35+ Netflix Shows With Lesbian Characters

Get ready for these queer and lesbian Netflix shows with lesbian characters!

Over the years, Netflix’s LGBTQ+ content has grown exponentially, including different genres, storylines, and powerhouse actresses and actors.

There are the big and important queer shows like Heartstopper, Orange Is the New Black, Feel Good, and Sense8. Though Netflix also features more and more LGBTQ+ storylines in mainstream hits like Stranger Things. Which are often as important storylines as the big ones.

With all these amazing LGBTQ+ shows on Netflix, it can be a bit overwhelming to choose what to watch. Do you also find yourself scrolling through the streaming site for a good 30 to 45 minutes and then picking something you’ve already watched?

Well, we are here to help you out! Those forever scrolling days are over.

The following queer and lesbian Netflix shows have lesbian characters and storylines that are smaller. Nevertheless, they are still super fun and meaningful to watch.

I know it will take a while to get through all of these, so you can thank me later. And thank you, Netflix, for adding more and more queer and lesbian content to your platform.

In this article, we also share links to articles with the best lesbian Netflix shows and lesbian Netflix movies. Keep on reading! And enjoy watching!

It’s possible these lesbian Netflix shows aren’t available in certain countries, but we have good news for you! With the VPN Surfshark, you can stream the Netflix content you want from other countries. And we have a great Surfshark discount for you!

Lesbian Netflix Shows With Lesbian Characters

The following lesbian Netflix shows have lesbian characters and storylines that are not the main storyline of the show, but are smaller.

Nevertheless, these lesbian Netflix shows with lesbian characters are still super fun and meaningful to watch!

Warrior Nun (2020-2022)

This was probably one of my favorite shows of 2020! The show is about demon-hunting nuns. Do you need me to say more? I think that sounds pretty gay already.

After two seasons, the creators announced that the series would continue as three separate movies, and I can’t wait.

I hope they will be very lesbian!

Heartstopper (2022-)

This is probably one of the cutest queer shows on Netflix. If you didn’t start watching Heartstopper yet, what are you waiting for?

It’s cute, it’s super queer, it’s pure, and it’s showcasing teenagers (and the rest of us) that it’s okay to be the way you are. We need more shows like Heartstopper.

The High School Netflix series follows the gay relationship between Charlie and Nick. Their friend group includes a lesbian couple, Tara and Darcy, and a young trans woman.

There are multiple seasons of Heartstopper, and I hope that one day, a story like Charlie and Nick’s will be centered around a lesbian couple.

The Haunting of Hill House (2018)

Now, I’m a huge horror fan, but if you’re not a horror person, skip this one. Or don’t. Because Kate Siegel plays hot lesbian Theo, which is definitely worth the jump scares, I would say.

As kids, the Crain family experienced a lot of paranormal phenomena in their house, which resulted in someone’s passing.

26 years later, the kids come back to reunite after yet another tragedy. Theo is one of these kids. And did I mention she’s hot and a lesbian? And she has some pretty good gay moments!

This is the first season of the Haunting series. Remember I discussed the lesbian Netflix series Haunting House of Bly Manor earlier? Note: the stories are NOT related.

Nevertheless, (2021)

A South Korean television series (K-drama) with daring scenes which includes queer representation.

We don’t get to see queer representation from Asia a lot, so I definitely needed to include Nevertheless, on this list with queer & lesbian Netflix series.

What is it about? In the series, we follow the heartbroken student Yoo Na-Bi, who no longer wants to believe in love, and Park Jae-eon, a man who likes to flirt but isn’t interested in committing to a relationship. Of course, they fall in love. It’s a bit cringeworthy sometimes but cute as well.

Yoon Seo A and Yoon Sol are Yoo Na-Bi’s classmates and have a crush on each other. It’s a lesbian side story, and while they get only about 5 minutes of scream time every episode, everyone is obsessing with them!

Can we see more of them, please?

