Looking for lesbians in ads? Blink and you’ll miss 'em

A case for lesbian representation in advertising

People tend to be surprised when I say I have a girlfriend. I’ve had someone tell me I “don’t look like a lesbian”.

(Credit: Adobe Stock - Education License)

Cue the awkward once over. 

Their eyes scan me, trying to make sense of it. Eventually, they give up and land on a half-hearted “oh, okay… cool”.

To be honest, I didn’t even know being a lesbian was an option until I stopped watching free-to-air TV. Growing up, I never saw queer women represented in media, especially not in the ads that so rudely interrupted my show every five minutes. 

Nearly eight years later, and I’m still surprised when I see a lesbian couple in an ad. Don't get me wrong, it fills me with joy every time, because hey, there’s someone like me! But disappointingly, those moments are few and far between.

Lesbians are one of the most marginalised groups in advertising. We are a minority. 

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, 1.5% of Australians over 16 are gay or lesbian. So why would advertisers care about us? They only want to appeal to the masses, right?

Yes, that might be true. However, it’s no excuse for the lack of diversity. 

Despite popular belief, ads have the potential to be inclusive of the queer community while still appealing to a heterosexual audience.

Why not lesbians?

In short, advertisers fear backlash from conservative consumers, a sad but blatant fact. However, the lack of lesbian representation runs deeper than that. It is rooted in the unique lesbian experience of both homophobia and misogyny.

Research into queer representation in advertising by Mariana Fried and Suzanna J. Opree confirms that “lesbian women's representation in advertising has been less than” that of other queer groups, and “when existent, it has often been depicted with hypersexualised images to appeal to heterosexual male viewers”. 

Lesbians tend to become tokenistic characters, purely there for the male gaze. 

The ‘token’ lesbian, as Dr. Drew Pettifer, Convenor of RMIT's LGBTIQA+ Research Impact Network, said, “is either hypersexualised or desexualised in a way that makes her palatable to straight audiences”. 

These characters are not given the freedom to explore “queer dynamics or queer culture”.  Instead, the ‘token’ lesbian alludes to queerness but doesn’t challenge societal acceptance of heterosexuality as the norm.

This harmful stereotype reinforces the archaic idea that lesbians exist purely for the male gaze.

It reduces lesbians to a perverted hetero fantasy where we become a symbol of male pleasure, the complete opposite of what a lesbian is.

As RMIT lecturer and researcher of diversity and inclusivity, Alexandra Ciaffaglione, explained, the sexualisation of lesbians comes from an “overarching fear of female sexuality”. 

“To be anything other than heterosexual… is to be something that should be ostracised and kind of demonised,” she said. 

Miles Mainwaring is the head of strategy at independent advertising company Bellwether Agency, and he believes this “othering of lesbian culture” stems from the reality that “men are threatened by anti-male”. 

And Mainwaring has a point; lesbians are the ultimate anti-male statement. 

Mainwaring said advertising’s goal is “getting people to buy stuff, versus more diversity or social change”. While this is true, it is a disappointing fact that reveals, despite assumptions that society has evolved, sexism and homophobia are deeply rooted in advertising’s foundations.

Representation matters

Representation is particularly important in advertising. Without consumers realising, ads shape values and perceptions of society. 

It may be subtle, but advertising powers social trends and subsequently can promote social change. The potential for positive impact is clear, but more often than not, it goes to waste.

Brands that have diverse representation become favourable to marginalised groups. Through representation, marginalised groups feel seen and valued. 

A study into diversity in advertising by Colin Campbell found it “is generally viewed favorably by consumers and advertisers”, and concluded “diversity tends to be viewed as good for business”.

Not only can diverse representation be beneficial to brands and advertisers, but it is incredibly meaningful to the queer community. 

As Ciaffaglione said, “people need to see queer existence” to know it’s real, that it’s there and that it isn’t going anywhere.

“If we see more of this representation, it becomes the norm,” she said.  Representation is key in challenging social norms and homophobia. 

Having ads that feature genuine representations of the lesbian experience has a positive effect on LGBTQ+ people. It makes us feel validated, creating a sense of belonging. 

Seeing another lesbian couple holding hands or having a family, or even just being on my screen, gives me a sense of hope. It reinforces that I am accepted for who I am and that I can have all the things straight couples have. Even if that’s just car insurance!

Dr. Pettifer said this shift in advertising can affirm the “existence and value of queer people”, which works towards the “normalisation of diverse representation”.

Why today?

This is a never-ending issue. Queer people have been advocating for representation for decades, if not centuries, but it feels more important now than ever.

Queer communities are being attacked from all fronts. 

In the US, Trump is destroying all LGBTQ+ rights. NBC News reported “932 anti-LGBTQ incidents across the United States over the past year — from hate speech and bomb threats to fatal violence.”

Additionally, Trump’s anti-LGBTQ+ ‘Project 2025’ “calls for erasing LGBTQ-inclusive language”, including terms such as “sexual orientation and gender identity (“SOGI”), diversity, equity, and inclusion, gender, gender equality”, and more.

But these attacks aren’t a faraway issue for Australians. 

Trumpism is seeping its way into Australia, encouraging a new wave of hate and abuse towards LGBTQ+ Australians. 

Equality Australia reported “there's been a rise in anti-LGBTQ+ hate across Australia, driven by increasingly organised extremists. LGBTIQ+ events such as drag story times and youth programs have been cancelled” due to the presence of anti-LGBTIQ+ protestors.

Dr. Pettifer added, lesbians “are under even greater attack, with a concurrent anti-feminist backlash”.

He said, “queer visibility is more important than ever today as LGBTIQA+ rights are facing backlash in many contexts.”

I hate that I have to look over my shoulder before I kiss my girlfriend on the cheek, or second-guess holding her hand in a busy street, or call her my “friend” because someone made a homophobic joke. 

It’s exhausting having to question what should be and what are normal parts of a relationship. It’s defeating to live in a world you feel hates you for who you love. 

Honestly, I’m sick of feeling scared to be myself.

During a time when the queer community is fighting for the human right to simply exist, the media has no choice but to show their support.

Even if fear of backlash is the only reason for a lack of lesbian representation, silence speaks volumes. As Ciaffaglione puts it, it’s “making communities not visible, which justifies this weird homophobia”. 

Their silence “makes a statement”.

Advertising creates social norms by illustrating the values of the world around us. Advertisers need to know their power. It’s about time they use it for something good.

Visibility through advertising is the key to challenging homophobic and misogynistic norms. The goal is to create an industry where genuine diversity is normalised, and queer communities are seen, heard, and valued.

Because when our rights and safety are at stake, there is no time to be quiet.

In the meantime, I’ll keep dreaming of the day I turn on the TV and see a lesbian couple hug joyfully as they buy their first Toyota, and watch as they drive out of the dealership into the sunset, living happily ever after.