We're obsessed with these inclusive dating shows!
Historically, LGBTQ+ dating shows have been iconic, chaotic, hilarious, and dramatic. Unfortunately, though, there haven't been that many of them in comparison to the flood of dating shows we get for straight people.
From chaotic bisexual dating shows in the 2000s to attempts of making queer versions of The Bachelor to free-for-all shows where LGBTQ+ cast members can all explore connections with one another, there have been a few "creative" approaches to adapt this format for queer people. While some of these shows were clearly not taken as seriously as their straight counterparts, LGBTQ+ people have historically been looking for representation wherever they can find it… and that's still true to this day!
Even though we're still waiting to get a massively successful dating series for the LGBTQ+ community — or at least something that isn't entirely centered on straight cis people — let's take a deep dive into the dating shows that have already included queer and/or trans contestants hoping to find love.
Scroll through to see learn more about the major LGBTQ+ dating shows we've gotten over the years — and find out where to watch them on TV or via streaming services!
'Couple to Throuple'
The first season of Couple to Throuple, a new original Peacock series, featured a gay couple — Ashmal Ali and Rehman Bhatti — as well as a few straight couples looking to find a third person to join their relationship. For Ashmal and Rehman, that ended up being Jonathan Intriago. Another LGBTQ+ couple that joined Couple to Throuple over the course of season 1 was Maximo Oliveira and Ash, who brought some juicy drama to the series.
Where to watch: Peacock.
'Love Allways'
The first season of Paramount+'s Love Allways was led by pansexual bachelorette Lexi Paloma. On the show, Lexi explored connections with several single people who were vying for her heart. This dating series really said "pansexual rights!" and we are so here for it.
Where to watch: Paramount+.
'I Kissed a Boy'
The UK's first-ever exclusively gay reality dating show had singer Dannii Minogue appearing as the host. Set in Italy, the show featured 10 guys entering a villa looking for love… but before talking, flirting, or doing anything else, the contestants will have to share a kiss first.
Where to watch: Hulu.
'I Kissed a Girl'
Dannii Minogue returns as Cupid in the sapphic spinoff of I Kissed a Boy on BBC Three. The new show, I Kissed a Girl, will feature a group of 10 women looking for love amongst themselves and finding out what their first kiss can reveal about each potential relationship.
Where to watch: BBC Three/BBC iPlayer.
'Who Likes My Follower?'
Who Likes My Follower? is a Netflix dating series produced in Spain that features LGBTQ+ contestants and coaches in its first season. The show had MLM pairings as well as WLW couples, making this an exciting watch for queer people across the sexuality spectrum.
Where to watch: Netflix.
'Farming for Love'
Farming for Love is a Canadian series where farmers look for partners that can adapt to their rural lifestyles. In turn, single contestants come into the dating show ready to fall for someone who's all about that farm life. In the second season of the show, Farmer Kirkland stood out to viewers as he had an entire group of single guys vying for his love.
Where to watch: CTV (in Canada).
'For the Love of DILFs'
Hosted by Stormy Daniels, For the Love of DILFs is a show where two groups of gay men — separated into groups of "daddies" and "himbos" — compete for love. A Daddy TV production, this dating series has aired two seasons on OUTtv as of this writing.
Where to watch: OUTtv.
'The Ultimatum: Queer Love'
The spin-off series of Netflix's The Ultimatum features an all-LGBTQ+ cast. Given how messy and entertaining the first season was, viewers are looking forward to seeing how this series plays out with LGBTQ+ cast members. The upcoming series will be hosted by JoAnna Garcia Swisher.
Where to watch: Netflix.
'Vanjie: 24 Hours of Love'
Vanessa Vanjie Mateo broke the internet after her legendary "Miss Vanjie" exit from RuPaul's Drag Race season 10. She then returned to compete in season 11 of the series, placing fifth overall. As of 2022, Vanjie got her very own dating show called Vanjie: 24 Hours of Love. In the end, she started dating contestant Jack Janowicz. Even though they dated for months, the couple no longer appears to be together.
Where to watch: WOW Presents Plus.
'Dating Unlocked'
Dating Unlocked is an LGBTQ+ dating show from Canada with single contestants who compete in games and go through elimination rounds for the chance to "unlock" a second date. The series, which can be streamed on OUTtv in the U.S., has had two seasons thus far.
Where to watch: OUTtv.
'Perfect Match' Season 1
Even though Perfect Match is, by all means, a dating show, it is also a sort of All Stars-esque series where alumni from other Netflix reality shows all converge into one competition. It should also be noted that, while this show encourages its cast members to "explore their sexualities," it mostly centers on the experience of straight people… except, there's a plot twist! When Too Hot to Handle legend Francesca Farago ends up getting matched with Abbey Thumphreys (Twentysomethings: Austin), they just go for it — giving us a glorious moment of queerness on a mainstream dating show.
Where to watch: Netflix.
