This is the Sunday Edition of Paging Dr. Lesbian. If you like this type of thing, subscribe, and share it with your friends. Upgrade your subscription for more, including weekly dispatches from the lesbian internet and monthly playlists. This post is too long for email, so read it on-site or in the app.

In many ways, soap operas are the universal language of television. Most regions in the world have their own brand of soap opera, and they make up a huge portion of television programming on a daily basis. Though soaps are sometimes associated with social conservatism, LGBT storylines have begun to crop up more and more in this genre. This is not a totally new phenomenon, as soaps in the US, UK, and Brazil have featured gay and lesbian characters since the 1980s. 

What does seem to be a distinct phenomenon of the 21st century is the emergence of a devoted international fanbase for these characters, especially those of the lesbian and sapphic variety. The emerging prevalence of queer characters on soaps also coincided with the advent of sites like YouTube and Dailymotion, where fans can upload clips of the couples in question. To make matters even more interesting, many of these soaps come from Latin America, and Spanish or Brazilian-speaking viewers have made the huge effort of translating these clips – of which there are often hundreds – into English. This seems to have made these fandoms even more tight-knit, as this labor has not gone unnoticed.

The utility of YouTube and Dailymotion – the latter is usually a safer bet, as videos are less likely to get taken down for copyright there – has allowed lesbians and sapphics around the world to get a taste of media they likely wouldn’t have encountered otherwise. I’ve always found this unique process of editing, translating, and watching lesbian-centric media fascinating, and have even written an academic article to that effect. 

But rather than dive back into the nitty-gritty of cross-cultural media consumption, I want to take a look at the couples that have captured our hearts over the years. These are the lesbian relationships that have won fans across the globe, becoming pop-cultural phenomena outside of the contexts in which they originally aired. This is not an exhaustive list by any means, and there will be spoilers ahead, so read at your own risk. I would love to hear which couples are your favorites, whether I’ve included them here or not. 

Olivia and Natalia from Guiding Light 

Olivia (Crystal Chappell) and Natalia (Jessica Leccia) – also known as “Otalia” – from Guiding Light may be the most interesting couple on this list. I’ll do my best to explain this whirlwind of a story to you. The pair began as enemies – Olivia learns her heart is failing so she decides to try and seduce Gus, Natalia’s husband, so that she won’t die alone. In a surprising turn of events, she doesn’t die because she’s given Gus’ heart after he dies in an accident. Olivia has now fully lost the will to live, but Natalia nurses her back to health because she doesn’t want her husband’s heart to go to waste. Olivia and her daughter later move in with Natalia and they grow extremely close. 

It was obvious to most viewers that Olivia and Natalia were in love in love, but their relationship was never as explicit as fans wanted it to be. Though it was eventually made clear that they were in fact a couple, they never had a single romantic kiss on the series by the time it ended in 2009 (becoming the longest-running series in American TV history). 

These odd circumstances led to Venice: The Series, a soap opera web series produced by Guiding Light’s Crystal Chappell. For copyright reasons, the names of the characters were changed, but the idea was to give Otalia fans a chance to see the women actually together. Chappell plays Gina, an openly gay woman and a designer, and Leccia plays her love interest, Ani. Other Guiding Light stars also appear. You probably won’t enjoy this show if you’re not a fan of American soaps, but what it illustrates about TV production at the time is fascinating.

Sophie and Sian from Coronation Street 

Sophie (Brooke Vincent) and Sian (Sacha Parkinson) were the first lesbian couple on the long-running British soap Coronation Street, and they had fans in an absolute tizzy. Sian first arrived on Coronation Street in 2009, the same year that Series 3 of Skins aired – also known as the series that gave us Naomi and Emily, perhaps the most revered British lesbian couple of the era. 

Sophie and Sian have a whirlwind teenage romance. After dating secretly for some time, their pastor catches them kissing and delivers a homophobic sermon. Sian’s father disowns her after coming out, so she moves in with Sophie’s family. During a tense period in their relationship, Sophie starts drinking in the street and falls off the roof of a church, almost dying. A year later, they decide to get married, but the wedding is called off when Sian learns Sophie kissed her friend Amber while she was on holiday. 

