Famous Lesbian and Bisexual Women of the French Riviera

 

For more than a century, the French Riviera has been a landscape not only of sun-drenched beaches and artistic glamour, but also a haven for women who defied convention. Among them are some of the most influential lesbian and bisexual writers, performers, and cultural figures in French history. Drawn to the Côte d’Azur’s beauty and its spirit of freedom, they left behind a legacy that still shapes the region’s artistic soul.

Here are the women whose stories illuminate the queer heritage of the French Riviera.

Colette: A New Life in Saint-Tropez

Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette, known simply as Colette, was one of France’s most celebrated writers — bold, sensual, and uncompromisingly herself. Openly bisexual, she lived several influential relationships with women throughout her life, many of which inspired her novels.

Colette found a sanctuary in Saint-Tropez, where she owned a house and spent long periods writing, gardening, and building a life away from the constraints of Paris. The Riviera offered her what she described as a rebirth — a place where her creativity flourished and where she could live with unusual openness for the time. In the sunshine and quiet rhythms of the Var coastline, Colette embraced both her artistic independence and her relationships with women, weaving these experiences into her literary world.

Suzy Solidor: The Riviera’s Bold and Beautiful Icon

A striking cabaret singer, actress, and muse to many of the greatest artists of the 20th century, Suzy Solidor was one of France’s first openly lesbian celebrities. Known for her androgynous beauty and magnetic stage presence, she cultivated an image that challenged gender norms long before it was socially acceptable.

In her later years, Solidor settled on the French Riviera, spending the remainder of her life in Cagnes-sur-Mer, where she died in 1983. Her legacy lives on in the Château-Musée Grimaldi, which houses her extraordinary collection of portraits — more than 40 works in which some of the century’s greatest painters captured her enigmatic face. Suzy’s unapologetic queerness, artistic daring, and larger-than-life personality made her one of the Riviera’s most unforgettable figures.

Lucie Delarue-Mardrus: Poet of Desire

A prolific poet, novelist, sculptor, and journalist, Lucie Delarue-Mardrus wrote openly about her love for women at a time when such admissions were rare. Her passionate relationships — including with the famous salon hostess Natalie Clifford Barney — fueled much of her writing.

While not permanently based on the Riviera, Delarue-Mardrus’s influence on French queer literary culture is deeply connected to the broader artistic landscape to which the Côte d’Azur belonged. Her work, filled with emotional honesty and tenderness toward women, helped shape early 20th-century lesbian literature and earned her the first Renée Vivien Prize for poetry.

Violette Leduc: A Radical Voice Honored in Nice

Few writers were as daring as Violette Leduc, whose work explored lesbian desire, sexuality, and the female body with an honesty that scandalised mid-century France. Her novel Thérèse et Isabelle, which tells the story of two young women in love, is considered a milestone of lesbian literature.

Although Leduc did not live full-time on the Riviera, her work is recognised by cultural institutions in Nice, where themes of her writing resonate in exhibitions and queer cultural programming. Today she stands as a symbol of literary rebellion — a woman who tore down the walls of censorship and paved the way for modern queer authors.

Françoise Mallet-Joris: A Literary Trailblazer

Belgian-born but influential throughout French literary life, Françoise Mallet-Joris wrote novels that explored complex relationships, including those between women. Her early work Le Rempart des Béguines became famous — and controversial — for its portrayal of lesbian love.

Mallet-Joris moved within the same intellectual circles that gave the French Riviera its cultural prestige, and her frankness about her relationships with women made her a significant figure in the evolving conversation about sexuality and literature.

Why the Riviera Became a Sanctuary

The Côte d’Azur has long been more than a glamorous destination. Its light, its landscapes, and its international artistic community nurtured women who lived outside traditional boundaries. Here, queer women found freedom from Parisian social constraints. They discovered creative inspiration in the region’s beauty and cultural energy. They built a community of fellow artists and writers who shared their experiences and perspectives. They also found a deep sense of belonging in a region that has historically welcomed outsiders.

Even today, the Riviera maintains this spirit of inclusivity. Cities like Nice openly support LGBTQ+ culture, hosting festivals, exhibitions, and community events that preserve the memory of these trailblazing women.

A Lasting Heritage

The stories of Colette, Suzy Solidor, Lucie Delarue-Mardrus, Violette Leduc, and Françoise Mallet-Joris remind us that queer history is deeply woven into the identity of the French Riviera. Through their courage, creativity, and refusal to hide who they were, these women helped shape the cultural richness that still defines the Côte d’Azur today.

Their legacy is not only written in books and museums — it lives on in the open, sunlit freedom of the Riviera itself.