was a fun standout in the first Deadpool, and the expansion of Negasonic Teenage Warhead in the sequel nicely opened layers to her character. She has teenage angst, but not in the typical and annoying fashion that Hollywood writers usually pens these kinds of characters. She compliments Deadpool nicely, and despite the name, she’s a relatively likable badass with a soft side.
Warhead having a girlfriend in the sequel made her dynamic with Deadpool even better. Her constant snarkiness is always fun. However, the ongoing gag of Deadpool, specifically saying bye to Yukio (Shiori Kutsuna), is simply hilarious. Altogether, she’s a natural and organic queer character that enhanced the world of Deadpool and superheroes in general.
Mean Girls – Damian
Mr. “Too Gay to function” is easily one of the best parts of the infamous Lindsey Lohan movie. Mean Girls perfectly captures the spirit of coming-of-age stories without relying on tired tropes and cliches. He and Jans Ian (Lizzy Caplan) feel like genuine siblings, with their banter coming across as genuine and fun. The inclusion of Cady helps round out the dynamic trio.
Admittedly, the best moment for Damian was his huge gasp as he was driving Janis down the block. Mean Girls leans into the gay stereotype, but not so much that it becomes eye rolling or tired. He adds value to the overall story and highlights the diversity and culture shock in high school.
Everything Everywhere All At Once – Joy Wang/ Jobu Tupaki
The 2023 Best Picture is definitely one of the better films to come out in the last five years. Everything Everywhere All At Once is controlled chaos that focuses on the important message of family. Joy represents a modern teenager who has to deal with a mother who isn’t totally accepting of her sexuality. This sort of subject is nothing new, but the layers surrounding the film are the reason this element works so well.
Joy is hurt. She doesn’t feel accepted by her mother. And she’s tired of lying in a cage where she can’t truly be herself. The Jobu character was completely fun all around, and silliness between dimensions only enhanced the unique villain. The hallway sequence of her using a giant dildo and wrestling moves was especially memorable.
Brokeback Mountain – Jack Twist
One of the best films that stands the test of time. It could be argued that Brokeback Mountain is the best gay film ever made. How Crash beat that film is still a mind-boggling decision. Nevertheless, Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger are still fantastic in this film. The complex narrative of two men forced to hide their love is quite simple. But the elements surrounding their lives are what really make the story and characters pop.
The sad ending with Jack dying details the hardship of his lifestyle and the horrors of the outside world. The reason Jack and Ennis were strong characters being there felt like genuine humans. It wasn’t about their sexuality. It was about being themselves and finding true love. Brokeback Mountain is a powerful film and the best one in 2005.
Dallas Buyers Club – Rayon
Jared Leto can be hit or miss sometimes. However, the Oscar winner certainly deserves his trophy for this portrayal of the trans character Rayon. He’s the important piece to the character development of Ron Woodloof (Matthew McConaughey), who was a homophobic wildman in the beginning. He understands that Rayon and the queer community are ordinary people, and his transformation throughout the film marks a beautiful character-driven piece. Rayon never feels like a caricature of a transexual, and Leto has great chemistry with McConaughey. This film firmly established that Leto is a great actor, despite him not always connecting with each role he takes.
Follow Us