Though Sophie and Sian never got their happy ending, there was a lot of teen angst – and so much crying – along the way that it was hard not to root for these silly girls. (Sophie and Sian’s breakup was at least better than the conclusion of Sophie’s next relationship, which ended with her girlfriend dying in an explosion.) There’s something so recognizable about lesbian media from 2009-2011, regardless of genre. There was an earnestness to characters in this period – if you ignore all of the dead lesbians, of course – that was perfectly suited to the apprehensive teenagers scouring the internet for lesbian content. (And yes, their entire storyline is still on YouTube.)

Honorable Mention: Pepa and Silvia from Los hombres de Paco

Los hombres de Paco is not technically a soap opera – it’s a police show, in fact – but it had such an effect on The Culture that I felt I had to include it. The series follows three police officers working in Madrid, led by Paco (Paco Tous). Silvia (Marian Aguilera), is a forensic inspector and Paco’s sister-in-law. Pepa (Laura Sanchez) is Paco’s sister and a fellow police officer. They had a fling in high school and reunite as adults when Pepa transfers to Paco’s department. 

They have something of a tumultuous relationship but are madly in love with one another. They keep their relationship a secret at work, sneaking around and getting half-naked in parking garages. They almost have a happy ending until Silvia is shot on their wedding day, dying in Pepa’s arms in her wedding dress. If that’s not soapy, I don’t know what is. The late 2000s really were a different time. 

Jenny and Emma from Hand aufs Herz

I had to really search for this one, but I knew there was a German soap from the early 2010s with lesbians in it that was lodged in the back of my mind somewhere. Hand aufs Herz premiered in 2010 and only lasted a year, but that was long enough for over 200 episodes to air. A unique take on the soap opera, the show is set in a high school and focuses primarily on a music class, with many of the characters performing musical numbers throughout the series. 

According to my research, one of the main plotlines involves the music teacher having an affair with a student, but that has nothing to do with our lesbians. Jenny (Lucy Scherer) is a confident young woman who moves from London to Cologne. She meets Emma (Kasia Borek), a shy student at her new school. They fall in love and stare longingly at each other while singing in the choir, a little bit like Brittany and Santana from Glee.

The Jemma International fan site is still up, giving you an indication of just how popular the ship was (and is). Though the show didn’t last long in soap opera time, those two hundred episodes gave fans plenty to celebrate. “Jemma to some of us, is more than a story on a TV show. It is a story of hope, of acceptance, of love, not just for another, but for oneself,” reads a note on the fan site. 

Marina and Clara from Em Família 

Em Família is a Brazilian telenovela that gave us one of the most beloved soapy lesbians the country has ever seen. Marina (Tainá Müller) is a celebrated lesbian photographer who meets Clara (Giovanna Antonelli), a cheerful but secretly restless housewife. Marina is immediately obsessed with Clara and sets about seducing her, paying no mind to the fact that Clara has a husband and son. Marina’s attention flusters Clara but the two grow close and fall deeply in love. Clara also becomes Marina’s assistant and lets Marina photograph her while Lana Del Rey’s “Born to Die” plays. It’s all very horny! Marina’s famous line is “nude photographs reveal a woman’s soul,” which tells you a lot about her character. (Remember what I said about lesbians and photography?)

It isn’t all smooth sailing – Marina has a vindictive ex-girlfriend who keeps showing up and Clara is understandably afraid to leave her husband – but love wins out in the end. “Clarina” was one of the first major lesbian couples on Brazilian TV, and as such resulted in major pushback from religious groups along with celebration from fans. Though it took quite some time for them to finally kiss – almost 90 episodes, in fact – it was worth the wait, especially considering how tense the lead-up was. They only kiss three times over the course of the series, but Marina’s eyes say it all. Thankfully, Clarina also get an adorable happy ending, getting married in the penultimate episode in front of all their family and friends. Take that, homophobia! 

