Lesbianism in Media

Lesbianism in Media: Film

Lesbianism in media is not as recent as some may think. Although it was understandably scarce at first, it’s over 100 years old now. Early portrayals in film certainly had a rocky start as any depictions of homosexuality were forbidden and for decades, they were coded or got censored out. Despite these limitations though, a handful of major lesbian-themed films were released in the first half of the 20th century.

Fortunately, censorship relaxed with regards to lesbianism in media in the 50s. Then, somewhat shockingly, in the late 60s and 70s, standards reversed and it became full-blown exploitation. Moreover, lesbianism was often depicted as ‘mental illness’ and lesbians as ‘deviants’. Later. in the 80s and 90s, a wave of new movies with openly lesbian characters entered the market, yet they continued to fit certain tropes. Oddly, these cliches have persisted somewhat even after the millennium, but things have certainly come a long way. Nowadays, there are thousands of quality movies, TV shows, and web-series to choose from.

The Sapphic Cinema Time Machine

Enjoy the trip through lesbian film/TV history below. The Sapphic Cinema Time Machine is full of hundreds of titles and covers every decade. Click a decade to see the listings. Next, peruse LESWEB (Lesbian Encyclopedia of Shows and Web-series). Finally, you’ll see all the websites that carry this content along with a brief review. Although I have tried to stick to mainstream fare, there is erotic content if it was of particular historical or cultural value. On that note, the adult content is here if you’re looking for something more explicit.

I’m happy to announce that, after many months and endless searching, all of the available content for lesbianism in media has been fully linked.

How This Content is Organized

(LW) Lesbian content made for women. These are rare and usually attempt to subvert the “male gaze” by making the women subjects rather than objects, particularly in the love scenes. Two examples are Fingersmith and Portrait of a Lady on Fire.

(LM) Lesbian content made for the mainstream. In this kind, a lesbian relationship is part of the main plot but there is no attempt to center them on a purely lesbian audience. There will almost certainly be a lovemaking scene with lots of kissing, focus on body parts, and may even be explicit. Lost and Delirious and Blue is the Warmest Color are examples of this type.

(LK) Content in which a lesbian relationship is present in the story but it is not the central romance. They are added on although may be important in some smaller way. They may feature a love scene or not but a kiss is virtually guaranteed to satisfy audiences wondering if the lesbian relationship was real. An example of this is Wild Things.

(LE) Last we have the pure exploitation. The lesbian content has nothing to do with the plot and may seem to come out of nowhere. Many low budget horror as well as some thriller and action films/TV shows use this tactic.

Sapphic Cinema Time Machine

Lesbianism in Media: TV and Webseries

Lesbianism in media now extends to TV and Webseries as well and so I present to you – The Lesbian TV and Webseries Encyclopedia. Fortunately for you, it is arranged in alphabetical order. On the other hand, it is not comprehensive. Currently, many shows are missing from other countries so please make a comment on the discussion page if I have missed a show. Moreover, TV shows and Web-Series which have more than one episode with lesbian scenes will not have multiple listings. To compensate, popular scenes have been selected. Please consult one of the many fan sites dedicated to that content to see all the scenes with reviews. Happily, many have links to a video source for that show so click around and see!

Lesbian Encyclopedia of Shows & Webseries

Lesbianism in Media: Content Providers

Below, you will find a list of all the professional websites which stream lesbian films and TV shows as well as videos and short films from amateur studios. These are not adult sites but some of the content involves sexual contact which might not be suitable for younger audiences. Sites which feature films and TV shows that have been professionally produced are listed first. Inclusion and ranking are subject to change at the admin’s discretion.

You can find a comprehensive list of independent producers beneath!