Queer TV Festival Will Celebrate Shows From Noah's Arc to Veneno

Some of the stars, writers, producers, and directors of the most beloved queer TV shows, past and present, will participate in free panel discussions for Pride month.

The OutFronts launch June 4, with five days of digital panels on shows like Love, Victor, It's a Sin, L Word: Generation Q, Noah's Arc, Clarice, Veneno, David Makes Man, Genera+ion, RuPaul's Drag Race, The Wilds, and Special.

The series is presented by Outfest, the Los Angeles LGBTQ+ film festival, and sponsored by Hyundai, IMDB, and IMDBPro.

"Outfest has had a tradition of being a place where the networks have come to premiere and discuss their queer stories on network and streaming television - from Ugly Betty, Brothers and Sisters, Glee, Transparent, Love Victor, The Twenties, David Makes Man and more," Outfest executive director Damien S. Navarro said in a statement.

"We are now in an incredible place in television with LGBTQ content and overwhelming fan support. I remember when it wasn't too long ago that the only place to go for cutting edge queer stories and content would be in cinema and independent films. More often now it's on television, streaming and digital content, making it much more accessible to various audiences. Instead of fitting these shows into one of our film festivals, we recognized that fans should have the opportunity to come together and celebrate these stories as well as our filmmakers, alumni, and industry partners. That is why we are excited to embrace this moment and bring The OutFronts to the world."

How race, feminism, disability, HIV, and other issues within the queer community have been depicted on television will be a centerpiece of the panels. Patrik Ian-Polk (creator of Noah's Arc), Jen Richards (showrunner for Clarice), Tarell McCraney (creator of David Makes Man), Javicia Leslie (star of Batwoman), Nicole Maines (star of Supergirl), Russell Davies (creator of It's a Sin), Leo Sheng (star of The L Word: Generation Q), and Nina West (contestant on RuPaul's Drag Race) are just some of the names attached to The Outfronts.

All the panels are free and viewable on the Outfest app, which includes invites to special event panels currently only available to Outfest Now monthly subscribers. Find out more here.