Elite 2018-2024

You need to wait a couple of seasons to see lesbian scenes in the show Elite, but it’s worth it. In general, this series is pretty queer, there are multiple queer story lines.

Elite is a Spanish teen drama series about an elite high school in Spain. Many crazy things happen at school and in students’ lives.

With eight seasons, there’s a lot to watch!

The 100 (2014-2020)

Was anyone else crying when Lexa came back this year? Because I was. Sobbing like a little baby to finally see my favorite character of all time back on the screen. Even though it wasn’t really her.

The 100 introduces Lexa, their first lesbian character, in their second season. Over the course of that season, Clarke figures out she’s bi and has a huge crush on Lexa. Their relationship is then further explored in the third season.

However, in episode 7 of season 3, mere minutes after Clarke and Lexa FINALLY make love, Lexa is shot and kiIIed. I was devastated.

Even though this was absolutely horrible, I do think the industry has definitely taken note of how not to kiII lesbians anymore, and we’ve really made some progress over the past few years.

Never Have I Ever (2020-2023)

Never Have I Ever is breaking South Asian stereotypes!

This coming-of-age show about a first-generation Indian-American girl’s life is very easy to binge. Trust me, I did it too.

From the first episode, I had a hunch that our main character’s friend, Fabiola, was a lesbian. And I was right!

Throughout the season, we slowly see her struggling and then coming to terms with her orientation. She even starts dating one of her classmates.

This show is full of hilariously heartwarming moments.

S e x Education (2019-2023)

This British teen show is about high schooler Otis, who is still a virgin, who starts a ടex advice business at his school. This leads to a bunch of hilarious situations.

For all of you milf lovers out there: Gillian Anderson plays his mom and a ടex therapist!

There are multiple queer characters on the show who all go through their own storylines and issues.

There are also mentions of lesbian relationships and lesbian intimacy when Otis holds his advice sessions. In the second season, a cute lesbian relationship forms between two of the main characters.

Also, one of the male characters has two moms!

Atypical (2017-2021)

This show is a really fun and heartwarming comedy that centers around Sam, a boy who is on the spectrum.

Sam’s younger sister, Casey, starts figuring out her orientation in season 2. She falls in love with one of her friends, who used to be her enemy. And it’s cute! Super cute!

This queer female love story is definitely one of my favorite lesbian stories. Also, the actor who plays Casey, Brigette Lundy-Paine, is non-binary!

The Umbrella Academy (2019-2024)

Seven children who are all born on the same day are adopted and raised together as child heroes. As they grow older, they grow apart but must reunite to continue saving the world.

This very dysfunctional, yet crazy family will have you hooked from the first moment.

Elliot Page plays one of these characters. It didn’t come as a surprise to me when his character came out as a lesbian in the second season, because let’s be real. That straight stuff in season 1 was too cringe for anyone to watch.

And I love how the creators incorporated Elliot Page’s character, after coming out as trans, in the next seasons.

Russian Doll (2019-2022)

Russian Doll is about Nadia, who has to relive the same night over and over again. Although this concept has been explored quite a few times by now, this series still feels refreshing and unique.

One of Nadia’s best friends is Lizzy, who is a lesbian. Rebecca Henderson, who plays Lizzy, is also a real-life lesbian and is married to the co-creator of Russian Doll, Leslye Headland.

Heartbreak High (2022-2025)

Heartbreak High is a groundbreaking queer Netflix series. In this series, you can find multiple queer characters. However, the one that is so groundbreaking is the character Quinni, who identifies as lesbian and autistic. This is something rarely shown and explored in television, series, or movies.

The show is a reboot of the Australian series Heartbreak High, originally aired in 1994.

It tells the story of multiple teachers and students at a school called Hartley High, navigating teen romances, heartbreak, high school dramas, exploration of queer relationships, and many other topics.

Dear White People (2017-2021)

This show focuses on racial tensions on a predominantly white Ivy League college campus and is based on the 2014 movie of the same name.

In the second season, one of the characters named Kelsey, comes out as a lesbian. Kelsey is very girly and very much into fashion, which is usually not something that people associate with lesbians (read about different types of lesbians).

