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Queer people have been telling their stories since time immemorial, but it can sometimes be difficult for LGBT voices to be heard. While we are making progress (according to GLAAD reports), mainstream media still presents many barriers to LGBT people. Webtoons, as a creator-driven industry, are another matter. There are a wealth of gay webtoons out there! However, sometimes queer webtoons can be hard to find, primarily because webtoon publishing apps don’t always count “LGBT” as a genre. So, to make it easier for you to find the gay webcomics of your dreams, we’ve rounded up some of the best gay webtoons of all time!
A note on the selection process: because Tapas does, actually, have an entire section dedicated to LGBTQ+ comics, we’ve focused on Naver Webtoon — because it makes queer comics harder to find — and I’ve also thrown in some indie comics from our own app, Inkverse. Having said that, I’d highly recommend checking out Tapas’ LGBTQ+ page. The comics are ranked so you can see which are the most popular, and there’s a nice spread of genres and story types (my personal fave is Kingfisher, a supernatural mystery set in the 1920s!) And finally, we’ve tried to go beyond BL and GL stories: while there are some romances in here, the main criteria for selection was that the comics have multiple LGBT+ characters, or provide a commentary on queer existence.
Also, an honorary mention to Heartstopper: it’s not in the list because thanks to the Netflix adaptation, it’s wildly popular and we’d rather shine a light on lesser-known comics. But of course it’s worth checking out if you haven’t read it yet!
So without further ado, let’s get onto the list.
The best gay Webtoon Originals
High Class Homos
In cultures where it was (or, sadly, still is) illegal for same-gender couples to get married, queer people came up with a solution. They would legally, but platonically, marry each other — in apparent heterosexual pairings — leaving them free to pursue whatever romances they wanted! This is known as a “lavender marriage.”
High Class Homos re-imagines this concept in a cute, fairy tale-esque setting, in which a princess — reluctant to tell her parents that she’s not into princes — marries a male friend of hers who is in a similar predicament. This allows the comic to address societal prejudices and parental pressures, while also telling sweet, funny love stories. With multiple queer characters, High Class Homos is not one to miss!
Read on: Webtoon
Castle Swimmer
Merman Kappa shines as the heroic “beacon” of his people, but mer-shark Siren has been destined to kill him…. There’s nothing like two people from warring societies falling in love and overcoming their destinies — while finding a new destiny in each other.
As one of the most popular boys love webtoons, Castle Swimmer is well-known — and rightly so! But what I really enjoy is that it’s a fantasy with multiple queer characters. When we push for representation, we don’t just want real-world stories. We want gays in space, dammit! By which I mean, LGBT characters shouldn’t be confined to the real world. Fantasy, scifi, supernatural, there should be no genre limit on queer stories. And Castle Swimmer, with its abundance of queer characters, makes it clear that you don’t have to be straight to have a fairy tale romance. (But for this one, you might have to be able to breathe underwater!)
Read on: Webtoon
Related: The 10 Best Boys Love Webtoons
Not So Shoujo Love Story
This one is a girls love comedy, but it has a surprising amount of social commentary about what it means to be queer in high school — especially if you’re a target for bullies. It’s hilarious, subverts expectations at every turn, and allows the queer characters to have a sweet romance while also touching on the prejudice they face.
Rei is just a normal high school girl, with a normal high school obsession: she is determined to find her perfect male lead so she can live her shoujo dreams! But while she has her sights set on Hansum Ochinchin — the guy that everyone in school is in love with — another girl has her own sights set on Rei… and she’s not gonna take no for an answer.
Read on: Webtoon
Related: The 10 Best Girls Love Webtoons
Brimstone and Roses
What happens when you have to attend your ex-girlfriend’s wedding but don’t have a plus one? Well, if you’re Bea, that means you just have to summon a demon to act as your hot new partner! What could possibly go wrong?
