The ‘lesbian renaissance’ has arrived: LGBT+ icons hail a ‘sapphic tsunami’  as steamy female sex scenes dominate TV and film and pop lyrics depict girl-on-girl love stories

It has been nearly 14 years since the steamy and hotly-debated lesbian film Blue is the Warmest Colour arrived in cinemas, shocking and offending with its racy romance and graphic sex scenes. 

Since then, representation of lesbians in popular culture is much more common, with a growing number of celebrities including Kristen Stewart, Billie Eilish and Cara Delevingne, speaking publicly about love and sex – and even turning their experiences into art. 

Some are going as far as to say we’re currently in the midst of a ‘lesbian-renaissance’ or a ‘sapphic tsunami’ as more and more steamy queer plotlines light up our screens and fill the charts.

Some believe lesbian love stories have begun to offer more ‘realistic’ takes on real romance, whether it be in films such as Kristen Stewart’s latest sapphic movie, Love Lies Bleeding, the debut of the first ever reality dating show which is just for girls, or the advent of queer-centrist artists like Chappel Roan and Billie Eilish.

It comes as statistics reveal that nearly a third of Gen Z American’s identify as LGBTQ+ as well as a data that shows a declining number of people identifying as straight at home in the UK. 

Reneé Rap shared the stage with her girlfriend, Towa Bird, at Coachella earlier this year

According to the Office for National Statistics, the number of people in the UK aged over 16 who identified as lesbian, gay or bisexual rose to 3.3 per cent in 2022, further growth from 2.1 per cent in 2017, which itself reflected a rise.

These statistics are perhaps demonstrated by a growing number of outwardly LGBT+ people in pop culture, with lesbian stories in particular on the rise in film, television and music. 

When French-Tunisian director, Abdellatif Kechiche, made Blue Is the Warmest Colour in 2013, it won a number of awards including Best Feature award when it premiered at the 66th Cannes Film Festival.

The film, which starred the French heterosexual actors, Adèle Exarchopoulos and Léa Seydoux, was at one point hailed as one of the greatest lesbian films ever made.

However, the graphic tale quickly came under fire over allegations about Kechiche’s behaviour on set and the working conditions stars were subject to. At the time, reports emerged that the director made stars repeat sex scenes up to 100 times.

Additionally, many lesbian viewers were quick to snub the racy sex scenes – one which is 13 minutes long – as unrealistic, and designed for the ‘male gaze’.

Pictured: Chappel Roan, who identifies as lesbian, pictured on her Instagram. The pop artist is currently number one in a number of chart lists around the world. Many of her songs detail lesbian stories

The BBC TV series, I Kissed a Girl, aired earlier this year was the first lesbian dating show. Pictured, popular contestant in the show, Amy Spalding, kissing a newcomer on the show, Lailah Muscat

Pictured: Noémie Merlant (right) and Adèle Haenel (left) in the 2019 French film, A Portrait of a Lady On Fire, was highly praised for its moving tale between two women in 18th century

The pop star Reneé Rapp (pictured) made history at the famous US festival, Coachella, when she brought on stage the cast of the noughties lesbian TV show, The L World, on stage with her

Ayo Edebiri (left) and Rachel Sennott (right) starred in the film, Bottoms, a hit high school movie about two lesbians trying to ‘get laid’. The 2023 film received rave reviews

Kristen Stewart pictured in their latest film, Love Lies Bleeding, a lesbian film about a reclusive gym manager who falls for Jackie, an ambitious bodybuilder

Pictured: Reneé Rapp (right) pictured next to Kesha, who identifies as bisexual, performed together as Coachella festival 

Fast forward to 2024 and the landscape of lesbian storytelling is very different.

American singer Billie Eilish’s song LUNCH – which lyrics depict woman on woman love making – reached number one in the UK charts when it came out in May, suggesting an improvement in ‘realistic’ representation of queer sex is popular in art.

And the field of film has opened up to far more than two sexually ambiguous French teenagers, with films such as Kristen Stewart’s Love Lies Bleeding coming out this year, as well as Emma Seligman’s hit high school movie about two lesbians trying to ‘get laid’.

Emma’s 2023 film, Bottoms, starring Rachel Sennott and Ayo Edebiri, was given a 90 per cent rating on Rotten Tomatoes along with several favourable reviews as well as being the fourth highest screen average of the year.

In the lead up to Bottoms, there have also been a number of other highly praised films depicting lesbian love stories including the 2019 French film, A Portrait of a Lady On Fire, which was highly praised for its moving tale between an 18th century aristocrat falling for her painter.

Of co-stats, Noémie Merlant and Adèle Haenel, the latter identifies as lesbians along with director, Céline Sciamma, who has remarked on the impact of the ‘male gaze’ on lesbian film making.

Meanwhile in the UK, The Favourite – starring Olivia Colman Emma Stone, and Rachel Weisz as Queen Anne – received rave reviews in 2018 for its bizarre but witty tale of two lovers battling the affection of the queen, featuring a number of racy sex scenes.

