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32 Black Lesbian and Bisexual Characters We Love

Orange is the New Black/Netflix

According to historians, President Gerald R. Ford officially recognized Black History Month in 1976, calling upon the public to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout history.” Since then, every U.S. President has officially designated the month of February as Black History Month, or National African American History Month. Other countries around the world, including Canada and the United Kingdom, also devote a month to celebrating Black history.

Some may argue that African Americans are still misrepresented or not represented at all in several fields, including television and film. I won’t argue there. The same can be said about the gay and lesbian community. With writers, producers and show runners looking to bring realistic and complex gay and lesbian stories to light, the inclusion of gay, lesbian, and bisexual characters has grown significantly in the last couple of years.

Black lesbians in particular need more representation on TV and in film, as a largely underrepresented group. In honor of Black History Month, we are celebrating these Black lesbian and bisexual female characters with the recognition they deserve – not just this month, but all year round. 1. Joanne Jefferson, Rent

Tracie Thoms gives life to the successful lawyer who falls madly in love with the irresistible bohemian Maureen Johnson, played by Idina Menzel. Whether it’s the original on Broadway or on the 2005 film version on the TV in your living room, you’ll be hard pressed to find any gay woman who doesn’t count “Rent” as canon and Joanne Jefferson as an iconic character. 2. Bette Porter, The L Word

Jennifer Beals played the ultimate power lesbian in one of the first shows created by lesbians for lesbians. In the Showtime original, Bette was described as multiracial and her black sister and father factored prominently into her storyline. Racial issues were also explored throughout the show’s six seasons, and we have high hopes that the series revival will continue to explore these pivotal issues since Beals will be involved. 3. Tasha Williams, The L Word Photo: Paul Michaud/Showtime

Rose Rollins brought the story of being closeted in the military to The L Word, and the story of Tasha’s life post-Marine career had her grappling with her unattractive career choices and how it affected her relationship with girlfriend, Alice. No confirmation has been made, but we’d love to see Tasha return in the revival! 4. Toni Topaz, Riverdale

Vanessa Morgan made her debut as Toni Topaz, the sassy, bisexual member of the Serpents, a local high school gang with a shady reputation. Toni’s a badass, so we can only hope she’ll be a lasting presence in Riverdale. Full disclosure, I shop Cheryl and Toni forever. 5. Tara Thornton, True Blood

In this HBO original, Rutina Wesley became Tara, a waitress-turned-vampire who discovers her affection for the ladies after running away from Bon Temps. Her love story ends in the arms of her maker, Pam, played by Kristin Bauer van Straten. The actress herself recently came out via Instagram when she announced her engagement to her girlfriend. 6. Maya St. Germain, Pretty Little Liars

Bianca Lawson played Emily Fields’ second love – we all know by now that Ali was her first — in the Freeform original series. Even though their romance was short-lived, it opened the door to more queer characters and storylines. “Pretty Little Liars” ended last year, and we’re already in need of a reunion.

7. Suzanne “Crazy Eyes” Warren, Orange is the New Black

Uzo Aduba continues to amaze us with her amazing portrayal of the lovable/wacky inmate at Litchfield. We would totally throw our pie for her. More fans are made aware of her role and OITNB’s success at representation thanks to the exposure brought by the fact the Uzo has earned several SAG and Emmy noms and wins. 8. Poussey Washington, Orange is the New Black

We were all heartbroken when Samira Wiley was killed off the Netflix original series at the end of season four. After getting to know her background story during season 2, she became one of our favorite Litchfield inmates. Having black lesbian characters represented on the show made us love OITNB even more, so let’s hope we get some more representation in season five, which will be out later this year. 9. Lena Adams Foster, The Fosters

Sherri Saum and Teri Polo took on the task to become the first on-screen lesbian couple to head a family show. “The Fosters” shows the dynamics of lesbian/gay biracial, and integrated families and never shies away from tackling divisive political issues like immigration. Unfortunately, Freeform will be bidding farewell to the show after this season, so soak it up while you can. 10. Annalisa Keating, How to Get Away With Murder

