The Best Queer Red Carpet Looks From Oscars Weekend
While the Academy Awards were undeniably straight this year, queer celebs still served on the red carpets at the Oscars, the Elton John AIDS Foundation party, and the Vanity Fair after-party.
If you were hoping the 2026 Academy Awards would deliver a particularly queer ceremony…well let’s just say the pickings were slim.
Aside from a few blink-and-you-miss-them moments—like ballerina Misty Copeland’s striking performance inspired by Sinners and the usual smattering of queer stars scattered through the crowd—the show itself didn’t exactly feel like a celebration of LGBTQ+ arts.
In other words: the ceremony itself? Not exactly a rainbow-flag moment.
But thankfully, Oscars weekend is much bigger than the broadcast. Between the red carpet, the glamorous Elton John AIDS Foundation Academy Awards Viewing Party, and the famously exciting Vanity Fair Oscar Party, queer celebrities, lesbian icons, and the internet’s favorite heartthrobs still showed up and dressed like they knew exactly who they were doing it for.
Though the show wasn’t particularly queer, the fashion absolutely was.
Below, the queer icons, lesbian power couples, and scene-stealers who actually made Oscars weekend feel a little bit gay.
Abby Wambach & Glennon Doyle
Our favorite lesbian power couple showed up in coordinated tailoring, because lesbians love a good suit—and Doyle carried a sparkly black clutch that simply read “F*ck ICE,” which is honestly the hottest accessory of the night. (2026 Oscars red carpet)
Sarah Paulson
Paulson stepped out in elegant but slightly eccentric glam—very much giving mother. (2026 Vanity Fair Oscars party)
Alysa Liu
Liu arrived in a structured black-and-gray peacock-patterned dress with shoulder pads, delivering chic ice-queen glam that matched her winner energy. (2026 Vanity Fair Oscars party)
Odessa A’zion
A’zion went full statement with an animal-print look that felt feral in the best way—like if the Met Gala had a “hot villain” category. (2026 Oscars red carpet)
Queen Latifah
Latifah arrived with the effortless presence of someone who already knows she’s an icon—and dresses accordingly. (2026 Vanity Fair Oscars party)
Cara Delevingne
Delevingne delivered sleek model-off-duty glamour with just enough drama to remind everyone she is still Cara Delevingne. (2026 Vanity Fair Oscars party)
Hannah Einbinder
Einbinder kept it cool and understated, proving effortless style still works when everyone else is trying very hard. (2026 Vanity Fair Oscars party)
Barbie Ferreira
Ferreira brought Old Hollywood glam in a gorgeous blue gown—and yes, blue is absolutely her color. (2026 Oscars red carpet)
Dove Cameron
Cameron stunned in a long red gown with matching lipstick and a ruby necklace—romantic, dramatic, and fully committed to the color palette. (2026 Vanity Fair Oscars party)
Isabela Merced
Merced stunned in a black leather corset gown that somehow managed to be classy, elegant, and a little dangerous all at once. (2026 Oscars red carpet)
Tove Lo
Lo kept it simple but very sexy in a sheer black lace dress layered over a bra and panties—effortless, chic, and very much ready for the dance floor. (2026 Elton John AIDS Foundation party)
Sophia Bush & Ashlyn Harris
Bush arrived in a sleek floor-length gown while Harris wore a crisp white suit with a black lace bra—aka the exact lesbian couple dynamic the internet lives for. (2026 Elton John AIDS Foundation party)
Julien Baker
Baker kept it cool in a mesh top with white ruffles, black trousers, and chelsea boots—proving that mesh is officially having a gay moment. (2026 Elton John AIDS Foundation party)
Lola Young
Young went full eccentric cool-girl in a long black mesh gown with a pale underlayer, dramatic long sleeves, and oversized silver earrings—serving dark, artsy “don’t talk to me unless you’re cool” vibes. (2026 Vanity Fair Oscars Party)
Hudson Williams & Connor Storrie
The duo arrived in coordinated sheer tops—Williams in a dramatic black blouse with a sash-train and Storrie in a chest-revealing mocha turtleneck—turning the carpet into a very fashionable thirst trap. (2026 Vanity Fair Oscars party)
Rachel Sennott
Sennott wore an off-the-shoulder black lace gown that followed her perfectly—simple, classic, and pretty. (2026 Vanity Fair Oscars party)
Myha’la Herrold
Myha’la strutted in towering heels and a long-sleeve lace-and-mesh gown that showed off her toned silhouette—serving pure skinny-queen confidence. (2026 Vanity Fair Oscars party)
Julia Fox
Fox wore a black-and-white look that threaded the line between fashion show and performance art. (2026 Vanity Fair Oscars party)
Colman Domingo
Domingo arrived looking like the best-dressed man in Hollywood yet again, which honestly feels less like an opinion and more like a scientific fact. (2026 Vanity Fair Oscars party)
Sonia Mena
Mena wore a pearl-covered dress that felt polished but still playful—basically the fashion version of a very cute martini. (2026 Vanity Fair Oscars party)
Alice Carvalho
Carvalho broke the mold by wearing Brazilian Amazonian label Normando, proving that fashion is still art, identity, and—thankfully—not another predictable Hollywood gown. (2026 Oscars red carpet)
Bella Thorne
Thorne leaned into dark glam with a sheer black mesh dress and matching two-piece underneath—sexy, dramatic, and exactly the vibe she does best. (2026 Oscars red carpet)
Auliʻi Cravalho
Cravalho served angelic princess energy in a flowing gown that felt straight out of a Disney fairytale. (2026 Oscars red carpet)
Brandi Carlile and Catherine Shepard
Carlile and Shepard showed up complimenting each other in relaxed tailoring that felt cool and effortless—we love to see it. (2026 Elton John AIDS Foundation party)
Billie Jean King & Ilana Kloss
The couple looked impossibly cute, sharing a pre-event selfie together and looking very excited for their glamorous night out. (2026 Elton John AIDS Foundation party)
