10 Best LGBTQ+ Characters From 'Orange Is The New Black'

These ‘OITNB’ characters had us glued to our Netflix screens!

Orange Is the New Black is celebrating its 10-year anniversary this week. The hit series dropped on Netflix on July 11, 2013, and it completely changed the way that we consumed shows on streaming services.

Besides being a trailblazing show for Netflix – which was just an up-and-coming streaming service back in 2013 – Orange Is the New Black also had a massive impact on proving that shows with all-female ensembles could be both critically acclaimed and extremely popular.

What’s more, OITNB really pushed the envelope when it came to LGBTQ+ characters and storylines… including several WLW couples and introducing the world to Laverne Cox, who ushered in the “tipping point” for trans representation in mainstream media.

Scroll through to check out our favorite LGBTQ+ characters from Orange Is the New Black, which is available for streaming on Netflix.

Piper Chapman

Let’s be honest: it wasn’t always the easiest thing to root for Piper Chapman, who was expertly played by Taylor Schilling on OITNB. Though this was presented as the central character of the series in season one, Piper slowly faded into the background as audiences fell in love with quite literally everyone else in the Orange Is the New Black ensemble. Still, our hearts will always have a soft spot for Piper and her on-and-off wild relationship with Alex Vause.

Suzanne Warren

Suzanne Warren, who was nicknamed “Crazy Eyes” in earlier season of Orange Is the New Black, never officially identified herself as an LGBTQ+ character on the show. With that said, Suzanne’s queerness certainly showed up over the course of the seasons. One should also note that Uzo Aduba’s pitch-perfect performance as Suzanne turned her into a three-dimensional and beloved character that left a huge mark in television history.

Lorna Morello

One of the most fascinating and complex personalities on OITNB was Lorna Morello, played by Yael Stone. Though she started out as a recurring character in the first few seasons, viewers fell in love with Lorna and the show turned her into one of the main characters as the years went on. There was a lot to explore with Lorna, but her relationship with Nicky Nichols was totally one of the best parts of her overall storyline.

Brook Soso

Brook Soso is one of the most undeniably lovable characters on Orange Is the New Black. Played by actress Kimiko Glenn, Brook was introduced in season two and eventually developed a love story with Poussey Washington. As they fell in love with each other, audiences fell in love with them as a couple as well.

Nicky Nichols

The always incredible Natasha Lyonne brought to life Nicky Nichols on Orange Is the New Black, which turned out to be one of the most beloved characters in the history of Netflix original series. Between Nicky’s relationship with Lorna and other queer hookups throughout the series, we were absolutely always rooting for Nicky to live her best life on OITNB.

Stella Carlin

The introduction of Stella Carlin (played by Ruby Rose) on Orange Is the New Black represented a huge paradigm shift in the series. The character, who presented as very gender-neutral, became an immediate heartthrob to the queer women on the show and the fans watching OITNB at home. Unfortunately, Stella only lasted one full season in the series… but she was never forgotten!

Carrie ‘Big Boo’ Black

Lea DeLaria’s performance made us fall in love with Carrie “Big Boo” Black and all of her different shenanigans on the show. Over the course of Orange Is the New Black, Big Boo was the ultimate representation for “butch lesbians” on the show – someone that was told her entire life that she couldn’t be too masculine, but was able to live as her true self in prison.

Poussey Washington

It’s hard to put into words just how deeply in love OITNB fans were with Poussey Washington, who was played by Samira Wiley. Between her incredible charisma, love story with Brook, and tragic ending in the series, Poussey was universally beloved by her fellow inmates and the viewers of Orange Is the New Black around the world.

Sophia Burset

There literally wasn’t any significant representation of trans women on mainstream television prior to the introduction of Laverne Cox as Sophia Burset on Orange Is the New Black. This was, in many ways, the first trans character that mainstream audiences got to fall in love with, root for, and understand on a deeper level. Cox’s performance on the show pushed Hollywood to a “tipping point” of trans representation in mainstream movies and television, and her impact can still be felt to this day.

Alex Vause

Played by Laura Prepon, Alex Vause was by far the ultimate heartthrob of Orange Is the New Black. Different characters came and went, but no one was ever able to captivate audiences to the same extent as Alex did. Even when Alex wasn’t necessarily being the best person ever, viewers still had a soft spot for her and found ways to defend the character. There were even times when fans sided with Alex over Piper, who was originally the main character of OITNB. All things considered, Alex was a true GOAT on this show.