Hallmark 2025 Christmas Movies Celebrate Love With Lesbian Leads

Hallmark is back at it, making holiday movie history with a story that’s bound to have people reaching for tissues and hot cocoa. Their upcoming release, The Christmas Baby, puts a lesbian couple front and center in the 2025 Countdown to Christmas lineup.

Fan favorites Ali Liebert and Katherine Barrell star as Erin and Kelly, a couple whose world is flipped upside down when a baby is left on their doorstep just days before Christmas. Suddenly, they’re juggling new parenthood, career chaos, and the holiday rush—while also considering adoption.

This isn’t just another holiday flick. It’s a big step in Hallmark’s push to show love stories that actually look like the world we live in.

Hallmark’s Evolution Into Inclusive Storytelling

For a long time, Hallmark meant cozy holiday movies packed with snow, romance, and small-town vibes. Lately, though, they’ve been working to widen those stories and include more kinds of families and love.

The Christmas Baby is the latest example, following films like Friends & Family Christmas (2023) and The Holiday Sitter (2022). Those movies made waves by putting LGBTQ+ characters at the center of the kind of heartfelt romances Hallmark is known for.

What really stands out here is how these stories are told. LGBTQ+ couples aren’t just side characters or checked boxes—they get the same emotional arcs and happy endings as anyone else.

Why Representation Matters

Representation in media matters more than some folks realize. When people see themselves in stories, it makes them feel seen and like they belong.

For LGBTQ+ viewers, seeing a lesbian couple lead a Hallmark holiday movie is huge. It says their love stories deserve the same Christmas magic as anyone else’s.

Hallmark’s VP of Programming, Lisa Hamilton Daly, said it back in 2023: the goal is for everyone to see themselves in these films. By opening up who gets to fall in love at Christmastime, Hallmark is reaching more people and showing what inclusive storytelling can actually look like.

The Story Behind The Christmas Baby

At its core, The Christmas Baby blends classic Hallmark charm with a fresh angle. Erin and Kelly, played by Ali Liebert and Katherine Barrell, are juggling their careers and their relationship when a baby suddenly appears on their doorstep.

The note left with the baby is addressed just to them. What starts as a temporary situation quickly grows into something much bigger as they consider adoption and try to foster during the wildest time of year.

It’s got all the ingredients: surprise, growth, and the magic of family coming together. But with a lesbian couple at the heart, it feels new and, honestly, overdue.

Ali Liebert and Katherine Barrell: A Dynamic Duo

If you watch queer TV, you know Ali Liebert and Katherine Barrell. Liebert’s been in Bomb Girls and plenty of Hallmark projects, always pushing for more LGBTQ+ stories. Barrell, famous for Wynonna Earp, is a fan favorite for good reason.

Their chemistry should bring something real and warm to Erin and Kelly’s journey. Both have said they’re proud of the film—Liebert even teased fans online, while Barrell hinted at watch parties and behind-the-scenes fun as the premiere gets closer. Their excitement feels genuine and, honestly, pretty contagious.

Building on Hallmark’s Inclusive Legacy

The Christmas Baby isn’t just a one-off. It’s part of a growing pattern of inclusive stories Hallmark’s been weaving in recent years. In 2022, The Holiday Sitter broke ground as the network’s first Christmas romance with gay leads.

Then came Friends & Family Christmas, with Ali Liebert back in a sapphic romance about chosen family and unexpected love. Every film like this adds momentum, making space for even more diverse stories.

What’s striking is that Hallmark isn’t treating these as experiments. They’re part of the main holiday lineup, year after year. That kind of consistency shows real commitment, not just a box checked for diversity’s sake.

The Broader Cultural Impact

Seeing LGBTQ+ couples in mainstream holiday movies means more than a lot of people might think. For years, queer viewers had to search for representation in indie films or niche corners of the internet.

Now, these stories are front and center on one of the most-watched networks during the holidays. It normalizes LGBTQ+ love stories and weaves them right into the fabric of holiday traditions.

This shift also pushes back on old ideas of what a “traditional family” looks like. By showing all kinds of families, Hallmark is reminding us that love and belonging come in a lot of different forms.

What Audiences Can Expect

When The Christmas Baby premieres on December 21, expect all the classic Hallmark touches—snowy streets, glowing lights, and plenty of heart. But there’s an inclusive twist at the center.

At its heart, it’s about love, resilience, and the magic that happens when a family comes together. That’s something anyone can relate to, right?

Here’s what’s in store:

• A heartfelt love story between Erin and Kelly, with real warmth.
• An unexpected twist when a baby arrives on their doorstep.
• Emotional moments as they navigate fostering, adoption, and work stress.
• Holiday magic that feels both classic and new.

Why This Film Could Be a Game-Changer

Hallmark’s made progress on inclusive stories, but The Christmas Baby could be a real turning point. By focusing on a lesbian couple dealing with parenthood, love, and family, it goes deeper than just romance.

It’s about building a life, facing curveballs, and finding joy in the messiness of family. And since it’s a flagship Countdown to Christmas movie, not a side project, that says a lot about where Hallmark is headed.

The Future of Holiday Movies

Looking ahead, it feels like holiday movies are only going to get brighter, more varied, and more real. People want to see stories that look like their lives, with families and love that don’t all fit in one box.

With films like The Christmas Baby, Hallmark’s not just keeping up—they’re raising the bar. For longtime fans, it’s an exciting shift. For new viewers, it’s an open invitation. And for the industry? Maybe it’s a little nudge that good storytelling and real representation go hand in hand.

Final Thoughts

When Erin and Kelly’s story comes to the screen this December, it’s not just another holiday romance. There’s something different in the air—a real sense that Hallmark’s pushing their own boundaries a bit.

The blend of heart, humor, and inclusivity in The Christmas Baby feels like a step forward. It’s got that cozy vibe, but there’s a freshness to it that makes you want to see where it all goes.

Maybe this one becomes a holiday classic. Maybe it just gives people a new reason to gather around the TV with cocoa and blankets. Either way, it’s hard not to root for a story that tries to put love—every kind of love—right at the center of the season.