Which of these stars helped you feel seen?
BY ELLA GAUCI, IMAGE BY NETFLIX
For years, lesbian characters were either invisible or doomed to heartbreak. But then came a few game-changers – characters who didn’t just exist, but reshaped how queerness was shown on screen. From groundbreaking romances to global teen icons, here are the women who rewrote the rules.
Vivian Bell
Before Desert Hearts, Hollywood basically treated lesbian love stories like tragedies waiting to happen. Then along came Vivian Bell, starring in the first mainstream US film to show a queer romance with tenderness and a happy ending. Translation: she walked so all those swoony rom-com kisses could run.
Corky
In the Wachowskis’ stylish noir thriller, Corky shattered stereotypes. Rather than relegating a lesbian character to the margins, Bound placed her at the centre of a high-stakes Hollywood crime narrative. Corky was tough, smart, and unapologetically queer – a milestone in presenting lesbian characters as dynamic protagonists, not side notes.
Willow Rosenberg
Buffy may have been slaying vampires, but Willow was slaying outdated TV norms. Her slow-burn coming-out arc made her one of the first beloved queer women leads on network TV. By the time she fell for Tara, Willow had quietly changed what audiences expected from prime-time storytelling.
Bette Porter
Bette was stylish, ambitious, and completely uncompromising – a powerhouse mixed-race lesbian character in a primetime drama. The L Word was groundbreaking in itself, but Bette showed just how much intersectionality mattered, putting race, class and queerness front and centre.
Naomi Campbell
Ask almost any queer millennial about their first big on-screen crush, and chances are Naomi Campbell’s name will come up. Her messy, complicated, beautiful love story with Emily Fitch made Skins a worldwide touchstone. For teens figuring themselves out, Naomi wasn’t just a character – she was a lifeline.
Poussey Washington
Poussey was joy personified: witty, lovable and full of heart. Her death devastated fans, but it also sparked a cultural reckoning. Suddenly, people weren’t just talking about the “bury your gays” trope – they were connecting representation to real-world justice. Poussey’s legacy lives on far beyond Litchfield.
Elena Alvarez
Elena’s coming-out wasn’t just TV – it was a celebration of what it means to be young, Latina, queer and trying to explain it all to your Cuban-American family. Funny, awkward, and deeply real, her story gave queer teens (especially Latina ones) the kind of representation TV had been sorely lacking.
Wei Wei / Vivian Shing
Two Chinese-American women falling in love – and actually getting a happy ending? That was radical in 2004. Saving Face offered a rare, uplifting queer romance for women of colour, showing that queer love could thrive not despite community, but within it.
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