Best Netflix Lesbian Shows and Movies to Watch Right Now
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Netflix has in recent years taken over our homes and given us endless entertainment at our fingertips. I remember being an early user of Netflix back when they only offered DVDs by mail. It was a huge part of my being able to watch The L Word when it first came out in secrecy without needing to publicly rent it at a local Blockbuster.
Back then there were few if any, good options for lesbian movies to watch on Netflix. Since then, the company has greatly increased the number of LGBTQ films and TV shows to stream on its platform, including many original series. We’re so glad to see more representation of lesbian and queer couples on TV!
To save you time from sifting through all the potential options, we’ve put together a list of the best lesbian movies, documentaries, and shows to stream on Netflix right now.
Lesbian TV Shows on Netflix:
1. Feel Good
Feel Good is a refreshing comedy-drama series that follows the relationship between George and Mae’s romance in London. Mae is a recovering addict and stand-up comedian who meets George, a repressed middle-class English woman, at the comedy club where Mae performs. The pair begin dating and as the series progresses, they encounter various relationship struggles that they have to overcome.
Watch Feel Good on Netflix now.
2. Atypical
Atypical is a coming-of-age television series that focuses on the life of 18-year-old Sam Gardner (Keir Gilchrist), who has autism. His younger sister, Casey-who plays a central role in Sam’s life-ends up getting a track scholarship at a prep school where she then meets Izzie in Season 2. They are initially enemies at first but end up becoming best friends, and ultimately, the two develop a cute romantic relationship together in Season 3.
Watch Atypical on Netflix now.
3. Wynonna Earp
is a supernatural Western horror filled with demons, supernatural elements, and a wonderful portrayal of a long-term committed lesbian relationship between two of the main characters, Waverly Earp and Sheriff Nicole Haught. These two (known as Wyonna Earp Wayhaught) have taken the lesbian world by storm and have melted hearts around the world. It’s one of the top lesbian shows streaming on Netflix that’s well-worth binge-watching
Season 4 will be airing on July 26!
Watch Wynonna Earp on Netflix now.
4. Dead to Me
Dead to Me is a dark comedy about a friendship between two women, Jen and Judy. Jen meets Judy in a therapy group for bereft spouses as she’s mourning her husband, who was killed by a hit-and-run driver. The two embark on a wild roller coaster ride that involves a bunch of twists and turns and in the process, Judy, meets Michelle in Season 2 with whom she embarks on a romantic relationship. The writers did a wonderful job normalizing their sexuality and lesbian romance and we can’t wait to see how the relationship unfolds.
Watch Dead to Me on Netflix now.
5. Supergirl
is an American superhero TV series based on the DC Comics character Supergirl, who is Superman’s cousin and one of the last surviving Kryptonians. Supergirl’s human sister, Alex Danvers , is an agent with the DEO and comes out as a lesbian. In season 2, one of the best lesbian ships to ever be created on TV happened between Alex and Maggie Sawyer , who is a homicide detective. If anything, just watch the first 3 seasons so your heart will melt with scenes of Sanvers.
Watch Supergirl on Netflix now.
6. Legends of Tomorrow
Sara Lance was an established/out bisexual on a different show before Legends of Tomorrow, and in this spinoff, she flies through space and time with her girlfriend, Director of the Time Bureau, Ava Sharpe. Both are badasses who make a great team together.
Watch Legends of Tomorrow on Netflix now.
7. Mindhunter
Mindhunter is a psychological thriller about the early days of the FBI’s criminal profiling department. Anna Torv played Wendy Carr, is a lesbian psychologist with a scholarly interest in interviewing imprisoned serial killers to determine what exactly is going on in their minds. Her lesbianism is sidelined in Season One but in Season Two, Wendy gets a hot romance with a female bartender Kay and the two hit it off and have some fun together.
Watch Mindhunter on Netflix now.
8. Never Have I Ever
This series centers around Devi Vishwakumar, a 15-year-old girl from Sherman Oaks, California. After a horrible freshman year, Devi wants to change her social status, but friends, family, and feelings do not make it easy for her. One of her best friends, Fabiola, comes out as gay and begins a relationship with another girl at their high school (the buildup to this was super cute) and includes a sweet coming-out story.
Watch Never Have I Ever on Netflix now.
9. Orange is the New Black
Orange is the New Black (OITNB) is based on Piper Kerman’s memoir about her experiences at a minimum-security federal prison. Besides the lesbian relationship between two of the main characters, Piper Chapman and Alex Vause, OITNB also features many other queer and lesbian characters and their complex lives and stories across all seven seasons as they all try to navigate crazy situations that’ll make you laugh, sob, and fall in love.
Watch Orange is the New Black on Netflix now.
10. Wentworth
If you want Orange is the New Black that’s even darker (and with sexy Australian accents), then Wentworth is another lesbian show worth streaming on Netflix. While the level of gayness oscillates from season to season, there’s always at least one or two queer women at the forefront. It’s a good show with a mix of complex and multi-dimensional female characters trying to survive in prison.
Watch Wentworth on Netflix now.
