20 of the best LGBTQIA+ works of science fiction

15. Credence

While LGBTQIA+ content has been around for decades in novels and even comics, its presence in science fiction film has been rare. It’s strange, given that sci-fi lends itself to ways of life that could seem vast and new to its audience. People living on faraway planets? Sure. The presence of intelligent alien life? Absolutely! But, gay people in space? Whoa, hold on there, friend.

Thankfully, this is a perception that’s evolving on screen. For one of the most recent and most upfront takes on queer people in a science fiction world, look to 2015’s Credence.

The film starts in a dire place. The Earth is ravaged by increasingly severe storms, which ultimately spell doom for the human race. Thankfully, scientists have discovered planets which can support human life and ensure the continuation of the human species.

Alas, without complications, this would be a very short movie. Even at a half-hour runtime, Credence requires more conflict to move forward with a plot. The twist is that limited rocket space and fuel means that only children will be able to make the journey. Even then, class concerns invade the issue, making it so that the children of the rich dominate the roster.

Somehow, two fathers are able to secure space for their young daughter. John (Alex Topham) and Scott (Alex Hammond) would do anything — seriously, anything — for their daughter, Ellie (Tia Kenny). That’s true in any situation, even if it means that these two loving fathers have to send their daughter into a wild and unknown future without them by her side. It’s heartbreaking, to be sure, be also a portrait of a loving family in the face of disaster and two devoted LGBTQIA+ parents.