Lesbian Reality

Lesbian Reality
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Diverse, queer, female experiences are far from dominating on TV, but these titles are a great start.
When social distancing began a brief 700 years ago, I half-heartedly tweeted that we (queer women) didn’t have enough lesbian content to get us through this. At the time, I had no idea how long this pandemic-induced isolation (opens in new tab) would stretch, but, regardless, I had evidence: a lifetime of searching for women-loving-women entertainment that often turned up empty results.
But that finally seems to be changing. In 2020, there are a (limited, but decent) plethora of shows which depict lesbian and bisexual women (opens in new tab) , from a Los Angeles chief of police to a candidate for mayor to a trendy women’s magazine editor to a Midwestern adult in middle-aged crisis. While the diversity of queer, female experiences is far from being comprehensively captured on TV screens (opens in new tab) , these lesbian TV shows are a great start.
Queer content, of course, isn’t just for queer people. Embracing fully developed, complicated, lovable (and sometimes unlikable) queer characters is also an important part of being an ally. When there are still so few LGBTQ characters on TV, sometimes we have to actively seek out queer women onscreen.
And thankfully for all of us, there’s a wide range of lesbian-led TV shows streaming for free right now. From half-hour sitcoms to movie-quality dramas to family-friendly ensemble shows to reality classics, here’s what you should be watching to become an expert in contemporary lesbian TV canon.
Lena Waithe’s single-camera semi-autobiographical sitcom, chronicling a queer Black aspiring screenwriter (Hattie, played by Jonica T. Gibbs) and her two straight best friends’ life in Los Angeles, didn’t receive the attention it deserved when it debuted on BET in March 2020 (blame the pandemic). But thankfully, all eight episodes are currently streaming. Catch up before the second season premieres in 2021.
Ryan Murphy’s bingeable backstory of the mildly (okay, very) deranged Nurse Mildred Ratched from One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest stars Sarah Paulson as the titular character and Cynthia Nixon as her love interest, Gwendolyn Briggs. Briggs seduces Paulson's character over oysters on the California coast, and the series is only uphill from there. It even includes a stop at a women’s bar that would make an excellent setting for most of season two.
While the title seems apt for 2020, this Netflix original is actually perfectly-suited for our collective 1990s nostalgia. Set in Boring, Oregon, this coming-of-age story explores a small-town high schooler embracing her sexuality—with an epic soundtrack to match.
Starring out Latinx actress Monica Raymund as Jackie Quiñones , a National Marine Fisheries Service agent on Cape Cod, Hightown is the type of show that makes you hold your breath until you compulsively finish each episode. The series starts with Jackie finding a body on the beach and resolving to solve a murder, all while battling with sobriety.
Netflix’s lesbian-centric series by standup comic Mae Martin tells a fictionalized version of her coming-of-age as a Canadian expat in England, while she recovers from drug addiction, falls in love with unattainable (previously straight-identifying) women and figures out their gender identity through comedy. Lisa Kudrow plays Mae’s delightfully unlikeable mom, which is just another reason to binge the six-episode first season of Feel Good .
Tig Notaro’s series about moving from Los Angeles to her Southern hometown after her mother's sudden death is loosely based on her own tragic year battling grief, illness, and complicated family dynamics. The comedy delves into hard-to-talk about issues like abuse and harassment, cleverly using humor as a coping and narrative mechanism to further each episode arc.
Chicago-based comedian Abby McEnany slipped under the radar until her semi-autobiographical half-hour sitcom debuted on Showtime in December 2019. The dark comedy centers on Abby, a lesbian in her 40s, whose therapist suddenly dies mid-session. The unexpected tragedy spurs a series of unprecedented events as Abby falls for a transgender man in his early 20s (Theo Germaine), attempts to manage her OCD without professional guidance, and looks at her hurtful past relationship with new perspective. A new season is on the way, so catch up before it premieres.
The Netflix reboot of the 1970s sitcom re-envisions the central family, the Alvarezes, as a close-knight Cuban-American grandmother, mother, daughter and son living in current-day Echo Park, Los Angeles. The ensemble show isn’t like the after-school specials of your childhood. Now, the Alvarezes openly deal with sexism, homophobia, racism, sex-positivity, and more, in quick, laugh-out-loud episodes. The best part? Teenage daughter Elena coming to terms with her sexuality, falling in love with a nonbinary teen, and wearing a tux to her quinceañera (light spoiler, sorry).
