Lesbian Representation in Romance and Drama TV Shows and Movies

I am sure the first titles that come to mind when you think about queer romance movies or TV shows feature homosexual protagonists: Young Royals; Call Me by Your Name; Heartstopper. This is because most films involving lesbian women and queer women generally are canceled after they are released or they are barely produced. The reason for this is that most producers will only make movies with specific categories of individuals if the monetary profit outweighs the risk of representing minorities. According to Professor Adrien Shaw, products of queer women that are not aimed at the male gaze are uncommon. For example, the L word has been accused of portraying queer women for sexual goals. Professor Shaw claims that because queer men are perceived as nonthreatening, they may be targeted toward a straight female audience, whereas lesbian women are not marketed toward a straight male audience. Straight males are more likely to watch movies about lesbians if there are sex scenes than straight women are to watch movies about gay men.

This post will provide you with a list of films that include lesbians as the major protagonists and are represented by the female gaze!

The Watermelon Woman (1996)

The Watermelon Woman is a movie by the writer, actress, and filmmaker Cheryl Dunye in which Cheryl herself searches for the identity of a Black actress from a 1930s drama. In the credits, the mysterious actress is listed only as “The Watermelon Woman,” and Cheryl's mission to find her gets even more complicated. The Watermelon Woman was the first movie to be directed by a Black lesbian artist. She revealed in an interview that at first, no one wanted to produce her film, because they thought that it would have not been appreciated and viewed enough. However, Dunye insisted on her project claiming that most of the time movies do not show people from the queer community or black people, and in the end her movie became worldwide famous.

The L Word (2006) vs. The L Word: Generation Q (2019)

The L Word was a TV Show that aired between 2004 and 2009 in the US: The show dealt with a group of lesbian and bisexual women and their lives in West Hollywood. The TV Show was at the time regarded as revolutionary with the presence of lesbian stories seen from a female gaze instead of a male gaze. As a matter of fact, the show was mainly produced and directed by queer women. However, two main aspects were highly criticized in the show and later adjusted in the sequel The L Word: Generation Q. The first criticism had to do with the almost complete absence of Black characters in the first show. The second main criticism had to do with a specific character in the show, Max, who is a transgender man interpreted by a cisgender woman. For this reason, in the sequel the two trans characters are both interpreted by trans people. The show, however, was canceled, for unknown reasons since there is a work-in project on a reboot.

Crush (2022)

The movie Crush is a rom-com with the main protagonist, Paige Evans, who is studying in high school and trying to apply to the program of her dream college: CalArts. However, during the school year, she finds herself in a love triangle with her long-time crush Gabby Campos and her sister AJ. Unfortunately, the film did not get the fame that it deserved. Most of the time, queer people are portrayed in Tv Shows and movies either as the best friend of the protagonist or as a character who is still closeted and trying to come out to their family and friends. This movie instead, is a rom-com that wants to show the protagonists' love stories rather than the "struggles" of being queer.

References:

Coming Up on Season 1 | The L Word: Generation Q | SHOWTIME. (2020) Youtube. https://youtu.be/I1Gqw19GaOI.

Crush | Trailer | Hulu. (2022). Youtube. https://youtu.be/NHxwLymYHWA.

Desta, Y. (2020). The Watermelon Woman: The Enduring Cool of a Black Lesbian Classic. Vanity Fair. https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2020/06/the-watermelon-woman-the-enduring-cool-of-a-black-lesbian-classic.

Klecko, M. (2022). Why are shows with queer female characters being canceled? A Temple professor explains. Temple University. https://news.temple.edu/2022-08-23/why-are-shows-queer-female-characters-being-canceled-temple-professor-explains.

The L Word - Trailer - Season 1-6. (2014). Youtube. https://youtu.be/Yh-sIBhc3-s.

The Watermelon Woman Trailer (1996). (2017). Youtube. https://youtu.be/6LCT-kXNkzk.