58 Best Lesbian Shows That Put Queer Characters Front and Center
Because gay women can exist in love stories, post-apocalyptic dramas, comedies, and more—duh!
If you’re reading this, then you’re probably aware that the history of LGBTQ characters on television—specifically lesbian characters—is relatively short and very limited. The first explicitly lesbian characters on television began popping up in the mid-‘80s, but it wasn’t until The L Word premiered in 2004 that lesbian TV shows—television driven by lesbian characters—actually became a thing. Since then, the number of queer characters on screen has increased steadily, thank the TV gods, which means that if you're looking for a show that prioritizes queer stories, you can easily find one.
But just because a movie has a gay character doesn’t automatically make it a lesbian movie. And just because a project features a queer protagonist doesn’t necessarily make it the kind of representation you might be looking for. To help you find what you need, I’ve put together a list of the best lesbian TV shows, all of which feature prominent gay characters and/or love stories. They span genres from supernatural to dramedy, eras, and sexualities because, as we know, there isn't just one type of lesbian or bisexual character. We all contain multitudes, and it's about time television reflected that. So, without further ado, pick a show and press play, cause you're gonna want to see these.
The Hunting Wives
Dive into the world of the fictional small town, Maple Brook, Texas where everything is not as it seems. Main characters, Sophie O’Neill (Brittany Snow) and Margot Banks (Malin Åkerman) spark a secret romance in their primarily heterosexual and conservative neighborhood.
The L Word
When The L Word premiered in 2004, it was groundbreaking television because it finally dared to put lesbian stories at the forefront. The leads were queer women who had full, sexual lives. (No kill your gays here!) Since then, the show has been criticized for its lack of diversity, but the fact remains that it ushered in a new era of queer television.
About a decade after the original show ended, Showtime launched The L Word: Generation Q, a revival that attempted to right the original’s wrongs by featuring a more diverse group of leads and stories, while also catching up with the characters original fans know and love.
Orange is the New Black
Netflix’s first hit original series was also one of the streamer’s most groundbreaking. Based on the book by Piper Kerman, Orange is the New Black kicks off when Piper (Taylor Schilling) is sentenced to jail time for a crime committed years earlier with an old girlfriend—much to the shock of her current male fiancé. The dramedy follows Piper as she finds her way amidst her fellow inmates and reconnects with her old flame. The show featured many lesbian relationships and broke barriers in transgender representation, thanks to Laverne Cox's phenomenal performance as Sophia.
Broad City
Broad City, a comedy about two twenty-something best friends living in New York City, wasn’t always explicitly queer, but throughout the seasons, the queerness became more overt. Ilana (Ilana Glazer) and Abbi (Abbi Jacobson) had many sexual and romantic experiences with many different kinds of partners, including queer ones. And the show was embraced by an LGBTQ audience that appreciated the allowance for sexual exploration on a spectrum—no labels required.
Everything Now
Everything Now is a teen show about Mia (Sophie Wilde), a girl who has recently been released from inpatient treatment for an eating disorder. When she returns to school, she suddenly finds that her friends have all grown and changed without her, which makes her determined to catch up. Thus begins a wild ride of parties, hookups, and a whole lot of drama. There isn’t necessarily a main lesbian couple at the center of this show, but like other modern teen shows, Everything Now allows its characters to explore their sexualities without labels, hence its inclusion on the list.
She's Gotta Have It
Based on the 1986 Spike Lee film, She’s Gotta Have It initially starts as the story of how Nola Darling (DeWanda Wise), a free-spirit artist who doesn’t believe in monogamy, balances dating three men at once. As the series progressed, so did Nola’s roster of lovers (she identifies as a “polyamorous pansexual”), and the show really came alive when it explored Nola’s relationships with other women.
Lost Girl
Lost Girl is an absolute must-watch for any supernatural genre fans. The show is about Bo (Anna Silk), a woman who discovers that she's a succubus who can take energy from her lovers. Her knew discovery sends her on an adventure of self discovery, and, yes, that includes many lovers, both male and female.
Tales of the City
Mary Ann Singleton (Laura Linney) returns to San Francisco decades after leaving her ex and child to pursue a career in broadcasting in Tales of the City, a show centered on the inhabitants of Mary Ann’s former home at 28 Barbary Lane, which fully welcomes and embraces the LGBTQ community. There are plenty of queer love stories in the 10-episode miniseries, which also stars Elliot Page as Shawna, Mary Ann’s daughter.
The Last of Us
Yes, the chilling, brutal post-apocalyptic series has a baby lesbian protagonist! The first season only briefly touched on Ellie's sexuality and love life (you can skip straight to Episode 7 if you're not interested in all the other drama), but those familiar with the original video game know that there's much more to come.
Hacks
I kind of feel like an Odd Couple tale between an older female stand-up and a younger comedy writer in the 2020s would be disingenuous if the younger comic wasn't queer, don't you? Give it up for Ava, who has screwed up everything in her life, including her relationship with her ex-girlfriend.
And Just Like That...
Say what you will about Che Diaz (Sara Ramirez), but the character’s inclusion in And Just Like That… completely changed the Sex and the City universe. Most notably, Che sparked a sexual awakening in Miranda (Cynthia Nixon), officially making the character queer and setting her off on a whole new sexual journey.
Orphan Black
I just know there are some Cosima and Delphine fans in here. Orphan Black is about a woman who discovers one day that she is a clone with an unknown number of genetically identical doppelgängers out there. One of them, Cosima, is a queer woman in a relationship with a coworker.
Riverdale
We're familiar with (and frankly over) the homophobic bully who's secretly gay all around. How about a lesbian who's just an HBIC? Riverdale has gotten increasingly sapphic over the years, trading the shock value of Betty and Veronica kissing and Cheryl Blossom and her many, many girlfriends.
Everything's Going To Be Okay
This hidden gem, from Australian comedian Josh Thomas, features two of the most charmingly chaotic girlfriends I have ever seen in a television show. Matilda is panromantic and heterosexual. Drea is homoromantic and asexual. They make it work—kinda.
Derry Girls
There aren't a ton of storylines about our "wee lesbian" Clare (Nicola Coughlan) being gay on Derry Girls, but even just her viral coming out scene makes the show worth the watch.
Sex Lives of College Girls
Renee Rapp is, in my humble opinion, the funniest person on this very funny show. Sometimes her choices and relationships on the show aggravate me. (There's definitely one I'm 'shipping and rooting for above others.) Sometimes they make me cry! It's just so delightful to see characters like Leighton who are this complex and hilarious.
Euphoria
Of course, you can't talk about complex young queer female characters on HBO without bringing up Euphoria's Rue and Jules. This show can be tough, and theirs is a bit of a tortured love story, but when they're good they're really good.
The White Lotus Season 2
The anthology series' tense second season had a surprisingly sweet queer story between two of the female characters. In a world with so much nastiness, hurt feelings, secrets (not to mention the now iconic line "These gays, they're trying to kill me"), the romance was a highlight.
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