In Orange Is the New Black, Piper Chapman may be able to fool some; she may even be able to fool herself, but she cannot fool those who see the raw side of her while in prison. 10 years after running with the wrong crowd and smuggling drug money for her girlfriend, Alex Vause, Piper found herself sentenced to federal prison. While in Litchfield Penitentiary, she is faced with Alex and several other unique women who equally feel like their convictions are unjust.
The stereotypes of a women’s prison are clearly portrayed throughout this television series, but Jenji Kohan does a great job at making sure no two women are too alike. From closeted lesbians like Piper to openly gay and bisexual women, there is a wide range of sexuality at Litchfield. These characters make for interesting conflicts and events within the show as far as relationships, hardships, and deeper conversations go. The show is based on Piper Kerman’s memoir, Orange Is the New Black: My Year in a Women’s Prison, but the added characters and storylines make the series seem like nothing else.
Check out the 10 most interesting LGBTQ+ characters within Netflix’s Orange is the New Black.
10 Sophia Burset (Laverne Cox)
Sophia Burset is one of the most level-headed women in the prison. Though she constantly receives criticism and backlash from ignorant and homophobic inmates as well as guards (because she is a transgender woman), she manages to brush off most of the insults and hatred. She struggles with her relationship with her son and her wife even while incarcerated.
Her son is a troubled teenager who resents his biological father for the transition, and Sophia’s wife, Crystal, appears to be one of the most supporting spouses (though she does not support her actions that got her locked away). Sophia, like most others who find themselves in isolation, reaches her own “rock bottom,” but after some reflection and deals, she is able to find her confidence again.
9 Nicky Nichols (Natasha Lyonne)
When we first meet Nicky, she is seen performing oral sex on another inmate in the community showers, and then she smiles at Piper Chapman. This scene set the tone for Nicky for the rest of Orange Is the New Black. She has a healthy appetite for the casual hookup, but her true love and compassion is reserved for her best friend (who sometimes does not want to admit her mutual attraction to Nicky), Lorna.
Though Nicky immediately comes off as an aggressive sex addict, she is incredibly wise, and she deeply cares for those she considers part of her family. There is no doubt that anyone would want to have Nicky on their side simply for her fantastic commentary and go-with-the-flow attitude.
8 Carrie “Big Boo” Black (Lea DeLaria)
There are only two things on Big Boo‘s mind: sex and power. Big Boo has spent most of her life told how to look and dress. She has never been accepted for being “butch,” but in prison, she holds this dominating presence because of her looks and attitude. As for power, Big Boo likes to be the one calling the shots, and she thrives in competition.
This was also her downfall while running an illegal gambling ring. Big Boo takes different inmates under her wing at different times in Orange Is the New Black, one of whom is a prison employee disguised as an inmate. Like many others, Boo follows her own honor code system, where she tries to do no harm to others, but she makes sure to satisfy her own needs first.
7 Poussey Washington (Samira Wiley)
Poussey was as unique as her name. She always had a smile on her face, she was loyal to her friends, and she stayed true to herself. Poussey was one of the most unproblematic inmates, so when she met and started dating Brook Soso in Orange Is the New Black, fans could not contain their excitement. The two kept out of drama for the most part, and they showed everyone what a healthy relationship looks like.
When Brook stepped out of line and told Judy King a lie about Poussey’s past, Poussey chose to recognize the flaws in their relationship rather than lash out. She was constantly looking for resolutions to problems when others were looking for chaos and someone to blame.
6 Alex Vause (Laura Prepon)
Alex stands out from the rest of the inmates because she wants to simply keep her head down and stay out of trouble. Given that she lived a rather fast-paced life before prison (she was a significant part of a drug cartel), the calm demeanor and self-isolation is very different for her. When her former girlfriend, Piper Chapman, ends up in Litchfield, Alex pursues her.
What makes Alex an interesting character is that she knows what she wants, and she goes after it only after thinking everything through. She does not make rash decisions like many of the other women when it comes to her romantic relationships or friendships.
5 Piper Chapman (Taylor Schilling)
Though Piper is the main protagonist, she is not the most interesting character (and perhaps that is a good thing when it comes to being in a women’s prison). At first, she struggles with her sexuality because she believes she needs to settle down with an average man, but when Alex comes back into her life, all bets are off.
Old love is rehashed and new and chaotic love begins. Like Alex, Piper initially wants to keep her head down and just get her sentence over with, but she often finds herself speaking up and getting involved in trouble.
4 Suzanne “Crazy Eyes” Warren (Uzo Aduba)
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Some would believe that all they needed to know about Suzanne was that her nickname was “Crazy Eyes,” and it would be in one’s best interest to just be polite to her during interactions. However, as the series goes on, Suzanne proves to be an incredibly intelligent woman.
At first, she is infatuated with Piper Chapman, and she continuously tries to get Piper to agree to be her “prison wife.” That does not go as planned, but later on, Crazy Eyes does form a sort of romantic connection with another woman, Maureen. It would be hard to consider Crazy Eyes as a full lesbian, but she is intrigued by having a physical connection with a woman.
3 Lorna Morella Muccio (Yael Stone)
In the beginning, Lorna Morello was a positive, upbeat, and kind woman. She was a part of Red’s prison family, and she has a casual friends-with-benefits relationship with Nicky Nichols. Her biggest downfall (excessive lying and being delusional) was not necessarily her fault, but more of a side effect of her undiagnosed mental disorder.
For a long time, Orange Is the New Black fans rooted for her and Nicky to work things out, but Lorna’s desire to be the picture-perfect wife and mother made that fantasy fall through. Though she made up plenty of stories and refused to accept the reality before her after some tragic events, Lorna is still one of the most lovable characters on the show.
2 Brook Soso (Kimiko Glenn)
Though Brook Soso really enjoys the sound of her own voice, she draws attention to some rather interesting topics — her sexuality, for instance. After she rejects the advances of Big Boo, but she willingly has sex with Nicky, Soso reveals that she is pansexual. She claims that she does not pay attention to the gender of a person, but she just knows when she is attracted to someone.
After she struggles with her feelings of isolation while at Litchfield, Soso attempts to take her own life. Poussey finds her, and with the help of some friends, they manage to save her. Poussey and Soso then begin a relationship that had everyone smitten.
1 Stella Carlin (Ruby Rose)
Stella Carlin was stealing hearts the moment she was on the screen in Orange Is the New Black. To her amusement, she was able to catch the eye of Piper Chapman when she managed to earn some trust in her panty business. Stella did not stick around for very long, but she made a lasting impression. From her mysterious allure to the way she speaks with confidence, Stella had all eyes gravitating her way.
Unfortunately, the appeal only lasted so long when she decided to betray Piper. However, the blonde businesswoman decided to prove that her new tattoo, which said “Trust No Bitch,” was more than just some words, and she got back at her backstabbing friend.