Romance is so not dead, at least not for LGBT people. Actors have been showing us the fun and pleasure of same-sex kissing almost as long as Hollywood itself has existed.
2017 marks 90 years since the very first gay kiss in Hollywood movies! It started with the 1927 film “Wings,” and has picked up incredible speed in the last 20 years as gay and bisexual voices have stepped up and out in American culture. Here a hot little clip of male sensuality from “Wings” to whet your appetite.
Putting the gorgeous wealth of LGBT movies and porn made by/for queer people to the side, you can find some of the hottest queer kisses in mainstream movies — including some you can watch with your kids. Whether for fun or pure hotness, I’ve compiled a list of 15 films that include at least one queerly cool kissing scene. (Official movie ratings are listed, in case you need to watch some or all of these after the kids go to sleep.)
15 of the hottest same-sex kisses in mainstream movies
Jennifer Connelly and Kristy Swanson, Higher Learning (1995), Rated R: A university is the setting for college students confronting adult dramas and social clashes over assumptions about race, sex, nationality and economic privilege. The movie sets out to explore the social experiment that is college life as its young characters struggle to find their authentic voices in a world filled with prejudice. And then there’s that hot kiss between Connelly and Swanson!
Gina Gershon and Elizabeth Berkley, Showgirls (1995), Rated NC-17: For a really steamy and sordid experience, full of great glimpses of gorgeous women, go behind the scenes of the complicated lives of Las Vegas showgirls, where the price of success can mean selling your soul to the highest bidder. The wet, slurpy kiss between the two female stars makes it even hotter.
Joey Lauren Adams and Carmen Llywelyn – Chasing Amy (1997), Rated R: A powerhouse cast appears in this popular Kevin Smith movie about 2 life-long cartooning besties (played by Ben Affleck and Jason Lee) whose friendship goes into crisis when one Affleck falls hard for a lesbian. Laughs, pathos, imagination, and insights into human nature abound and the lesbian angle rewards viewers with a sensually sweet encounter between Adams and Llywelyn.
Sarah Michelle Gellar & Selma Blair, Cruel Intentions, (1999), Rated R: Buffy goes bad in a big way and, with her equally noxious step-brother, sets out to destroy the lives and reputations of some nice girls. In the process, she makes out with Selma Blair. Bad Buffy! I mean, good Buffy!!
Ashton Kutcher And Seann William Scott, Dude, Where’s My Car (2000), Rated PG-13: Silly fun as two chronic potheads wake up one day without remembering where they parked their car. This sends them on an archetypal stoner search to recreate the high that led them to lose the car in the first place. A goofy comedy with an unforgettably sweet kiss between the lead actors. In case you already forgot, here it is.
Bradley Cooper and Michael Ian Black – Wet Hot American Summer (2001), Rated R: a wild, funny romp through summer camp chaos, as counselors try desperately to resolve their relationship dramas before the summer ends. Considered a cult classic for its off-the-hook parodies and unexpected excursions into surreality, it also features a kiss between hunky popular actors, Cooper and Black.
Y Tu Mama También – Diego Luna and Gael Garcia Bernal (2001), Rated R: A tenderly profound coming-of-sex-age story about a couple of teenage boys during an epic summer of sexual hedonism, including bisexuality, promiscuity, kinks, and a hook-up with an older married woman for the beach adventure of a lifetime. Keep some tissues handy for this masterpiece of Mexican cinema that became a mainstream hit in the U.S.
Jason Biggs and Seann William Scott, American Pie 2 (2002), Rated R: This hilariously silly sequel to the popular American Pie goes a few places the first movie did not — including a hot kissing scene between two of the male leads and an accidental gay three-way when they mistake super glue for lube. Oops.
Rie Rasmussen and Rebecca Romijn, Femme Fatale (2002), Rated R: I don’t know about you but I’d watch Rebecca Romijn kiss a suitcase. Happily, this movie instead shows her locking lips with an equally gorgeous Danish actress. This Brian DePalma horror caper centers on Romijn as a complicated jewel thief who builds webs of deceit and betrayal to get by.
Owen Wilson, Carmen Electra and Amy Smart, Starsky & Hutch (2004), Rated PG-13: This remake of the popular 70s TV series by director Ben Stiller is a light-hearted take on the classic cop show with lots of goofy laughs and classic Stiller touches. If you love Owen Wilson, you’ll LOL much of the way through this one. The film features a super-fun supporting cast (Snoop Dog, Vince Vaughn, Juliette Lewis, Will Farrel and others) plus a hot three-way, bisexual kissing scene.
Amy Adams and Lauren German – Standing Still (2005), Rated R: This pre-wedding drama about a nervous bride and her old college buddies going through 20-something angst features an all-star cast of fine young actors who were unknowns at the time, including Colin Hanks and Mena Suvari. Best of all, Adams shares a fiery kiss with German. Sizzle-icious!
Jake Gyllenhaal & Heath Ledger Brokeback Mountain (2006), Rated R: If you never saw it, it’s time to queue up this landmark of Hollywood film-making. If you have seen it, maybe it’s time to re-watch Heath Ledger in his breath-taking prime as he and emo actor Gyllenhaal love intensely and struggle emotionally to understand their passionate attachment. Deeply moving and painfully real, this mainstream movie exquisitely captures the agony and despair of gay men at a time when same-sex love was forbidden and shamed. The hot sex scenes between the leads are so vivid you’ll feel like you’re there. Yummy.
Eva Longoria and Kate del Castillo, Without Men (2011), Rated R: The title sounds like a feminist fantasy but the movie and acting drew very mixed reviews. Still, for those who think they’d enjoy watching a village of beautiful Latinas in a remote village as they recreate their lives once all the men are taken away by guerillas, this should go on the list. It shows women overcoming gender assumptions, evolving to independent humans, and redefining their sexuality on their journeys, including learning to masturbate. Plus it features the glorious Longoria having passionate encounters with del Castillo. Here’s a compilation of their sexiest scenes.
Will Farrell & Sacha Baron Cohen, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2007), Rated PG-13: Take two ridiculously straight-acting guys, put them in a hilarious send-up of NASCAR and the result is one amazing kiss. In fact, Farrel and Cohen enjoyed it so much, they repeated the scene again and again on their PR tour. Hilarious. Anyway, if you enjoy broad comedy, and now want to speculate on just how straight they are in real life (hmmm), this film will keep you laughing from start to end.
Finally, if you haven’t seen it, yet check out this mainstream gay film that’s received raves.
Ashton Sanders and Jharrel Jerome – Moonlight (2016), Rated R: The coming-of-age story of a gay black child in Miami who grows to manhood in the face of tremendous adversity and his triumphant ascendance to self-pride and love. Introspective and painfully real, the film gives voice to the struggles of poverty, class, race, queerness, and masculine identity in a cold, hard world. In addition to carrying away a stack of Oscar nominations and awards, this movie also won MTV’s award for best kiss of 2017. Sweet!
BONUS for film fanatics: hungry for more queer kisses? Binge-watch James Franco movies to see how many pretty men he’s nibbled on in his illustrious career. Wow, what a gig!
