I’ve been meaning to do this post for a while, but the truth is, I’ve found it hard narrowing it down to just ten (and technically I’ve cheated a little here, but you’ll see why when we get there). Here we go in descending order:
10. Camille Wray – Stargate Universe (SGU)
Camille Wray is on this list for several reasons. Camille is a member of the IOA, who we are supposed to hate (based on past experienced of the other shows in the franchise), but you can’t help but fall for her. Camille, is resilient, kick ass, sensitive, sticks to her guns, artistic, loving (towards not only her partner but other people you wouldn’t expect). Her sexuality is just one part of her character and that is portrayed extremely well by Ming Na. We have a fully rounded character who just happens to be a lesbian, much like the other kick ass women in the franchise who happen to be straight.
9. Amanita – Sense8
Where to start with Amanita…. She’s sensitive, caring, has proven her love for Nomi so many times over. She rescues her love from a hospital for crying out loud! And unlike most women, she doesn’t think that her girlfriend is crazy when she tells her she’s communicating with other people telepathically. In fact she wants to help her figure it all out. And let’s not forget the scene where she basically tells a militant rad feminist friend to f*ck off because of the way she labels Nomi as a symbol of oppressive patriarchy. Yup, Neets definitely gets my vote, especially with those dreads.
8. Rebecca Westridge – A Perfect Ending
I’m a fan of Barbara Niven, I’m not going to deny that one little bit. I adore her work. I think she’s an amazing actress and she’s so proactive in spreading positivity on all of her social media. I started watching Cedar Cove for Teryl Rothery and stayed for Teryl and Barbara. Rebecca Westridge is an older woman, wanting to experience passion, wanting to reach orgasm for the first time in her life, and thanks to friends, she finds both with a younger woman. The character is believable, and a delight to have on the screen. As we watch her go from uncertainty to pure, unfettered love and realisation of self, we are pulled along for an epic ride.
7. Rose – Hashtag Series
Rose is the character we are supposed to want to hate for the way she’s treated Liv and goes on to treat Skylar…. she’s a bad girl. But let’s face it, most of us fall for a bad girl at some point or another. And Rose is most definitely mine. It also doesn’t help that Kate Black-Spence and I have bonded over twitter due to our love of a particular person. KBS is a sweetheart, Rose is not. And her ability to pull off the bad girl attitude makes me smile. Plus, on a superficial level (as with all the women on this list), can you see how attractive she is? And when she wears her glasses…. dayum.
6. Alex Vause – Orange is the New Black
Alex Vause is one of my favourites in OITNB (although don’t get me started on Red, I will always love Kate Mulgrew). I have a thing for Alex. Another bad girl. And Alex is a bad girl on the criminal scale. I love her sass, I love her attitude, and I love that she’s vulnerable too. She can’t help but fall in love with Piper time and time again, and because of Alex, we don’t see Piper as a flat character who shouldn’t be in Litchfield. Alex is smart and savy. She’s protective of her heart, but it readily comes to the surface. And she’s another one who pulls off the glasses look and makes me drool because of it.
5. Suzanne Warren (‘Crazy Eyes’) – Orange is the New Black
I won’t call her ‘Crazy Eyes’ again, because I think it does the character disservice. Suzanne Warren isn’t just a lesbian, she’s a passionate woman who does the best with the hand she’s been dealt. I love the fact that in Suzanne we have a character who is dealing with the cards she’s been dealt. She recognises who she is and her struggles and she has her own way of coping. I love the way she passionately falls head over heels for the wrong people. I love her childlike simplicity which hides her extremely dirty mind. Suzanne makes you look at things in a different way, because she sees them in a different way.
4. Tash – Hashtag Series
If I’m honest, I could do a post on all of Marnie Alton’s lesbian characters alone, and I might do that at a later date. I’ve chosen Tash for my top ten though because, well she’s Tash. She’s so in love with Liv and so adorable, and to be honest she gets the rough end of the deal when it comes to that love. In season 1 they were my OTP. Tash brings out the best in people and that was so clear when it came Liv. I was and still am on the #TeamTash bandwagon (sorry Penny, but it’s Tash all the way for me). Come season 2, she helps Emily explore her sexuality, and to be honest, I’m praying for a season 3 where Tash gets all the loving she deserves. And let’s not forget she’s a yoga instructor (flexibility – enough said).
3. Nomi – Sense8
There are so many reasons I love Nomi. She’s smart, sexy, a complete hacktivist geek. She’s chosen to be who she really is, despite the pain that brings. Nomi is a woman, there’s no doubt about that in her mind, or the minds of the audience. I want to slap her mother six ways from Sunday for the way she insists that Nomi isn’t Nomi but Michael. Nomi is living life on her terms and that is inspiring, and she does so with passion, conviction, and authenticity. She’s definitely my favourite character in Sense8 by far.
2. Tara Maclay – Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Buffy may not be airing any more, but I will always have a soft spot for Tara Maclay. Beautiful, sweet, sensitive, socially and emotionally awkward Tara who helped me to finally accept my sexuality isn’t heteronormative. Tara reminded me of me as I started to come out. She struggled to find somewhere socially to fit in, had to deal with father issues. Quietly watching everyone and everything around her, Tara wasn’t the person you expected to be kick ass, but she was. Her abilities were intense and she was everything to me, during those years. I have never cried harder at a TV character death than I did at Tara’s. And as much as I love Willow, I still hold her partly to blame all these years later. Tara was one of my final gateways into becoming who I am today.
`1. Nikki Beaumont and Nora Delany – Nikki & Nora/The N&N Files
I warned you there was some cheating involved in this list. But I can’t separate these two. And you wouldn’t want me to either. It took ten years after an unaired pilot (Nikki & Nora) was leaked, for us to get a webseries on tello films for this show. Ten years of reading endless fanfic about two cops who are in a lesbian relationship, who kick ass, and who stole the hearts of the lesbian community. Now they are private eyes, no longer on the force, but still together and still just as kick ass. They compliment each other so well and they have stolen a place in many a lesbian heart. The chemistry between both women is intense. Nikki is a definite femme with shopaholic tendencies, Nora is more relaxed, but they both have a passion for clothes. And I love the way in which they covertly go for PDAs when they think no one is watching. I’m just hoping that season 2 of The N&N Files (which I won’t give up hope on us getting), brings a claw foot bath tub to their master bathroom…… (gives Nancylee Myatt the puppy dog eyes).
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