Seen, Finally: The Christmas Film Line That Captures the Reality of LGBT+ Parenting
Why representation matters — on screen, in services, and in society.
“Don’t act like you don’t get it… we have to be better at everything — career, parenting, all of it — because the second we’re not, you see the look on people’s faces. Like, of course we’re not good enough.”
Some lines in film stop you cold. They reach out from the screen and grab something deep because they reflect a truth you’ve lived.
This was one of those moments.
That line hit me hard because it captures a reality many LGBT+ parents and carers know too well: the conscious and unconscious bias, the microaggressions, the scrutiny. The pressure to be “better” — more prepared, more patient, more perfect — because the margin for error feels painfully small.
The judgement feels quicker.
The assumption of inadequacy sits just beneath the surface.
In that moment, the film named something rarely articulated: the emotional labour of being an LGBT+ parent in a world that still questions our legitimacy.
Over the last few weeks, my partner and I have been working our way through LGBT+ Christmas movies. Partly because we love Christmas — the lights, the warmth, the traditions — and partly because it’s comforting to search for even a sliver of representation during a season built around “family.”
But LGBT+ Christmas films are still limited. Most centre white gay men, usually in a romance or adoption storyline. Sweet, predictable, enjoyable — but narrow.
Still, within that narrow lens, there are moments that feel familiar: a gesture, a line, a scene that softens the ache of growing up without stories that reflected our families.
Sometimes it only takes a fragment to feel seen.
That line from The Christmas House 2 offered one of those fragments.
For a second, our community wasn’t invisible, political, or theoretical.
We were human, emotional, and real.
For many LGBT+ parents and carers, simply existing in public spaces still carries emotional weight. We edit ourselves. We anticipate questions. We prepare for misconceptions. We brace for reactions — from teachers, healthcare providers, professionals of all kinds.
So yes, representation in media can seem small. But moments of recognition offer something powerful:
Validation: our experiences are real.
Visibility: our families exist and deserve to be seen.
Relief: from the weight we carry every day.
Connection: to a community whose stories echo our own.
Representation doesn’t need to be perfect — it just needs to acknowledge us. And acknowledgement is the first step toward understanding.
This is why the work we do at Proud 2 b Parents matters. Every conversation, every family supported, every professional trained helps build a world where LGBT+ parents and carers don’t have to be “better” just to be seen as equal.
Where we’re not only written into policy, but embedded into practice, culture, and everyday decision-making.
Representation in film is a start.
Representation in systems, services, and strategies is the goal.
That single line reminded me how deeply acknowledgement matters — and how important it is that we keep pushing for a world where our stories aren’t rare glimpses in Christmas films, but recognised truths in everyday life.
~ Matt Taylor-Roberts
LGBT+ Christmas Movies
1. Single All the Way (2021) – Gay male leads, seasonal rom-com.
2. Happiest Season (2020) – Lesbian couple, major studio.
3. The Christmas House (2020) – Gay couple in a family holiday story.
4. Dashing in December (2020) – Gay romantic holiday film.
5. Make the Yuletide Gay (2009) – Gay college student goes home for holidays.
6. The Christmas Setup – Gay male romance during Christmas.
7. Friends & Family Christmas (2023) – Lesbian-lead film (sapphic) noted in recent lists.
8. A Holiday I Do (2023) – Lesbian lead, newer holiday film.
9. Red Lodge (also called The Unattainably Perfect Gay Christmas) – Gay male lead.
10. The Holiday Exchange (2024) – LGBTQ male male film.
11. Season of Love (2019) – Lesbian ensemble holiday romance.
12. The Syed Family Xmas Eve Game Night (2021) – Short film; queer woman & non-binary representation.
13. Carol (2015) – While not strictly a “Christmas movie,” often included in queer-holiday lists (sapphic period drama).
14. The Family Stone (2005) – Includes a gay couple storyline among an ensemble.
15. Holiday Heart (2000) – Drag queen central role, holiday-set; more adult.
