Suppose you’ve been following along with my DeJamz or other media recommendations. In that case, you must be on the edge of your seat, biting your nails with anticipation at the thought of what I could possibly suggest for my favorite queer media. Taste this good may be hard to find at DePaul, but fear not, my dear readers, I have arrived to provide you with my favorite LGBTQ+-centric music, book, television show and movie to enjoy this pride month so you will never have to suffer through “Call Me by Your Name” again. 

Album: “Big Time” by Angel Olsen

Oh yeah, we’re going country. If you don’t know, I’m obsessed with anything gay and Western, so it should be no surprise that Angel Olsen made the list. Emulating the influences of Skeeter Davis and Hank Williams, “Big Time” roots itself in the tough and tender genre of country music that I’ve come to love. An album radiating with grief, longing and the urge to be loved, “Big Time” is the perfect collection of songs to simultaneously cry and line dance to this Pride month.

Book: “Brokeback Mountain” by Annie Proulx

While clocking in at only 55 pages, “Brokeback Mountain” is one of the most moving, well-written pieces of queer literature I’ve ever read. It doesn’t matter if you’ve seen the movie or not: you need to read the story. Not a single word is wasted, and each page carries the weight of a novel. There may be no happy endings to find in “Brokeback Mountain,” but I guarantee your life will be fundamentally changed. 

TV Show: “What We Do in the Shadows” 

If you’re looking for something digestible, funny and unapologetically queer, FX’s “What We Do in the Shadows” is for you. Detailing the routine of a group of gay vampires living in Staten Island, WWDITS manages to be ridiculous, wholesome and moving, all in 20-minute episodes. The definition of a comfort show, you won’t regret your Hulu subscription after watching this certified banger of a show.

Movie: “My Own Private Idaho”

We get it. Keanu Reeves is your favorite actor. First of all, you will never get it so, don’t strain too hard trying to grasp my love for Reeves. Secondly, this movie defined my adolescence. One of the most gorgeously written films, it’s no surprise why “My Own Private Idaho” is considered a landmark film in New Queer Cinema. Coming from the same vein as Ang Lee’s 2005 “Brokeback Mountain,” “My Own Private Idaho” will leave you silently crying in your room at 3 a.m. as Fmovies assault your phone with popup ads of milfs in your area.