That is why I think Kelsey’s coming out is only more important.

When she does so to her roommate, who seems very surprised, Kelsey not only calls her out for being so oblivious about her identity, but essentially she calls out the heteronormative society we live in too.

Stranger Things (2016-2025)

It took this 80s show a while before they finally introduced their first LGBTQ+ character.

It seemed that before the third season, only straight people existed in this town. I’m really glad that besides the monsters, there are gays on the show.

Maya Hawke, who plays Robin, said she really pushed for her character to be a lesbian. The straight storyline that was originally written for Robin and Steve didn’t feel natural to her.

Luckily, everyone agreed and her coming out scene was written and filmed, which by the way, is extremely beautiful and cute!

The Legend of Korra (2012-2014)

Of course, we all knew Korra and Asami were a thing. Our lesbian radars were going off, right? Their lesbian romantic relationship is also confirmed by the creators of the show.

It would have been fantastic to see more romantic things between the two besides holding hands. Though, there was chemistry from the beginning between Korra and Asami. And Asami really liked Avatar Korra a lot since the start.

Queer representation is so important, and I feel like it’s especially important in animated shows, as it can be impactful for young people.

The Legend of Korra is a stand-alone squeal to the previous series Avatar: The Last Airbender, and it’s about the Avatar Korra, who fights to keep her city safe from the bad forces of the spiritual and physical worlds.

You (2018-2024)

The stalker show You had a lesbian character in their first season.

Peach is the main character, Beck’s best friend, and she is obsessed with her. She sees right through Joe’s stalker tactics because well, she’s kinda a stalker herself too. She has a lot of pictures of Beck on her laptop that she shouldn’t have.

Now I can’t say this is the best lesbian representation in lesbian shows, because it definitely isn’t. We are already way too often perceived as crazy lesbians, but I can’t deny I didn’t enjoy her.

Peach is actually one of the more likable characters in the show!

American Horror Story (2011-)

Each season of American Horror Story is a self-contained miniseries. Some seasons have more queer characters than others, but there’s always at least one.

Of course, it’s usually our queen, Sarah Paulson, who pulls through with the lesbian characters on Netflix.

In season 2, Asylum, she played the lesbian Lana Winters. And in season 7, Cult, she plays a married lesbian who loses it when Trump is elected as president.

Boca a Boca | The Kissing Game (2020)

This Brazilian zombie show very much fits the years 2020 and 2021. Or not. Depending on how you feel about it.

The show is about a new virus that can only be transmitted through the mouth. So when a bunch of teenagers wake up after their rave, at which they made out with a lot of people, they need to figure out what’s going on.

The show has a few different storylines, and one is about closeted lesbian Fran.

Mindhunter (2017-2019)

Follow the two agents, Holden Ford and Bill Tench, and a psychologist, Dr. Wendy Carr, as they catch villains and try to understand how they think while studying their damaged psyches. Mindhunter is set in 1977 and shows a lesbian love story from that period!

In episode 6 of season 1, we see that Dr. Wendy Carr is a lesbian! And in season 2 we get to see Dr. Wendy Carr’s love interest Kay Manz and her personal life gets way more attention.

There’s a lot of chemistry between the two women, and their lesbian love story is amazingly portrayed by two powerhouse actresses.

Sadly, I’m not very happy with how things ended between the two (I prefer a happy ending), but it’s still worth the watch. And who knows what will happen in the future?

Neon (2023-)

Neon is a Netflix series about reggaeton music. The reggaeton artist Santi, and his two best friends Felix and Vanessa, move to Miami after one of his songs goes viral on YouTube.

Will Santi’s music career take off? Will he get a record deal with a record label? The music industry is a lot harder to break into than Santi, Felix, and Vanessa thought. And the series shows the problems in the reggaeton industry.

A scene that I really love is the queer flashback to Vanessa’s (or just Ness) quinceñera (the celebration of a girl’s 15th birthday). And we don’t get to see a queer Puerto Rican girl on television every day. Love it!

