In March of 2026, Netflix announced that its widely known and loved drama series, Bridgerton, would have a fifth season. It is based on the book series by Julia Quinn, and follows the lives of the eight Bridgerton siblings as they navigate the marriage market in the early 1800s. Each season focuses on a different sibling and their romantic endeavors, allowing each of their stories to be spotlighted. Despite the variety of scandals, love triangles, and gossip each season includes, they all have one thing in common: they put a heterosexual romance at the forefront. However, Netflix has confirmed that season five will focus on Francesca Bridgerton and her romance with Michaela Stirling, which will be the first time a queer romance is the “main” love story of the series.
This announcement led to a variety of mixed responses from Bridgerton fans and the queer community alike. While many people have welcomed the season’s plotline with immense joy and excitement, there is a large amount of discourse regarding the change of the plotline. A major point in the backlash is the fact that it removes a large plot point for Francesca’s character, included in some of the Bridgerton books, which is her struggle with infertility. This storyline has resonated with many fans, as it highlights an issue many women experience.
While it is understandable to be upset about the potential removal of Francesca’s storyline regarding her struggles with infertility, the fact that she is queer does not mean that this will not still be present in the show. In fact, the assumption that due to her queerness, she cannot struggle with her infertility is problematic, and suggests that queer women cannot face these reproductive struggles. The backlash against this season’s romance storyline is yet another example of ways that many straight people, and even some LGBTQ+ people, do not feel comfortable or supportive of queer women.
For years, it has become apparent that nearly all movies or TV series that surround a lesbian or queer woman, or a WLW couple, are likely to be cancelled or face massive amounts of hate from viewers. According to Riese for Autostraddle, “There are 256 television programs in our database of TV shows featuring lesbian, bisexual, queer and trans characters that only lasted for one (1) mere season on this Earth…189 TV shows with queer women and/or trans characters that were cancelled after one season.” While media surrounding queer women does exist, this doesn’t mean that it actually ends up being successful. TV shows can get cancelled for a variety of reasons, of course, but the overlap between a show having a queer female lead and being cancelled shortly after its release is no coincidence.
Just months before the Bridgerton season five announcement, in November 2025, HBO released the first season of Heated Rivalry, a show focusing on the secret romance between two male hockey players. Between the enticing plot of the show, the social media popularity, and the queer representation, the show quickly skyrocketed to having “…an average of 10.6 million viewers per episode in the U.S., according to Warner Bros. Discovery”, says Selome Hailu for Variety. The response to this series has been incredibly and overwhelmingly positive, and it was renewed for a second season before the entirety of the first had even been released.
As yet another show that focuses on a queer woman gets the axe after the first season, and people send more hate towards those who work on said projects, it becomes increasingly more frustrating to see the ways that media about queer men gets treated. It feels almost hopeless to seek out media that centered queer women, especially knowing that it is most likely left on a cliffhanger due to an early cancellation, or features some other unhappy ending for the couple the show focuses on. As Sara Clements states for Them, “…why watch something at the risk that it will end up getting canceled after eight episodes, no matter how much fan excitement it generates? But as dismal and fatalistic as that might sound, we’ll continue to hold on for dear life to the shows that are left, despite constant disappointment.”
While we still do not live in a perfect world that is entirely accepting of all LGBTQ+ people, there is a distinct difference between the ways queer women are treated in contrast to queer men. This is often rooted in two societal issues: misogyny and lesbophobia. Having a misogynistic perspective, even if it is not intentional, creates an aversion to media that is missing a male main character or a plotline that includes a man. The core essence of being in a WLW relationship is being in a relationship with someone who does not identify as a man. We are engaging in a romantic love that is not centered on men in any aspect, meaning that our happiness that is derived from romance is not dependent on a male presence. This is a huge contrast to how people who are attracted to men operate, as they are at times seeking out a relationship with a man.
Lesbophobia is also highly influenced by the misogynistic roots in our society. While all queer women, regardless of label, face discrimination, lesbians have a unique experience regarding the scrutiny we face. The recognition of lesbophobia relies heavily on the intersectionality between gender and sexuality. As Jen Izaakson for On The Woman Question says, “Because lesbophobia is an incarnation of sexism and everyday misogyny, as a recognized phenomenon, it is almost entirely absent from the gay-male-centered discourse of ‘homophobia’. Gay male culture, from drag queens to the deprioritization of lesbian issues within the historical gay liberation movement, indicates a male supremacist culture.” The lack of male presence within lesbian identities and spaces makes lesbians prone to facing discrimination that is a direct result of existing within a misogynistic society.
The continuous pattern of lesbian/queer-centered shows being cut short simply feeds the normalization of prioritizing stories centered around men. As shows like Heartstopper and Heated Rivalry soar to the tops of the charts, it feels as though queer female plotlines are being forgotten and disregarded. It reinstills the ideology that stories that lack men are not important or necessary in society, and normalizes the hatred towards women and individuals who are not attracted to men, or in relationships with them.
It is no surprise that men and an individual’s relationship to them leaks into how we consume media, and what media gets created in return. This is simply so heartbreaking, as it has once again caused so many lesbian/queer stories about women to be shut down so early on in their releases. Unfortunately, living in a society that is still so influenced by the power and presence of men means that many people have developed an inherent lack of interest in stories that do not include them. That being said, it becomes increasingly important to watch shows and movies that are focused solely on queer women and lesbians.
Some notable TV series that are about queer women and/or WLW relationships include Arcane, I Am Not Okay With This, The L Word, A League of Their Own, The Owl House, and Dickinson. Some favorite movies include Bottoms, But I’m A Cheerleader, Watermelon Woman, D.E.B.S., Desert Heart, and Love Lies Bleeding. Spanning across various genres, there is a variety of media surrounding the beauty of being a queer woman and the relationships that exist between us. Even if it feels discouraging to see how queer women are treated in the lens of media, that does not mean it is not possible to find joy in these shows and movies and continue watching them. I urge you to continue supporting these storylines, even if you do not personally identify as being queer. Everyone deserves to see themselves onscreen, regardless of what society pushes for. By supporting these shows that focus on WLW relationships and/or queer women, you have the ability to show that representation is necessary, and that all stories matter in television and movies.