Bárbara and Mercedes from Perdona nuestros pecados

The only Chilean couple on this list, Bárbara (María José Bello) and Mercedes (​​María Soledad Cruz Court) from Perdona nuestros pecados, are also vintage lesbians. The series takes place in a small Chilean village in the 1950s. Bárbara and Mercedes are high school teachers who are charged with directing a school play. Though Bárbara is married to the chief of police, she has known she was a lesbian since childhood and is intent on embarking on a relationship with Mercedes. The two have a years-long love affair, and despite numerous bumps in the road – Bárbara’s husband locks her away, Mercedes’ father sends her to conversion therapy – they do get their happy ending. 

Perdona nuestros pecados is not the first Chilean show to feature a lesbian couple – according to my cursory search, that achievement belongs to No Abras la Puerta, which premiered in 2014 – but they are the first Chilean lesbian couple to gain an international following. You can find the entirety of their story on Dailymotion with English subtitles, though, as is often the case with these telenovelas, the non-lesbian plotlines can be difficult to follow. 

Florencia and Jazmín from Las Estrellas 

In 2010, Argentina became the first Latin American country to legalize same-sex marriage, and they also lead the pack when it comes to lesbians on telenovelas, having aired at least eight telenovelas that prominently feature queer women (Brazil has supposedly aired at least seven). The most popular of these shows is Las Estrellas, which aired from 2017 to 2018. The series follows five sisters, all with different mothers, who learn that they must jointly run a hotel for a year in order to receive the inheritance their father has left them. 

One of the sisters is Florencia (Violeta Urtizberea), a bubbly, optimistic woman who hasn’t quite figured out her life yet. Flor has Tourette’s but her condition is never the butt of the joke. Jazmín (Julieta Nair Calvo) is a new chef at the hotel, and she and Flor become fast friends before falling in love. In addition to being an accomplished chef and a beautiful redhead, Jazmín is also secretly a talented painter with a heart of gold. Though Flor is constantly getting herself into hijinks, their romantic storyline is blessedly free of most soapy tropes, and their relationship is founded on mutual love and support. By the end of the series, they are married and looking to adopt kids. 

They also have over eight hours of screen time on the show, which is much more than most lesbian couples get. To the Dailymotion channel that uploaded and subtitled their hundreds of scenes together – we salute you. 

Kate and Rana from Coronation Street 

Kate (Faye Brooks) and Rana (Bhavna Limbachia) were a beloved lesbian couple on Corrie right up until the end. Rana was married to a man named Zeedan when she began her affair with Kate, leading to plenty of family drama. Zeedan outs Rana to her family in retaliation for the affair, resulting in an attempted kidnapping which causes Rana to disown her family. They eventually become a public couple and intend to have a family, but briefly split up when Kate conspires to have sex with an acquaintance in order to conceive a child. They get back together and plan a wedding, but Rana dies when a roof collapses on her on their wedding day. Soap opera lesbians have bad luck with weddings, apparently. 

Fans were obviously upset with this ending, especially since the last prominent lesbian couple on Corrie, Sophie and Maddie, also ended with a violent death. But at their height, Kate and Rana were extremely popular around the world, as evidenced by the prolific work of fans to make their story accessible. One YouTube channel features clips of the couple - of which there are hundreds – with subtitles in Arabic, Spanish, Portuguese, German, French, and English. Putting aside their tragic end for a moment, it’s a truly astounding example of international fan labor. 

Mariah and Tessa from The Young and the Restless

Like most soap opera storylines, Mariah (Camryn Grimes) and Tessa’s (Cait Fairbanks) relationship from The Young and the Restless is filled with ups and downs. They start as friends and later begin dating, but things get bumpy when Tessa leaves to go on tour and Mariah cheats on her. They reconcile, but then Mariah decides to be a surrogate mother and is kidnapped while pregnant, forming a bond with her baby while in captivity. They overcome that particular trauma and get married, later adopting a child of their own. Is anyone on American soap operas okay? 

