Fun
Frisky
Nostalgic
Intense
Adventurous
Choked Up
Curious
Romantic
Weird
Though it feels like this year from hell will never end, 2020 has almost come to a close. And while it has been—for lack of a better word—bad, there were a few pop culture bright spots that kept the year from being a total wash. For me, most of those bright spots revolved around queer women.
It’s been a good year for gay and bisexual women, both on-screen and off. I mean, the biggest Film Twitter fight of the year revolved around a Christmas lesbian rom-com! I really didn’t see that one coming, but I like it so much better than Martin Scorsese vs. Marvel discourse. To celebrate this wonderful year of queer women, I decided to dedicate my personal best of 2020 list—which last year featured the Chris Evans sweater and the Paul Rudd episode of “Hot Ones”—purely to the women-loving-women who made my spirit bright and my yuletides extra gay this year.
With a plethora of excellent options, it should be noted that this list is personal to me, and I probably missed a bunch of good ones. If I left your favorite fictional or real-life lesbian off, it’s not because I don’t love them. I probably do. But 2020 has eaten my brain just like it’s eaten yours, so go easy on me. Without further qualification, I present to you my favorite queer women of 2020.
Charlize Theron in 'The Old Guard'
While we never got confirmation that Charlize Theron’s character Andy in the Netflix original action flick The Old Guard is definitely gay, it feels like Andy in the Netflix original action flick The Old Guard is definitely gay. I mean… a side shave and a battle ax? A long-lost female partner-in-crime whose disappearance haunts her every day? That’s pretty gay.
Fabiola in 'Never Have I Ever'
I’ll be honest: I wasn’t at all surprised when Never Have I Ever revealed that one of Devi’s best friends, Fabiola (played by the excellent Lee Rodriguez), was gay. But I was absolutely thrilled. That’s because Mindy Kaling’s excellent new teen comedy absolutely nailed it on the closeted-gay-teen costuming. Polos buttoned to the top button, shirts with brightly colored horizontal stripes… Chef’s kiss.
Hannah Gadsby
Hannah Gadsby’s comedy special “Douglas” is a work of art, and this is a hill I’m willing to die on. I liked it more than “Nanette,” and I love “Nanette!” But in 2020, Gadsby went back on her promise and returned to pure comedy with “Douglas.” I’m so thankful she did, because I cried laughing during her new special. When she outlined the entire show? Revolutionary! Genius! When she tore her haters a new one using a PowerPoint about art history? Standing ovation! Get on board the “Douglas” train, people, because it is brilliant.
Kristen Stewart in 'Happiest Season'
I am officially closed for business re: Happiest Season discourse, but I’ll always have Kristen Stewart in her entirely inappropriate White Elephant outfit. KStew, please! This is a family function! (But also: Thank you to Clea DuVall, who gets an honorable mention on this list for delivering the community this gift.)
Rosie Perez in 'The Last Thing He Wanted' and 'Birds of Prey'
I don’t know what Hollywood bigwig decided 2020 was the year of gay Rosie Perez, but I agree. In Birds of Prey she plays Renee Montoya, a Gotham City Police detective who talks like she’s in an ’80s cop movie and who used to date Ali Wong; and in Dee Rees’s The Last Thing He Wanted she plays Alma Guerrero, a hard-hitting journalist with a girlfriend who caresses her while she’s on the phone with Anne Hathaway. I am so here for making Rosie Perez a fully-realized character in all of her supporting roles, and I’m even more here for making her a fully-realized lesbian character in all of her supporting roles.
Every Other Character in 'Birds of Prey'
Isn’t it cool how every single character in Cathy Yan’s Birds of Prey movie is queer? Before you send me DMs, yes, I am aware that technically, only Rosie Perez and Ali Wong’s characters were confirmed as gay. However, if you rewatch that film, I think you’ll agree with me that everyone—including and most especially Mary Elizabeth Winstead’s perfect performance as Huntress—is giving off big gay vibes. Winstead awkwardly flirting with Jurnee Smollett-Bell by saying, “Um, I really like how you were able to kick so high in those tight pants,” lives in my head rent-free.
Lisa Kron
This year, before the world shut down, I had the privilege of attending the Sundance Film Festival for the first time. The highlight of my trip? Sitting next to—and giving directions to—Tony-award-winning lesbian icon Lisa Kron, who wrote the book and lyrics to Fun Home, on the Sundance shuttle. She was exceedingly lovely. The second she stepped off the bus, I cued up “Telephone Wire,” had a public breakdown on Twitter, and maybe cried a little bit. She’s also working on the Fun Home movie starring Jake Gyllenhaal, which sounds fantastic, so stay tuned.
Rob in 'High Fidelity'
I love love love the casual reveal that Zoë Kravitz’s character is bisexual in the first episode of the gone-too-soon Hulu series High Fidelity. I mean, just look at her! Look at her outfits! Her energy! Her music taste! Her mind! We get to have someone as mind-blowingly cool as her among our ranks?! Are you kidding me? Bisexuals stay winning!
Evan Rachel Wood in 'Kajillionaire'
Have you guys seen Miranda July’s new film Kajillionaire yet? Please watch Kajillionaire. It’s so weird, but it’s so gay, mostly thanks to Evan Rachel Wood, the incredibly awkward, incredibly repressed daughter of two con artists (Richard Jenkins and Debra Winger), who falls head over heels for the gorgeous girl the family teams up with for a con, played by Gina Rodriguez. It’s a trip of a movie, but it’s a weirdly romantic—and incredibly gay—trip. No one brings the lesbian energy like Evan Rachel Wood.
Niecy Nash and her surprise wife
Sometimes, Instagram is good, like it was on the day that Claws star Niecy Nash announced to the world: Surprise, she is bisexual, and has a brand new wife named Jessica Betts. Did I cry at the wedding photo? I absolutely did. “Mrs. Carol Denise Betts,” is all she wrote in the caption, and honestly, what an iconic coming-out post. I wish Niecy Nash and her wife a very pleasant 2021.