What if Emily Dickinson hooked up with her best friend (also her brother’s fiancée), spoke like modern day Millennials, and had no qualms about being herself? It’s feasible, in the new beautifully anachronistic Apple TV series that loosely tells the story of the 19th Century writer.
The 2018 series follows two Mexican-American siblings, Lyn and Emma, reunited in their childhood home with their mother’s (secret) wife after their only parent passes away unexpectedly. It's heart-wrenching and timely in all the right ways, with plenty of Starz’s signature sex scenes. The unlikely trio deal with gentrification, maintaining their family’s rundown bar, and caring for each other, all while coming into their own identities and community roles. Each episode is charming, surprising, and will keep you hooked through the third season’s series finale.
Is BBC Three’s melodramatic riff on The L Word ’s early-2010s success the best lesbian-centric show out there? Absolutely not. But if you’re craving women-centric drama, deep Scottish accents, and a few plot twists that will leave you yelling at your screen, this Glasgow-set ensemble series is all yours. Only 12 episodes exist, so savor them.
Abigail Thomas a.k.a. Tommy (Edie Falco) is Los Angeles’ (fictional) first-ever lesbian chief of police. And the recent New York transplant is really, really good at her job. Whether cop dramas are your thing or not, it’s hard not to be drawn in by Falco’s acting and her character’s aptitude for crime-solving in less than 40 minutes. Complicated family dynamics as well as Falco’s first-ever on-screen kiss with another woman are additional reasons to watch the network drama.
Prepare to have the show’s eponymous ditty stuck in your head after every episode of this period dramedy. The BBC-produced show tells the story of Anne Lister, England’s first “modern lesbian,” as she begins an on-and-off romance with her IRL wife-to-be, Ann Walker. It that doesn't have you ready to binge, the catchy theme song, incredible 19th Century costumes, and awkward breaking of the fourth wall should.
Imagine a same-sex couple helming a goofy weeknight sitcom, and you have Take My Wife . Wives (now exes, but don’t let that deter you), comics, and co-workers Cameron Esposito and Rhea Butcher loosely based the series on their romance off- and on-stage, detailing the experiences of being queer comics, working alongside your partner, and getting married amid career success. Relatable jokes about the way queer people exist in the straight world are interwoven with intimate, sweet moments that are still rarely seen between LGBTQ characters on sitcoms.
Based on a comic book of the same name, this 2020 Netflix series tells the story of Syd, an angsty Pennsylvania teen with inexplicable kinetic powers. Think Carrie , but queer. Episodes progress rapidly, and even those who aren’t convinced by the sci-fi element will be swept in by Syd, her quirky friends, and her early exploration of her sexuality.
The original L Word and the 2019 reboot, Generation Q, are streaming on Showtime, for seemingly endless lesbian, bisexual and queer entertainment. Reality spin-offs, The Real L Word and 90-minute docu-series The L Word Mississippi: Hate The Sin are also streaming, if you really want to dive into the canon. (Do it.)
Think The Bling Ring but the most popular kid in school is played a nonbinary person of color (Quintessa Swindell, who plays the wealthy and deeply confused Tabitha) and the crew of shoplifters has a charming lesbian ringleader, Elodie. In this series, coming out isn’t an issue; queerness is just a fact of life. Instead, the drama focuses on theft, friendship and first love.
Ruby Rose stars as a Jewish, lesbian superhero tasked with saving Gotham in Batman’s absence. Yes, Batwoman is the first out hero (or villain, for that matter) in the DC Comics world, and, naturally, she has an awkward relationship with her ex, Sophie, who’s also working to protect the city. Lesbian drama in an alternate universe? Perfect escapism.
Two of the three main characters are straight but we'll take 33% for this narrative arc. In the show, protagonist Kat deals with the realization that she isn’t straight and perhaps isn’t a lesbian either. Her forays at fictional lesbian cocktail bars, dating and breaking up with a woman for the first time, and running for office, are both relatable and aspirational, and, most importantly, very binge-worthy.
Ellen Page plays herself, i.e. a scrappy young lesbian who looks really good in a hat, in this ensemble reboot based off the Armistead Maupin books of the same name. Taking place in current day San Francisco, Page’s character, Shawna, struggles to rebuild a relationship with her estranged mom, attempts to figure out her crush on Claire (Zosia Mamet), and helps support her landlady and dear friend, 90-year-old transwoman Anna Madrigal. Those who zip through the miniseries can also go back to the 1993 original, also on Netflix.
