In years past, a good lesbian movie was hard to find. But thanks to streaming services like Netflix, we’re seeing more films that feature lesbian, queer, and bisexual protagonists falling in love in adorable rom-coms, breaking up in a tearjerker, or just dancing and singing their way through a Midwestern high school prom. These films offer audiences a chance to see characters, who have often been left off-screen, just living their lives; they offer representation to a large slice of the population frequently ignored by Hollywood.
The good news? The tide is slowly turning. According to GLAAD’s 2023 Studio Responsibility Index, more LGBTQ+ characters were prominently included in studio-backed feature films in 2022 than in the previous 11 years of the study's existence. The numbers dipped slightly in the 2024 Studio Responsibility Index, but there continues to be an increase in LGBTQ+ characters having over 10 minutes of screentime. However, the data also makes clear that the film industry still has a way to go, as a whopping 72.7 percent of major studio- and streamer-backed films did not include any LGBTQ+ representation. So it’s more important than ever to stream lesbian-centric TV shows and films, promote their numbers, and open up dialogues on the future of lesbian filmmaking—how it can be even better, more inclusive, and more thought-provoking.
