Life

These 5 queer women have the internet laughing out loud

There's a reason why all of these stand-up comics have gone viral repeatedly.
By
Catherine Bohart
EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND - AUGUST 04: Comedian Catherine Bohart performs 'Immaculate' on stage during Pleasance Launch Opening Gala 2018, as part of the annual Edinburgh Fringe Festival, at The Grand on August 4, 2018 in Edinburgh, Scotland. Photo: Getty Images

Lesbian comedians, while a small minority of performers, have always been some of the most popular. Ellen DeGeneres, Rosie O’Donnell, Wanda Sykes, and Lily Tomlin have tickled America’s funny bone for years. But with the advent of social media, a new set of comics have risen to stardom.

They are redefining the stand-up landscape by infusing their humor with personal narratives and challenging norms established by the older set of mostly straight male comedians. We’ve rounded up some of the best queer women making social media laugh out loud below.

Related:

5 transgender comedians that’ll make you LOL

They remind us that the stage can be a platform for advocacy and still make us LOL the entire time.

Jessica Kirson

If you use Instagram, you’ve seen Jessica Kirson. Her Q&A sessions with the audience have become a staple of the algorithm’s funny shorts because it’s almost impossible not to click the heart and love her videos. Her energetic style and sharp wit have made her a popular guest for late-night television, but her unscripted back-and-forth with the audience is some of her funniest material.

Gina Yashere

Gina Yashere, a British-Nigerian comedian, is one of the funniest stand-ups on television. She was the first English comedian to perform on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and a correspondent for The Daily Show with Trevor Noah. Yashere is a rare type of comic that combines candidness with storytelling that keeps the audience following along with her exploits.

Cameron Esposito

There are very few roles that Carmen Esposito hasn’t tackled in her comedy career: stand-up, writer, actor, podcaster. She often discusses her identity as a lesbian in her shows, offering insight about her relationships and navigating the world as a queer woman.

Catherine Bohart

Irish comedian Catherine Bohart is a comedy standard across the pond, but she’s quickly taking over the entire world through her internet presence. Clever and outrageous, the bisexual comic’s on-stage presence has made her a favorite on social media too, with clips from her performances quickly going viral as soon as they’re posted.

Cara Conners

Cara Conners has performed worldwide, including a recent appearance at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland. But the best place to see the Los Angeles-based comedian is at the office party. Her partner, Maddie, works for LGBTQ Nation‘s parent company, Q.Digital. If you think about it, it saves us a lot on travel costs and haggis.

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