“The High-Power Lesbian” Trope in 2024
by Laoise-Edel
The 'high-power lesbian' trope was placed in the spotlight in the early 2000s, with the Sex and the City episode 'The One with the Power Lesbians' and, more prominently, through multiple characters in The L Word. This trope took form in the iconic and messy Bette Porter, who embodied a vision of queer women as powerful, confident, commanding, and at times desperately trying to get their ex back. The image of the high-power lesbian wearing sharp suits, having flawless hair, and the ability to hold a presence in any meeting room is well and truly owned by Bette Porter. She is the blueprint of the high-powered lesbian. Bettes's personification of the trope has given queer people not only outfit inspiration: from job interviews to nights out but an image of how they could be in professional settings. Despite The L Word ending in 2009,the trope of the high-powered lesbian lives on. After all, who doesn’t love a woman in a suit in charge?
What makes this representation important is that it isn’t just about visibility but empowerment for queer women. Characters like Bette Porter gave queer women then and now something to aspire to. Although Bette is no saint in the show, she offers an image of success, independence, and style that illustrates how queer women could be and thrive in positions of power. Thankfully this trope has continued past the early 2000s, allowing queer women to see themselves reflected on screen in more realistic and nuanced ways.
Take Lena Waithe's role as Denise in Master of None for example. Her character is more laid back than Bette. However, she still embodies all that the high power lesbian trope is in 2024, with amazing style, career drive, and being unapologetically, joyfully lesbian. Denise taking center stage in season three as a central character is important as you watch the character navigate her marriage, life after becoming a best-selling author, and their inner conflicts (no spoilers, I promise). Lena Waithe summarises the importance of her character best in the intro video Master of None S3 | A Special Look: Denise as it's “not just about queer black people seeing themselves but it’s about queer black people feeling as if they can be complex too.” Denise throughout the show displays a rich life full of love, deep connections, and success all while being visibly queer and authentically themselves.
This trope is further exemplified in Sense8’s character Nomi Marks, a trans lesbian hacker, played by Jamie Clayton. Nomi is undoubtedly a high-power lesbian. Her character arc displays her overcoming societal and familial rejection by living authentically. She subverts stereotypes by being a fully developed queer character, who is not only great at their job but someone who deals with the complexities of being trans and a lesbian all while having a loving supporting relationship.
What makes a “high power lesbian” in 2024, and what I’ve personally always seen it as, is the character's ability to take up space and have presence within themselves which is then reflected back into the rooms they’re in. Characters like Bette, Denise, and Nomi are important examples of this representation as viewers see queer women taking up space, they see parts of themselves within the characters, they see a potential future and what it could look like. Lesbian visibility in series offers a place for queer viewers to relate but more importantly, hope. It shows that living authentically may be difficult at times but worth the joy, pride, and love it brings.