Leviticus, I Kissed A Girl and Sequin in a Blue Room — Plus Dean from Gilmore Girls

The Bear is back for its final season next week and I can't wait to see what Jeremy Allen White has got cooking for us in that stove of his.

What I would give to be that apple...

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Queer and Now

Everything new in the world of queer TV and film

— Leviticus is the culmination of indie horror this summer because it's about two obsessed boys who want to explore each other's backrooms. Ok, no, it's actually about two gays who are tormented by a violent supernatural entity that takes the form of whoever they desire the most — namely, each other.

Yep, the Big Bad is literally a Demon Twink (out now in US cinemas).

— Hayley Kiyoko, aka Lesbian Jesus, has directed a coming of age romance called Girls Like Girls based on her music video and book of the same name.

It's exactly the kind of gorgeous, sapphic, sun-soaked love fest we need to see more of on the big screen (out now in US cinemas).

— While I'm still livid that the BBC cancelled their brilliant gay dating show, I will be tuning into the second and final season of I Kissed a Girl when it launches on June 23rd. I love the drama, but I'm going to miss the Masseria and Dannii Minogue most of all.

— Julian Chou's sophomore feature, Blind Love, is available to stream on Film Movement from today in the US.

The plot is essentially all about the lesbian yearning that's reignited when Shu-yi (Ariel Lin) reconnects with Xue-jin (Ke-xi Wu), despite being married to a man. Lesbian cinephiles unite!

— Leo Drayton wrote and stars in Teth, the first Welsh Language short to explore transness. And yes, the word "Teth" does mean "nipple."

Directed by Peter Darney, the film has travelled festivals around the world, and is now set to screen at the 34th Raindance Film Festival in London as part of the Queer Shorts Programme 2 on 25th and 26th June. Check out tickets here.

— Written and directed by Rohan Parashuram Kanawade, Cactus Pears (Sabar Bonda) tells the story of a man who reconnects with his childhood friend during a period of mourning.

This Sundance fave gives a rare glimpse into what being queer means in rural India, depicting this growing love between the pair with grace and beauty (Out now in UK cinemas).

35 Best LGBTQ+ Movies of 2026 Ranked (so far)

Plus where to watch them

In need of something new and extremely gay to watch? Look no further than my ranking of the 35 best LGBTQ+ movies released this year so far.

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Queer Awakenings

You know, the hotties who "turned" you gay.

Being gay is NOT a choice. How do I know? Because I was always going to be gay after seeing this as a kid.

Yes, it's only been a week since I thirsted over Milo Ventimiglia in Gilmore Girls and here I am again, this time thirsting over Jared Padalecki's character Dean.

What are you? The Stars Hollow police?

Let's just say my sexual awakening was pretty much the same as Rory's. Except, she actually got to touch them and stuff.

Was Dean the nice guy he made himself out to be? I don't know. I was too busy staring at his cutie dimples and floppy hair, which, to quote Abe Simpson, "was the style at the time."

Team Dean? Team Jess? How about they double team me and we go from there?

The same goes for Padalecki and Jensen Ackles in Supernatural while we're at it too.

You know what? It's Pride Month. I can be as horny as I like and you can't stop me.

Reply with your own Queer Awakenings or email me at: cruisingcinema7@gmail.com.

Out Takes

Queer hidden gems you need to see

The opening credits for Sequin in a Blue Room (2019) describe it as "A Homosexual Film." While that's true of many, many films I celebrate here, this Australian hidden gem is extra special, drawing inspiration from the likes of Gregg Araki to create something quite daring and new.

The 16-year-old protagonist, played by Conor Leach in his debut role, goes by his app name Sequin, because he wears a silvery sequin crop-top when he anonymously bangs older dudes (only to block them immediately after).

It's giving Demon Twink, even more than Leviticus.

Things change when Sequin finds himself lusting after someone at an anonymous sex party called the Blue Room. Trying to hunt the guy down after, Sequin gets caught up in all kinds of trouble. And not just the sexy kind.

Debut filmmaker Samuel Van Grinsven made Sequin in a Blue Room for his graduate project. Yes, really. Eat your heart out, Backrooms. The Blue Room is where it's at.

This film is gorgeously shot, especially in the Blue Room scenes which pulsate with carnal desire under blue strobe lights. That someone's debut can be this horny and this accomplished is nothing short of miraculous. Never mind that it also brings a very unique energy to the typical coming-of-age stories most of us have grown bored of seeing.

Check out where you can watch Sequin in a Blue Room at this link below.

Sequin in a Blue Room - movie: watch streaming online

Find out how and where to watch “Sequin in a Blue Room” on Netflix and Prime Video today - including free options.

JustWatch

34 Best LGBTQ+ TV Shows of 2026 Ranked (so far)

Plus where to watch them

Do you want gay shit? Of course you do. Do you want to spend hours looking for it? Obviously not. Thankfully, I'm here to help with this ranking of the 34 best LGBTQ+ shows I've seen so far this year.

Check out the link below to see where your faves end up.

And just like that, we've come to the end of Cruising Cinema today. As a thank you for making it this far, here's Jonathan Bailey with a reminder to drink your milk. See you next Tuesday!

Remember to share your own Queer Awakenings for future editions by replying to this email or via cruisingcinema7@gmail.com. And don't forget to follow the newsletter on Twitter here, Instagram here and Facebook here and Letterboxd here.

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