Hi! Long time lurker, first time poster here! I posted this on AskGaybrosOver30 last night and it got a really lovely reception so, seeing that some members of this subreddit might not be members of AGBO30, I thought that it might be a good idea to repost the list here and let others benefit from it. :)
Please feel free to contribute and add your own favourites, especially as I'm British and this list is arguably a tad biased towards the UK! ;) As always, please take care, particularly if you're struggling to deal with your mental health and/or sexuality, and also please continue to stay safe and well, especially if you live in an area with high Covid rates and/or a slow vaccination rollout. :) *hugs*
Fiction books
Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin (1956) - intelligent and thoughtful novel from a black gay writer, whose seminal work is currently more important than ever
Quatrefoil: A Modern Novel by James BarJames Fugaté (1950) - ground-breaking romance novel about two men who ultimately reach of point of self-confidence and acceptance
The Mysteries Of Pittsburgh by Michael Chabon (1988) - Primitive young adult and coming-of-age novel with bisexual themes
Maurice by EM Forster (1971) - posthumously published novel, from the author of Howard's End, which was originally written between 1913 and 1914
Senses series by Andrew Grey (2012-2016) - frothy and sentimental yet endearing and engaging romance novels about disabled gay men
The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway (1926) - accidentally queer novel that concerns toxic masculinity; this Literary Hub article provides an excellent introduction to the unintentional queerness of Hemingway's work
The Beauty Of Men by Andrew Holleran (1996) - a 47-year-old gay man moves back home to Florida in order to care for his paralysed mother
The Swimming Pool Library (1988), The Spell (1998) and The Line Of Beauty (2004) by Alan Hollingworth - accomplished and boundary-pushing novelist who explores British gay socio-culture
Tigers & Devils series by Sean Kennedy (2009-2019) - idealistic yet thoroughly likeable romance novels about a charmingly misanthropic movie festival director and a kind yet closeted Australian footballer
We Are Okay by Nina LaCour (2017) - mature and character-driven YA novel with lesbian themes
How They Met & Other Stories by David Levithan (2008) - collection of romantic YA short stories that's often written with an LGBTQ+ slant
Insignificant Others by Stephen McCauley (2010) - fun and smart 'slice of life' novel about a 50-something gay man
Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston (2019) - playful teen romcom about a bisexual First Son who develops feelings for an English prince
The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern (2019) - fantasy novel with a gay and black male protagonist
The Last Romeo by Justin Myers (2018) - 30-something Bridget Jones-esque comedy of errors romance about a gay British web journalist who starts a dating blog
Release by Patrick Ness (2017) - gay coming-of-age YA novel, with magical realism and fantasy themes
A Natural by Ross Raisin (2017) - subtle British novel about a closeted and introverted soccer player
The Charioteer by Mary Renault (1953) - cerebral, moving and ultimately positive historical novel, set in a military hospital during World War II, which has prominent themes of repression and self-discovery
Camp by L.C. Rosen (2020) - comedic YA novel about gay self-acceptance and toxic masculinity
The Invention Of Love by Tom Stoppard (1997) - refined and seminal play that deals with the gay unrequited love of poet A. E. Housman at Oxford University
Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart (2020) - dark and highly acclaimed Scottish novel about alcoholism that includes gay themes
My Brother's Husband by Gengoroh Tagame (2014-2017) - magna series about a gay Canadian bear who, following the death of his Japanese husband, moves in with his straight brother-in-law in Japan
Real Life by Brandon Taylor (2020) - gay-themed campus novel where a black doctoral student comes of age in a midwestern town
Check, Please! by Ngozi Ukazu (2013-2020) - hilarious webcomic about an adorkable gay figure skater, who loves baking and joins his college's ice hockey team-cum-fraternity
Upside Down by NR Walker (2019) - Australian comedy romance involving two homoromantic asexuals
The Less Than Epic Adventures Of TJ & Amal by EK Weaver (2009-2014) - webcomic where a gay slacker comes out and goes on a road trip
Non-fiction books
Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic by Alison Bechdel (2006) - lesbian-themed graphic memoir
The Disease To Please: Curing The People-Pleasing Syndrome by Harriet B. Braiker (2000) - not an LGBTQ+ self-help book, but this is still an essential read for anybody in our wonderful community
Brian Epstein: The Man Who Made The Beatles by Ray Coleman (1989) - biography about The Beatles' manager, which also explores his sexuality
Boy Erased: A Memoir Of Identity, Faith & Identity by Garrad Conley (2016) - Touching memoir about conversation therapy, sexuality and Christian fundamentalism
Ultimate Gay Sex by Michael Thomas Ford (2004) - dated but useful guide to gay life and sex for any closeted or newly out gay virgins
Outskirts: Living Life On The Edge by John Grindrod (2017) - part history of the green belt and part memoir of growing up in the British countryside as a gay youngster
Trans: A Memoir by Juliet Jacques (2015) - a British memoir about gender transition, with some thoughtful reflections on trans politics
10 Smart Things Gay Men Can Do to Improve Their Lives by Dr. Joe Kort (2003) - essential self-help book that's specifically aimed at 30+ newly out gay and bisexual men, with plenty of relevant case studies
David Hockney: Moving Focus, edited by Helen Little (2021) - forthcoming collection of essays about the seminal British gay painter
Everything Sad Is Untrue by Daniel Nayeri (2020) - a YA gay memoir that's written like a novel and is about a young Iranian refugee boy who moves to Oklahoma
Out of the Shadows: The Psychology Of Gay Men’s Lives by Walt Odets (2019) - highly respected book that is often said to improve on the themes explored in Alan Downs' The Velvet Rage
Coming Out To Play by Robbie Rogers with Eric Marcus (2014) - if you love soccer and prefer non-fiction, then you might like this memoir from the first openly gay MLS player
Naked by David Sedaris (1997) - a collection of 40-something autobiographical essays from a gay humourist
Just Kids by Patti Smith (2010) - acclaimed memoir about Patti Smith's relationship with gay male BDSM photographer Robert Mapplethorpe
Francis Bacon: Revelations by Mark Stevens and Annalyn Swan (2021) - acclaimed biography about a pioneer in modern queer art
Straight Jacket: Overcoming Society's Legacy of Gay Shame by Matthew Todd (2016) - British equivalent of Alan Downs' The Velvet Rage by the former editor of Attitude magazine
Out Of The Woods by Luke Turner (2019) - frank, intimate and sexually explicit British memoir that deals with bisexuality, religion, sexual abuse, outdoor sex, internalised homophobia and gender identity
Close to the Knives: A Memoir of Disintegration by David Wojnarowicz (1991) - insightful and thought memoir about the seminal painter's life, as well as LGBTQ+ politics and the HIV-AIDS pandemic
Documentaries
The Celluloid Closet (1995) - documentary movie about the portrayal of LGBTQ+ characters in US cinema
Gaycation (2016-2017) - global travel documentary series, co-presented by Elliot Page, which focuses on LGBTQ+ culture and society (NB: the pilot episode, which explores Japan's LGBTQ+ community, has been legally uploaded on Vice's official YouTube channel)
Hollyoaks: Gay Dads Forever (2017) - accessible and informative documentary about same-sex parenting and surrogacy (NB: this programme has been legally uploaded on Channel 4's official YouTube channel)
Open To Question: Justin Fashanu (1992) - Justin Fashanu, the first openly gay professional soccer player and first black player to command a £1m transfer fee, is interviewed on a Q&A programme for young people (NB: this has been archived online by the BBC as an important historical document)
Queer Britain (2017) - excellent BBC youth documentary series about LGBTQ issues in Britain, with episodes dedicated to religion, body image, homelessness, racism, porn, and queer identity (NB: this full series has been legally uploaded on BBC Three's official YouTube channel)
Paris Is Burning (1990) - important long-form BIPOC documentary about NYC ballroom culture (NB: this isn't available on British streaming platforms and it can be found on YouTube instead)
Keith Haring: Street Art Boy (2020) - long-form documentary, co-produced by PBS and the BBC, about the iconic gay artist
Tofu (2015) - short-form web documentary series, from the creator of Queer As Folk, which explores modern attitudes towards sex, with a heavy emphasis on the LGBTQ side of it
Truth Or Dare, aka In Bed With Madonna (1991) - entertaining rockumentary about Madonna's Blonde Ambition tour, which prominently features a number of dancers that are gay and BIPOC (NB: this isn't available on British streaming platforms and it can be found on YouTube instead)
TV programmes, mini-series and specials
Banana Fish (2018) - anime TV series, based on a magna from the '80s, with a gay male co-protagonist
Boy Meets Girl (2015-2016) - realistic enough yet slight BBC sitcom about a 26-year-old man who falls in love with a 40-year-old trans woman
Cabaret (1993) - a made-for-television stage production of the '30s-set musical, which features a American bisexual writer who lives in Berlin amid the Nazi's rise to power (NB: this isn't available on British streaming platforms and it can be found on YouTube instead)
Elite (2018-) - Spanish teen thriller series that has HIV-AIDS and LGBTQ+ themes
The Fosters (2013-2018) - family drama series about a lesbians couple that become foster parents
The Gay and Wondrous Life of Caleb Gallo (2016) - shallow but fun web comedy that explores a number of LGBTQ+ issues, notably genderfluid identities (NB: this webseries has been legally uploaded on Brian Jordan Alvarez's official YouTube channel)
Gimme Gimme Gimme (1999-2001) and Queer As Folk (1999-2000) - dated but lively snapshots of late '90s gay culture in Britain (NB: the first episode of Queer As Folk has been legally uploaded on Channel 4's official YouTube channel)
Happy Endings (2011-2013) - underrated 20-something American sitcom, with a loveable co-protagonist that's undoubtedly a beacub
Grandma's House (2010-2012) - naturalistic BBC sitcom about a gay son and his Jewish family
The Normal Heart (2014) and It's A Sin (2021) '80s-set dramas that respectively deal with the HIV-AIDS pandemic in NYC and London; Matt Bomer and Jim Parsons' performances in The Normal Heart merit special praise, in particular
Joe Lycett: I'm About To Lose Control & I Think Joe Lycett (2018) - filmed stand-up comedy gig that features a number of smart and witty LGBTQ+ observations
Looking (2014-2016) - contemporary US adulting drama series that's set in San Francisco
Outland (2012) and Please Like Me (2013-2016) - two Australian comedy series; the former is about five members of an LGBTQ sci-fi club and the latter is about a newly out millennial slacker (which co-stars Pippa from Home & Away!)
