FILM AND TV
LGBTQ Women in Film and TV
An overview of queer stars we’ll see on screen this year
BY NICOLE AKOUKOU THOMPSON
Queer aesthetics heighten
fi lm and television, and
LGBTQ women contribute
signifi cantly to that space,
providing visibility, vulnerability,
and originality on screen.
Cite “But I’m a Cheerleader,”
“The Watermelon Woman,” and
“Happiest Season” as evidence.
Tapping into their well of experience,
culture and queerness, LGBTQ
actresses evoke authentic
on-screen moments, shaping the
way society views queer and trans
women — and the way queer and
trans women view themselves.
Stigma surrounding queer and
trans women is slowly shedding,
and yet, America is still a dangerous
place for members of the LGBTQ
community — particularly
trans women of color. The presence
of trans and queer stars or characters
on the screen is a step towards
normalizing transgender and gender
non-conforming identities and
ensuring those individuals feel
represented and seen. It is Hollywood’s
responsibility to continue to
mirror the greater American landscape.
During Women’s History Month,
let’s honor queer and trans women
who breathe life into characters,
demonstrate their ability on camera,
and shatter glass ceilings
while ensuring that trans and
queers characters are centered
positively on television.
Check out our list of some of the
LGBTQ women we’ll see on screens,
big and small, in the coming year.
Kiersey Clemons
Clemons’ breakout role occurred
in the 2015 comedy-drama fi lm
Dope, where she portrayed Cassandra
“Diggy” Andrews. She later
appeared in “Transparent,” “Eye
Candy,” “Easy,” and “Angela Tribeca.”
Last year, she fi lmed a television
pilot for “Red Bird Lane” and
appeared in the television series
“Ghost Tape.” Next, Clemons will
appear in the 2021 director’s cut
of the 2017 superhero fi lm “Justice
League,” along with “Susie Searches,”
“The Flash,” “The Language of
Lena Waithe arrives at the 2018 Vanity Fair Oscar Party.
Flowers,” and “Fairfax.”
Laverne Cox
Cox rose to prominence with
her role as Sophia Burset on the
Netfl ix series “Orange Is the New
Black,” which earned her a Primetime
Emmy nomination. Last year,
she appeared in “Bad Hair,” “Promising
Young Woman,” and “Disclosure:
Trans Lives on Screen.” In the
coming year, she’ll appear in the
fi lm “Jolt,” which will appear as a
series regular on “Inventing Anna”
and will make an appearance on
the crime drama “The Blacklist”
and the new series “Clean Slate,”
which will co-star George Wallace.
Clea DuVall
DuVall cemented her place in our
psyches with her performance in
“But I’m a Cheerleader.” She went
on to appear in “Girl, Interrupted,”
“Argo,” and “All About Nina,” and
recently co-wrote and directed the
fi lm “Happiest Season.” She’ll voice
Elsa in the upcoming animated series,
“Housebroken.”
Jodie Foster
Oscar-winning actress and director
Jodie Foster earned accolades
early on for performances in
fi lms such as “Taxi Driver,” “Freaky
REUTERS/DANNY MOLOSHOK
Friday,” and “Foxes.” She then went
on to star in “The Accused,” “The
Silence of the Lambs,” “Little Man
Tate,” and so many other fi lms. Foster
tried her hand at being a director
in recent years, directing episodes
of “Orange Is the New Black” and
“House of Cards.” Foster starred
in the 2021 legal drama fi lm “The
Mauritanian.” Her performance in
the fi lm earned her the Best Supporting
Actress Golden Globe.
Dominique Jackson
Jackson is most recognizable
for her leading role of scathing victor
Elektra Abundance in the FX
series “Pose,” which is airing its
third and fi nal season this spring.
Jackson has appeared in “Call Me,
Christopher Street: The Series,”
“My Truth, My Story, a Caribbean
LGBTQ Oral History,” and “Storytelling
Documentary Series.” Also,
she’ll appear in the documentary
“Visible: The LGBTQ Caribbean
Diaspora.” Jackson portrays Ms.
World in season three of the fantasy
drama series “American Gods.”
Trace Lysette
Lysette became more widely
known during her time on the TV
series “Transparent” and she went
on to appear in “Pose,” “Hustlers,”
and “I am Cait.” In the coming year,
she’ll star in two fi lms, “Monica”
and “Venus as a Boy.”
Kate McKinnon
Known for her character work
and celebrity impressions on “Saturday
Night Live,” she’s also notably
appeared in “Rough Night,” “The
Spy Who Dumped Me,” and “Nature
Cat.” McKinnon will portray Carole
Baskin in the Exotic in an eightepisode
television series based on
the real-life character, Joe Exotic,
on Netfl ix’s “Tiger King.”
Natalie Morales
Morales had a primary role
in the fi rst season of the series
“White Collar” and had a recurring
role in the sitcom “Parks and Recreation.”
She also became a member
of the main cast on the series
“Trophy Wife,” “The Grinder,” and
“Abby’s.” Morales has a slew of new
fi lm projects in the works: neo-noir
thriller “The Little Things,” Morales’s
directorial debut “Language
Lessons,” comedy thriller “Happily,”
and “I’m Totally Fine.” Also,
she’s fi lming the TV movie “Today’s
Special.”
Jasika Nicole
An actress, seamstress and allaround
maker, Nicole has proven
she has the range on and off the
screen. Appearing on “Fringe,”
“Scandal,” and “The Good Doctor,”
Nicole has a principal role on
“Punky Brewster,” the sequel to
the 1984–1988 series of the same
name, which premiered on February
25, 2021. The series stars Soleil
Moon Frye, Freddie Prinze Jr.
and Cherie Johnson. She’ll portray
Lauren, a lawyer who develops a
serious relationship with Cherie.
Cynthia Nixon
Best known for years spent portraying
Miranda Hobbs on the hit
HBO series “Sex and the City,”
Nixon has been active politically
and professionally. Viewers recently
saw Nixon on the Netfl ix series
“Ratched,” and she’ll reprise the role
of Miranda in the “Sex and the City”
sequel series, titled “And Just Like
That…” She will also appear in the
➤ WOMEN ON SCREEN, continued on p.27
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