Read about queer and lesbian Miami and the best things to do!

Las Chicas del Cable | Cable Girls (2017-2020)

Set in the 1920s, this story follows four women who all want to work. They all start at the same cable company and become close friends, even though they come from different backgrounds.

A bunch of women working together obviously sets the stage for something very queer to happen, and it does! One of the cable girls turns out to be bi and falls in love with another cable girl.

In a later season, there is also a really well-written storyline about gender dysphoria and being trans (sadly portrayed by a cisgender actress)!

You might recognize one of the Cable Girls, Maggie Civantos, from Vis a Vis and the lesbian short film Yo También.

D e a d End: Paranormal Park (2022)

This is one for the queer animation lovers! With a trans lead, a neurodivergent POC lesbian, a non-binary ghost, and a gay health and safety officer, this animated adventure is super queer.

And that’s not it! As drag icon Miss Coco Peru has a voiceover role in the series. Love the representation here.

The show is about Barney and Nora when working in a theme park, which is not just a theme park, but a supernatural one. Follow their (queer) adventures!

Merry Happy Whatever (2019)

This is a show with mixed feelings. But it’s one of the first lesbian Christmas shows! It has a queer storyline, but that’s where it gets complicated.

The series feels a little homophobic. I don’t want to spoil things too much, but there is a moment where a character comes out as an atheist, and another character says, “Oh thank god you’re not…” with which the show definitely implies that being LGBTQ+ would’ve been a bad thing.

Things turn around in the end, but I’m not completely sure if it’s worth the cringe-worthy moments.

The One (2021)

A lesbian love triangle and a lesbian detective, what else do you want? This experimental sci-fi show is about connecting people with their one true love (aka THE ONE) based entirely on science.

People who match together, called matches on the show, almost instantly fall in love with each other. Do you believe in soulmates and love at first sight? I think they are interesting topics!

But there’s so much more going on in The One, people passing away, risky love affairs, villains, corporate intrigue, investigations, and more!

Workin’ Moms (2017-2023)

The premise of this show doesn’t sound like anything I would watch. It’s about a bunch of moms with babies.

I’m sorry; I know I’m getting older, but I’m not quite there yet. However, the show has a lesbian mom!

Frankie is the lesbian of the group, and she has a baby with her wife Giselle. The two are struggling with their relationship and raising their baby, and eventually, they get a divorce.

In later seasons, Frankie tries to figure out being a single mom while also trying to date new women.

Top Boy (2011-2023)

It’s good to know before watching Top Boy that it can be heavy, brutal, and intense. Though the series includes queer representation you don’t see every day; a Black British masculine-presenting lesbian named Jaq, played by Jasmine Jobson.

You do need to watch a couple of seasons before Jaq is introduced, as you can see her in seasons 3, 4, and 5. What I love is that the focus is not on her queerness, but her LGBTQ+ storylines are still important and treated with care. Model Adwoa Aboah plays Jaq’s girlfriend.

The show tells the story of dealers on the streets of London.

Black Mirror (2011-)

This sci-fi series is insane! Every episode is different, but the overall theme of Black Mirror is technology manipulating human behavior.

The episodes aren’t related to each other, but the overall theme stays the same.

Definitely watch episode 4 of season 3, as it includes a cute lesbian love story.

In all the other episodes of Black Mirror, technology creates a dystopia, yet in this episode, it does the opposite. And like every episode, nothing turns out to be what it seems!

Smiley (2022)

A Spanish gay romantic comedy about the love story between two men and their lives with friends in Barcelona! The main romance might not be about lesbians, but it’s still fun to watch. And the queer Netflix series includes a lesbian couple.

Architect Bruno and hot bartender Alex are brought together after a wrongly delivered voicemail, which is the start of their love story. And you need to see the rest yourselves!

Sadly, the show only has one season!