Pose (2018-2021) - essential US drama about NYC ballroom culture that is set during the HIV-AIDS pandemic and features several BIPOC trans characters
Rent: Live (2019) - a quasi-live TV production of the rock musical about young artists that are trying to survive and thrive in NYC amid the HIV-AIDS pandemic (NB: this isn't available on British streaming platforms and it can be found on YouTube instead)
Schitt's Creek (2015-2020) - Canadian sitcom that co-stars Dan Levy as a spoiled pansexual man who grows up when he relocates to a small town
Sondheim: A Celebration at Carnegie Hall (1993) - arguably the best introduction for those who want to explore the peerless and gay musical theatre composer Stephen Sondheim (NB: this isn't available on British streaming platforms and it can be found on YouTube instead)
Special (2019-2021) - short-form US comedy series about a gay intern with mild cerebral palsy
Tales Of The City series (1993, 1998, 2001, 2019) - outstanding TV adaptation of Armistead Maupin's classic gay novel and its sequels (NB: the third season isn't available on British streaming platforms and it can be found on YouTube instead)
The Outs (2012-2013, 2016) - largely realistic and utterly charming web drama about gay adulting in NYC, with a peerless soundtrack; I low-key stan the loveable Jack and Scruffy (NB: the first season has been legally uploaded on The Outs' official Vimeo channel)
The United States Of Tara (2009-2011) - domestic comedy-drama, featuring Atypical's Keir Gilchrist as the gay son of Toni Collette's lead character
Verbotene Liebe (2007-2013) - surprisingly good supercouple plot from a German soap opera, involving a bisexual amateur boxer turned horse trainer, Christian, and his boyfriend/husband, Oliver (NB: this long-running storyline can be found on YouTube)
We Are Who We Are (2020) - superb coming-of-age miniseries from the director of Call Me By Your Name (2017) that explores sexuality and gender identity
Will & Grace (1998-2006, 2017-2020) - nothing else needs to be said, except that Karen Walker is one of the GOAT creations in US sitcom history
Movies
And Then We Danced (2019) - generic but insightful drama about gay romance and toxic masculinity in an Eastern European dance school
Another Country (1984) - underrated historical biopic about the boarding school experiences of the British diplomat Guy Burgess, with the themes of Wild Reeds, style of Maurice and tragic heartbreak of Brideshead Revisited; co-stars a young Rupert Everett and Colin Firth
Beaches (1988), Heathers (1989), Steel Magnolias (1989), Death Becomes Her (1992), Muriel's Wedding (1994), Clueless (1995), The Craft (1996), Bring It On (2000), Miss Congeniality (2000) and Legally Blonde (2001) - romantic and/or teen comedies that all heavily skew towards the gay male community
Beautiful Thing (1996) - idealistic yet 100% charming and pandemic-friendly coming out teen romance, which oozes summery cinematography in one of London's brutalist council estates
Beginners (2010) - acclaimed comedy-drama that co-stars Christopher Plummer in an Oscar-winning role as a father who comes out as gay at the age of 75
Benjamin (2018) and Sorry, Angel (2018) - slight but likeable and peppy inner-city gay romances
Boys In The Band (2020) - remake of the classic 1968 play that features a cast of exclusively openly gay male actors
BPM (2017) - charismatic and moving French drama about HIV-AIDS activism in the early '90s
The Broken Hearts Club: A Romantic Comedy (2000) - likeable, peppy, relatable, upbeat and generally unproblematic 'slice of life' movie, about a gay friendship group, from the director of the problematic Love, Simon; co-stars John Mahoney, Dean Cain, a pre-fame Billy Porter and a young Zach Braff
Dead Poets Society (1989) and School Ties (1992) - deeply homoerotic prep school movies
Edge Of Seventeen (1998) - arguably the most realistic coming out movie ever made, although the emphasis is firmly on the 'coming of age' side of things
End Of The Century (2019) - 30-something Argentine holiday romance, which is heavily inspired by Before Sunrise and set in Barcelona
Every Day (2018) - fetching and smart adaption of David Levithan's teen fantasy romance novel, which includes non-binary themes
Four Moons (2014) - solid Mexican drama that features four interwoven short stories about male sexuality and self-acceptance
The Garden (1990) - experimental and subversive but flawed arthouse drama by Derek Jarman that deals with Christianity and sexuality
Happy Together (1997), Brokeback Mountain (2005) and God's Own Country (2017) - romantic dramas that are considerably bleaker than other cinematic gay relationships
Jeffrey (1995) - subversive AIDS-themed romantic comedy which, despite an outstanding supporting performance from Patrick Stewart that really should have garnered an Oscar nomination, is an acquired taste (NB: this isn't available on British streaming platforms and it can be found on YouTube instead)
Latter Days (2003) and The Falls (2012) - ultra low-budget romantic dramas about gay Mormons
Longtime Companion (1989) - emotional and touching Fire Island-set drama about the HIV-AIDS crisis (NB: this isn't available on British streaming platforms and it can be found on YouTube instead)
Love Is Strange (2014) - 60-something romantic drama about discrimination and family, starring John Lithgow and Alfred Molina
Love, Valour, Compassion (1997) - melodramatic comedy-drama about a 40-something gay friendship group, although this one is a bitchier and snarkier watch than The Broken Hearts Club; features a star turn from Jason Alexander as a dying HIV-AIDS patient
Maurice (1987) - excellent period drama adaptation of EM Forster's novel; co-stars a young Hugh Grant
Milk (2008) - heart-warming and intelligent biopic about Harvey Milk, one of the first openly gay elected officials in the history of US politics
A Moment In The Reeds (2017) - romantic drama where a Finnish man bonds with a Syrian asylum seeker at a lakehouse
Monsoon (2019) - introspective British-Vietnamese drama, starring Henry Golding, with a gay protagonist and romance subplot
Moonlight (2017) - ground-breaking BIPOC drama that remains surprisingly undercited, despite its acclaim and accolades
Moonstruck (1987) and Tea With Mussolini (1999) - two really cohesive and enjoyable movies that best showcase the underrated acting skills of our rock queen, Cher
My Beautiful Laundrette (1985) - pioneering British comedy-drama that critiques racism and Thatcherism, among other things, with a prominent gay subplot; co-stars a young Daniel Day-Lewis
My Own Private Idaho (1991) - surreal road trip drama, partially based on Shakespeare's Henry IV and Henry V, about street hustlers; directed by Gus Van Sant, and starring Keanu Reeves and River Phoenix
Mysterious Skin (2004) - dark, difficult and uncompromising independent drama about the effect of historic sexual abuse on a gay teenage hustler; stars a young Joseph Gordon-Levitt
1985 (2018) - excellent monochrome drama about a closeted and dying man with HIV-AIDS, who is trying to come out to his conservative and suburban family at Christmas
Ocean Waves (1993) - underrated and accidentally queer TV movie from Studio Ghibli; if you don't mind spoilers, then this YouTube video comprehensively explains why Ocean Waves is accidentally queer
Pain & Glory (2019) - Pedro Almodóvar's most recent and arguably most accomplished movie
Pride (2014) - empowering and positive '80s-set British comedy-drama biopic about the Lesbian and Gays Support The Miners movement
Priscilla, Queen Of The Desert (1994) and To Wong Foo: Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar (1995) - inspired road trip comedies that feature three drag queens apiece
A Single Man (2009) - an beautifully glossy dark drama about a recently bereaved and suicidal middle-aged gay man
Shelter (2007) - cute yet slight low-budget drama about gay self-discovery in the American suburbs
The Sum Of Us (1994) - thoroughly affable Australian comedy-drama about a gay son and his accepting father; co-stars a young and pre-fame Russell Crowe
A Taste of Honey (1961) - monochrome kitchen sink dramedy, with a gay male supporting character, which is set in Manchester
The Importance Of Being Earnest (2002) - likeable and peppy adaptation of Oscar Wilde's classic novel
Trick (1999) - please take this idealistic overnight romance with a pinch of salt - even if it realistically tackles internalised homophobia in a way that Love, Simon (2018) never managed to do - but this superb dramedy is still one of the best and most pandemic-friendly gay movies
The Way He Looks (2014) - cute Brazilian teen romance about blindness and self-discovery
The Wedding Banquet (1993) - Oscar-nominated romantic comedy from China, directed by Ang Lee
Weekend (2011) - minimalist and naturalistic weekend romance, set in the outskirts of Nottingham
Wild Reeds (1994) - Cannes-nominated sexual awakening teen drama, set in early '60s France
