By popular request, I am happy to share a curated list of black lesbian films, which I originally published on my old blog, Haus of Isis, on March 14, 2023.
As a straight white woman, I feel like a bit of an interloper reading this article but here I am. This piece is so rich with background, history and context. And the curated list is very valuable. I find myself being drawn to black female artists; writers, comedians, thought-leaders and also seeing their stories authentically played out in film. And I provide support to them when it’s possible and makes sense.
I do have a question about your initial notes as you introduce and explain the piece. You state that the global black lesbian population is twice that of white lesbians. And I am curious where you find that statistic because it is fascinating.
Hi Joanna! Thanks so much for reading and sharing your appreciation. While I made this post for the benefit of black sapphic women who are searching for imagery where we are reflected-it is public because it can be educational for everyone, and other groups can learn from our authentic stories.
The statistics I gathered are based on the estimated world population who have primarily Euro or Caucasian descent vs. Black/African descent). There are millions more black people on the planet than there are white people. White people are the global minority, estimated at 8% of the human population, from various sources. Although about 7 years ago, Wikipedia released a graph showing that white people were only 6.5% of the global population. The white population has been steadily declining for years due to racial admixture.
The African population alone, not counting the black diasporas in Europe, Americas, Asia, etc., is 18.3% of the global population, and Africa is a majority black continent.
Since homosexuality is a naturally occurring human variation that's consistent in its distribution across race (despite the fact that not everyone is "out" due to cultural differences) it's fair to say that the global population of black lesbians is at least double that of white lesbians, if we simply look at human population through a lens of race and sex alone.
Wow! This was so great! You have such a unique perspective on culture and it's really nice to read.
Aside from Pariah, I hadn't heard of any of these films and I'm excited to check them out. I think lesbians films with a white protagonist primarily focus on "this is who I love." Black lesbian films, at least the ones I've seen, are more about, "this is how I love," they depict the inner conflict and turmoil of being a lesbian so authentically. Which is nice to see because black lesbians navigate through the world with such swagger and confidence. Their movies really show what it took to get there.
The few I've seen written and directed by black lesbians are near the top of my list as favorites. And they're my favorites because they depict such universal experiences so authentically.
Pariah - The experience of conservative parents who feel they must keep up with appearances and put the burden of their family reputation on their lesbian daughter to remove herself from the picture. I mean, they were so much like my parents in that they didn't explicitly say I couldn't be a lesbian. They just didn't want me to acknowledge I was a lesbian around them.
The Watermelon Woman - I wonder how many young lesbians are so drawn to certain public figures and end up finding out they were lesbians. I watched it and was like, "wow, such a random thing to make a movie about, but I've been living with similar thoughts all my life!" I felt seen. I was obsessed with Doris Day for decades. I knew for sure I would learn about her life-long lesbian lover posthumously. Still holding out. Also, Cheryl's internal conflict about Diana was SO real! And I love that it didn't resolve in the end.
D.E.B.S. - Such a great film about the individuation that we face as young adults. The message is universal that we have to be true to ourselves not only about whom we love, but also what we do with our lives, and it's imperative we find a partner who wants that for us.
I've been thinking a lot lately about how Bad Bunny (and his Super Bowl halftime show) makes music that can't help but express the universal human experience and I really think it's something white people don't express as well because they're obsessed more with roles, status, achievement, and external validation.
Fun fact: my wife and I love to say if there was ever a movie about us, it's The Incredibly True Adventures of Two Girls in Love. Not only the race and butch and femme dynamic, but the wealth and intelligence dynamics too. My wife was her valedictorian at her private school and I grew up poor and barely graduated high school. I think being in a same-sex relationship offers some freedom in that. Like, "hey, I never would have thought to date someone from your side of the tracks, but I also never thought I'd date a woman. Yet, here were are." I'm getting deja vu like I've mentioned this before in another post.
Again, thanks so much for putting this list together.
Hey Courtney, aww thanks so much for sharing your thoughts-I’m glad you enjoyed the list and I put you onto some new films! I love the framing of “this is how I love vs. who I love”. Black lesbian films (and I find also…films by other lesbians of color) often include cultural elements and how it impacts their lesbian experience, in the way Pariah did—eg. with the homophobic Caribbean father. When re-reading the paragraph I wrote about Pariah, I thought of you and how you may have related to the story in the way I did, i.e. with the toxic family dynamics.