Jessica Jones (2015-2019)

Next on this list of lesbian Netflix shows with lesbian characters is Jessica Jones! The superhero show Jessica Jones always had the powerful lesbian Jeri Hogarth (the lawyer), but the show gets queerer in season 3.

Jessica gets an assistant, Gillian (played by Indian-American trans actress Aneesh Sheth), Jeri reunites with her college love, the bi and polyamorous Kith, and Detective Costa turns out to have a husband and is trying to adopt a kid!

The queer narratives are small yet important. And their queerness doesn’t define their characters. Assistant Gillian’s gender is never discussed, for example – and that’s amazing!

Aneesh Sheth said “[it] is wonderful because trans people exist in the world. It’s not always about their narrative.” Also: she’s Marvel’s very first trans character.

Glee (2009-2015)

My friends and I were just recently rewatching Glee, and we all realized how problematic this show actually is. It’s quite crazy to think that 15 years ago it was still okay to say many of the things that are said on this show.

Nevertheless, Glee gave us something beautiful, and that is the lesbian relationship between Santana and Brittany.

For many girls around the world, Santana was the first lesbian they saw on television that they could identify with. For many, she was the first lesbian on television that gave them the courage to come out. Thank you, Naya.

The Sandman (2022-)

Is The Sandman the LGBTQ+ dark fantasy we’ve all been waiting for? It’s super queer, for sure! The series presents a world where being queer isn’t an issue (how it should be).

It’s an adaption of the legendary comic book by Neil Gaiman. And it’s probably one of the most inclusive shows of recent years, including several queer romances, a bi-supernatural detective, a non-binary sibling, and of course, lesbians!

But what is the show about? The Sandman is about Morpheus, the King of Dreams, and his journey across the Dreaming and Waking Worlds to find what was stolen from him so he can restore his power.

GLOW (2017-2019)

Lady wrestlers? Heck yeah! For a show in this setting, there definitely aren’t enough queer characters. It’s a miracle the lesbian romance doesn’t happen until the second season!

Set in the 1980s, this show will probably take many back to their Flashdance obsession. The outfits? I bet most queers wouldn’t mind going back to 80s sportswear.

Sadly, due to everything that happened in 2020, Netflix has decided to cancel the show and not proceed with its fourth and last season.

Jane the Virgin (2014-2019)

“You get a girlfriend! You get a girlfriend! Everybody gets a girlfriend!” but honestly, yay for having multiple queer women on a show that is not a queer show per se.

And spoiler: the best, aka the queerest, comes in season 4!

The show is about Jane Villanueva, who is a virgin but is accidentally inseminated. She then gets confused, love triangles happen, there are scary twins, and much more.

The show is a telenovela on the meta-level!

My Unorthodox Life (2021–)

My Unorthodox Life is a reality series about the professional and personal life of fashion queen Julia Haart, who’s the CEO of Elite World Group.

She has four children, one of which is Miriam, who comes out as bi during the first season. In season 2, we see Miriam together with Nathalie Ulander, a former Swedish tennis player.

Of course, within the first weeks, they live together, and Miriam even offers to marry Natalie to avoid deportation. I love some lesbian U-hauling! Sadly, after their first-anniversary trip to Venice, the two seem to have broken up.

Let’s see what will happen in a new season!

Bienvenidos a Eden (2022-2023)

Welcome to Eden! This mysterious sci-fi drama series reminds me of Yellowjackets and The Wilds, but then in Spanish. If you love these two lesbian series, you might be up for Bienvenidos a Eden as well!

What is the series about? A group of young adults are invited to a party on a remote and secret island. But little do they know that not all of them will leave the island. This remote and secret island holds dangerous secrets and is run by a cult.

Of course, the characters who help people escape and support the rebellion are all queer (including a lesbian couple)! Aren’t we all heroes?

The series won’t return for a third season, but you can enjoy two seasons on Netflix.

HTGAWM (2014-2020)

This legal drama might not seem very queer at first, but some steamy scenes between two men quickly change that.

Also, diversity is very much normalized in the series – in many ways.

