A definitive list of the best lesbian sex scenes ever

What was your sapphic awakening? I’ll go first: the agile hands and rippling forearms of Gorky (Gina Gershon), the butch plumber protagonist of cult sapphic classic Bound. And it’s not just the masc heartthrob who had me reconsidering my place on the Kinsey Scale. The lingering glances between Gorky and Violet (Jennifer Tilley), Bound’s central butch/femme couple, and the sudden explosion of tension as they finally consummate their lust… yep, I was forever changed, on a molecular level.

This is the power of queer sex scenes: they help jolt you into awareness of your own desires, showing you what’s possible beyond the confines of the cis-hetero, vanilla representation in mainstream media, or the clinical, anatomy-first depictions of school days sex ed. And with social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok censoring anything remotely erotic, film and TV remain two of the few cultural forms — excepting porn — where we can see visual portrayals of desire, and can safely be exposed to new forms of sexual expression.

So, in the interests of helping to steer the cinematic/sexual exploration of any fellow sapphics, bi-curious folks, or, I guess, film buffs, here’s a rundown of 12 of the best lesbian sex scenes of all time. Thank us later!

Let’s start with a movie that literally made herstory. In case you didn’t already know, The Watermelon Woman, which was released in 1996, is the first feature film to be directed by a Black lesbian and is the brainchild of Cheryl Dunye (who wrote, edited, and starred as well as directing). In it, protagonist Cheryl (played by Dunye) attempts to uncover the real story of Fae Richards, a Black actress from the 1930s who may or may not have lived a queer double life.

The film itself is a stunning piece of cinema exploring themes of representation, authorship, and queer unofficial histories. However, it’s also notable for the love plot between Cheryl and Diana, played by Guinevere Turner — also a major figure in 1990s lesbian media, who popped up in the 2000s as recurring character Gabby Devaux on The L Word.

Honestly, the on-screen attraction between Cheryl and Diana is simply off the charts, explored in one particularly gorgeous, simmering love scene. Their cinematic sexiness (licking is involved) was so palpable that it pissed off a Republican politician, which kind of says it all, and was dubbed “the hottest dyke sex scene ever recorded on celluloid” (I concur).

I’ve already teed-up the unique allure of Bound in the intro because, to be honest, I can’t shut up about it. The film sees Gina Gerson play Gorky: an ex-con and plumber, who rocks white tank tops, slicked-back hair, and a knowing smile. The other central character is Violet, played by Jennifer Tilley, a high-femme dream with dark lipstick and a raspy voice. Together, they hatch a plan to steal money from the mob, which is, you know, all well and good, but what’s really intriguing is their undeniable sexual compatibility.

The principal sex scene between Violet and Gorky is off the charts, and appears so vividly real that the MPAA (the body which judges film content classification in the US) thought their intimacy looked almost unsimulated. As a result, it was almost slapped with an NC-17 rating, the strictest film rating, until the organisation was convinced to give it a more lenient classification. Watch it for yourself to see what all the fuss is about.

Created by the Lena Waithe, Twenties is a TV show following queer Black woman Hattie (Jonica T. Gibbs) and her two straight friends, as they navigate their 20s in LA. It’s a show that delves into the nuances of queerness, particularly the Black, millennial lesbian experience, but which sadly only ran for two seasons. Being honest, it feels like we were robbed of a longer run, but that’s a conversation for another time. Why I wanted to bring this show up is for the all-important masc for masc representation.

In earlier episodes of the show, Hattie tends to date femmes — first her situationship Lorraine (Sheria Irving), and then her closeted, high-powered boss Ida (Sophina Brown) — but, in the background, her soft masc friend Idina (Shylo Shaner) has been continuing to hanker after her. In the midpoint of the second season, however, we’re gifted with a truly beautiful and deeply romantic moment of intimacy between Hattie and Idina as they explore a relationship.

When Hattie finally gives Idina a shot, they go out for dinner and, afterwards, Idina takes Hattie home. They’re both nervous and what follows is full of bashful laughter and tender kisses as they roll around together on a set of flannel sheets. It all feels so understated, so vulnerable, and so true.

There are a lot of lesbian period dramas out there, but if you had to choose one, you’d probably opt for Portrait of a Lady on Fire. Directed by French filmmaker Céline Sciamma and starring Adèle Haenel as upperclass Héloïse and Noémie Merlant as Marianne, a painter who is hired to do the former’s portrait, it’s set in the late 18th century in remote Brittany — which only adds to its overall atmosphere of moody romance.

Unlike other films on this list, the sex scenes featured in Portrait of a Lady on Fire are less explicit, more suggestive — but there’s one instance that most film-goers struggled to forget. After deciding to take a hallucinogenic drug together, Héloïse begins using her fingers to apply the drug to Marianne’s unshaved armpits. Filmed as a close-up, at first the exchange looks uncannily like a finger beginning to slide into a vagina. It’s a strange, sexy moment, and one that’s haunted queer cultural memory ever since.

Yes, sorry, there is no avoiding The L Word. Admittedly, it is problematic at times, but if you’re looking for sapphic sex scenes, it’s probably the best place to start. The original 00s series has 97 sex scenes and the 2019 reboot, for its part, has 30 — that’s 127 scenes of intense, sometimes gratuitous, lesbian sex in all its forms.

One of the best sex scenes from the show in my humble, gay opinion can be traced back to the third episode of the second season, when resident evil masc Shane (Katherine Moennig) and resident 10/10 femme Carmen (Sarah Shahi) become embroiled in a delectable game of cat-and-mouse.