The Wise Kids (2011) - modest and refined teen drama from Princess Cyd (2017) director Stephen Cone, which how explores LGBTQ+ members of a Baptist church start to come of age
Yentl (1983) - Barbra Streisand's ambitious and undercited romantic musical drama, which features some 'ahead of its time' transgender themes
Gay-themed music
The B-52s by The B-52s (1979) and Solid Proof by Sylvester (1979) - two highly pioneering LGBTQ+ albums from the late '70s, respectively from the burgeoning post-punk and disco movements
Chris by Christine & The Queens (2018) - modern French classic that explores feminism and queerness
Wild! (1989) and Chorus (1991) by Erasure - analogue-based synth-pop; will interest those into video game soundtracks, given that it practically sounds like music from Amiga titles at various points
The Smell Of Our Own by The Hidden Cameras (2003) and i by The Magnetic Fields (2004) - quirky and subversive queer indie-pop from the mid-2000s
The House Sound Of Chicago (1986) - a two-part compilation series that includes several tracks from Chicago house, one of the first EDM movements that originated from the LGBTQ+ community
The Death Of Cool by Kitchens Of Distinction (1992) - long-forgotten college rock album that flirts with shoegaze-type dream pop and explicitly gay lyrics
Welcome To The Real World by Frankie Knuckles featuring Adeva (1995) - the king of Chicago house teams up with the queen of diva house
Erotica by Madonna (1992) and The Velvet Rope by Janet Jackson (1997) - boundary-pushing pop album by our queen allies that explore homophobia and other LGBTQ+ issues
Channel Orange by Frank Ocean (2012) - queer introspection from a BIPOC and 20-something perspective
Passive Soul by Orlando (1997) - fragile and wallflowery art-pop, with lyrics written by future LGBTQ+ online diarist Dickon Edwards
Deflowered by Pansy Division (1994) - charmingly and playfully queer pop-punk album, plus the CD booklet acts as a historical document with its guide to safe gay sex and list of US gay helplines
It Couldn't Happen Here by Pet Shop Boys (1987), Rack by Microdisney (1987) and The Last Song by Elton John (1992) - three of the most articular songs that were written during and about the HIV-AIDS pandemic
Behaviour by Pet Shop Boys (1990), Older by George Michael (1996), Heartland by Owen Pallett (2010), Queen Of Denmark by John Grant (2010), Echoes by Will Young (2011), Too Bright by Perfume Genius (2014) and Choreography by Bright Light Bright Light (2016) - introspective albums about gay life by 30-something men
Very by Pet Shop Boys (1993) and The Tension & The Spark by Darren Hayes (2004) - 30-something coming out albums
Reckoning by R.E.M. (1984), Copper Blue by Sugar (1992), The Sound Of McAlmont & Butler by McAlmont & Butler (1995), D-D-Don't Stop The Beat by Junior Senior (2002), and Silent Alarm by Bloc Party (2005) - no gay lyrical content here, but these are all college rock groups that were fronted/co-fronted by openly gay men
Original Soundtrack by S-Express (1989) - one of the first UK house music albums to have originated from LGBTQ+ nightclubs
Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret by Soft Cell (1981), The Age Of Consent by Brosnki Beat (1984) and Youthquake by Dead Or Alive (1985) - melodramatic synth-pop from northern England and Scotland
Reputation by Dusty Springfield (1990) - Dusty In Memphis (1969) is arguably Dusty's most acclaimed LP, but I couldn't resist mentioning this when the second side was co-produced and mostly co-written by the Pet Shop Boys
I Want The World (1994) and I Want To Be Alone (1994) by 2wo Third3 - formative day-glo pop singles by the UK's first openly gay boyband
Rufus Does Judy At Carnegie Hall by Rufus Wainwright (2007) - a recreation of Judy Garland's 1961 double live album
Gay-skewed music
Hounds Of Love by Kate Bush (1985), Little Earthquakes by Tori Amos (1992) and When The Pawn by Fiona Apple (1999) - very strong introductions to eccentric yet loveable piano-led college pop-rock
Northern Star by Melanie C (1999) - British equivalent of Madonna's seminal album Ray Of Light (1998)
Horizon by The Carpenters (1975), Scott Walker Sings Jacques Brel by Scott Walker (1981), La Varieté by Weekend (1982), Life by The Cardigans (1995), Disgraceful by Dubstar (1995), The Sound Of Music by Pizzicato Five (1995) and Good Humor by Saint Etienne (1998) - fey, kitschy and peppy lounge pop
It's A Man's World by Cher (1995) - arguably Cher's most rootsy and soulful LP prior to her modern reinvention as a disco diva
Blue Bell Knoll (1988) and Heaven Or Las Vegas (1990) by Cocteau Twins - pioneering ambient dream-pop, which are perhaps the ideal albums for jerk-off sessions and physical intimacy
Doppelgänger by Curve (1992) - a gothic, melodramatic and moody fusion of shoegaze and industrial electronica; fans of Bjork and Garbage will LOVE this album
World Clique by Deee-Lite (1990) and Foxbase Alpha by Saint Etienne (1991) - superior diva-fronted house music from the early '90s
Amplified Heart by Everything But The Girl (1994) - eloquent fusion of acoustic folk-pop and electronica; Tracey Thorn's Record (2018) further consolidated her appeal to the LGBTQ+ community
Sue (1989) and Ray (1991) by Frazier Chorus - arty and gentle woodwind-based synth-pop that also has the bitchiest and most subversive lyrics imaginable
Françoise Hardy Sings In English by Françoise Hardy (1966), The Wild Heart by Stevie Nicks (1983), Infamous Angel by Iris DeMent (1992), Whatever by Aimee Mann (1993), Out Of Range by Ani DiFranco (1994) and Adieu False Heart by Linda Ronstadt (2006) - refined and classy singer-songwriter material
Bonito Generation by Kero Kero Bonito (2016) - day-glo dance-pop that's heavily influenced by The B-52s, J-pop, video game soundtracks, dancehall culture and mid-'90s Eurodance
Thinking It Over by Liberty X (2002) - surprisingly good R&B-led pop from talent show runner-ups
Bedtime Stories by Madonna (1994) - subtle and sultry R&B that arguably remains the unsung highlight of Madonna's career
Beaches: Original Soundtrack by Bette Midler (1988) - surprisingly diverse and solid adult contemporary album from the movie of the same name
Light Years by Kylie Minogue (2000) - perhaps the most cohesive introduction to the Australian queen
Loveless by My Bloody Valentine (1991) - Mysterious Skin undoubtedly proves that shoegaze has LGBTQ appeal, although this is challenging stuff and not for the faint-hearted
Missundaztood by Pink (2001) - angsty pop-rock album that still holds up well and remains likeable
A Secret Wish by Propaganda (1985) - gothic and literate synth-pop from Düsseldorf
Emotion by Carly Rae Jepsen (2015) and What's Your Pleasure? by Jessie Ware (2020) - highly praised examples of modern sounding yet retro influenced electro-pop albums
Body Talk by Robyn (2010) - boundary-pushing dance-pop from the Swedish queen
Hormonally Yours by Shakespears Sister (1992) - gothic, melodramatic, sassy and vampy glam pop-rock
We Are Shampoo by Shampoo (1994) and On The Loose by Deuce (1995) - unashamedly trashy bubblegum pop; the latter band was created by former Pet Shop Boys manager Tom Watkins
Illinois (2005) and Carrie & Lowell (2015) by Sufjan Stevens - if you've seen the movie Call Me By Your Name, then you'll know all about this guy
Suede by Suede (1993) - the genderfluid appropriation and imagery haven't aged well, but this The Smiths-influenced and David Bowie-inspired take on camp and glamorous yet laddy and seedy Britpop still sounds great from a sonic perspective
Bad Girls by Donna Summer (1979) and Diana by Diana Ross (1980) - highly regarded queer-skewed disco albums from the late '70s and early '80s
State Of Mind by Holly Valance (2003), Come & Get It by Rachel Stevens (2005), Chemistry by Girls Aloud (2005) and Blackout by Britney Spears (2007) - bubblegum pop artists that throw curveballs by unexpectedly moving into indie-baiting dance-pop territory
Titanic Rising by Weyes Blood (2019), Saint Cloud by Waxahatchee (2020) and Punisher by Phoebe Bridgers (2020) - minimalist indie for hipsters
Social media
Matt Baume - thoughtful analysis of LGBTQ+ milestones in film and TV
Max Hovey - Instagram-based influencer that focuses on body positivity in the gay community
Eric Mason - endearing and insightful lyrical breakdowns of songs by pop divas
Jacob Michael - cerebral and eloquent musings on the state of modern gay life
Olly Pike - children's author who explains LGBTQ+ issues and other social matter to an elementary school audience

Hi! About this time last year, I posted a thread on this lovely subreddit that recommended a ton of media items for newcomers to our community and/or those who are struggling to find their own individual voice. And, seeing that this subreddit has since considerably grown and my own knowledge as a newbie is now slightly more advanced, it seems like a good time to post an updated list.