The show also includes a powerful transgender storyline in season 2, played by a trans actress. And in the same season, our main character – Emmy-nominated Viola Davis – turns out to be queer (no labels defined)!

Little side-note from a proud Dutchie: her ex-girlfriend (Famke Janssen) is a Dutch actress!

Van Helsing (2016-2021)

When Vanessa Helsing, who is family of the vampire chaser Abraham Van Helsing, wakes up after a five-year-long coma, she notices the world has changed. Vampires have taken over.

Vanessa is then on a mission to return the world to how it was, especially after she learns that she’s immune to vampires.

This series is a fantasy horror drama series with a bi-lead! And there’s more LGBTQ+ representation included in the queer Netflix series. And for the lesbian couple, you need to wait two seasons!

Easy (2016-2019)

Every episode of this series is a different (love) story. It’s about modern love, couples figuring out how to move forward, break up, or evolve in an open relationship.

The absolute best storyline is obviously the queer one between Jo and Chase.

You can watch their story in S1E2, S2E7, and S3E3. The two develop a relationship and then have to navigate their struggles.

It is so refreshing to see a young lesbian couple navigating through the phases of dating, becoming a couple, and learning how to keep a healthy relationship without any word about their coming out.

Dive Club (2021)

Dive Club follows the 16-year-old divers Lauren, Stevie, Maddie, and Anna. After a storm hits Cape Mercy, their coastal town, one of the girls goes missing.

Her mysterious disappearance, a town full of secrets, the underwater world, romances, the arrival of a new friend, and suspicious holes in the police investigation make for great adventures.

And, of course, there’s a lesbian storyline involved!

It’s an Australian show shot in Port Douglas, Queensland, which makes for beautiful scenery. Diving is super cool, and when there’s some lesbian love involved, a mysterious disappearance, and the beauty of Australia, what else do you need?

Master of None (2015-2021)

And last but not least, on this lesbian Netflix shows with lesbian characters list: Master of None.

Openly queer actor and writer Lena Waithe plays the role of a lesbian novelist Denise in Master of None.

The third season is all about her personal and professional experiences and her romantic love life with her wife, Alicia. It’s a modern love story that showcases marriage’s ups and downs, fertility struggles, and growing together but also apart.

The first two seasons of the show center around Dev Shah, an actor based in New York who struggles to identify what he wants in life, both professionally and personally.

Lena Waithe plays a supporting character in the first two seasons and the lead in season three. While season 3 is worth watching for the lesbian content, so is episode 8 of season 2. The ‘Thanksgiving’ episode is about Denise coming out to her mother.

Best Lesbian Netflix shows

More Netflix wlw series! And with even bigger and more important storylines.

Read about the best lesbian Netflix shows and new lesbian Netflix shows.

Orange Is the New Black, The Fosters, Everything Now, The Ultimatum: Queer Love, The Fall of the House of Usher, and Feel Good are included on that list for example!

Lesbian Netflix Movies

Besides these best lesbian Netflix shows and lesbian Netflix shows with lesbian characters, there are also amazing lesbian Netflix movies!

Pariah, I Care a Lot, Booksmart, and The Half of It, to name a few.

Read our lesbian Netflix movies article to read all about these movies, and many more.

Secret Netflix Codes

We’ll tell you a little secret: Netflix has specific URLs for LGBTQ+ content!

The trick is to use the URL netflix.com/browse/genre/NUMBER – replace NUMBER with the secret Netflix code below!

LGBTQ TV Shows: 65263
LGBTQ Movies: 5977
LGBTQ Comedies: 7120
LGBTQ Dramas: 500
Romantic LGBTQ Movies: 3329
LGBTQ Documentaries: 4720

Enjoy watching these lesbian Netflix shows with lesbian characters! Hopefully, the upcoming years will bring us many more lesbian Netflix shows and lesbian movies.

What’s your favorite lesbian show to watch? We would love to know!

And don’t forget to share these lesbian Netflix shows with lesbian characters with all your friends.