First Dedicated LGBTQ Digital Streaming Service
When it comes to shows that feature or highlight queer characters or actors, there are often slim pickings offered by mainstream networks and services. Of course everyone’s heard of “Transparent” and “RuPaul’s Drag Race” but these are often the exceptions to the rule and don’t always reflect the breadth of the LGBTQ experience – often focusing mainly on white families and/or gay men.
In fact, despite the gains in representation that have been achieved with shows like “The Real O’Neals” and “Modern Family,” there continues to be growing concern that many major networks are again failing to effectively represent the entire queer community.
The legal drama “Doubt” was broadcast TV’s first transgender series and was canceled by CBS after only two episodes.
The gay rights miniseries “When We Rise” has been suffering from declining ratings, with even filmmaker Dustin Lance Black saying that the series will have a better life online.
Queer filmmaking started independent from – and in many cases – defiant of the mainstream’s preconceived standards of storytelling, which is why queer entertainment has often had the freedom to be so independent and experimental. Echoing Dustin Lance Black’s comments, perhaps mainstream services and networks are not the most effective way to create and distribute the best queer stories?
For example, have you heard of “The Switch?” Not long before ‘Doubt’ came on the scene, “The Switch” was the first TV sitcom to depict not just one, but multiple trans actors in trans roles. The series is a hilarious fish-out-of-water story centered around the life of a young trans girl who relocates to a remote town in Canada. Similarly, “Gayborhood” is another queer comedy, which centers around the experiences of a band of friends in the Boystown area of Chicago. The faux-documentary style series is a full-length television show created by and for the queer communities.
And what about high quality digital series? “Queens of Kings” is a brilliant short form documentary series following drag queen performers from the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn. Acting as a type of antidote to the super campy, super flashy world of ‘Drag Race’, the series takes a gritty and personal look at what it actually means to be a drag queen in the real world. ‘Brothers’ is another largely undiscovered but fascinating series about the struggles and triumphs of trans men, and “Love@FirstNight” is a scripted romantic comedy about black gay men finding love after a hook up.
All of these are cutting-edge digital series that deserve to take their rightful place in the queer canon, but which until now have been difficult to find. With this problem of discoverability in mind, REVRY was born.
As the world’s first ever dedicated LGBTQ digital streaming service, REVRY brings the best in queerated content to a global audience. This focus on all the letters of the community, all races and all gender identities is what makes REVRY indispensable in bringing more diverse, authentic representations of queer life to a bigger audience. REVRY believes that stories change the world and only by holding a mirror up to the different experiences of our community can we bring more understanding and less fear to society.
REVRY is diverse not just in content but also in format. From short form to long form, TV shows to movies, music videos to podcasts, there’s something for everyone to discover on the platform. With an eye to telling global stories, REVRY hosts a channel dedicated to Chinese content as well as the world’s first Indian lesbian web series set in Bangalore (in Hindi and English) and Australian series “The Horizon” – the most watched gay series in the world. With content coming from South America and Europe, REVRY is set to continue focus on building the most diverse and inclusive library of queer content in the world.
New shows can be downloaded for offline viewing, bookmarked to watch again later and automatically synced across all your devices. REVRY is available for Apple TV, Roku, iOS and Android devices as well as the web. Subscriptions are only $4.99 per month or, for a limited time, $39.99 for a whole year (usually $59.99). www.reverytv.com