My parents were similar, in that they did not want me to express my sexuality openly. My Mom became a lot more accepting of my sexuality later in adulthood, but my Dad stayed the same. They were also always uncomfortable with me dressing androgynously, which I did a lot more of ages 13-15. They really made sure to curtail that expression as much as possible.
I love the film, “Incredibly True Adventures of Two Girls In Love”! I linked it earlier in the post as an example of a white butch-black femme coupling. The film was very wholesome and comforting, maybe the 90’s vibe also has something to do with it.
I get that—white people not expressing as much human connection because they are concerned with status and achievement. I think that’s where “whiteness” has led people on a cultural level, and there is unfortunately so much social and economic reinforcement towards that ideology. I think that is why black and latin music has always been so popular is because it has that soul, authenticity, and some artists like michael jackson and bob marley, bring people together. Tapping into that spiritual oneness through music!
My black lesbian book list is also going to be fire! 🔥 Keep on the lookout for that, maybe later this year. 🌺
Thank you for sharing and for all your research! I have seen Pariah and loved it. Rafiki and While You Weren't Looking stand out the most to me, but all of these films seem interesting.
Hi Aisha! Thank yew for sharing your words of appreciation 💜 & You’re welcome 😊 Rafiki is such a wonderful film. If you have a library card, you can easily watch it on Kanopy for free!
This is a wonderful post! I'm limited about what films I can get, but definitely want to see what's on your list. I didn't even know Pippa Fleming did a film. (We're old friends but lost touch some years ago. I'm glad if she's back in Oakland.)
Pariah is fantastic.
Except for secondary Lesbian characters in TV series and films now, I haven't known many "Lesbian" films with happy endings, but then I remember this, almost 30 years old (1995), with an African-descent rich girl and a poverty class Euro-descent Butch girl:
Laurel Holloman convincingly plays a young Butch, but is unrecognizable years later in The L Word as Tina, Bette's lover, who goes het for years and then returns....
I believe being Butch is a choice made in girlhood and have known many who claim to be or who are said to be, but few who are. Pippa is, and so am I, and I know many others, but still, we are rare to see in films.
Hi Bev, thank you for commenting & sharing your appreciation! I linked to the Incredibly True Adventures of Two Girls in Love in my post, although I didn’t name it explicitly.
You’re right about many of our films not having happy endings. Some of the movies on my list have happy endings despite hardship, while others are sort of mixed or they are simply true to the person’s life story-they are all different.
I've been liking your posts but can't usually comment. Still, they are so important for Lesbians, including how you dealt with that woman who pretended to be a friend while using you and being after you. It's hard when we are trusting and think the best of someone, and also don't want to become distrustful, but of course we often need to be. I know you have the added layer of racism to deal with with women like that, but your clarity is inspirational for those of us who have been used and the assumption we are here to be used (for me, about being a Lifelong Lesbian, Butch, working class, but poor in my adult life.) I'll never forget the knowing smirk I saw on a Fem Lesbian who looked at me when I was shopping for food and she recognized what I was and thought she could have me if she wanted. That was so bizarre. We are too rare to be used!
Hey Bev, thank you so much for reading and sharing about my recent stories. I'm glad you and so many other women are getting a lot out of my sharings, especially as they are vulnerable for me.
Really wild that this woman gave you a knowing smirk. Reminds me of how a lot of (straight or hetero-inclined bisexual) women just assume that lesbians are into every single woman, and don't have any standards or preferences.
The woman who offered me housing was very presumptuous to think that I would just fall into her lap, or to think that she even had a chance. My personhood was totally erased from her psyche. I'm at peace with how I handled the situation.
I limit comments on my posts because a lot of the material I share is sensitive and charged and I sometimes receive some really offhand comments, especially from men and/or racially insensitive white folks. However, I appreciate hearing from you. Thank you for chiming in as you do. 🌺
I so appreciate that you don't mind me commenting. The arrogance of some women is amazing. Beside the racist sense of entitlement that woman had about you, class-privileged have that too and also are just not too bright to think they own you on some level. They could become aware but it never crosses their minds that they are being stupid and oblivious and have no right to another woman they have power over. I have to say that after knowing hundreds of women there is only one middle class Lesbian who I truly trust to not feel superior. She's not from the US.