These titles might not have snagged a spot on our list, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't watch them after you've already binged the previous 21 shows.
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10 Reality Shows That Have Excellent LGBTQ+ Representation

By Amanda Steele
Published Apr 14, 2021

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Over the years, reality TV has gotten better at being more representative. Here are some great shows that include LGBTQ+ representation in great ways.
These days, there are more reality television shows than ever, and there are more and more that feature diverse cast members. One area where reality television has often struggled is in regards to good LGBTQ+ representation. While even some of the first reality TV shows, such as The Real World , had some LGBTQ+ characters, they weren’t always handled very well.
However, there have been instances across the past few decades where cast members who are LGBTQ+ have been portrayed in realistic and positive ways. Some of these shows specifically feature queer people while others just include diverse individuals without focusing on the topic.
This reality television series is one made by Netflix as the streaming service continues to become a powerhouse in the genre. The show basically centers around a couple that’s about to get married and has them decide between money for their dream wedding or toward a new house.
The show has featured different LGBTQ+ couples in its episodes, showcasing how beautiful these relationships can be, and it’s not surprising as Netflix tends to have diverse programming.
This is another Netflix series, but this time it’s a dating show. However, compared to The Bachelor, it does ring a little more realistically and also has a ton more diversity in many ways including race, gender, and sexuality.
The show follows a single individual going on multiple first dates, and there are many LGBTQ+ cast members. It’s a more realistic look at modern dating that takes into account that representation counts in dating shows.
While many of the shows on this list are dating shows or competition shows, this series is about one individual’s life and story. This rather groundbreaking TLC show followed the life of Jazz Jennings, a transgender teenager.
The series was a great example of transgender representation, especially because it first aired over six years ago. Seeing Jazz live her life and be her authentic self was great to witness.
The Great British Baking Show , or Great British Bake Off as it’s called in the UK, is one of the most beloved cooking shows out there. Fans love that the contestants are all so kind to one another just as much as they like watching the beautiful bakes.
Another great thing about the series is that there are many LGBTQ+ contestants. This is a great example of a TV show that includes diversity without making it the focus. The contestants are just being themselves and living in the world, so it does a good job of reflecting the actual reality of life.
Just like with the Great British Baking Show , House Hunters is another reality television show that many people find comforting. This HGTV hit has many seasons and follows lots of couples and families as they try to find the perfect new house.
And, while it doesn’t focus on LGBTQ+ issues, there are many people on the series who are in LGBTQ+ relationships. Hopefully, more and more series will continue to do this, allowing LGBTQ+ people to see themselves reflected in many different scenarios of life.
Project Runway has showcased the skills of many different designers over the years, and it’s never shied away from including LGBTQ+ contestants. Even the original host himself, Tim Gunn, is a member of the community.
It’s great the series never had an issue with more diverse casting in regards to sexuality, given that many people in the fashion industry are LGBTQ+. While it's not perfect, it did do some good things.
This entry is sort of two entries into one as the original Queer Eye for the Straight Guy was probably one of the first notable reality television series that really featured many LGBTQ+ people. However, the reboot made for Netflix might be even more popular and well-known at this point.
The show follows the Fab Five, who are all LGBTQ+ people, as they help nominated contestants find happiness and joy in their own lives. It’s a hopeful and uplifting show that many people love.
If there’s one show that comes to mind when thinking about reality TV with LBGTQ+ representation, it’s Ru Paul’s Drag Race. While the show was a hit with the LGBTQ+ community for a long time, it gained mainstream success on a widespread level when it moved to VH1.
The series has done a lot of good things for visibility, but there are some critiques to be made as to how the show has handled transgender issues.
While this dating competition isn’t always LGBTQ+, there was one notable season where it was. Season 8 of the show featured an all sexually fluid cast with contestants identifying as a wide variety of sexualities and genders.
The series was diverse, watchable, and dramatic, and fans loved it. Hopefully, this will pave the way for more and more dating shows with LGBTQ+ people, especially ones that celebrate their love.
The Circle is one of Netflix’s best-known reality TV shows, and it was rather cutting-edge as it had contestants only interacting with one another through social media.
The contestants got to choose how they would present themselves, but strangely, the series was really wholesome. Another positive about it was that there were LGBTQ+ cast members such as Sammie who identified as bisexual. Fans really loved the cast, and it was such a modern and uplifting example of life and all kinds of connections.
Amanda is a freelance writer and entertainment journalist.

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