Feel free to contribute and add your own favourites, especially as I'm British and this list is arguably a tad biased towards the UK! ;) As always, please take care, particularly if you're struggling to deal with your mental health and/or sexuality, and also please continue to stay safe and well, especially if you live in an area with high Covid rates and/or a slow vaccination rollout. :) *hugs*
Fiction books
Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin (1956) - intelligent and thoughtful novel from a black gay writer, whose seminal work is currently more important than ever
Quatrefoil: A Modern Novel by James BarJames Fugaté (1950) - ground-breaking romance novel about two men who ultimately reach of point of self-confidence and acceptance
The Mysteries Of Pittsburgh by Michael Chabon (1988) - Primitive young adult and coming-of-age novel with bisexual themes
Maurice by EM Forster (1971) - posthumously published novel, from the author of Howard's End, which was originally written between 1913 and 1914
Senses series by Andrew Grey (2012-2016) - frothy and sentimental yet endearing and engaging romance novels about disabled gay men
The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway (1926) - accidentally queer novel that concerns toxic masculinity; this Literary Hub article provides an excellent introduction to the unintentional queerness of Hemingway's work
The Beauty Of Men by Andrew Holleran (1996) - a 47-year-old gay man moves back home to Florida in order to care for his paralysed mother
The Swimming Pool Library (1988), The Spell (1998) and The Line Of Beauty (2004) by Alan Hollingworth - accomplished and boundary-pushing novelist who explores British gay socio-culture
Tigers & Devils series by Sean Kennedy (2009-2019) - idealistic yet thoroughly likeable romance novels about a charmingly misanthropic movie festival director and a kind yet closeted Australian footballer
We Are Okay by Nina LaCour (2017) - mature and character-driven YA novel with lesbian themes
How They Met & Other Stories by David Levithan (2008) - collection of romantic YA short stories that's often written with an LGBTQ+ slant
Insignificant Others by Stephen McCauley (2010) - fun and smart 'slice of life' novel about a 50-something gay man
Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston (2019) - playful teen romcom about a bisexual First Son who develops feelings for an English prince
The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern (2019) - fantasy novel with a gay and black male protagonist
The Last Romeo by Justin Myers (2018) - 30-something Bridget Jones-esque comedy of errors romance about a gay British web journalist who starts a dating blog
Release by Patrick Ness (2017) - gay coming-of-age YA novel, with magical realism and fantasy themes
A Natural by Ross Raisin (2017) - subtle British novel about a closeted and introverted soccer player
The Charioteer by Mary Renault (1953) - cerebral, moving and ultimately positive historical novel, set in a military hospital during World War II, which has prominent themes of repression and self-discovery
Camp by L.C. Rosen (2020) - comedic YA novel about gay self-acceptance and toxic masculinity
The Invention Of Love by Tom Stoppard (1997) - refined and seminal play that deals with the gay unrequited love of poet A. E. Housman at Oxford University
Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart (2020) - dark and highly acclaimed Scottish novel about alcoholism that includes gay themes
My Brother's Husband by Gengoroh Tagame (2014-2017) - magna series about a gay Canadian bear who, following the death of his Japanese husband, moves in with his straight brother-in-law in Japan
Real Life by Brandon Taylor (2020) - gay-themed campus novel where a black doctoral student comes of age in a midwestern town
Check, Please! by Ngozi Ukazu (2013-2020) - hilarious webcomic about an adorkable gay figure skater, who loves baking and joins his college's ice hockey team-cum-fraternity
Upside Down by NR Walker (2019) - Australian comedy romance involving two homoromantic asexuals
The Less Than Epic Adventures Of TJ & Amal by EK Weaver (2009-2014) - webcomic where a gay slacker comes out and goes on a road trip
Non-fiction books
Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic by Alison Bechdel (2006) - lesbian-themed graphic memoir
The Disease To Please: Curing The People-Pleasing Syndrome by Harriet B. Braiker (2000) - not an LGBTQ+ self-help book, but this is still an essential read for anybody in our wonderful community
Brian Epstein: The Man Who Made The Beatles by Ray Coleman (1989) - biography about The Beatles' manager, which also explores his sexuality
Boy Erased: A Memoir Of Identity, Faith & Identity by Garrad Conley (2016) - Touching memoir about conversation therapy, sexuality and Christian fundamentalism
Ultimate Gay Sex by Michael Thomas Ford (2004) - dated but useful guide to gay life and sex for any 30+ closeted or newly out gay virgins
Outskirts: Living Life On The Edge by John Grindrod (2017) - part history of the green belt and part memoir of growing up in the British countryside as a gay youngster
Trans: A Memoir by Juliet Jacques (2015) - a British memoir about gender transition, with some thoughtful reflections on trans politics
10 Smart Things Gay Men Can Do to Improve Their Lives by Dr. Joe Kort (2003) - essential self-help book that's specifically aimed at 30+ newly out gay and bisexual men, with plenty of relevant case studies
David Hockney: Moving Focus, edited by Helen Little (2021) - forthcoming collection of essays about the seminal British gay painter
Everything Sad Is Untrue by Daniel Nayeri (2020) - a YA gay memoir that's written like a novel and is about a young Iranian refugee boy who moves to Oklahoma
Out of the Shadows: The Psychology Of Gay Men’s Lives by Walt Odets (2019) - highly respected book that is often said to improve on the themes explored in Alan Downs' The Velvet Rage
Coming Out To Play by Robbie Rogers with Eric Marcus (2014) - if you love soccer and prefer non-fiction, then you might like this memoir from the first openly gay MLS player
Naked by David Sedaris (1997) - a collection of 40-something autobiographical essays from a gay humourist
Just Kids by Patti Smith (2010) - acclaimed memoir about Patti Smith's relationship with gay male BDSM photographer Robert Mapplethorpe
Francis Bacon: Revelations by Mark Stevens and Annalyn Swan (2021) - acclaimed biography about a pioneer in modern queer art
Straight Jacket: Overcoming Society's Legacy of Gay Shame by Matthew Todd (2016) - British equivalent of Alan Downs' The Velvet Rage by the former editor of Attitude magazine
Out Of The Woods by Luke Turner (2019) - frank, intimate and sexually explicit British memoir that deals with bisexuality, religion, sexual abuse, outdoor sex, internalised homophobia and gender identity
Close to the Knives: A Memoir of Disintegration by David Wojnarowicz (1991) - insightful and thought memoir about the seminal painter's life, as well as LGBTQ+ politics and the HIV-AIDS pandemic
Documentaries
The Celluloid Closet (1995) - documentary movie about the portrayal of LGBTQ+ characters in US cinema
Gaycation (2016-2017) - global travel documentary series, co-presented by Elliot Page, which focuses on LGBTQ+ culture and society (NB: the pilot episode, which explores Japan's LGBTQ+ community, has been legally uploaded on Vice's official YouTube channel)
Hollyoaks: Gay Dads Forever (2017) - accessible and informative documentary about same-sex parenting and surrogacy (NB: this programme has been legally uploaded on Channel 4's official YouTube channel)
Open To Question: Justin Fashanu (1992) - Justin Fashanu, the first openly gay professional soccer player and first black player to command a £1m transfer fee, is interviewed on a Q&A programme for young people (NB: this has been archived online by the BBC as an important historical document)
Queer Britain (2017) - excellent BBC youth documentary series about LGBTQ issues in Britain, with episodes dedicated to religion, body image, homelessness, racism, porn, and queer identity (NB: this full series has been legally uploaded on BBC Three's official YouTube channel)
Paris Is Burning (1990) - important long-form BIPOC documentary about NYC ballroom culture (NB: this isn't available on British streaming platforms and it can be found on YouTube instead)
Keith Haring: Street Art Boy (2020) - long-form documentary, co-produced by PBS and the BBC, about the iconic gay artist
Tofu (2015) - short-form web documentary series, from the creator of Queer As Folk, which explores modern attitudes towards sex, with a heavy emphasis on the LGBTQ side of it
Truth Or Dare, aka In Bed With Madonna (1991) - entertaining rockumentary about Madonna's Blonde Ambition tour, which prominently features a number of dancers that are gay and BIPOC (NB: this isn't available on British streaming platforms and it can be found on YouTube instead)
TV programmes, mini-series and specials
Banana Fish (2018) - anime TV series, based on a magna from the '80s, with a gay male co-protagonist
Boy Meets Girl (2015-2016) - realistic enough yet slight BBC sitcom about a 26-year-old man who falls in love with a 40-year-old trans woman
Cabaret (1993) - a made-for-television stage production of the '30s-set musical, which features a American bisexual writer who lives in Berlin amid the Nazi's rise to power (NB: this isn't available on British streaming platforms and it can be found on YouTube instead)
Elite (2018-) - Spanish teen thriller series that has HIV-AIDS and LGBTQ+ themes
The Fosters (2013-2018) - family drama series about a lesbians couple that become foster parents
The Gay and Wondrous Life of Caleb Gallo (2016) - shallow but fun web comedy that explores a number of LGBTQ+ issues, notably genderfluid identities (NB: this webseries has been legally uploaded on Brian Jordan Alvarez's official YouTube channel)
Gimme Gimme Gimme (1999-2001) and Queer As Folk (1999-2000) - dated but lively snapshots of late '90s gay culture in Britain (NB: the first episode of Queer As Folk has been legally uploaded on Channel 4's official YouTube channel)
Happy Endings (2011-2013) - underrated 20-something American sitcom, with a loveable co-protagonist that's undoubtedly a beacub
Grandma's House (2010-2012) - naturalistic BBC sitcom about a gay son and his Jewish family
The Normal Heart (2014) and It's A Sin (2021) '80s-set dramas that respectively deal with the HIV-AIDS pandemic in NYC and London; Matt Bomer and Jim Parsons' performances in The Normal Heart merit special praise, in particular
Joe Lycett: I'm About To Lose Control & I Think Joe Lycett (2018) - filmed stand-up comedy gig that features a number of smart and witty LGBTQ+ observations
Looking (2014-2016) - contemporary US adulting drama series that's set in San Francisco
Outland (2012) and Please Like Me (2013-2016) - two Australian comedy series; the former is about five members of an LGBTQ sci-fi club and the latter is about a newly out millennial slacker (which co-stars Pippa from Home & Away!)
