Craving some on-screen representation this Lesbian Visibility Week?
BY HONOR WOLSTENCROFT, IMAGES BY BBC, SHOWTIME, ORION PICTURES
Lesbian Visibility Week is here, and we’ve rounded up our favourite lesbians across the television and movie-sphere to get you celebrating in the queerest way possible. Whether these characters broke boundaries, launched new forms of visibility, or were simply iconic, on-screen representation is more important than ever. So, grab your popcorn and catch these divas in action.
Josie (Bottoms)
Josie (Ayo Edebiri) is a painfully awkward high schooler and a virgin. After starting a fight club with her fellow lesbian best friend, PJ (Rachel Sennott), Josie lands a date with the school’s most popular cheerleader. Despite being a tomboyish loser dressed like her dad in the 70s, Josie is a hilarious character, and her relatability and awkwardness grant her a place on this list.
Megan Bloomfield (But I’m A Cheerleader)
Of course, we had to include Megan (Natasha Lyonne) from the top-tier iconic 1999 lesbian film, But I’m A Cheerleader. The seemingly perfect all-American cheerleader navigates her queer identity at a ridiculous conversion “therapy” camp, and she grows from a shy, naive teenager to a confident, self-assured woman. The film is a camp cult classic and satirises homophobes, and Megan shines as the fem lead character.
Joy Wang/Jobu Tupaki (Everything Everywhere All At Once)
Joy Wang (Stephanie Hsu) is an emotionally distant young woman who struggles through her turbulent relationship with her mother. She struggles for acceptance from her family, and her alter-ego in the multiverse, Jobu Tupaki, reflects her inner turmoil. Tupaki rules with chaos, whilst Joy’s quietness within her queerness acts as a lens to focus on her family’s intergenerational trauma. Her identity is the core texture of the Academy Award-winning film.
Santana Lopez (Glee)
For many Gen-Z and millennial lesbians, Santana Lopez (Naya Rivera) was the first girl like them to appear on television. The sharp-tongued cheerleader grows to become softer in the enlightenment of her sexuality, but her popular, mean-girl persona defies previous lesbian stereotypes. She’s gorgeous, tough and sarcastic, and was certainly the gay awakening for most of this generation.
Villanelle (Killing Eve)
The highly skilled and unpredictable assassin, Villanelle (Jodie Comer), is a captivating character whose blend of dark humour and flamboyant style makes her an icon. Despite her overt, playful exterior, Villanelle has layers of insecurity and emotional detachment below the surface. Ultimately, she just wants to be loved, which we can all relate to.
Corky (Bound)
Corky (Gina Gershon) is a street-smart ex-con artist who blends physical strength with the softness of vulnerability. Her relationship with Violet (Jennifer Tilly) does not feel stereotyped, but instead, is central to the storyline without being treated as tragic or as a side note. For a time when queer women were rarely portrayed with agency, Corky is a fully realised bad-ass protagonist who is unapologetically lesbian, making her a true icon.
Cleo (Set It Off)
Bold, charismatic, and fiercely loyal are just a few words to describe Cleo (Queen Latifah) from the hit 90s film Set It Off. Breaking barriers as a masculine-presenting lesbian whose sexuality is neither hidden nor sensationalised, Cleo brings the funk to her group’s dynamic. At a time when Black lesbian representation was practically non-existent in cinema, Cleo stood out as a visible figure of confidence and authenticity.
Anne Lister (Gentleman Jack)
The fiercely intelligent Anne Lister (Suranne Jones) in Gentleman Jack stands out as a bold figure and confident landowner in the 19th-century society she works in. Navigating business and politics with a profound sense of self-assurance, Lister’s five million-word and 27-volume collection of diaries detailing her relationships with women led to her being described as “the first modern lesbian.” Now that’s dykonic!
Big Boo (Orange is the New Black)
Big Boo (Lea DeLaria) is a brash and sharp-tongued character who refuses to conform to traditional expectations of femininity. Despite masking deeper emotional layers, Big Boo’s humour and confidence make her presence equally intimidating and magnetic.
Shane McCutcheon (The L Word)
Effortlessly cool and fiercely independent, Shane McCutcheon (Katherine Moennig) has a quiet charisma and deep capacity for love and care. Often struggling with the complexity of intimacy and traditional relationship expectations, Shane’s relatability and realness have led her to be one of the most influential queer characters on television.
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