As a straight white woman, I feel like a bit of an interloper reading this article but here I am. This piece is so rich with background, history and context. And the curated list is very valuable. I find myself being drawn to black female artists; writers, comedians, thought-leaders and also seeing their stories authentically played out in film. And I provide support to them when it’s possible and makes sense.
I do have a question about your initial notes as you introduce and explain the piece. You state that the global black lesbian population is twice that of white lesbians. And I am curious where you find that statistic because it is fascinating.
Thank you 🙏
Hi Joanna! Thanks so much for reading and sharing your appreciation. While I made this post for the benefit of black sapphic women who are searching for imagery where we are reflected-it is public because it can be educational for everyone, and other groups can learn from our authentic stories.
The statistics I gathered are based on the estimated world population who have primarily Euro or Caucasian descent vs. Black/African descent). There are millions more black people on the planet than there are white people. White people are the global minority, estimated at 8% of the human population, from various sources. Although about 7 years ago, Wikipedia released a graph showing that white people were only 6.5% of the global population. The white population has been steadily declining for years due to racial admixture.
The African population alone, not counting the black diasporas in Europe, Americas, Asia, etc., is 18.3% of the global population, and Africa is a majority black continent.
Since homosexuality is a naturally occurring human variation that's consistent in its distribution across race (despite the fact that not everyone is "out" due to cultural differences) it's fair to say that the global population of black lesbians is at least double that of white lesbians, if we simply look at human population through a lens of race and sex alone.
🙏🙏🙏
Wow! This was so great! You have such a unique perspective on culture and it's really nice to read.
Aside from Pariah, I hadn't heard of any of these films and I'm excited to check them out. I think lesbians films with a white protagonist primarily focus on "this is who I love." Black lesbian films, at least the ones I've seen, are more about, "this is how I love," they depict the inner conflict and turmoil of being a lesbian so authentically. Which is nice to see because black lesbians navigate through the world with such swagger and confidence. Their movies really show what it took to get there.
The few I've seen written and directed by black lesbians are near the top of my list as favorites. And they're my favorites because they depict such universal experiences so authentically.
Pariah - The experience of conservative parents who feel they must keep up with appearances and put the burden of their family reputation on their lesbian daughter to remove herself from the picture. I mean, they were so much like my parents in that they didn't explicitly say I couldn't be a lesbian. They just didn't want me to acknowledge I was a lesbian around them.
The Watermelon Woman - I wonder how many young lesbians are so drawn to certain public figures and end up finding out they were lesbians. I watched it and was like, "wow, such a random thing to make a movie about, but I've been living with similar thoughts all my life!" I felt seen. I was obsessed with Doris Day for decades. I knew for sure I would learn about her life-long lesbian lover posthumously. Still holding out. Also, Cheryl's internal conflict about Diana was SO real! And I love that it didn't resolve in the end.
D.E.B.S. - Such a great film about the individuation that we face as young adults. The message is universal that we have to be true to ourselves not only about whom we love, but also what we do with our lives, and it's imperative we find a partner who wants that for us.
I've been thinking a lot lately about how Bad Bunny (and his Super Bowl halftime show) makes music that can't help but express the universal human experience and I really think it's something white people don't express as well because they're obsessed more with roles, status, achievement, and external validation.
Fun fact: my wife and I love to say if there was ever a movie about us, it's The Incredibly True Adventures of Two Girls in Love. Not only the race and butch and femme dynamic, but the wealth and intelligence dynamics too. My wife was her valedictorian at her private school and I grew up poor and barely graduated high school. I think being in a same-sex relationship offers some freedom in that. Like, "hey, I never would have thought to date someone from your side of the tracks, but I also never thought I'd date a woman. Yet, here were are." I'm getting deja vu like I've mentioned this before in another post.
Again, thanks so much for putting this list together.
Hey Courtney, aww thanks so much for sharing your thoughts-I’m glad you enjoyed the list and I put you onto some new films! I love the framing of “this is how I love vs. who I love”. Black lesbian films (and I find also…films by other lesbians of color) often include cultural elements and how it impacts their lesbian experience, in the way Pariah did—eg. with the homophobic Caribbean father. When re-reading the paragraph I wrote about Pariah, I thought of you and how you may have related to the story in the way I did, i.e. with the toxic family dynamics.
