A Brief History of Lesbian Moments in Music Videos

Since the dawn of the music video, musicians and directors alike have caught onto the idea that lesbian scenes create a stir. Ironically, it was largely straight male artists who first utilized women kissing and acting interested in one another.

Some of the first out lesbian musicians, such as Melissa Etheridge, k.d. lang and the Indigo Girls, shied away from putting any sort of overt queerness in their earliest videos. For example, in Etheridge's 1994 video for "Come to My Window," a young Juliette Lewis is the focal point. But the depiction of her enclosure in a room while waiting for a lover doesn't even hint that said lover might be female.

That same year, Aerosmith released the video for "Crazy," in which Alicia Silverstone and Liv Tyler starred as teen school girls who took a joy ride, dressing in drag, giving each other lap dances, and singing the hyper-sexual lyrics to one another. It's one of the first hints at lesbianism in the music video form, and it became the most requested video on MTV that year.

It's only been in the years that have followed that, with a few exceptions, explicit lesbian relationships have played a larger role in music videos. One of the reasons for this change may be the fact that videos have become much easier to create for the web or for LGBTQ specific networks (like Logo and Here!). But another major reason may be that lesbian and bisexual artists seem to have become less afraid of highlighting queer relationships (and sexuality) in their own videos.

While some straight artists still continue to feature gay women for the purpose of straight male titillation or for the element of surprise, one could argue that, on occasion, these depictions can still be appreciated as a positive form of visibility.

What follows are some of our favorite examples of lesbian scenes in music videos, from straight and queer artists alike and including the good, the bad and the completely unrealistic.

Videos By Straight Artists

Aerosmith — "Crazy" (1994)

Alicia Silverstone and Liv Tyler play schoolgirl best friends who go on a road trip and engage in scantily clad shenanigans then end the night together at a motel.