All too often any deviation from the norm leads to an existence on the outside looking in. The pressure and violence exerted by one’s own environment cause increased feelings of fear and isolation. Escape fantasies become a symptom of the longing to belong. By contrast, in film not only do suppressed voices find room for expression – cinema also fulfils a community-building function and is capable of generating just such a sense of belonging. By placing queer narratives centre stage, it plays a small but vital role in cultivating the tolerance and acceptance that society so urgently needs.