My parents were similar, in that they did not want me to express my sexuality openly. My Mom became a lot more accepting of my sexuality later in adulthood, but my Dad stayed the same. They were also always uncomfortable with me dressing androgynously, which I did a lot more of ages 13-15. They really made sure to curtail that expression as much as possible.
I love the film, “Incredibly True Adventures of Two Girls In Love”! I linked it earlier in the post as an example of a white butch-black femme coupling. The film was very wholesome and comforting, maybe the 90’s vibe also has something to do with it.
I get that—white people not expressing as much human connection because they are concerned with status and achievement. I think that’s where “whiteness” has led people on a cultural level, and there is unfortunately so much social and economic reinforcement towards that ideology. I think that is why black and latin music has always been so popular is because it has that soul, authenticity, and some artists like michael jackson and bob marley, bring people together. Tapping into that spiritual oneness through music!
My black lesbian book list is also going to be fire! 🔥 Keep on the lookout for that, maybe later this year. 🌺
Thank you for sharing and for all your research! I have seen Pariah and loved it. Rafiki and While You Weren't Looking stand out the most to me, but all of these films seem interesting.
Hi Aisha! Thank yew for sharing your words of appreciation 💜 & You’re welcome 😊 Rafiki is such a wonderful film. If you have a library card, you can easily watch it on Kanopy for free!
This is a wonderful post! I'm limited about what films I can get, but definitely want to see what's on your list. I didn't even know Pippa Fleming did a film. (We're old friends but lost touch some years ago. I'm glad if she's back in Oakland.)
Pariah is fantastic.
Except for secondary Lesbian characters in TV series and films now, I haven't known many "Lesbian" films with happy endings, but then I remember this, almost 30 years old (1995), with an African-descent rich girl and a poverty class Euro-descent Butch girl:
The Incredibly True Adventure of 2 Girls in Love
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Incredibly_True_Adventure_of_Two_Girls_in_Love
Laurel Holloman convincingly plays a young Butch, but is unrecognizable years later in The L Word as Tina, Bette's lover, who goes het for years and then returns....
I believe being Butch is a choice made in girlhood and have known many who claim to be or who are said to be, but few who are. Pippa is, and so am I, and I know many others, but still, we are rare to see in films.
Hi Bev, thank you for commenting & sharing your appreciation! I linked to the Incredibly True Adventures of Two Girls in Love in my post, although I didn’t name it explicitly.
You’re right about many of our films not having happy endings. Some of the movies on my list have happy endings despite hardship, while others are sort of mixed or they are simply true to the person’s life story-they are all different.
I've been liking your posts but can't usually comment. Still, they are so important for Lesbians, including how you dealt with that woman who pretended to be a friend while using you and being after you. It's hard when we are trusting and think the best of someone, and also don't want to become distrustful, but of course we often need to be. I know you have the added layer of racism to deal with with women like that, but your clarity is inspirational for those of us who have been used and the assumption we are here to be used (for me, about being a Lifelong Lesbian, Butch, working class, but poor in my adult life.) I'll never forget the knowing smirk I saw on a Fem Lesbian who looked at me when I was shopping for food and she recognized what I was and thought she could have me if she wanted. That was so bizarre. We are too rare to be used!
Hey Bev, thank you so much for reading and sharing about my recent stories. I'm glad you and so many other women are getting a lot out of my sharings, especially as they are vulnerable for me.
Really wild that this woman gave you a knowing smirk. Reminds me of how a lot of (straight or hetero-inclined bisexual) women just assume that lesbians are into every single woman, and don't have any standards or preferences.
The woman who offered me housing was very presumptuous to think that I would just fall into her lap, or to think that she even had a chance. My personhood was totally erased from her psyche. I'm at peace with how I handled the situation.
I limit comments on my posts because a lot of the material I share is sensitive and charged and I sometimes receive some really offhand comments, especially from men and/or racially insensitive white folks. However, I appreciate hearing from you. Thank you for chiming in as you do. 🌺
I so appreciate that you don't mind me commenting. The arrogance of some women is amazing. Beside the racist sense of entitlement that woman had about you, class-privileged have that too and also are just not too bright to think they own you on some level. They could become aware but it never crosses their minds that they are being stupid and oblivious and have no right to another woman they have power over. I have to say that after knowing hundreds of women there is only one middle class Lesbian who I truly trust to not feel superior. She's not from the US.