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Both co-stats, Noémie Merlant (left) and Adèle Haenel (right), identify as lesbians themselves as does director, Céline Sciamma, who has remarked on the impact of the ‘male gaze’ on lesbian film making. 

Pictured: Olivia Colman (right) and Rachel Weisz (left) starred in the 2018 film, The Favourite, which featured a number of racy sex scenes between women

Lesbian stories have also been making their way onto TV, with steamy stories being told through the eyes of LGBT+ women.

Earlier this year, BBC debuted their first ever lesbian dating show, I Kissed a Girl, which shows 10 single women live together in a luxury Italian house in the hope of sparking a romance, all hosted by Dannii Minogue.

Controller of BBC iPlayer, youth audience and BBC Three, Fiona Campbell, told the Guardian the show saw the highest proportion of viewers under the age of 35 in the past week of any show on the BBC’s streaming platform.

She added that clips of the show brought in 15 million views across all BBC social media accounts, putting itself at the top of the game with other hit shows such as Young Offenders.

Fiona said the popularity reflected a desire for an increase in LGBT+ representation on TV. 

A popular contestant on the show, Amy Spalding, who became an onscreen sweetheart for her sweet and outrageous personality, told Dazed there is a ‘tidal wave’ of lesbian representation on its way.

She said: ‘The word sapphic is on everyone’s lips, the word d*** is on everyone’s lips… the floodgates have opened.’ 

Music has also seen a tidal wave of lesbian artists with huge numbers in popularity.  

Among those popular queer voices bringing lesbian stories to life in music, is the pop star Reneé Rapp who made history at the famous US festival, Coachella, when she brought on stage the cast of the noughties lesbian TV show, The L World, on stage with her. 

The 24-year-old hit the spotlight after she starred in the latest version of Mean Girls: The Musical and shortly after shot to fame when she collaborated with Megan Thee Stallion for the song, ‘It’s Not My Fault’.

The popular song included the lyrics ‘Kiss a blonde/kiss a friend/can a gay girl get an amen?’

Fast forward to this year and American singer Billie Eilish’s song LUNCH – which lyrics depict woman on woman love making – reached number one in the UK charts when it came out in May

American rising star, Chappel Roan, (pictured right) once provided background vocals for pop singer, Olivia Rodrigo, and now has her name in several charts across the world.

Miley Cyrus, pictured, who identifies as pansexual, was among those LGBT+ musicians to play at the 66th Grammy Awards in February 

Phoebe Bridgers, (pictured left) who identifies as bisexual, was along those LGBT+ artists at the Grammy Awards in February. Pictured at the event accepting the ‘Best Rock Performance’ award for her song Not Strong Enough

The performance marked a canon event for women and queer artists, including when Reneé brought on her guitarist girlfriend, Towa Bird, for a duet and a kiss, as well as bringing onstage, Kesha, a self-proclaimed bisexual, for a feminist version of her icon song ‘TikTok’. 

Commenting on the rise in lesbian representation in song, music historian and author Evelyn McDonnell told NBC news: ‘I think we’re only now becoming more aware of that, or being able to publicly discuss it.’

She described ‘the closet’ as previously acting as a hinderance to the progression of queer women’s careers.

Also among those is American rising star, Chappell Roan, who once provided background vocals for pop singer, Olivia Rodrigo, and now has her name in several charts across the world.

The 26-year-old currently holds the number five spot on the UK Albums chart, and number four on the Australian Albums chart. 

Her album, The Rise And Fall Of A Midwest Princess, which was released near the end of last year, has also reached the number five spot on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart. 

The openly lesbian artist – who’s name Kayleigh Rose Amstutz – has even been named ‘Gen Z’s Madonna.

At the Grammy Awards in February, Bisexual artist, Phoebe Bridgers, pansexual Miley Cyrus and Tracey Chapman, who identifies as lesbian and who had not performed in two decades, marked another significant event for LGBT+ representation in music.

The momentum has even transferred in nightlife with the UK now offering its second lesbian bar, La Camionera, in London.

When owners Alex Loveless and their partner Clara Solis first had the idea to open a pop-up lesbian bar in the UK capital, they had no idea what they were in for.

The growing representation has even transferred in nightlife with the UK now offering its second lesbian bar, La Camionera, (pictured) in London.

La Camionera – which now takes permanent residence in Hackney – drew in queer people in the hundreds when they opened for a night earlier this year at East London’s Broadway Market

La Camionera – which now takes permanent residence in Hackney – drew in queer people in the hundreds when they opened for a night earlier this year at East London’s Broadway Market. 

The moment was captured on social media where a mass of people could be seen filling the road, sipping on bottled beer while the pop-up venue remained full to capacity all evening.

The night a La Caminoera – which means female truck driver and butch lesbian in Spanish – has since been dubbed ‘winter pride’ for it’s immense popularity.