No one plays a powerhouse quite like Viola Davis, bisexuality to our TV screens and her Emmy winning performance as Annalise Keating brings badass like no other. The cutthroat attorney has been solving (and occasionally committing) crimes for three full seasons and is midway through the fourth right now. Her primary female love interest has been Eve Rothlo, who was a regular in season two and has popped in and out of the series briefly since then. 11. Thunder, Black Lightning Image via DC Comics

The CW has been excelling with representation over the last few years, particularly with their expanded DC Comics universe. 2018 brings us a new superhero to root for in the form of the Thunder, played by Nafessa Williams. Thunder is unapologetically gay from the get go, setting the tone as an established, out lesbian in the second episode of the series. Black Lightning is brand new, and if the first few weeks are any indication, Thunder is a force to be reckoned with. 12. Kelly, Black Mirror Photo: Netflix

Gugu Mbatha-Raw decides to follow her heart and spend eternity with her lesbian lover Yorkie, played by Mackenzie Davis, in this heartbreaking Black Mirror episode. In a series that’s been known for its darkly existential storytelling, “San Junipero” is like a shining beacon of lesbian light. It would be great to see Black Mirror take this episode’s critical success as a memo to amp up the representation in every season.

13. Denise, Master of None

Lena Waithe she snagged the award made history at this year’s Emmys when she became the first black woman to win for Comedy Writing for penning the “Thanksgiving” episode during season two of Aziz Ansari’s Master of None. The story arc of the episode follows Lena’s personal experiences coming out. 14. Kima Greggs, The Wire Sonja Sohn’s role as the out lesbian detective was a major role was a major casting decision for the pivotal HBO series. Kima dealt with issues at home, including a split from her partner, Cheryl, and alcoholism during her tenure of all five seasons of the series. Her imperfections made the character one of the most real, endearing parts of the otherwise hardboiled show. 15. Snoop Pearson, The Wire Felicia “Snoop” Pearson has a great story: A Baltimore native, the out lesbian was discovered by The Wire star Michael K. Williams while at a club and an introduction to the show’s writers got her an audition and eventual role. Snoop was the first regular black lesbian character to appear on television, and even though her story arc didn’t revolve around her sexuality, she’s clearly a stud. 16. Alike, Pariah

Adepero Oduye stars in a film that has been rightfully celebrated for its tender coming-out and coming-of-age story of a shy yet sexually curious 17-year-old African-American girl. Pariah first black lesbian was both written and directed by Dee Rees, who made history this year as the ever to be nominated for an Oscar for the Adapted Screenplay category. 17. Fatima Goodrich, She Hate Me

Throwing it back to the 2004 Spike Lee‘s film, where Kerry Washington and Dania Ramirez decide to start a family by using a sperm donor, who just happens to be Goodrich’s ex. The film pushes the boundaries of relationships on screen even further by portraying a polyamorous dynamic.

18. Bessie Smith, Bessie

Queen Latifah gives life to legendary American blues singer Bessie Smith in this HBO original production. The film focuses on her transformation as a struggling young singer into “The Empress of the Blues,” and openly discusses her bisexuality. No one makes bisexual representation feel larger than life like the Queen. 19. Celie Johnson, The Color Purple

Whoopi Goldberg falls for Shug Avery (Margaret Avery) in this movie classic. Even though Celie and Shug seem to have a more open sexual relationship in the pages of Alice Walker‘s acclaimed novel, Steven Spielberg and Broadway decided to take a much more subtle approach to their love connection in the 1985 film and the most recent musical revival. 20. Christina Worthy, 90210 Lauren London played a bisexual Beverly Hills high school cheerleader with a girlfriend. She was only on three episodes, but she was one of the first bisexual black teens to be on basic cable and the 90210 was worth a watch just to support her character. 21. Fin, Lip Service

Lip Service started out as an L Word successor hopeful on BBC Three. Lorraine Burroughs was an electrician that lived across from Tess, and though they hit it off at first, they later broke up after finding they had no real shared interests. She appeared in only four episodes, but was the only woman of color on the Scottish lesbian series that aired for two seasons. 22. Tyra Dupre, Emily Owens M.D. Kelly McCreary was star Mamie Gummer’s on-screen lesbian BFF on this short-lived CW series. She began the season closeted from her father, but that seemed like minor drama once she discovered his infidelity. It turns out her father’s been cheating on her mother with a nurse at the hospital that employed them both. Even Grey’s Anatomy would be impressed with those twists and turns.

