LGBTQ women’s representation in popular culture has come a long way since the 1980s and Personal Best, yet the portrayal of lesbian women remains confined by the limited knowledge and insights of the predominantly straight men and women writing and directing our stories. Lesbian and bisexual characters on screen often lack dimension, and are left with an aura of mystery, instead of being properly developed and capturing the true intimacy of lesbian relationships. Take “The Morning Show,” which had no problem graphically depicting date rape by the main male character, while the sexual intimacy between two women was restricted to awkward kissing, being seen in bathrobes, and waking up in the same bed. So much of what we see portrayed in movies and television is a loop of straight people being fed back the stereotypes of what they imagine lesbian intimacy to be by other straight people.
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