After hooking up, Carmen winds up padding around the kitchen in Shane’s house in nothing but a tank top and pair of pants, expecting that Shane will want to keep hanging out. However, Shane would much rather ditch Carmen to head to the club (see what I mean? Evil masc). Taking matters into her own hands, Carmen proposes a game called ‘Hot’, where you can kiss, but any touching by either party leads to having to forfeit the game. After much teasing and tension, Shane can’t help herself from touching Carmen, and they wind up hooking up again. Simple, but effective.

Continuing with The L Word, it’s time to discuss my favourite couple from the series: Tasha (Rose Rollins) and Alice (Leisha Hailey). They have pretty much nothing in common, beyond a mutual commitment to understanding each other: Tasha is quiet, practical, and serving in the military, whereas Alice is bubbly, creative, and staunchly a pacifist. Frequently, they become embroiled in political disagreements, with their mutual chemistry serving as their only saving grace.

In this episode, the couple go back home together after a night out and get into a blazing row. It all culminates with Tasha exasperatedly asking, “Why the fuck am I here?”. Alice wastes no time in getting straight to the point: “Because we want to fuck each other!” Cue: passionate kissing, morning-after caresses in the sheets, and the kind of explosive, opposites-attract, sexual attraction that jumps off the screen.

Look, if Katy O’Brian and Kristen Stewart are in a film together, then I’m sat. Exploring the erotic fascination between lesbian gym manager and, lowkey, steroids dealer Lou (Stewart) and queer female body builder Jackie (O’Brian), Love Lies Bleeding is visceral, campy, and very hot. The film’s director, Rose Glass, is bisexual herself, and you can tell she knew how to give her audience what they wanted.

One of those films that will have you pressing your thighs together and squirming in your seat, there are several erotic moments in LLB that stand out — Lou’s head between Jackie’s thighs, for one — but none more than one scene, in which Lou utters, “I want to stretch you”, in a rough and raspy voice while fisting Jackie. The lasting impact of this has been felt across the community: I can reliably inform you that this phrase has since passed into the canon of lesbian dirty talk.

What’s interesting about lesbian sex scenes in film and TV is that there are hardly any depictions of sex with a strap-on. I’m not saying that strap-on sex is a compulsory part of sapphic sex, or that penetrative sex is the be-all and end-all. But I am saying that this is a strange absence for something which is considered extremely vanilla in queer circles.

That’s what makes me bring up Sense8: a sci-fi series created by the Wachowski sisters, which features (you guessed it!) strap-on sex in its very first episode. I’d be lying if I said I could still remember the ins and outs of this show, but what I do remember is a scene where Nomi (Jamie Clayton) is being topped by her strap-on wearing girlfriend Amanita (Freema Agyeman).

This all transpires in the first few minutes of the episode, FYI, setting the tone for a show in which orgies play a major role (IYKYK).

Drive-Away Dolls is a ridiculous romp of a sex comedy that involves hit men, a mysterious suitcase featuring contraband dildos, and many, many oral sex scenes: if you’ve ever dated a guy who won’t go down on you, watch this and heal your soul.

Set in 1991, it follows lesbian BFFs Jamie (Margaret Qualley) and Marian (Geraldine Viswanathan), as they become embroiled in a crime caper while en route to Tallahassee. Jamie is a lesbian loverat, in the style of The L Word’s Shane, whereas Marian is a snarky, bookish intellectual. Together, they take us on a friends-to-lovers journey that makes Off Campus look seriously devoid of any sexual spark.

Once Jamie and Marian finally get together, they wind up in a sweetly awkward but seriously horny shower sex session: with their familiarity lending a moment of tender intimacy that will likely make you melt.

Disclaimer: we’ve got to the point in the listicle where the remaining picks are all from films directed by cis men. Call me a traitor to the community if you want, but these scenes are still pretty hot.

Ammonite is for all of the ‘close friends’ and ‘roommates’ throughout the annals of history, focussing on the speculated romance between paleontologist Mary Anning (Kate Winslet) and geologist Charlotte Murchison (Saoirse Ronan). (Okay women in STEM!)

But don’t get your hopes up: set in the 1840s, on the Dorset coast, the film is basically the archetype of the wan, wistful, lesbian period drama. However, despite the movie’s general failings, most of lesbian Reddit agrees that the sex scenes are contemporary classics, particularly the first sex scene involving a desperately horny face-sitting moment. Naturally, the sex is all the more meaningful thanks to the slowburn, forbidden romance build-up.

Rachel Weisz tapped into the collective lesbian psyche when she said ‘yes’ to appearing in Disobedience: a steamy romance in which Ronnie (Weisz) returns home to her Orthodox Jewish family and embarks on a sapphic affair with her married childhood friend Esti (Rachel McAdams).

The movie was always going to be a hit with queer women — Rachel Weisz and Rachel McAdams playing lesbian lovers, come on! — but it also basically put spit play on the mainstream map, before Sinners reignited the discourse.

In one sequence in the film, Ronnie and Esti escape for a day to lock themselves in a hotel room and explore one another’s bodies: there’s passionate kissing, a moment where Esti takes Ronnie’s fingers in her mouth, and an exchange when Ronnie spits in Esti’s mouth. I’m fanning myself just thinking about it.

Is this the best film I have ever seen? Far from it. But to understand Room in Rome, you have to remember that it is emblematic of a recurring subset of lesbian film.

Specifically, like Duck Butter or Below Her Mouth, it’s one of those sapphic movies in which characters do basically nothing but have sex, making the film essentially one long sex scene with the occasional pause for dialogue. But depending on your mood, that’s not necessarily a bad thing…

Megan Wallace (they/them) is Cosmopolitan UK’s Former Sex and Relationships Editor covering sexual pleasure, sex toys, LGBTQIA+ identity, dating and romance. They have covered sexuality and relationships for over five years and are the founder of the PULP zine, which publishes essays on culture and sex. In their spare time, they can be found exploring the London kink scene and planning dates on Feeld.