'Are You the One?' Season 8
For the first time in reality TV history, the eighth season of MTV's Are You the One? featured an all-LGBTQ+ cast of contestants. During that season, all contestants identified as pansexual, and the inclusion of a trans cast member was also extremely praised by viewers. As season eight came to an end, there were all sorts of AYTO pairings — from MLW to MLM to WLW.
Where to watch: Paramount+.
'Dating Around'
Netflix has had a few seasons of Dating Around in the U.S. and has also expanded this new franchise to other countries. An unconventional dating series, Dating Around centers on one particular individual in each episode. That person goes through a series of dates that take place on different nights (but are all edited together for our viewing pleasure). It's a really interesting show, besides the fact that it's quite revealing in terms of how people really act like on a date.
Where to watch: Netflix.
'Married At First Sight UK'
Over the years, the British version of Married At First Sight has featured several notable LGBTQ+ contestants and pairs. From Zoe & Jenna to Matt & Dan to the most recent casting of Ella Morgan — a trans woman — in the series, Married At First Sight UK is really pushing for more inclusivity in the genre of dating TV shows.
Where to watch: Channel 4 (in the UK); unavailable for streaming (in the US).
'aEx on the Beach'
For a few years now, MTV's Ex on the Beach has been featuring LGBTQ+ contestants on every single season. For instance, season five included Arisce Wanzer (trans woman), David Barta (pansexual man), Emily Salch (bisexual woman), Joelle Brian (gay man), Jonathan Troncoso (gay man), Kyra Green (bisexual woman), and Mike Mulderrig (bisexual man).
Where to watch: MTV.
'Finding Prince Charming'
One of the first major gay dating shows to happen on cable TV was 2016's Finding Prince Charming. This series from Logo TV featured Atlanta-based interior designer Robert Sepulveda Jr. as the lead, as well as eight contestants vying for his love and attention. Ultimately, Sepulveda chose Eric Leonardos as the winner, but their relationship didn't last long after the show.
Where to watch: Logo TV.
'Bachelor in Paradise' Season 6
Overall, ABC's The Bachelor has been overwhelmingly straight (and mostly white) when it comes to its choices for leads and contestants. However, the franchise did feature one singular LGBTQ+ storyline in season six of Bachelor in Paradise when contestant Demi Burnett revealed that she had just gotten into a relationship with a woman prior to filming the show. The woman in question — who had never appeared on television before — was Kristian Haggerty, who was brought into Bachelor in Paradise and ended the season engaged to Burnett.
Where to watch: Hulu.
'Bobby I Love You, Purrr'
After going through a very public breakup with his ex-boyfriend, social media influencer and reality TV star Bobby Lytes landed his own gay dating show titled Bobby I Love You, Purrr. The series featured 15 guys competing for Lytes' love... and let's just say that things got really messy along the way!
Where to watch: The Zeus Network.
‘The Bi Life’
Right after winning Celebrity Big Brother 21 in the UK, Courtney Act was hired as the host of a bisexual dating show called The Bi Life. The series wasn't necessarily received well by the critics or the public, but it was still a TV show that made history for its wide visibility of bisexual people on reality television.
Where to watch: Hayu (select locations).
'12 Dates of Christmas'
HBO Max (now just Max) released 12 Dates of Christmas as a pretty groundbreaking LGBTQ+ dating show. In season one, the show featured three leads, one of whom was a gay man. Viewers then got to know all the love interests who came into the show to pursue a relationship with him. In season two, the three leads consisted of a straight man, a gay man, and a lesbian woman. This meant that two thirds of the entire cast consisted of LGBTQ+ love interests vying for either the gay lead or the lesbian lead. Unfortunately, Max has completely deleted this TV show from its catalog.
Where to watch: Unavailable.
'The One That Got Away'
The One That Got Away was a very interesting dating competition from Amazon Prime Video where cast members had the opportunity to reconnect with a special someone who they considered "the one that got away." When it comes to LGBTQ+ representation, the series featured a gay couple: Jeff Perla and Alex Van Gurp.
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video.
'A Shot At Love With Tila Tequila'
It was pretty groundbreaking for social media personality Tila Tequila to identify as bisexual back in the 2000s and land her very own bisexual dating show on MTV. On A Shot At Love, a total of 16 straight men and 16 lesbian women vied for Tequila's love. In subsequent years, Tequila went on to become a very problematic person and also denied ever being attracted to women in any way, claiming that she only did and said such things for the sake of A Shot At Love.
Where to watch: Unavailable.
'Next'
The campy and hilarious Next aired on MTV between 2005 and 2008. Over the years, there were a few instances when LGBTQ+ contestants were included on the show and showcased inside the iconic Next RV. Generally, the format consisted of a series of blind dates involving as many as five people at times.
Where to watch: Paramount+.
'Love At First Lie'
MTV's Love At First Lie featured quite a few LGBTQ+ couples. Namely, the cast included couples such as Stephanie & Arabella, Jake & Alfie, Tom & Steven, Fannie & Clove, and Jack & Joe. The premise of the show was for couples to spot which pair of lovers were actually "fake," all while actually going through the motions of being in a dating competition.
Where to watch: MTV.