Pose (2018-2021) - essential US drama about NYC ballroom culture that is set during the HIV-AIDS pandemic and features several BIPOC trans characters
Rent: Live (2019) - a quasi-live TV production of the rock musical about young artists that are trying to survive and thrive in NYC amid the HIV-AIDS pandemic (NB: this isn't available on British streaming platforms and it can be found on YouTube instead)
Schitt's Creek (2015-2020) - Canadian sitcom that co-stars Dan Levy as a spoiled pansexual man who grows up when he relocates to a small town
Sondheim: A Celebration at Carnegie Hall (1993) - arguably the best introduction for those who want to explore the peerless and gay musical theatre composer Stephen Sondheim (NB: this isn't available on British streaming platforms and it can be found on YouTube instead)
Special (2019-2021) - short-form US comedy series about a gay intern with mild cerebral palsy
Tales Of The City series (1993, 1998, 2001, 2019) - outstanding TV adaptation of Armistead Maupin's classic gay novel and its sequels (NB: the third season isn't available on British streaming platforms and it can be found on YouTube instead)
The Outs (2012-2013, 2016) - largely realistic and utterly charming web drama about gay adulting in NYC, with a peerless soundtrack; I low-key stan the loveable Jack and Scruffy (NB: the first season has been legally uploaded on The Outs' official Vimeo channel)
The United States Of Tara (2009-2011) - domestic comedy-drama, featuring Atypical's Keir Gilchrist as the gay son of Toni Collette's lead character
Verbotene Liebe (2007-2013) - surprisingly good supercouple plot from a German soap opera, involving a bisexual amateur boxer turned horse trainer, Christian, and his boyfriend/husband, Oliver (NB: this long-running storyline can be found on YouTube)
We Are Who We Are (2020) - superb coming-of-age miniseries from the director of Call Me By Your Name (2017) that explores sexuality and gender identity
Will & Grace (1998-2006, 2017-2020) - nothing else needs to be said, except that Karen Walker is one of the GOAT creations in US sitcom history
Movies
And Then We Danced (2019) - generic but insightful drama about gay romance and toxic masculinity in an Eastern European dance school
Another Country (1984) - underrated historical biopic about the boarding school experiences of the British diplomat Guy Burgess, with the themes of Wild Reeds, style of Maurice and tragic heartbreak of Brideshead Revisited; co-stars a young Rupert Everett and Colin Firth
Beaches (1988), Heathers (1989), Steel Magnolias (1989), Death Becomes Her (1992), Muriel's Wedding (1994), Clueless (1995), The Craft (1996), Bring It On (2000), Miss Congeniality (2000) and Legally Blonde (2001) - romantic and/or teen comedies that all heavily skew towards the gay male community
Beautiful Thing (1996) - idealistic yet 100% charming and pandemic-friendly coming out teen romance, which oozes summery cinematography in one of London's brutalist council estates
Beginners (2010) - acclaimed comedy-drama that co-stars Christopher Plummer in an Oscar-winning role as a father who comes out as gay at the age of 75
Benjamin (2018) and Sorry, Angel (2018) - slight but likeable and peppy inner-city gay romances
Boys In The Band (2020) - remake of the classic 1968 play that features a cast of exclusively openly gay male actors
BPM (2017) - charismatic and moving French drama about HIV-AIDS activism in the early '90s
The Broken Hearts Club: A Romantic Comedy (2000) - likeable, peppy, relatable, upbeat and generally unproblematic 'slice of life' movie, about a gay friendship group, from the director of the problematic Love, Simon; co-stars John Mahoney, Dean Cain, a pre-fame Billy Porter and a young Zach Braff
Dead Poets Society (1989) and School Ties (1992) - deeply homoerotic prep school movies
Edge Of Seventeen (1998) - arguably the most realistic coming out movie ever made, although the emphasis is firmly on the 'coming of age' side of things
End Of The Century (2019) - 30-something Argentine holiday romance, which is heavily inspired by Before Sunrise and set in Barcelona
Every Day (2018) - fetching and smart adaption of David Levithan's teen fantasy romance novel, which includes non-binary themes
Four Moons (2014) - solid Mexican drama that features four interwoven short stories about male sexuality and self-acceptance
The Garden (1990) - experimental and subversive but flawed arthouse drama by Derek Jarman that deals with Christianity and sexuality
Happy Together (1997), Brokeback Mountain (2005) and God's Own Country (2017) - romantic dramas that are considerably bleaker than other cinematic gay relationships
Jeffrey (1995) - subversive AIDS-themed romantic comedy which, despite an outstanding supporting performance from Patrick Stewart that really should have garnered an Oscar nomination, is an acquired taste (NB: this isn't available on British streaming platforms and it can be found on YouTube instead)
Latter Days (2003) and The Falls (2012) - ultra low-budget romantic dramas about gay Mormons
Longtime Companion (1989) - emotional and touching Fire Island-set drama about the HIV-AIDS crisis (NB: this isn't available on British streaming platforms and it can be found on YouTube instead)
Love Is Strange (2014) - 60-something romantic drama about discrimination and family, starring John Lithgow and Alfred Molina
Love, Valour, Compassion (1997) - melodramatic comedy-drama about a 40-something gay friendship group, although this one is a bitchier and snarkier watch than The Broken Hearts Club; features a star turn from Jason Alexander as a dying HIV-AIDS patient
Maurice (1987) - excellent period drama adaptation of EM Forster's novel; co-stars a young Hugh Grant
Milk (2008) - heart-warming and intelligent biopic about Harvey Milk, one of the first openly gay elected officials in the history of US politics
A Moment In The Reeds (2017) - romantic drama where a Finnish man bonds with a Syrian asylum seeker at a lakehouse
Monsoon (2019) - introspective British-Vietnamese drama, starring Henry Golding, with a gay protagonist and romance subplot
Moonlight (2017) - ground-breaking BIPOC drama that remains surprisingly undercited, despite its acclaim and accolades
Moonstruck (1987) and Tea With Mussolini (1999) - two really cohesive and enjoyable movies that best showcase the underrated acting skills of our rock queen, Cher
My Beautiful Laundrette (1985) - pioneering British comedy-drama that critiques racism and Thatcherism, among other things, with a prominent gay subplot; co-stars a young Daniel Day-Lewis
My Own Private Idaho (1991) - surreal road trip drama, partially based on Shakespeare's Henry IV and Henry V, about street hustlers; directed by Gus Van Sant, and starring Keanu Reeves and River Phoenix
Mysterious Skin (2004) - dark, difficult and uncompromising independent drama about the effect of historic sexual abuse on a gay teenage hustler; stars a young Joseph Gordon-Levitt
1985 (2018) - excellent monochrome drama about a closeted and dying man with HIV-AIDS, who is trying to come out to his conservative and suburban family at Christmas
Ocean Waves (1993) - underrated and accidentally queer TV movie from Studio Ghibli; if you don't mind spoilers, then this YouTube video comprehensively explains why Ocean Waves is accidentally queer
Pain & Glory (2019) - Pedro Almodóvar's most recent and arguably most accomplished movie
Pride (2014) - empowering and positive '80s-set British comedy-drama biopic about the Lesbian and Gays Support The Miners movement
Priscilla, Queen Of The Desert (1994) and To Wong Foo Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar (1995) - inspired road trip comedies that feature three drag queens apiece
A Single Man (2009) - an beautifully glossy dark drama about a recently bereaved and suicidal middle-aged gay man
Shelter (2007) - cute yet slight low-budget drama about gay self-discovery in the American suburbs
The Sum Of Us (1994) - thoroughly affable Australian comedy-drama about a gay son and his accepting father; co-stars a young and pre-fame Russell Crowe
A Taste of Honey (1961) - monochrome kitchen sink dramedy, with a gay male supporting character, which is set in Manchester
The Importance Of Being Earnest (2002) - likeable and peppy adaptation of Oscar Wilde's classic novel
Trick (1999) - please take this idealistic overnight romance with a pinch of salt - even if it realistically tackles internalised homophobia in a way that Love, Simon (2018) never managed to do - but this superb dramedy is still one of the best and most pandemic-friendly gay movies
The Way He Looks (2014) - cute Brazilian teen romance about blindness and self-discovery
The Wedding Banquet (1993) - Oscar-nominated romantic comedy from China, directed by Ang Lee
Weekend (2011) - minimalist and naturalistic weekend romance, set in the outskirts of Nottingham
Wild Reeds (1994) - Cannes-nominated sexual awakening teen drama, set in early '60s France
The Wise Kids (2011) - modest and refined teen drama from Princess Cyd (2017) director Stephen Cone, which how explores LGBTQ+ members of a Baptist church start to come of age
Yentl (1983) - Barbra Streisand's ambitious and undercited romantic musical drama, which features some 'ahead of its time' transgender themes
Gay-themed music
The B-52s by The B-52s (1979) and Solid Proof by Sylvester (1979) - two highly pioneering LGBTQ+ albums from the late '70s, respectively from the burgeoning post-punk and disco movements
Chris by Christine & The Queens (2018) - modern French classic that explores feminism and queerness
Wild! (1989) and Chorus (1991) by Erasure - analogue-based synth-pop; will interest those into video game soundtracks, given that it practically sounds like music from Amiga titles at various points
The Smell Of Our Own by The Hidden Cameras (2003) and i by The Magnetic Fields (2004) - quirky and subversive queer indie-pop from the mid-2000s
The House Sound Of Chicago (1986) - a two-part compilation series that includes several tracks from Chicago house, one of the first EDM movements that originated from the LGBTQ+ community
The Death Of Cool by Kitchens Of Distinction (1992) - long-forgotten college rock album that flirts with shoegaze-type dream pop and explicitly gay lyrics
Welcome To The Real World by Frankie Knuckles featuring Adeva (1995) - the king of Chicago house teams up with the queen of diva house
Erotica by Madonna (1992) and The Velvet Rope by Janet Jackson (1997) - boundary-pushing pop album by our queen allies that explore homophobia and other LGBTQ+ issues
Channel Orange by Frank Ocean (2012) - queer introspection from a BIPOC and 20-something perspective
Passive Soul by Orlando (1997) - fragile and wallflowery art-pop, with lyrics written by future LGBTQ+ online diarist Dickon Edwards
Deflowered by Pansy Division (1994) - charmingly and playfully queer pop-punk album, plus the CD booklet acts as a historical document with its guide to safe gay sex and list of US gay helplines
It Couldn't Happen Here by Pet Shop Boys (1987), Rack by Microdisney (1987) and The Last Song by Elton John (1992) - three of the most articular songs that were written during and about the HIV-AIDS pandemic
