Bette Porter is a fictional character on the Showtime television network series The L Word and its sequel The L Word: Generation Q, played by Jennifer Beals.

Though Beals's performance was met with wide acclaim, Bette's characterization, as well as her relationship with her partner, Tina Kennard, received a more mixed response, with both fans and critics debating whether Bette reinforces positive lesbian relationships or glorifies narcissistic personality disorder, and questioning if Bette's behavioral traits would have been considered acceptable or politically correct had it been a heterosexual man in her place.

Bette is introduced as an affluent, Ivy League-educated lesbian of African-American and Caucasian heritage. She grew up in Philadelphia and was an art history major at Yale, where she began having sex with her boyfriend, Coleman. They both realized they were gay shortly after, with Bette developing a crush on her art history professor, Danica Palmer (Lifesize: 306). Eventually, she came out as a lesbian, and fell for her bisexual friend, Kelly. After Kelly rejected her advances, Bette grew depressed to the brink of suicide.

After graduation, Bette moved on, and dated Alice Pieszecki briefly. Bette once fingered Alice while they were at the opera Lakmé (during The Flower Duet). Though their relationship ended when Bette cheated on Alice, the two remained close friends afterwards.

Bette met her future partner, Tina, while Tina was on a date at the Bette Porter Gallery with her then-boyfriend Eric. An instant attraction formed between the two of them. Bette noticed Tina's right earring had fallen off, and Tina supposedly put it back on. Later that night, Tina returned to the gallery to retrieve the lost earring. Bette had kept it for her. While Tina was picking it from her hand, Bette kissed her.

Though Bette and Tina's relationship appears to their friends as very strong, it is revealed that they are having problems and visiting a therapist, mostly due to Bette's career at the California Arts Center, her domineering attitude and her tendency to become verbally abusive when things do not go her way. At Bette's urging, Tina gives up her own career in order to have a child, leaving Bette as the sole breadwinner. Things are complicated by Bette's homophobic father Melvin flatly refusing to acknowledge Tina's baby as his grandchild, and Bette's difficult but improving relationship with her older half-sister Kit, a recovering alcoholic who has often let her down.

Tina, however, suffers a miscarriage, which takes a heavy toll on Bette, and when Tina decides to become involved in a charitable organization, Bette finds that their careers make it almost impossible for them to spend any time together. At the same time, Bette finds herself drawn to Candace Jewell, a carpenter temporarily working at the CAC who makes a pass at her despite knowing of her relationship with Tina. Bette subsequently begins an affair with Candace to fulfil her sexual desires. When Tina discovers the affair, she flies into a rage and, in the ensuing physical fight, Bette forces herself sexually on Tina, who eventually submits. Tina still leaves Bette and moves out of their house.

In the second season, Bette resumes her affair with Candace, but soon becomes desperate to make amends for her betrayal, and finds that her break-up with Tina is disrupting all the other elements of her life. Her job becomes an increasing pressure, especially when Tina's new lover, Helena Peabody, is added to the Board of Directors, and her boss hires another curator who threatens Bette's elevated position. Tina refuses to forgive Bette, insinuating that she is only trying to mend their relationship because Candace is not sexually fulfilling enough for her.