When I was in high school, THE episode on Ellen Degeneres’ show Ellen aired. The one called “The Puppy Episode” in which the main character realized that she is a lesbian. Watching this episode was a momentous time in my life — it was the moment that I realized that there are other people like me in the world; that there are other women out there who want to kiss other women. When Ellen outed herself on national television, my life was forever changed. I could walk through the world feeling a little less shame and a little more pride for who I am. Seeing another lesbian come out — and in such a big way — gave me the confidence I needed to come out to friends and family, too.
We all know that representation is so important for marginalized people. Hearing our stories and seeing our own faces reflected in the stories we watch on television and in the movies can be so meaningful and do so much for people in increasing their self-acceptance and confidence. And although we’ve come a long way in terms of queer visibility in mainstream media thanks in part to pioneers like Ellen, the content we see on television and in movies often leave a lot to be desired. Can we get just one lesbian relationship in which one of the love interests doesn’t die off?! Please!
Fortunately, YouTube makes up for what mainstream media lacks. There is no shortage of well-made, thought-provoking, and diverse content made by and for the LGBTQ community. Many of these creators have produced queer content for all ages, and through sharing their own stories, they help empower others to accept and grow in our queer identities.
Behold, some must-watch queer YouTubers.
Lesbian YouTuber Stevie Boebi is one of my favorite queer content creators on the internet. She makes regular videos on her YouTube channel about everything from queer sex education to life advice aimed at her lesbian/queer audience. She was even one of GO’s 100 Women We Love for 2018! I love her raw honesty and that she’s not afraid to delve into the less talked-about topics, such as “Why does my vagina smell?” and “Literally how to scissor.”
Stevie’s popular series “Lesbian Sex 101” does a great job at educating viewers about female sexuality and sexual health for queer women, topics which our education system often fails to address in sex education. She has also been known to collaborate with other popular queer YouTubers. Stevie’s videos are simultaneously informative and hilarious, and her channel is fabulous because it gives lesbians a space to feel represented and heard.
Ingrid Nilsen is a beauty and lifestyle vlogger who “shocked” her audience when she came out in 2015. Crying into the camera, she said, “I’m giving myself my best chance, and so should you,” encouraging her viewers to live their truths like she was so bravely doing. In coming out, Ingrid told viewers that she has chosen not to have a relationship with anyone in her family, except for one person. She’s also talked about how her Thai heritage intersects with her identity as a lesbian.
Arielle’s been making YouTube videos for nearly a decade and she’s damn good at it. Known for her willingness to discussing the harder topics, she has made countless videos on all the issues pertaining to the LGBTQ community — she covers everything including sex, dating, gender, love, relationships, and “hot girls” (as she puts it).
I love her for her candor and the educational content she puts out. If a channel like hers had existed when I was a baby dyke just discovering my sexuality, I would’ve been glued to it to learn as much as I could. And not just because she makes videos called “Lesbian Ultimate Guide to Better Orgasms.”
Kat Blaque is a transgender activist who creates original videos about everything from trans issues to racism; her channel is a plethora of information about intersectional feminism and queer issues. She has worked on numerous LGBTQ-oriented projects, such as her appearances in Buzzfeed videos, including one entitled “Questions Cis Women Have for Trans Women,” in which she helps to answer common questions about her experience as a transgender woman. If you’d like to learn more about LGBTQ and other social justice issues, Kat’s videos are a great place to start. Oh, and she’s funny as hell, too. Check out this ASMR-style video of her whispering while reading haters’ comments.
If you’re looking for an adorable lesbian couple with kids to follow, look no further. The Next Family is a channel created by Brandy and Susan — a married lesbian couple with three children. You can see the love they share in all of their videos — their marriage speaks of respect, love, support, and a lot of humor. Plus, it doesn’t hurt that they have adorable kids.
Their channel features more than just vlogs of their family — you can find a collection of interviews with other LGBTQ families and other content related to the LGBTQ parenting community. In addition to their YouTube channel, Brandy and Susan have a website that serves as an online resource for modern families, gay dads, lesbian moms, adoptive parents, and multi-racial families.
Ash Hardell is an adorable non-binary YouTuber who creates captivating LGBTQ-focused content. Ash has on-point video editing skills that make this channel more unique and so much fun to watch. They even use music from lesser-known queer musicians in every video. Ash recently documented their journey through getting top surgery, which was unexpectedly emotional to watch.
Ash has been a YouTuber for years and has talked about everything from their gender dysphoria to their relationship with their wife. Ash has used the platform to give a voice to others on the gender and sexuality spectrums. They’ve also written an anthology entitled The ABCs of LGBT, and it’s a really informative read for anyone who wants to learn how to talk about gender identity and sexual identity.
dodie Clark is a 20-something recording artist and author who lives in London, UK. If her adorable demeanor doesn’t draw you in, her original songs and covers will keep you watching her videos. dodie bravely documents her mental health struggles in personal vlogs, too. Dodie is an out and proud bisexual and this is reflected in her music and vlogs. She’s even been known to wear the bisexual flag while singing love songs to other women.
Okay, unless you’ve been living under a rock and/or never watched YouTube, you probably know who Hannah Hart is. Her weekly series My Drunk Kitchen is exactly what it sounds like — Hannah gets drunk and cooks something. Humor ensues. Hannah creates more than just drunk cooking videos, though — she also does comedy videos like “How to Ask if a Girl is Gay,” but also takes the time to discuss mental health issues like the importance of self-esteem and what depression feels like. She’s honest, she’s hilarious, and it doesn’t hurt that she has a dazzling smile, too. She’s also newly engaged to girlfriend Ella Mielniczenko. Sorry, ladies.
This married lesbian couple has been together for over 21 years, which means they are chock full of of advice (which they call “lesbiansplaining”) for how to deal with long-term relationships, homophobia, and why lesbians keep getting killed off on television. They are hilarious, and my partner and I often watch their videos when we’re looking for something light-hearted to cheer us up. Just recently, Lacie and Robin have been doing Facebook Live chats with their audience during which you can ask them questions about how to have a healthy relationship, what to do if your partner has been dishonest about something, and how to stay smiling when the world seems like it’s falling apart.
I LOVE Jade. Her content is a lot of comedy sketches, rants, and commentary on pop culture. She’s got amazing comedic timing and is able to poke fun at herself and others in a way that is just so damn relatable. Even her non-comedic videos have humor interjected into them. She uses her subscribers’ stories and feedback to create content geared towards them so they can have someone to relate to on YouTube.
If you watch none of her other videos, just watch her drunk Q&As. She may be your next YouTube crush after watching!
Who is your favorite queer YouTuber? Let us know in the comments!
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