Behaviour by Pet Shop Boys (1990), Older by George Michael (1996), Heartland by Owen Pallett (2010), Queen Of Denmark by John Grant (2010), Echoes by Will Young (2011), Too Bright by Perfume Genius (2014) and Choreography by Bright Light Bright Light (2016) - introspective albums about gay life by 30-something men
Very by Pet Shop Boys (1993) and The Tension & The Spark by Darren Hayes (2004) - 30-something coming out albums
Reckoning by R.E.M. (1984), Copper Blue by Sugar (1992), The Sound Of McAlmont & Butler by McAlmont & Butler (1995), D-D-Don't Stop The Beat by Junior Senior (2002), and Silent Alarm by Bloc Party (2005) - no gay lyrical content here, but these are all college rock groups that were fronted/co-fronted by openly gay men
Original Soundtrack by S-Express (1989) - one of the first UK house music albums to have originated from LGBTQ+ nightclubs
Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret by Soft Cell (1981), The Age Of Consent by Brosnki Beat (1984) and Youthquake by Dead Or Alive (1985) - melodramatic synth-pop from northern England and Scotland
Reputation by Dusty Springfield (1990) - Dusty In Memphis (1969) is arguably Dusty's most acclaimed LP, but I couldn't resist mentioning this when the second side was co-produced and mostly co-written by the Pet Shop Boys
I Want The World (1994) and I Want To Be Alone (1994) by 2wo Third3 - formative day-glo pop singles by the UK's first openly gay boyband
Rufus Does Judy At Carnegie Hall by Rufus Wainwright (2007) - a recreation of Judy Garland's 1961 double live album
Gay-skewed music
Hounds Of Love by Kate Bush (1985), Little Earthquakes by Tori Amos (1992) and When The Pawn by Fiona Apple (1999) - very strong introductions to eccentric yet loveable piano-led college pop-rock
Northern Star by Melanie C (1999) - British equivalent of Madonna's seminal album Ray Of Light (1998)
Horizon by The Carpenters (1975), Scott Walker Sings Jacques Brel by Scott Walker (1981), La Varieté by Weekend (1982), Life by The Cardigans (1995), Disgraceful by Dubstar (1995), The Sound Of Music by Pizzicato Five (1995) and Good Humor by Saint Etienne (1998) - fey, kitschy and peppy lounge pop
It's A Man's World by Cher (1995) - arguably Cher's most rootsy and soulful LP prior to her modern reinvention as a disco diva
Blue Bell Knoll (1988) and Heaven Or Las Vegas (1990) by Cocteau Twins - pioneering ambient dream-pop, which are perhaps the ideal albums for jerk-off sessions and physical intimacy
Doppelgänger by Curve (1992) - a gothic, melodramatic and moody fusion of shoegaze and industrial electronica; fans of Bjork and Garbage will LOVE this album
World Clique by Deee-Lite (1990) and Foxbase Alpha by Saint Etienne (1991) - superior diva-fronted house music from the early '90s
Amplified Heart by Everything But The Girl (1994) - eloquent fusion of acoustic folk-pop and electronica; Tracey Thorn's Record (2018) further consolidated her appeal to the LGBTQ+ community
Sue (1989) and Ray (1991) by Frazier Chorus - arty and gentle woodwind-based synth-pop that also has the bitchiest and most subversive lyrics imaginable
Françoise Hardy Sings In English by Françoise Hardy (1966), The Wild Heart by Stevie Nicks (1983), Infamous Angel by Iris DeMent (1992), Whatever by Aimee Mann (1993), Out Of Range by Ani DiFranco (1994) and Adieu False Heart by Linda Ronstadt (2006) - refined and classy singer-songwriter material
Bonito Generation by Kero Kero Bonito (2016) - day-glo dance-pop that's heavily influenced by The B-52s, J-pop, video game soundtracks, dancehall culture and mid-'90s Eurodance
Thinking It Over by Liberty X (2002) - surprisingly good R&B-led pop from talent show runner-ups
Bedtime Stories by Madonna (1994) - subtle and sultry R&B that arguably remains the unsung highlight of Madonna's career
Beaches: Original Soundtrack by Bette Midler (1988) - surprisingly diverse and solid adult contemporary album from the movie of the same name
Light Years by Kylie Minogue (2000) - perhaps the most cohesive introduction to the Australian queen
Loveless by My Bloody Valentine (1991) - Mysterious Skin undoubtedly proves that shoegaze has LGBTQ appeal, although this is challenging stuff and not for the faint-hearted
Missundaztood by Pink (2001) - angsty pop-rock album that still holds up well and remains likeable
A Secret Wish by Propaganda (1985) - gothic and literate synth-pop from Düsseldorf
Emotion by Carly Rae Jepsen (2015) and What's Your Pleasure? by Jessie Ware (2020) - highly praised examples of modern sounding yet retro influenced electro-pop albums
Body Talk by Robyn (2010) - boundary-pushing dance-pop from the Swedish queen
Hormonally Yours by Shakespears Sister (1992) - gothic, melodramatic, sassy and vampy glam pop-rock
We Are Shampoo by Shampoo (1994) and On The Loose by Deuce (1995) - unashamedly trashy bubblegum pop; the latter band was created by former Pet Shop Boys manager Tom Watkins
Illinois (2005) and Carrie & Lowell (2015) by Sufjan Stevens - if you've seen the movie Call Me By Your Name, then you'll know all about this guy
Suede by Suede (1993) - the genderfluid appropriation and imagery haven't aged well, but this The Smiths-influenced and David Bowie-inspired take on camp and glamorous yet laddy and seedy Britpop still sounds great from a sonic perspective
Bad Girls by Donna Summer (1979) and Diana by Diana Ross (1980) - highly regarded queer-skewed disco albums from the late '70s and early '80s
State Of Mind by Holly Valance (2003), Come & Get It by Rachel Stevens (2005), Chemistry by Girls Aloud (2005) and Blackout by Britney Spears (2007) - bubblegum pop artists that throw curveballs by unexpectedly moving into indie-baiting dance-pop territory
Titanic Rising by Weyes Blood (2019), Saint Cloud by Waxahatchee (2020) and Punisher by Phoebe Bridgers (2020) - minimalist indie for hipsters
Social media
Matt Baume - thoughtful analysis of LGBTQ+ milestones in film and TV
Max Hovey - Instagram-based influencer that focuses on body positivity in the gay community
Eric Mason - endearing and insightful lyrical breakdowns of songs by pop divas
Jacob Michael - cerebral and eloquent musings on the state of modern gay life
Olly Pike - children's author who explains LGBTQ+ issues and other social matter to an elementary school audience

Late in June, I posted a list of predictions pointing to games that seemed likely to be worthwhile in the coming month. Now that the month is over, I thought it would be good to revisit those predictions and see what I was right about, what I was wrong about, and what I outright missed.
I should note that, because I'm trying to remain impartial and as objective as possible, I'm going off of the Metacritic scores. I know, Metacritic isn't perfect in this regard, but it's about as close to objective as we're likely to get. Anyway, on to the results (with Metascores listed)!
Called it: The games I correctly predicted to be good releases this month were Catherine: Full Body (81), CrossCode (84), Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon 2 (82), Neon Abyss (81), Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town (78), and Paper Mario: The Origami King (80)
Missed it: Games I didn't predict that ended up getting strong reviews this month included Keen: One Girl Army (76), Superliminal (76), Panzer Paladin (78), Carrion (76), and Fairy Tale (76)
Uncertain: The following games still, as of this writing, do not have enough reviews to have a Metascore: Singled Out, Gerty, Neversong, Creaks, Samurai Shodown NeoGeo Collection, and Locomotion
Bad Calls: These are games that had a strong shot at being good, but reviews concluded that they did not meet those expectations: Infini (62), Demon's Rise: War for the Deep (50), Deadly Premonition 2: A Blessing in Disguise (57), Warhammer 40,000 Mechanicus (73), Rock of Ages 3: Make & Break (69), and Crysis Remastered (69)
Unreleased: This game was scheduled to see release sometime this last month, but missed that release date: Castlestorm 2 (Delayed to Fall 2020)
Misc.: void tRrLM(); //Void Terrarium (I didn't predict this one, but mention it because it briefly started out above a Metacritic score of 75, but then dropped to (73 ( https://www.metacritic.com/game/switch/void-trrlm()-void-terrarium ) ), Dex (I didn't predict this one, but mention it because it briefly started out above a Metacritic score of 75, but then dropped to (73)
So of the games that were released as planned this month, my ratio of predictions (Games I correctly predicted would likely be good versus games I failed to predict would be good + games I wrongly predicted would be good) is 6 to 11. So... oof, pretty bad. So of course I then ask myself, how can I improve this?
.
Well, the first, most obvious one is to stop including remakes/sequels to games that, while beloved by fans, were not thought of very highly by critics. In June that gave me a bad call in the form SpongeBob SquarePants: The Battle for Bikini Bottom Re-Hydrated, and this month it's come in the form of Deadly Premonition 2, and the kicker here is I pretty much expected this to be the case, but still listed the game.
Another thing that's become apparent is that I need to be a lot more strict with Steam user reviews as an indication of quality. However, I have to be a bit careful about how I do so, because Steam reviews have led to some positive results: In June, Do Not Feed the Monkeys was a game I predicted largely due to strong Steam store reviews, and turned out to be a good call. However, having said that, the strong Steam reviews for Infini and Demon's Rise – War for the Deep this month were apparently bad picks. I suppose there are a few differences here though – Do Not Feed the Monkeys has way more user reviews than both of those games put together, and its user ratings are much higher than Demon's Rise is. I think on this front, I'm gonna' give it at least one more month with an eye towards this, and use that as a judge how to treat Steam user scores going forward.
The other major contributor to my low ratio this month seems to be a good number of games that I missed on my radar, although pretty much all of these only juuuuuust squeaked by the bare minimum required to make the list (again, we're only counting games with a Metacritic score of 75 or higher). Also, while some I feel justified in not predicting (Superliminal's Metacritic score on PC was under the threshold, for example) and some I don't think I could have objectively predicted (Panzer Paladins' developer Tribute Games' titles have been all over the map in terms of ratings).
However, there's also Carrion, which I'm kinda' torn on – on the one hand, this game comes from Phobia Game Studio, and appears to be their first work... but on the other hand, this was published by Devolver Digital, who seems to have a freakishly consistent ability to choose fantastic games to release. Perhaps in addition to developer track record, I should also take publisher track record into account? And that would also lead to the question, besides Devolver, what other publishers are consistently good in the quality of the games they publish? Should I just make a “Devolver rule” that the games they publish automatically get added to the prediction list? That seems a bit like playing favorites.... hmmmmm...
