Why The Miseducation of Cameron Post is a Must-Watch Lesbian Masterpiece

Hey queens,

If you’ve ever felt like the world was trying to “fix” you just for loving girls, then buckle up because The Miseducation of Cameron Post (2018) is basically required viewing for every lesbian on planet Earth.

Directed by Desiree Akhavan (who is openly bisexual and gets it), this indie gem stars Chloë Grace Moretz as Cameron Post, a high-school girl in 1993 Montana who gets caught making out with her secret girlfriend in the back of a car on prom night. Next thing you know, her ultra-religious aunt ships her off to a gay conversion camp called God’s Promise. Yeah… you already know how messed up that sounds.

What I love most about this movie is that it never feels like a lecture. It’s not some after-school special screaming “being gay is okay!!!” at you. Instead, it just… lets Cameron be a normal sarcastic teenage lesbian who’s trying to figure herself out while everyone around her is losing their damn minds. Chloë Grace Moretz is magnetic—those quiet little smirks, the way she looks at Coley (Quinn Shephard, her gorgeous prom-date girlfriend) like she’s the only person in the universe… my gay heart couldn’t handle it.

The camp itself is creepy in the most realistic way. No cartoon villains—just misguided adults who genuinely think they’re “healing” these kids. The counselors force the teens to draw icebergs of their “sin” and blame everything from masturbation to having a dead parent on being gay. It’s horrifying because it actually happened (and in some places, still does). But the film balances the heaviness with so much warmth and humor. The friendships Cameron forms with Jane Fonda’s hippie-ish ex-campee (yes, actual Jane Fonda has a tiny role) and her two besties at the camp—Mark, a sweet gay boy, and Adam, a Lakota two-spirit kid—are pure found-family gold.

And let’s talk about the lesbian gaze for a second. Desiree Akhavan shoots the girls loving girls with so much tenderness. That opening scene of Cameron and Coley in the car? The soft kisses, the heavy breathing, the way their hands move under dresses… it’s hot, yes, but it also feels sacred. It’s the kind of queer female desire you rarely see on screen—especially in 2018 when we were still starving for it.

This isn’t a loud, triumphant “I’m here, I’m queer” movie like But I’m a Cheerleader (which I also adore). It’s quieter. Cameron doesn’t get a big heroic speech or burn the camp down. She just… survives. And sometimes that’s the most radical thing a lesbian character can do in a world that wants to erase her.

Honestly, every time I rewatch it, I cry at the final shot. No spoilers, but it’s one of the most beautiful “this is enough for now” endings I’ve ever seen in queer cinema. It feels like the film is whispering to every baby gay who’s still stuck somewhere unsafe: You’re not broken. You’re not alone. Just hold on.

If you’re a lesbian (or honestly anyone who loves good storytelling), do yourself a favor and stream The Miseducation of Cameron Post tonight. It’s painful, it’s funny, it’s soft, it’s angry, and it’s so incredibly ours.

Have you seen it yet? Who was your favorite character? Drop your thoughts in the comments—I read every single one. ♡

P.S. Chloë Grace Moretz in that red flannel shirt? Instant lesbian culture. You’re welcome.