11 LGBTQ stand-up comedians you should be watching

Bowen Yang was a writer at "SNL" before being promoted to a cast member.Alex Schaefer

• Many stand-up comedians incorporate their experience as members of the LGBTQ community into their sets.
• Not only do comics like Hannah Gadsby and Bowen Yang entertain people, but they also expose widespread audiences to LGBTQ voices.
• Insider rounded up 11 LGBTQ stand-up comics that you should be watching.

While stand-up comedy can seem like 45 minutes to an hour of pure entertainment, many comedians use their stage time to weave in social commentary and tell their own stories.

Their sexuality isn't necessarily the focal point of their sets, but for LGBTQ comedians, stand-up is an opportunity for their voices to be heard. Hannah Gadsby, for example, speaks about growing up as a lesbian in Tasmania, where homosexuality was illegal until 1997. And Bowen Yang became the first Asian-American and third openly gay cast member on "Saturday Night Live."

Insider listed 11 LGBTQ comics who are sharing their stories on the stage, drawing laughs along the way.