Anyway, given that August looks to be a slow month, I'm hoping the results from September's predictions will hopefully indicate what I need to change in how I make these predictions, though I'll definitely be watching August's results as well. Hopefully at that point, maybe I can narrow down the areas I can improve on here to get better results moving forward. In the meantime, I hope you all found some games you enjoyed over the course of the last month!

Once upon a time in Japan (the time in question being around 1996 or so), a game designer named Yasuhiro Wada had an idea for a game. He envisioned a unique, non-violent role-playing game (RPG). Most RPGs of the time focused on venturing around the world, slaying monsters and stopping evil overlords. In Wada's games, the player would stay within a single community and build relationships with its people. He (or probably someone in marketing, I dunno) named this game Bokujou Monogatari ('Ranch Story'), and it released in 1997 for the Super Nintendo (SNES). In this game, you play as a young man who has recently inherited his grandfather's old farm. You must plant crops, tend to animals, and bring the farm back to prosperity, while befriending the locals and potentially wooing one of the town's elligible bachelorettes.
And if that sounds familiar to any of you gaming types out there, it's because this man invented the genre that was made famous by Stardew Valley.
But we'll get to that. For now, know that we'll be referring to this game, and the sequels that followed, largely by their Japanese titles in this writeup. You'll see why.
Part 1: Harvest Moon
The original Bokujou Monogatari (hereafter shortened to Bokumono, its 'official' nickname) was originally developed by a company called Pack-in-Video/Pack-in-Soft. They published the game as well for its Japanese release.
It released very late into the SNES's lifespan--the Nintendo 64 had been out for a year already, and the now-legendary Sony Playstation had beat it to the punch by nearly two--and was an unusual, unproven concept. But despite this, the game was picked up for a North American English release. Pack-in-Video did not have offices in North America, so the game was published and translated by the North American branch of the Japanese company Natsume, Inc.
For its English release, Bokumono was retitled Harvest Moon. That name, too, may well be familiar to you--because surprisingly, Bokumono ended up being a modest success. It was quickly followed by sequels: Bokumono GBC, for the Game Boy, and Bokumono 2, for the Nintendo 64. These were titled Harvest Moon GB and Harvest Moon 64 in English, respectively. It's around Bokumono 64 that the series really started taking off--in addition to favorable reviews, the game garnered positive word-of-mouth on that newfangled 'Internet' thing. Gamers enjoyed the simulation-style gameplay, the slice-of-life nature of the game's writing, and the (very tame, very G-rated) dating sim aspects. Pack-in-Soft had a hit on their hands--maybe not a mainstream hit, but a hit nonetheless. It turned out, Bokumono was the exact sort of series many gamers wanted in their lives.
And what do you do when you have a hit on your hands? You milk the hell out of it. And no, I will not apologize for that pun.
Pack-in-Soft started pumping out Bokumono sequels at a rate that would make a machine gun jealous. From between 1999 to 2003, they released sevenBokumono games. In four years. Now, admittedly, part of this is because someone in the company figured out that, hey, all of our games so far have you playing as a boy and pretend-kissing digital girls; maybe some people would like to play as a girl and pretend-kiss digital boys, but apparently just having a gender selection screen at the start of the game was too much for them, so they would re-release the same game except hey, now you're a girl this time. (Playing as a boy and pretend-kissing digital boys and vicey versa, on the other hand, took until this damn year to happen, but that could be an entire topic on its own.)
Around 2003, Pack-in-Soft was accquired by a company known as Marvelous Interactive. The Bokumono franchise became part of their stable of series, and has continued to merrily print money for them until this very day. The games lined Natsume's pockets as well, becoming the publisher's largest and most successful franchise in a relatively short period of time. How successful? The Nintendo DS, a system that was actively supported between the years of 2006 to 2011, saw eleven different Bokumono games. Most of them wore the Harvest Moon branding in America, though one spin-off, Rune Factory, ended up becoming a franchise in its own right. And that's just one console--this isn't taking into account the Wii games or PSP games released concurrently.
But while everything was coming up roses for Marvelous, Natsume's cash cow was about to run dry.
Part 2: The XSEED of Doubt
In 2013, Marvelous Interactive accquired an American company by the name of XSEED. XSEED was a US-based publishing house founded in 2004 by a group of former Square-Enix employees. XSEED's mission was singular: They focused on translating niche Japanese games with a very, very large amount of text in them to English. Their previously published titles consisted almost entirely of wordy, story-heavy Japanese RPGs, with a few visual novels (for the non-gamers: choose-your-own-adventure books with music and animations) thrown in for spice. High-quality translations were a focus of their business model as well. They specialized in what is often referred to in the translation sphere as 'localization'--not merely changing a script from one language to another, but rewording it and changing it around so that it sounds natural and resonant in its new language.
This seems like a fairly innocuous business move on the surface. Having your own in-house translation team? Dandy! If they have a proven track record of good work? Even better! Now you don't have to outsource the translations of your popular series any more!
Kind of like how Marvelous had been outsourcing the translation of the Bokumono games to Natsume for a decade or so.
And how did Natsume's tenure go for them? Let's take a look, shall we?
Part 3: Sopha, So Bad
How do you describe the English translations of the Bokujou Monogatari series? The ones branded 'Harvest Moon?' Should you say that they have their own, unique character? Do you claim that they're one of a kind? Do you say that you wouldn't mistake them for any other game's?
No. No you wouldn't. You would call them what they are: Bad.Infamously bad, in fact. While they've never stooped to Google Translate lows, the English translations of the Bokumono games are 'renowed' for being some of the most sloppy, poorly-implemented, and downright buggy video game translations out there.
They're full of bizarre, strangely-worded translations. ('Confirm the origin of fire!') They're full of basic typos (such as calling that long soft thing you sit on a 'sopha'). The game's programming code often leaks into the text boxes, and in one memorable instance, a character in the English version starts speaking in German for absolutely no reason. Most damningly of all, the translations often introduce a multitude of glitches not found in the original games. From freezing glitches to marriage candidates being unobtainable) to your player's children disappearing into the void), English Bokumono games were janky, unstable, poorly-tested messes.
Folks playing the series for the first time were often outraged at what was allowed to slip through the cracks. Longtime fans were numb to it, and joked endlessly about the poor QA to make the tears stop.
But it wasn't just the unintentional changes that had fans riled. For many, many years, there had also been accusations of homophobia leveled at Natsume's handling of the franchise. That could well be an entire post of its own (and a far less humorous one, given its much-less-risible subject matter), but the biggest one to be aware of is the removal of the so-called 'Best Friends System' from the installment Harvest Moon DS Cute.
To sum it up: DS Cute was the 'girl version' of the earlier Harvest Moon DS--the same game, but with a female player character and male love interests. However, four of the female love interests from the 'boy version' remained in the game, and, in the Japanese version, could become 'Best Friends' with the female player character. This was marriage in all but name; you achieved this status in the same way as marriage, you had a special ceremony, your 'Best Friend' would move in with you, and you would even be magically granted a baby to raise together by the local supernatural forces beyond man's ken. Naturally, this feature made a number of fans very happy. And their hopes were dashed to the rocks when the English version of the game removed it. (Incompletely at that--the various romance scenes with the female love interests were left in, but they won't accept your proposal of marriage. Err, 'Best Friendage.' No, wait, definitely marriage.)
And while the Bokumono series was not quick to give the player their choice of sexualities, its later installments were slowly making progress. In the 4th installment of its spinoff series Rune Factory, while still locking in your choice of love interests based on your gender choice at the beginning of the game, kinda-sorta lets change your gender partway through. (It's not perfect, but any port in a storm when you're a thorsty young woman who just wants her knight waifu.) More concretely, the series' upcoming Nintendo 3DS installment, Bokujou Monogatari: Tsunagaru Shin Tenchi (often translated as Ranch Story: Connect to a New World), was to feature an openly gay NPC. And if your current translation company seems like they just can't handle The Gays, well, that's not a good look to say the least.
So, as you might expect, the fairly predictable happened: Natsume got dumped like a load of hot garbage, and further Bokumono titles were the exclusive department of one XSEED.
Part 4: Story of Seasons
In May of 2014, XSEED announced the upcoming release of their latest title for the Nintendo 3DS--a farming sim entitled... wait for it... 'Story of Seasons.'
The game sure looked like Bokumono: Tsunagaru Shin Tenchi. It had the right art style, as well as many features unique to that game (like Super Mario Bros.-themed costumes for your character). But it wasn't called 'Harvest Moon' any more. And that lead to a great deal of confusion among gamers. Was this an all-new franchise? (No.) Was this another spinoff of Harvest Moon? (Also no.) Was the series trying to reinvent its image? (Getting warmer, but still pretty off-base there, buddy.)
In its press releases, XSEED made it abundantly clear what had happened: Natsume still owned the legal rights to the name 'Harvest Moon.' Marvelous was not able to accquire those rights, so when they began translating the series in-house, they had to come up with a new English name for legal reasons. This was indeed the English version of *Tsunagaru Shin Tenchi.* But nobody reads press releases, so confusion still ran rampant amongst the series's more casual fans.
Then, that same May, Natsume announced their own game: Harvest Moon 3D: The Lost Valley.
Ooooh nooooo.
Part 5: ...Harvest... Moon?
Their new game was a farm simulation game, just like older Bokumono games had been. In it, you would raise crops, as well as livestock like cows, chickens, and sheep. You could also woo NPCs and eventually start a family. And legally, there was nothing stopping them from doing so--game mechanics cannot be copyrighted. In fact, there was even some weird little indie game in development at the same time with the same mechanics, so there. The game's plot involved you ending up in a desolate valley and saving the Harvest Goddess and Harvest Sprites of the area. Both the Harvest Goddess and Harvest Sprites are long-standing elements of the Bokumono franchise, and more than one game has tasked you with rescuing one or both of them. But notably, while long-standing, they are not trademarked elements of the franchise.