With multiple queer characters and endless shenanigans, Brimstone and Roses is one of my personal favourite LGBT webtoons. Not only that, but the lead is also plus-sized — which shouldn’t be worth commenting on, but unfortunately there’s a lack of body diversity in webtoons, especially romances. Brimstone and Roses has fantastic diversity across the board, not just when it comes to sexuality!
Read on: Webtoon
The best indie gay webtoons
Friends With Solitude
LGBT+ existence isn’t just about romance. Heck, it isn’t even necessarily about sexuality at all! With a non-binary, asexual (and demiromantic) lead, Friends With Solitude shines a light on one of the oft-overlooked aspects of queer existence, which is that some people aren’t L or G or B or T. (Ok, non-binary people are under the T umbrella but… you catch my drift!)
Friends With Solitude follows Qian, an asexual introvert, in a heartfelt and insightful slice-of-life story. With multiple queer characters, this comic provides much-needed representation while also being a really fun read. Well worth checking out!
The Recloseted Lesbian
“I tried coming out as a lesbian. My abusive, ultra-religious mother forced me back into the closet. Doing these little strips is one of my ways to cope.” So says the summary for The Recloseted Lesbian, a comic which provides insight on the author’s life. It’s sweet, poignant, and often uplifting, but can cut deep. However, there is something incredible about the fact that the creator, who was unable to live openly herself, is providing solace and solidarity to millions of readers.
Each episode is a short comic strip ruminating on some aspect of life. It’s a great daily read, especially if you don’t want to start a big new story.
Ladykillers
As this comic’s summary says: “There's no party like a dysfunctional DnD party!” Dungeons and Dragons has become hugely popular among queer nerds in recent years, mostly because it allows us to insert queer narratives into the fantasy genre — a genre that has, historically, been absolutely bereft of LGBT stories.
Ladykillers absolutely delivers on its chaotic party potential, with a sapphic trio of ladies running rampant as they seek adventure and fortune! One to read if you always loved fantasy, but didn’t love the lack of representation.
Read on: Webtoon,
I Want To Be A Cute Anime Girl
When Charon’s sister dresses him up as a girl, this starts a journey of discovery… cute, fun, and beautifully draw, I Want To Be A Cute Anime Girl is a lovely story of how someone can go from dressing up as a girl for fun, to realising that actually it’s not just for fun — and deciding to transition for real.
Trans main characters are rare, even for gay webtoons, and it’s even rarer to find a comic that actually takes the reader through the gender transition experience. What’s even more special is that the main character is 15 years old, which is fantastic considering that trans resources are often aimed exclusively at adults, leaving younger trans people feeling isolated. This comic is super heartwarming and encouraging, while also helping to spread awareness and create solidarity.
Read on: Webtoon
10 Of Swords
Could you find love again, even after your entire world fell apart? In a dystopian society that forces the lower classes to become entertainment for the upper classes, two men recover from their trauma and find love and solace with one another.
I cannot stop reading this incredibly moving and beautifully illustrated boys love tale! It’s really nice to read a scifi comic that focuses on the consequences on living in a dystopian society, using the setting a springboard to talk about recovery, and how trauma affects romantic relationships. Grounded and mature, this gay webtoon is a thoughtful exploration of heartbreak and the redemption of love.
Honey & Cigarettes
This lush, beautifully illustrated and vibrantly coloured romance webtoon is set in the UK, which means that the dialogue is peppered with fun British slang! It features an odd-couple style romance, with the roguish musician Jay falling for the proper, sweet, and downright royal Quintessa Beaumont.
As their relationship gets more complex, more people get drawn into their web of romance and friendship. With multiple LGBT characters, polyamory shenanigans, and plenty of drama Honey & Cigarettes is a fun one, especially if you like culture clashes!
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And that’s it for this list! If you want more love stories, be sure to check out our list of the best romance webtoons, and don’t forget to download Inkverse to get early access to tons of LGBT webtoons!
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