Eight underrated lesbian TV characters

Authentic lesbian representation in television can often be difficult to come by. Though LGBTQ+ representation in general seems to be steadily improving in TV and film, there’s still a lot of progress to be made in properly representing the lesbian community. In celebration of Lesbian Visibility Week, here’s a list of eight lesbian characters who are helping pave the way to a more inclusive standard of representation.

Bill Potts (Doctor Who)

With a 60-year history of LGBTQ+ writers and a large queer fanbase, it may come as a surprise that the first openly gay companion character in Doctor Who only arrived on our screens in 2017, with the adorable Bill Potts.

Various other LGBTQ+ characters have featured in the show of course (e.g, the 51st century pansexual Captain Jack Harkness, who went on to lead the very queer spin-off Torchwood), but this marked the first time that a lesbian character played a full-time assistant to the lead role. Pearl Mackie’s portrayal of Bill Potts is nothing short of heartwarming. Her inquisitive nature, her keenness for adventure, and her intrinsic kindness are just some of the qualities that made Whovians fall in love with her straight away.

With time travel still playing a predominant role, the show sensitively tackles how a black lesbian navigates historic periods, whilst also keeping in tune with the natural positive and family-friendly outlook Doctor Who provides. Coupled with Peter Capaldi’s incarnation, the Twelfth Doctor, this teacher and student duo made for one of the most wholesome and enjoyable relationships in the show’s 60 years.

Judy Kubrak (Pose)

Pose is full of some of the most incredible, empowering queer characters in television history. Though it predominantly tells the stories of bold, magnificent trans women leading the queer revolution in the 1980s, it also shines a spotlight on various members of the LGBTQ+ community.

Among them is Nurse Judy Kubrak, close friend of lead character Pray Tell and firm ally to the trans community. This character portrays the unbreakable, rigid bond between lesbians and gay men in the 1980s, and how they helped each other throughout the AIDS crisis. Sandra Bernhard plays Judy with such poignant feeling, beautifully representing thousands of relationships from such a difficult time for the queer community. Though the show often focuses elsewhere, those moments between Judy and Pray Tell remain some of the most memorable and impactful moments of the show.