So, since Natsume still had the legal rights to use the name 'Harvest Moon', they were doing what any self-respecting money-hungry company would do: they started making their own in-house ripoffs of the series they formerly had the rights to, slapping a trusted name on it, and leaning heavily on the brand recognition to carry them through.
If people were already confused by Bokumono's abrupt name change to 'Story of Seasons' in the West, this announcement was absolute chaos. It didn't help that the new game looked... well, significantly lower-budget. The art had a much less polished feel, and the gameplay itself seemed to be taking less after classic Bokumono and more after, er, Minecraft. For casual fans, it looked as if the series they had grown up with had suddenly gone off to college and started making questionable life choices. After all, these games were called 'Harvest Moon,' so for all they knew, this was the continuation of the beloved series. Natsume themselves did little to debase people of this notion.
Among fans who saw through the bull, reactions were... mixed.
The game looked, to be charitable, unpolished. A number of fans saw this, went 'The Asylum is NOT a good role model!', called it a shoddy ripoff, and vowed to have nothing to do with it while remaining resolutely faithful to the true franchise of Bokumono. What Natsume was doing was shady, and they didn't want to support shady business practices.
Some fans remained optimistic. After all, they liked vegetables-'n'-cuties games, and deceptive name or no--this was another game with farming and also dating. And, they thought, what's wrong with more of a good thing? If nothing else, they were more willing to judge the game on its own merits when it released.
Yet a third group of fans were not convinced by the game, but thought that something positive could come of it. As you might expect from its breakneck release schedule, some thought that Bokumono had been stagnating for years and was, at that point, just resting on its laurels. What better than a little not-precisely-friendly competition to shake it from its complacency? Even if this new Harvest Moon wasn't spectacular in its own right, perhaps its existence could spur Bokumono into doing new things.
And lastly, a tiny fourth group went, 'Are they still giving out adorable preorder plushies with this? They are? Well... crap. Not my proudest preorder.' And lo, a handful of wallets cried out in agony and were suddenly emptied.
Unfortunately, when the game finally released, the cynics were largely borne out. Neither critics nor fans were particularly impressed by the end result, and it was abundantly clear that, yes, Story of Seasonswas the superior product. Among those who played The Lost Valley, some did note that it had a few good ideas under its belt: The Minecraftian idea of terraforming your farm wasn't entirely terrable, and crops in the game could change and mutate based on their growing conditions, which was an interesting mechanic in theory. But the social aspects of the game were completely stripped down, with no town to visit and a simple rotating schedule of NPCs on your farm, which left it feeling barren and cold. The warm sense of community had been a focal point of the Bokumono series since its early days, and without that, it was obvious what a pale imitation this new Harvest Moon was.
And the damnable thing was? It worked anyway. Despite poor reviews, the game still sold well. That's what trusted brand recognition will do for you, I suppose; Natsume is still making their own-brand Harvest Moon games to this day. But this success has come at a price. For now, whenever the series is mentioned on gaming forums and social media, it often comes with a murmur of how bad current Harvest Moon games are, and how the series 'used to be better,' and prospective farmers are often urged to stay away.
Part 6: A Tale of Two Series
In the end, outside forces DID pressure Bokujou Monogatari to grow and evolve. But they didn't come from Harvest Moon. Because about two years after The Great Story of Seasons/Harvest Moon Confusastrophe, a little game called Stardew Valley went nuclear. Farm sims went from being a profitable niche for one company to a booming genre in their own right.
Thanks to this explosion of new farming fans, the confusion surrounding the Bokumono series never really went away. Budding new farm fans, after dumping half their life into Stardew, go seeking more. They quickly learn about the series that inspired Stardew and want to experience it. Then they meet with an immense wall of half-truths and outright misinformation. Some of it even comes from Natsume themselves, who slapped a big '20th Anniversary' sticker on the front of one of thier titles, Harvest Moon: The Light of Hope... Which is correct about the name 'Harvest Moon' and not at all about their homegrown franchise.
'Wait, so... the game that inspired Stardew Valley is called Harvest Moon... but this recent game called Harvest Moon isn't good, or it... isn't actually Harvest Moon? And there's this game called Story of Seasons that is supposed to be good, but it isn't the same, except maybe it is...?'
It doesn't help that many fans themselves are still unclear on what happened, and pass their unclear perception of the facts onto these new fans. One claim I've seen passed around is that 'the team that used to make Harvest Moon moved on to making Story of Seasons.' While technically correct, this is also a fairly major misrepresentation of what's actually going on. And while some of these inacurracate posts do manage to attract a member of the 'Well akchually' squad to explain things in greater detail (card-carrying member represent), many more of them slip through the cracks.
It's possible that, in the future, this confusion may die down. As of this writing, the latest English-language Bokumono game is about to release: Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town. This game is a remake of the Game Boy Advance games of the same subtitle, released in English as Harvest Moon: Friends of Mineral Town and Harvest Moon: More Friends of Mineral Town (the 'Now with more estrogen!' version). Said Game Boy Advance games are often held up by fans as the absolute best of the franchise, the cream of the crop, and are well-known even among casual fans of the series. It's possible that seeing the Story of Seasons moniker attached to the familiar subtitle will make it clear to many more people: 'This is the franchise you grew up with, the one you love--psst--^therealone. ' (It's also the first game in the franchise with 100% no foolin' same-gender relationships right from the get-no, which is awesome for all those farmers whose romantic inclinations are towards or include persons with the same pronouns as them. Also those who just like hareming to see all the dialogues.)
Meanwhile, over in their own little sandbox, Natsume has merrily continued making their own games. None have received very favorable reviews, but given how the farm sim genre has only gotten more popular, they're not likely to stop any time soon. Some Bokumono fans have since dipped their toes in to this alternative franchise, and a few even consider them to be guilty pleasures. It's worth noting that the new translation company, XSEED, is not universally beloved either (which, again... could be an entire separate post), and some have started playing the Harvest Moon releases simply because they don't like supporting XSEED. Because lord, this is a complicated scene.
But whether you be a farming fan or a Harvest Sprite neophyte, you, dear citizen, now hopefully understand the tangled history of this beloved franchise a bit better. And if, somewhere, on the Internet, you, too, come across a poor Stardew Valley fan just looking for something else fun to play, you can help set them straight.
Or don't. It's not, like, an obligation or anything.

The title of this thread comes from this news about it from Nintendo Everything.
From XSeed Localization Blog #1:

Howdy, everybody! This is John from XSEED Games, here to tell you a little about STORY OF SEASONS: Friends of Mineral Town. It’s been about three years since I wrote about the previous installment in the original farming simulation series, Trio of Towns, and I’ve been eagerly awaiting the chance to talk about the newest entry.
However, as many of you probably know, STORY OF SEASONS: Friends of Mineral Town isn’t a “new” entry, but rather a complete remake of two of the most beloved titles, originally released for the Game Boy Advance in 2003 and 2004 as Friends of Mineral Town and More Friends of Mineral Town. The literal translation of the Japanese title for this remake is closer to “Reunion in Mineral Town,” but as this is a remake and not a sequel, we decided to stick with the original subtitle to help avoid confusion.
So, what is Friends of Mineral Town about? (Veteran farmers feel free to skip to the next paragraph.) A young city dweller is invited to take over the farm that belonged to their grandfather in Mineral Town, an idyllic community in the foothills. There, they learn how to till the soil (in 1×1 squares, thank you very much) and become a part of a vibrant community, making friends, participating in festivals, and even falling in love. It is a tried and true formula for the genre, and the new Friends of Mineral Town refines some of the gameplay while retaining the strong characterizations that made the original version a classic.
When we learned that the next title in the STORY OF SEASONS series would be a remake, we immediately started considering our approach to the localization. While we were concerned about messing with fans’ nostalgia for the world and characters of Mineral Town, we realized that we needed to approach the translation as a completely new project, without referencing the original English localization at all.
This will lead to some inevitable changes for veteran farmers—the most immediately noticeable to returning players is that some character names will be different. This was a point that we agonized over because we know just how important character names are to ardent fans of the series—I wrote a localization blog about Trio of Towns detailing the decision to return the name of the character “Lisette,” which had been changed to “Carolina” early in the translation process. But, ultimately, we decided that we had to be faithful to the Japanese names.
My role in Friends of Mineral Town is a project manager overseeing an excellent team of two translators, two editors, and one amazing proofreader. I never played the original release in English, but as the localized text rolled in, I read through it and thought a lot about how much language has changed in 16 years. The core of the characters and the world will be familiar to players, yet the way characters speak will no doubt be different and more contemporary in subtle ways. Quite frankly speaking, I am nervous about how a completely new translation of a beloved work will be received—it’s a project unlike anything we’ve been involved in before—yet I believe strongly that the work of our excellent localization team will stand on its own.
One major change between both the original version and the remake, as well as between our version and the Japanese version, concerns what has been called the “Best Friends” system in the Japanese release, where the player character can form a lifelong partnership with a character of the same sex. In our version, this will just be called “marriage,” and the relationship between same-sex couples will be given identical treatment to opposite-sex couples. This has been a very long time coming in the STORY OF SEASONS series, and the producer has been supportive of our decision from very early in development. One minor but important change for the North American and European releases of Friends of Mineral Town is that the “heart icon” indicating a marriage candidate’s romantic affinity for the player will display for all marriage candidates from the start of the game, where in the Japanese release it will only display for same-sex candidates after you confess and start dating.
There will be lots more exciting news to come as we reveal the English versions of some beloved characters, as well as the game’s many quality of life improvements. I’m excited to dive into Friends of Mineral Town this summer, and I hope you’ll join me as we bridge the gap between the past and present for a new and yet wonderfully familiar experience.

[ 1 ] [ 2 ] [ 3 ] [ 4 ] [ 5 ] [ 6 ] [ 7 ] [ 8 ] [ 9 ] [ 10 ]