Gay christmas movie hallmark

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I’m not here to crap on the genre, but there is a conveyor belt feel to these films.

14) Friends and Family Christmas (2023) – Hallmark+ and others.

This one centers on lesbian friends (Humberly Gonzalez & Ali Liebert) who must pose as a couple for the holidays… and you’ll never guess what happens!

15) A Keller Christmas Vacation (2025) – Hallmark+

This ensemble piece stars (surprise!) Jonathan Bennett as one of three adult siblings who reluctantly join their parents on a Danube river cruise for Christmas, leading to family bonding, unexpected romance, and resolving old issues amidst European Christmas backdrops.

Directed by out actor Ali Liebert, the film blended the classic Hallmark holiday formula with authentic LGBTQ+ representation, earning praise for the leads’ natural chemistry and the milestone it represented in inclusive storytelling.

Lesbian Hallmark Movies and Characters

While Hallmark’s lesbian representation has been limited compared to its gay love stories, a few standout movies and series have included meaningful same-sex and queer storylines:

  • Friends & Family Christmas — a lesbian Hallmark movie starring Humberly Gonzalez and Ali Liebert as Daniella and Amelia, whose fake-dating setup turns into real love.
  • Love, Classified — featured Arienne Mandi and Katherine McNamara as a same-sex couple, weaving a lesbian romance into its family-centered storyline.
  • The Way Home (2024–2025) — introduced K.C., a non-binary character who uses they/them pronouns, adding more LGBTQ+ visibility to an ongoing Hallmark series.

Luke Macfarlane’s Return to Hallmark

After announcing in 2022 that A Magical Christmas Village would be his last Hallmark film, fans were surprised when Luke Macfarlane returned in 2023’s Notes of Autumn.

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Want more Megan and Wendy? Who are these people? A cut above Lifetime/Hallmark movies but I’m including it because it satisfies the same itch. From early steps with supporting characters to groundbreaking titles like The Holiday Sitter and Friends & Family Christmas, LGBTQ+ Hallmark movies have proven that heartwarming, family-friendly romances can – and should – reflect the diversity of real relationships.

Still, there’s work to be done.

I’m here for the cocoa.”

This one broke me. Honey, please.

The 2024 holiday season garnered even less results: A sequel to an ensemble film from 2023 with Hallmark’s resident gay Jonathan Bennett in the cast.

In December 2023, Queerty posted an article proclaiming, “The Hallmark Channel is gayer than ever this year!” As evidence, they had a massive list of exactly THREE movies that they considered gay.

I guess. They break up and he invites his best friend home with him for Christmas to pretend they’re a couple. Kate arranges for Hugo to run into Patrick (Blake Lee), his high school friend and secret crush, who has recently returned after a successful stint in Silicon Valley. Maybe they’re big in Canada?
Romantic chemistry?

His authentic presence and heartfelt storytelling continue the thread of LGBTQ+ visibility, even beyond scripted formats.

  • Luke Macfarlane is also developing a queer Christmas movie for Hallmark, bringing his expertise and enthusiastic advocacy to the network’s inclusive storytelling in development.

    • 2024 LGBTQ+ Hallmark Movies

    2024 brought several inclusive stories to the holiday lineup and Hallmark+:

    • Season’s Greetings from Cherry Lane– Jonathan Bennett and Vincent Rodriguez III returned as married parents.
    • Deck the Walls – Written by Danny Pellegrino who also co-starred in this movie.

      This time the brothers are competing on a reality show to create the best Christmas House. We review the new Hallmark Original movies, Hallmark Mysteries, Countdown to Christmas movies, and fan-favorite Hallmark movies – all year long.

      You can expect fun, laughs, lots of questions and – as always – we ask ‘Did You See That?’ Want to see the library of movies we’ve reviewed?

      In this guide (updated for 2025), we cover the best and most talked-about inclusive Hallmark films — from the first gay Hallmark movie leads, to lesbian romances, to new holiday releases. The straight brother has the romantic interest storyline, while the parents have decided to give up their traditional grand ole “Christmas House” which, like all the other houses in these movies, looks like a realtor’s model home with decorations recently purchased at Kohl’s.

      5) The Christmas House 2: Deck Those Halls (2021) – Hallmark+, Amazon Prime & others

      Older stars playing the parents: Same as above.

      Her return suggests that Hallmark may once again place a stronger focus on inclusion as part of its programming strategy.

      Hallmark’s Diversity Commitment: 2020-2025

      Since 2020, Hallmark has made noticeable strides in LGBTQ+ representation, adding more visibility to gay, lesbian, and queer storylines:

      • 2020: The Christmas House introduced Hallmark’s first same-sex couple, a milestone for LGBTQ+ Hallmark movies.
      • 2021: Several films expanded roles for LGBTQ+ characters, moving beyond side plots and into meaningful storylines.
      • 2022: The Holiday Sitter premiered as the first leading gay Hallmark movie, featuring Jonathan Bennett and George Krissa in a same-sex romance at the center of the story.
      • 2023: Holiday standouts like Friends & Family Christmas (a lesbian Hallmark movie) and Christmas on Cherry Lane brought multiple LGBTQ+ lead couples to the screen.
      • 2024–2025: Inclusive storytelling continued with original Hallmark+ series such as The Groomsmen and Holidazed, both featuring LGBTQ+ couples as core characters.

      This progression shows how Hallmark has experimented with — and at times led — more inclusive programming, though the pace of new gay and lesbian Hallmark movies has slowed in recent years.

      Latest LGBTQ+ Hallmark Movies (Updated 2025)

      Hallmark has slowly expanded its inclusive storytelling over the past few years, with gay, lesbian, and LGBTQ+ romances appearing across holiday movies, original series, and even reality projects.

      In retrospect, 2020-2022 is beginning to look like the lavender age of inane gay holiday movies. Bennett’s first major role years ago was in the movie Mean Girls. But that doesn’t fit the formula, does it? One caveat: I wanted Kristen Stewart’s character to end up with Aubrey Plaza.

      gay christmas movie hallmark

      “It’s very long development.”

      Macfarlane said he’s excited to be part of the network’s mission to represent all of its viewers and tell a wide variety of stories about cherishing family, friends, and romantic relationships.