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.
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.
🙏🙏🙏
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.