Just in case you needed some more teenage angst and queer joy to fill your screens
BY ELLA GAUCI, IMAGE BY NETFLIX
After the release of Heartstopper last week, we have been walking on a cloud of queer joy ever since we were finally reunited with one of our favourite ships – #Tarcy. Snuggling in school corridors and buying matching prom outfits, through Tara and Darcy Heartstopper has given so many sapphic viewers a chance to live out the queer teenage years that they may have not been able to experience themselves.
Shows like Heartstopper are not just important for the young people who are seeing themselves represented on screen, but they also help to heal the inner teenagers in us who weren’t able to express themselves. If you’re looking for some more sapphic representation in high school dramas, check out our list!
Glee
An oldie, but always a goodie. Glee was the backing track for my tween years, and perhaps one of the first times I ever saw a sapphic couple on TV. The show about a bunch of misfits in a school choir provided a platform for queer issues to be addressed and gave us the legendary couple Brittany and Santana.
Coming onto screens in 2009, Glee’s portrayal of two cool, hot cheerleaders being in love with each other felt like a breath of fresh air.
Degrassi
Since 1987, the Canadian high-school drama show Degrassi has been a firm fixture in pop culture. From the bisexual queen of Degrassi High Paige Michalchuk to Degrassi’s first genderqueer Yael, there is a storyline for everyone to relate to. With 14 seasons to watch, there’s definitely enough queer goodness to fill your evenings.
Everything Sucks!
While we’re still mourning the fact that Everything Sucks! never got a reboot, we still have to include this in our list. Packed with nostalgia and 90s fun, Everything Sucks! is set in Boring High School and follows the lives of some misfits. It’s full of teenage angst, fun characters and storylines, and of course a whole lot of sapphic longing…
I Am Not Okay With This
This coming-of-age series is another victim of #CancelYourGays, but is still a must-watch for anyone craving a high-school sapphic show. Following 17-year-old Sydney Novak, the show is packed to the brim with queer teenage angst, desire, and coming to terms with your identity.
Never Have I Ever
While a sapphic couple doesn’t directly lead this high school drama, the Netflix show Never Have I Ever features the fabulous Fabiola to offer some queer goodness. The robotics wizz has given us some great gay representation across the series and has shown audiences that there is not one way to look or be queer.
Sex Education
We love Sex Education. The show has brought so many issues to the mainstream from asexual representation to conversations about sexual assault. Bursting with queer rep, Sex Education follows the lives of the students at Moordale Secondary School who are (mostly) concerned with one thing: sex. Oh, and it stars Gillian Anderson.
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