Ever since the pandemic, the 2020s have given birth to a lesbian renaissance, and so far, this year has been peak! From sapphic songs dominating music charts to WLW making waves in mainstream media, queer women are finally getting the spotlight, celebration, and revolution we deserve. Let’s dive into why 2024 is being hyped up as the Year of the Lesbian.
Explosion of Sapphic Music in Mainstream
2024 has seen an explosion of queer women in music, with Chappell Roan, Billie Eilish, Young Miko, and Kehlani all releasing new and highly acclaimed queer music.
Chappell Roan’s journey from identifying as queer to proudly declaring herself a lesbian has been inspiring, and her music has resonated deeply not just within the queer community but also with the straights! HOT TO GO!, Pink Pony Club, and even Good Luck, Babe! have blown up throughout social media. Her performances have sold out in minutes, with historic crowds singing her music word by word. A huge change from where she once started, singing along to her portable piano to a few passersby. It took her seven years to become an overnight success! And, of course, she exploded; when? In 2024. During the year of the lesbian.
In 2024, Billie Eilish also blew up in the lesbian space for her explicitly sapphic lyrics “I could eat that girl for lunch, the way she dances on my tongue” and “open up the [closet] door” in her new album Hit Me Hard and Soft. She continues to push boundaries with her bold queer lyrics and performances, making waves in both mainstream and queer circles. She was seen recently talking on stage with Young Miko!
Young Miko is a significant figure in the Puerto Rican music scene. This is revolutionary for us Latinas to see one of us so unabashedly queer, in Spanish, with artists like Bad Bunny, and also in the reggaeton culture which is traditionally patriarchal/machista. She released her new album ATT in 2024 with escandolo-type lyrics like “Es que rápido me enchulo de las nenas. Si me hablan lindo, yo me caso sin dilema. Y me las como desayuno, almuerzo y cena.” Sigh.
Famously, Kehlani has become a pivotal figure in lesbian culture through her unapologetic visibility and activism. As an Afro-Asian-indigenous openly lesbian artist, her music often explores themes of love, identity, and empowerment from a queer perspective. In 2024, she released her latest album, Blue Water Road. Her spontaneous appearance at The Woods’ Misster party in NYC went viral, highlighting her active participation in local queer spaces.
Also, who would’ve thought that we’d get the honor to see a live performance of (what a lot of queer folks claim as) the “lesbian anthem” Fast Car by Tracy Chapman in 2024—-and at the Grammys?! Late last year, Tracy made history as the first Black woman to take home a Country Music Association (CMA) award for the 1988 track, which was Song of the Year.
2024 Coachella’s Sapphic Surprises
Coachella 2024 earned the nickname “Queerchella.” There were major performances by big sapphic artists like Reneé Rapp, Chappell Roan, Tinashe, The Japanese House, Young Miko, Brittany Howard, Ludmilla, and Victoria Monét. The cast of The L Word even introduced Rapp, and Monét shared an intimate moment with a female dancer on stage. Other significant moments included Billie Eilish‘s teasers for her new sapphic song LUNCH, Taylor Swift’s subtle nods to queer culture, and K-Pop group Le Sserafim‘s debut of queer-friendly track, 1-800-Hot-n-Fun.
Despite Coachella’s corporate ties to anti-LGBTQ+ organizations, the festival served as a powerful platform for queer artists to protest from within and claim space in mainstream music. While there are concerns about the commercialization (rainbow capitalism) and potential exploitation (queerbaiting) of queer identities, the visibility and celebration of sapphic culture at Coachella 2024 marked a significant step towards greater inclusion and visibility in mainstream culture. Imagine what this will also do to the younger generations, having this type of representation and feeling of being celebrated.
Lesbian Movies
Kristen Stewart and Katy O’Brian slayed in Love Lies Bleeding. The thriller/crime movie explores deep themes of lesbian representation without portraying queer romance and relationships as difficult per se, but because of the murder crime, the leads have to cover up. This is very refreshing, considering it’s set in the 80s! The movie also features female bodybuilding!
Other notable lesbian movies this year include Am I OK?, starring Dakota Johnson. The film tells the story of a 32-year-old late-bloomer lesbian navigating her newfound identity and how lonely yet human it can be. Late bloomers, we see you! Drive-Away Dolls is a wacky road-trip comedy-thriller that follows a free-spirited lesbian and her uptight queer friend.
This increasing number of films adds to the diverse range of stories representing lesbian lives on screen. Finally!
Groundbreaking Lesbian TV Shows
The true crime drama Under the Bridge has become popular in queer households this year. Based on Rebecca Godfrey’s book, it tells the real-life story of Reena Virk, a 14-year-old girl murdered by a group of teenagers in Victoria, Canada. In the show, Riley Keough plays a queer writer who returns to the city to write a book about the investigation, leading her to face her complicated past with Cam Bentland (played by Lily Gladstone), the lead police officer on the case.
Meanwhile, I Kissed a Girl, the U.K.’s first dating lesbian show, features a wide range of queer experiences that will definitely make you feel seen and heard. Because… guess what? It’s brought to us by a range of sapphic folks, who not only represent both femmes and mascs but also have very entertaining and deeply relatable personalities. Their chats vary in a range of topics from women’s sports to how the label lesbian makes them feel.
The Lesbian Bar Project
The Lesbian Bar Project has been an incredible initiative that highlights and preserves the few remaining lesbian bars across the United States. They released a series of episodes that focus on the history, culture, and personal stories connected to these bars. Each dives deep into the significance of these spaces, featuring interviews with bar owners, patrons, and historians. The project also launched a cool interactive map, guiding users to these historic and culturally rich venues, ensuring they are celebrated and frequented by new generations.
