TV

10 TV Lesbian Couples to Remember

It seems that we now live in a golden age of canon lesbian pairings on TV (rejoice!) and while there are many favorites (Clexa forever!), here are some that aren’t currently in the spotlight, either because the show ended years ago, or is in its final season, (or just because we’re waiting for a new season or OITNB…) and who may not have been given their fair share of screen time back in the day.

Some of the pairings on this list are fairly new, while some were on shows that aired in the 1990’s. Some have stood the test of time and some have met the all too common Dead Lesbian trope, but they are all important in their own way, so let’s remember them.

As I’ll be discussing storylines (and story endings), please consider this your SPOILER WARNING.

  Carol and Susan – Friends  

 

 

These two ladies may have been side characters in Friends, but they were the first lesbian pairing that I (and a lot of 90’s kids) saw on television.

The pair got married (by Candace Gingrich, a gay-rights activist and sister to ‘family values’ politician Newt Gingrich) in the second season of the mammoth show (when it was illegal everywhere in the world!) and as far as we know, they’re still together.

According to one popular fan theory, Carol and Susan may even have sole custody of Ben (Ross and Carol’s son) because they provided a much more stable family environment than Ross did, which isn’t that surprising when you consider Ross’ angry outbursts and erratic behavior.

Friends has many flaws, but they showed a happy lesbian couple getting married in 1996 – and didn’t separate them. That was something special.

  Maia and Amy – The Good Fight  

 

So, this show and this pairing are brand new, but they’ve already stolen hearts across the nation.

To say that Maia is going through hell in the series is a little bit of an understatement but Amy is there for her; even when the Feds raid their apartment, even when Maia loses her job, even when a fake sex tape of the pair is leaked by TMZ. Amy is her rock.

Unlike some other shows with lesbian main characters, the drama doesn’t stem from Maia’s sexuality; in the first episode, the pair are asked when they’re getting married because they don’t have the excuse that marriage equality isn’t legal across the USA anymore.

Want to catch up on the show? Check out our recaps.

  Piper and Alex- Orange is the New Black

 

Piper and Alex’s relationship is tumultuous and unpredictable, in the best (and sometimes the worst) ways possible.

It’s the catalyst for the whole series: Alex convinced Piper to smuggle $50,000 in drug money in order to sustain their luxury lifestyle and then Alex named her then-ex-girlfriend at her trial, which turns Piper’s life upside down and lands her in prison. That’s gotta be the worst way to reconnect with an ex, right?

As of the season 4 finale (and the season 5 promo), they are back together, after being rocked by Poussey’s untimely death, but how long will this last?

  Ellen and Laurie – Ellen  

 

I couldn’t leave out our site’s namesake, could I?

This pair began dating in 1998, shortly after Ellen (both the character and the actress) came out as a lesbian.

Their first date was in a noisy bar, where neither could hear the other properly and Ellen comments that she wants to take Laurie ‘like a wild animal’, assuming that the brunette can’t hear. Later when they move to a quieter area, Ellen asks if it is an official date and Laurie replies that she hopes so because she wants Ellen to take her ‘like a wild animal’.

At the end of the season, Ellen and Laurie have a commitment ceremony and promise to make it official as soon as same-sex marriage is legal, which was only 17 years later…

This relationship was cute and quirky (much like the pair themselves) and gave many younger lesbians in the late nineties a hope for a brighter tomorrow.

  Pippy and TMI – Rosewood  

 

When the show started, Pippy and Tara Milly Izikoff (TMI…sigh) were planning their wedding and having to jump over so many hurdles to get there (TMI’s unsupportive parents, Pippy’s ex-girlfriend, TMI kissing a male co-worker).

Even though the nickname TMI really bugs me, this couple is hella cute; especially when TMI tells Pippy that she doesn’t care what her parents think: she will marry Pippy.

At the end of the first season, the couple were broken up and it looked like the end; Pippy even leaves her job to become a singer (which is weird). Although their storyline was massively cut back in season two, the couple now appears to be back together…fingers crossed.

Willow and Tara – Buffy  

 

Willow, a kickass witch in a kickass series, realizes that she’s gay and falls in love with Tara in season 4. It was pretty ground-breaking at the time for a show aimed at teenagers to feature lesbian characters, especially ones that were allowed to have a sexual relationship (even if it was not as vivid as the het-pairings).

Although the couple didn’t stand the test of time (damn you Joss Whedon), there was a lot of love put into the portrayal from both actresses and the producers of the show. PS: The cast reunited recently and Willow and Tara (or at least their actresses) were brought back together.

Lena and Stef- The Fosters  

 

Lena and Stef are a married lesbian couple raising a family in San Diego and surfing the ups and downs that come with that, like worrying that the romance has left your relationship or having your son audition for Juilliard.

Ultimately, Lena and Stef’s relationship represents the kind of loyalty and strength that you hope to emulate in your relationships.

  Brittany and Santana — Glee  

 

This teen dramedy was a guilty pleasure for me when I was in college and I was thrilled when Brittany and Santana got married in 2015, but hold up… let’s wind it back to one of the most emotion-filled moments in the whole series: When Santana admits that she loves Brittany but she’s scared of the consequences of being in love.

How real is that? Even love cannot protect us from the outside world, even though it can ease the pain. Who here can say that they’ve never felt that way when they first came out?

The pair faced down disapproving family members, nasty teenagers, and even Sue Sylvester, but they made it through together. Arizona and Callie – Grey’s Anatomy  

 

These two took us on a real emotional rollercoaster but we loved the ride, even if it did end too soon.

We felt our hearts swell after Arizona convinced Callie’s father to accept his daughter’s sexuality, but our hopes were dashed when the pair separated due to their different stances on starting a family. They reconcile after a gunman commits mass murder at the hospital, but then break up after Arizona takes a job in Malawi.

The pair reconcile once more with Arizona agreeing to raise the baby that Callie is pregnant with after a one-night stand during the break-up. Then, just after Arizona proposes (in the car), the pair are hit by a truck.

What are you doing to us Shonda Rhimes?!

Luckily, both women survive, their baby, Sofia, is born, and they get married.

Although their marriage didn’t last and Callie has since left the show; Calizona were all kinds of feels for years. And they are still on good terms; sharing custody of their daughter. Emily and Maya – Pretty Little Liars  

 

This teenage coupling starts out like so many others before it: smack bang in the middle of a murder mystery.

In the first season, Emily’s mom— who is not okay with her daughter being a lesbian- does everything she can to separate the pair, including getting Maya sent to rehab for smoking pot. As we all know, once you take the ‘bad influence’ away, your kid goes right back to being straight… or not. While Maya is in rehab, Emily turns to alcohol and dates two other girls.

In the second season, Maya has left rehab and the pair thankfully reunites and try to make it work; even Emily’s mom is now tolerating the relationship.

However, after an argument about Maya’s pot smoking, Maya goes missing. Emily tries to contact her, but it’s too late, Maya has been murdered by an ex-boyfriend who was angry that Maya chose Emily over him.

I know you’ll be screaming at your screen that I’ve missed your favorites (full disclosure: I missed a couple of mine initially, too). So which couples aren’t receiving enough attention right now, or didn’t get the recognition they deserved during their time on screen? ? Let us know in the comments!

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