23. Diana Berrigan, White Collar Marsha Thomason‘s special agent Diana had ups and downs in her personal life. At first, she was happily engaged to her partner Christie. Once the pair broke it off, Diana’s role on the show significantly sidelined, reduced to a focus on her professional relationship with Peter and Neal. Despite the shakeups, she was one of USA’s very few LGBT characters across the board. 24. Carolyn Hill, Under the Dome Aisha Hinds starred in the CBS series based on the Stephen King novel and almost made it through all three seasons. She lost her wife, Alice, in Season 1 to the bury your gays trope, but Carolyn and her daughter, Norrie, survived until almost the end as pivotal characters in the battle to escape the dome that has a small town on lockdown. 25. Scotty, Banana/Cucumber Letitia Wright played a young lesbian whose interest in a much older married woman illustrates her romantic delusions, ones that her mother warns her against repeating yet again. Banana is the sister series to Cucumber, which centered primarily around one gay man. The eight episodes of the UK series Banana aired back in 2015. 26. Tiana, Empire  

Serayah McNeill is Tiana, the rising pop star who went from recurring guest in season one to main character in season two of Empire. Her diva behavior definitely goes from the stage to the streets, and she’s had her fair share of drama with the lady loves in her life. The soapy drama in the love triangle between Tiana, India, and Hakeem never failed to keep things exciting. 27. Langston, The Skinny

The memorable reunion of five fabulous friends is the plot for this indie film. Four gay men and a lesbian from Brown University celebrate a weekend together at Pride filled with chaos and celebration. Shanika Warren-Markland plays Langston, Yale student and resident porn aficionado.

28. Cheryl, The Watermelon Woman

The 1996 film features Cheryl Dunya as an aspiring lesbian filmmaker who decides to document hear search of Philly for a black actress named the Watermelon Woman. One quintessential scene in the film features Cheryl being roughed up and called a crackhead by a couple of police officers. The movie may be from the ’90s, but it’s as current as ever. 29. Jukebox, Power

Tony Award winning actress Anika Noni Rose plays a lesbian police officer and Kanan’s (50 Cent) alpha cousin on the STARZ’s hit show POWER. According to TV Guide, “Jukebox is not a good cop,” says showrunner Courtney Kemp. Being a small-sized black woman, she’s “found safety” in her role and her badge; making the character gay was in part 50 Cent’s decision.” The 4th season is premiering on June 25th! 30. Petra, When Night is Falling

Petra is the most sensual circus performer you’ve ever met in the lesbian cult classic film When Night is Falling. Some people called her a bit stalker-ey, but you’ll fall in love when she says, “Camille, I’d love to see you in the moonlight with your head thrown back and your body on fire.” Swoon. 31. Ebony Haith, America’s Next Top Model

Ok, yes it’s a reality show, but Ebony was quite the character on ANTP Cycle 1, known for her bold personality and look. She said on the show, “I’m not here to be a role model; I’m here on a competition.” And even though she was eliminated from the show that season, she went on to enjoy a successful modeling and acting career. You can stream ANTP on Amazon Prime. 32. June, Work

This one was a bit more difficult to dig up, but is a must-see masterpiece of a film. Our editor in chief interviewed the filmmaker and described the movie: “In many ways, Work is the quintessential intersectional film. Race, socio-economic class, gender expectations, and homosexuality are all inherent to the story, but those issues aren’t the defining or focal points. The film is first and foremost a poignant love story, as well as an ode to the constant human quest for meaning.”

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