Luisita and Amelia from Amar es para siempre

Amar es para siempre is a Spanish telenovela that gives us another set of vintage lesbians, this time in the 1970s. Amelia (Carol Rovira) is a burlesque dancer who befriends Luisita (Paula Usero). The two fall in love, and despite living in a society where homosexuality is illegal, begin a serious relationship. There are many obstacles they must overcome – including Amelia being sent to conversion therapy and other family drama – but love ultimately prevails. 

The couple was so popular with fans that a spin-off series, #Luimelia – the couple’s ship name – was created by the show’s producers. The 4-season miniseries transports Luisita and Amelia from the 1970s to the present day, giving them an entirely new storyline (and perhaps fewer obstacles to overcome). It’s yet another example of lesbian fandom exercising their might on the global stage. 

Vanessa and Charity from Emmerdale 

My favorite thing about Vanessa (Michelle Hardwick) and Charity (Emma Atkins) from the British soap Emmerdale is that one of the characters is literally named Charity Dingle. I love that! “Vanity” has it all: gay awakenings, past traumas coming up and ruining things, a lost baby, and women getting themselves into shenanigans. Unfortunately, Vanity are also broken up by a man, who Charity marries and then quickly finds out cheated on her. Hundreds of episodes after their breakup, fans are still hoping they’ll get back together.

Valentina and Juliana from Amar a muerte

It’s hard to quantify the popularity of a couple when many viewers aren’t watching the series through standard channels, but it’s not hyperbole to say that “Juliantina” is without a doubt one of the most popular lesbian couples in telenovela history. Juliana (Bárbara López) and Valentina (Macarena Achaga) are characters on the Mexican series Amar a muerte. The overall plot of the series is quite complicated and many Juliantina fans struggle to follow it outside of the lesbian relationship. To put it as simply as I can, Valentina’s father, Leon, is killed on his wedding day and his soul ends up in the body of an assassin named El Chino, who happens to be Juliana’s father. El Chino’s soul then winds up in the body of an anthropology professor, for some reason.

Though that series of events obviously affects the two women, it’s actually not all that relevant to their romantic storyline. They meet, kiss in the pool, and fall in love, blissfully ignorant of whatever forces in the universe have brought them together. Fans immediately latched on to Juliantina, and the couple gained a passionate international following. Juliantina clips on YouTube have been translated into over a dozen languages including Arabic, Chinese, Danish, Dutch, English, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hungarian, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Swedish, Thai, Turkish, and Vietnamese. 

The couple was so popular that fans campaigned for a spin-off, and the network listened. A Juliantina mini-series was created using clips from the original show (including deleted scenes) and interviews with the actresses. López and Achaga also took note of the fervor for the couple, creating a Juliantina photoshoot on their own time just for fans. Few telenovelas have created such an international coalition of viewers, and both actresses will be remembered for these roles for a very long time. 

Honorable Mention: Luíza and Valentina from Stupid Wife

Stupid Wife is not a telenovela in form, but it is a soap opera in every other way. The Brazilian web series has my favorite origin story of any piece of lesbian media: it is based on a sprawling Lauren/Camila Fifth Harmony AU (alternative universe) fanfiction. The series stars two of the most beautiful women you have ever seen. Luíza (Priscila Reis) wakes up one morning with no memory of the last 10 years of her life. She’s married to Valentina (Priscila Buiar), a woman she remembers hating in college, and they have a son together. 

Luíza is initially fearful of Valentina and doesn’t want to be near her, but they eventually rekindle their love. (Their first kiss turned a lot of heads, and there are way more sex scenes than a typical soap would allow.) Things get complicated by the end of the first season when Luíza learns that Valentina and her family have been keeping a huge secret about her past from her. I won’t spoil the twist for you, but it gets spooky! The show takes some pretty big swings with the plotlines, but the two actresses have great chemistry and it’s clear the series creators know exactly who their audience is. Viewers have flocked to the show, and each episode has millions of views on YouTube.