I'm just a boy, standing in front of Hollywood, begging for more joyful LGBTQ films

If I have to watch another LGBTQ coming out story onscreen, I will pull all my hair out.

OK – that's an exaggeration. But tiresome coming out stories like that of 2020's "Happiest Season" or 2018's "Love, Simon" are a dime a dozen, and focus too harshly on the part of the queer experience I am least interested in absorbing onscreen anymore: trauma.

All LGBTQ people experience some kind of it, in the sense that they don't fit into the cisgender and/or heteronormative mold of typical straight society. Watching said story play out again and again onscreen is still indeed representation – but not always the representation I'm excited to see and relive.

Trauma is, of course, an integral part of not only the queer experience but of the human experience. That doesn't mean it casts an immovable shadow on our lives. Joy can co-exist with pain – and sometimes overpower it – which is why I beg Hollywood to invest more in joyful queer films.

Now, don't get me wrong. Painful queer films are necessary, too. If we don't talk about trauma, it only furiously festers. Recent films "Joe Bell," based on the true story of a gay teen who kills himself and his father's heartbreak, and the documentary "Pray Away," a deep dive into the conversion therapy movement, were harrowing and heavy. We can't forget what people go through.

I just want more joy mixed in and given appropriate attention.

I turned to Twitter for more suggestions about older films, and went in search of some myself. A few worth checking out: "Trick" (1999), which featured Tori Spelling; "The Birdcage" (1996) starring Nathan Lane and the late Robin Williams; "Camp" (2003) starring a young Anna Kendrick; and last year's TV movie "The Thing About Harry," starring "Grey's Anatomy" actor Jake Borelli.

Borelli told me earlier this year he's always looking for LGBTQ entertainment to consume – and felt lucky to star in a queer romantic comedy himself.

"That, to me, was the perfect amount of joy," Borelli said of "Harry," a Freeform film. "It was the perfect queer story, in the sense that it was about queer people, but then it didn't deal with shame and didn't deal with coming out. It dealt with love. And I hope that more movies like that get made or (we see) more larger story arcs on television shows. That would be wonderful."

Such movies do exist, including upcoming ones. I couldn't help but smile watching several films showcased at this year's LGBTQ film festival Outfest in Los Angeles (and streaming), which lasts until Sunday (select films will stream for a bonus 72 hours starting Monday). They sang more joyful tunes than dreary ones.

Sure, each had some traumatic elements, but they didn't overpower the force for good or leave me feeling broken. They have me hopeful for a future where lighter queer cinema can indeed be commonplace. Here's a look at what stuck out to me:

Good question: Could coming out as LGBTQ be over someday?

'Everybody's Talking About Jamie'

Based on the West End musical of the same name, "Everybody's Talking About Jamie" tracks 16-year-old Jamie's (Max Harwood) quest to become a drag queen. Sure, he faces bullying not only at school but from his mostly-absent father – but the overwhelming support from his mother, best friend and the drag community carries him through. I'll take many more queer musicals, please.

How to watch: Streaming on Amazon Prime beginning Sept. 17

'Homebody'

In "Homebody," Johnny (Tre Ryder), a genderqueer child, inhabits the body of his babysitter (Colby Minifie) after trying out meditation. Sometimes silly and sometimes sad, all parents – whether they have queer children or not – should watch the film's hopeful ending and learn a lesson about what it means to affirm their child's identity.

How to watch: See it at Outfest

'Boy Meets Boy'

A queer romance that doesn't end in tragedy? I'll take it! While not exactly happy, watching Harry (Matthew James Morrison) and Johannes (Alexandros Koutsoulis) spend the day together wandering around Berlin in "Boy Meets Boy" before Harry has to catch a flight back to the U.K. made me crave travel and strive for more risk-taking. So what if you'll only spend time with someone for a day? They could change your whole life.

How to watch: See it at Outfest

'Ma Belle, My Beauty'

A queer polyamory movie set in France? Please and thank you. I caught "Ma Belle, My Beauty" at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year and was equally enamored on a rewatch: The alluring performances and serene setting kept me on the edge of my seat (and longing to hop on a plane for French bread, cheese and wine). A singer named Bertie (Idella Johnson) finds her world turned upside down by the return of her former lover Lane (Hannah Pepper), leaving both characters to confront their pasts and futures with or without the other.

How to watch: In theaters Friday in Los Angeles and New York, expanding Aug. 27

Hollywood, please stop making me want to pull my hair out. You have plenty of opportunities to inspire joy.

More must-watches: 15 best LGBTQ movies of the 21st century, ranked (including 'The World to Come')

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: LGBTQ movies at Outfest 2021: Can we have joy instead of trauma?