During Pride 2024, I attended a screening in Brooklyn of their new FLINTA* episode. This one was special because it highlights the intersectionality within our community, focusing on the experiences of women, lesbians, intersex, non-binary, trans, and agender people.
*In German, FLINTA stands for, “Frauen, Lesben, Intergeschlechtliche, nichtbinäre, trans und agender Personen,” which means, “women, lesbian, inter, non-binary, trans and agender people.”
Lesbian TikTok at an All-Time High
Lesbian TikTok is at an all-time high, with influencers like Avery Cyrus, Soph Mosca, Nicole Bloomgarden, and Mak Ingemi on the lead. Their entertaining, real-life lesbian storytelling and comedic skits have made them beloved figures in the community. We love seeing their day-in-the-life and being inspired by updates to lesbian pop culture.
Other famous lesbian TikTokers include lesbian married moms like Julie Lorentzen who shares her family life with her wife and son through lifestyle videos and skits, and Farm Life Iceland shows the beauty of farming and queer family in the land of fire and ice.
Our queen, Chrys (@theqweeragenda), on the other hand, gives us the passionate energy and voicing of important topics we’re craving. Her commentaries on social issues and feminism feel like that scene in Barbie when the girls get that “light bulb” moment and walk away enlightened, empowered, and changed for the better.
Rainbow History Class, which educates on LGBTQ+ history, is making waves too. Hosts Rudy and Hannah shed light on various queer historical facts, events, and concepts such as compulsory heterosexuality, green carnations, and why fanfiction is important to queer folks.
If you scroll through your TikTok feed long enough, you’ll also see clips of the incredible Made it Out podcast by Mal Glowenke, who has honest talks with her guests about a range of topics that interest and affect the lesbian community! She’s probably the best lesbian podcaster out there right now.
In June, Prom videos became a massive trend where high school queer couples showed their prom dates and outfits through fun transitions–A heartwarming celebration of moments that many of us millennials proudly see as a huge stride compared to our high school days and the proms we wish we could have had.
These accounts have spread so much awareness, helped many confused queers find answers, and see themselves beautifully represented in a positive light. Lesbian TikTok has literally awakened hundreds of thousands, if not millions of women to discover and/or better connect to their queerness.
Women’s Basketball Boom
Athletes like Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers have amassed extraordinary popularity, leading to record-breaking viewership numbers in women’s basketball. The Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) is one of the most progressive leagues that gives visibility to its queer players, who use their voices to raise awareness and support LGBT causes. The WNBA has a huge lesbian following and a number of queer players that make up the league! Attending a basketball game today, it’s like a big queer hangout. To see this explosion in popularity is wild because the WNBA was considered a joke to a lot of people, like comedian Michael Che. But recently, he did a skit centered on Caitlin Clark roasting Michael Che for his jokes about women’s sports. What a change! Let us not forget this progress is also thanks to veterans like Sue Bird who have been paving the way for decades!
The 2024 Olympics
With a record of 193 openly LGBTQ+ athletes participating, the 2024 Paris Olympics have been historic for the queer community.
One of the standout lesbian moments involved the U.S. women’s rugby sevens team, which includes six openly lesbian players, clinching their first Olympic medal in a dramatic fashion with a last-second score. This victory highlighted the representation of lesbian athletes winning at the highest level of international sports.
Then there is the establishment of the Pride House, a safe space for LGBTQ+ athletes and visitors on a boat on the Seine, providing support, community, and visibility during the games. A symbol of the ongoing fight against discrimination in sports.
And notably, the opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics included a queer performance by French DJ and LGBTQ+ activist Barbara Butch. She performed at the center of a tableau that featured her wearing a halo-like crown, surrounded by drag queens. Unfortunately, however, it was harshly criticized by many religious leaders and other conservatives who interpreted it as a mockery of Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper.” However, the ceremony’s artistic director, Thomas Jolly, clarified that the performance, named “Festivity,” was an homage to the Olympian Greek god of festivities, Dionysus.
More Celebrity Women Coming Out in 2024
Julia Fox shared her story in an intimate interview, describing her journey of self-discovery and the relief of living authentically. Billie Eilish made headlines when she came out late last year, inspiring many young fans with her openness. Reneé Rapp, who formerly identified as bisexual, reaffirmed her lesbian identity in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter.
Other notable celebrities who came out this year include Sophia Bush, who revealed her queer identity in a heartfelt piece for Glamour magazine, and Maren Morris, who proudly identified as bisexual. House of the Dragon’s Bethany Antonia used a troll’s hateful message as an opportunity to come out as gay, turning negativity into a powerful moment of pride. And let’s not forget Parvati Shallow from Survivor, who came out as queer during the holidays in December 2023, adding to the wave of visibility and acceptance in the queer community.
Others include Reneé Rapp and Chapell Roan, confirming they’re not just bisexual but lesbians! Jessica Madsen and more have publicly embraced their queer identities, joining a growing list of celebs who are out and living their truth more and more in recent years.
Continue Reading Lesbian Resources
- What is the Viral Lesbian Masterdoc?
- 2024 Lesbian Slang Terms
- What is the Difference Between ‘Sapphic’ and ‘Lesbian’?
- The 5 Official Lesbian Bars in NYC + 8 Lesbian-Leaning Bars
- Cool Lesbian Spaces in NYC for Events & Community Meet-Ups
- 17 Lesbian Halloween Costume Ideas This 2024
We’re only halfway through the year. What else will 2024 hold? From music to movies and podcasts to TikTok, queer women are making their mark and changing the narrative. Let’s continue to support each other, share our stories, and celebrate our burgeoning community. Here’s to the lesbian renaissance!