11. The Fosters
Stef and Lena are lesbian foster parents with a lot of kids (both biological and fostered). Since kids will be kids, throughout the show, they have their good moments but also get into a lot of trouble, and Stef and Lena both have to navigate the challenges of parenting and maintaining their own relationship. It’s a relatively PG show with a fresh and meaningful storyline and good LGBTQ representation.
Watch The Fosters on Netflix now.
12. Riverdale
Riverdale is about a small town ruptured by violence-often intentional, sometimes accidental. While navigating the troubled waters of sex, romance, school, and family, teen Archie and his gang become entangled in a dark Riverdale mystery. The kids desperately try to claw their way out from the paths their parents set them on. After two seasons, Riverdale ships Cheryl and Toni into one of the show’s most romantic (and gay) relationships.
Watch Riverdale on Netflix now.
13. Jane the Virgin
Jane the Virgin is a dramedy with a great cast and an original style that keeps you entertained. The show is based on the story of a virgin who is accidentally impregnated at the gynecologist. While the lesbian scenes are relatively minimal, the OB/GYN who made the mixup, Dr. Luisa, is a lesbian, who has some very telenovela-worthy affairs. But the real lesbian ship treasure comes in Season Four when Rosario Dawson comes into town and sparks Petra’s romantic interests.
Watch Jane The Virgin on Netflix now.
14. Sense8
Sense8 is a sci-fi series from the creators of “The Matrix” and “Babylon 5” in which eight people can telepathically experience each other’s lives. The show features a bi-racial lesbian couple between a transgender woman, Nomi (Jamie Clayton), and Amanita (Freema Agyeman).
15. I Am Not Okay With This
“I Am Not Okay With This” is a Netflix series about a teen lesbian that follows the main character, Sydney, as she navigates high school in a new town and develops feelings for her best friend, Dina, while realizing that she also has special telekinetic powers. If you’ve ever been a closeted teenager with an intense female friendship that slowly turns into something more, then this show will have you hooked.
Lesbian Movies to Watch on Netflix:
1. The Half of It
Smart and shy, Ellie agrees to write love letters to a popular jock’s love interest for him. She soon finds herself falling for his crush, and must figure out who means more to her. This is a heartwarming and refreshing movie by the talented director, Alice Wu, not just about love but about friendship. You can read our movie review about The Half of It here.
Watch The Half of It on Netflix now.
2. A Secret Love
A Secret Love, documents the 70+ year love story between Terry Donahue and Pat Henschel, who began dating back in the 1940s but kept their relationship a secret from family and friends. Read how A Secret Love is relatable to all lesbian relationships here.
Watch A Secret Love on Netflix now.
3. Blue is the Warmest Color
Winner of the prestigious Palme d’Or, Blue is the Warmest Color is a sultry coming-of-age story about two young women who fall in love. The main character, Adèle’s life is changed when she meets Emma, a young woman with blue hair, who allows her to discover desire and to assert herself as a woman and as an adult.
Watch Blue Is the Warmest Color on Netflix now.
4. Lez Bomb
In this holiday comedy, a woman visits her parents’ home on Thanksgiving with the plan to come out to them. She brings along her girlfriend to meet her parents as well, but chaos, hilarity, and awkwardness ensue when her male roommate also shows up unexpectedly and extended family members create drama.
(Update: Lez Bomb is no longer offered on Netflix, but you can stream it for free on Amazon Prime here).
5. Tig
You’ll need some tissues for this Netflix original documentary about Tig Notaro, a stand-up comic known for her dead-pan humor who opens up about her relationship with actress Stephanie Allynne, her struggles with trying to have a child, her mother’s death, and her cancer diagnosis.
6. Duck Butter
Two young women (Alia Shawkat and Laia Costa) meet at a club and bond over the dishonesty they’ve experienced in their relationships. They propose a romantic experiment to spend the next 24 hours together while being completely honest with each other during that time. Unsurprisingly, things don’t go as planned.
Watch Duck Butter on Netflix now.
7. The Feels
Before starring in Crazy Rich Asians, Constance Wu played Andi in this indie comedy film about a lesbian bachelorette party. During the festivities, one of the brides confesses that she’s never had an orgasm before much to the surprise of her fiancee and everyone else.
Watch The Feels on Netflix now.
8. Catfight
Two former college friends, who now find themselves with very different lives, meet again at a fancy cocktail party. Veronica (played by the amazing Sandra Oh) has become the entitled, wine-loving wife of a rich businessman, while Ashley, along with her lover Lisa, struggles to make ends meet as an artist. As the two women reconnect, long-buried hostilities, jealousy, and anger explode into a vicious, bloody fight that leaves both of them battered and bruised.
Watch Catfight on Netflix now.
9. Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga (How I Felt When I Saw That Girl)
Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga or translated, “How I Felt When I Saw That Girl” is an Indian coming-of-age and coming out romantic comedy-drama. The storyline centers around a young Punjabi woman, Sweety Chaudhary, whose family is seeking to marry her off and an aspiring playwright begins to pursue her. Little do they all know that Sweety is hiding the truth about the woman that she’s in love with. It’s a sweet and heartwarming rom-com with a happy ending.
What are some of your favorite lesbian films and shows to stream on Netflix? If you have any other suggestions, let us know!
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Originally published at https://sesamebutdifferent.com on July 4, 2020.
