Tag Archives: Lesbian

Lesbian Couples Are More Likely Than Gay Men To Get Divorced.

According to new data from the Office for National Statistics published female same-sex couples make up just over half of same-sex marriages in England and Wales, yet they account for nearly three-quarters of same-sex divorces.

Five years on from the introduction of equal marriage in England and Wales, there were 822 divorces among same-sex couples in 2019, nearly twice as many as reported in the previous year.

Of these, 589 were female couples and 233 were male couples.

The ONS says that the overall increase of same-sex divorces “reflects the increasing size of the same-sex married population since 2014”, though divorces among same-sex couples still make up less than one per cent of all divorces.

Unreasonable behaviour, which includes adultery, was the most common ground for divorce among same-sex couples this year as almost two-thirds of couples divorced for this reason.

2020’s divorce stats, which will not be published until late 2021, are likely to be turbulent reading, with lockdown believed to have pushed many couples to the brink.

There is no clear statistical explanation for why divorce rates among lesbians and gay men diverge so significantly, though female couples are more likely to get married at younger ages.

Stonewall co-founder Lisa Power previously told The Economist that the number of lesbian couples getting divorced might have something to do with the tendency to move very fast and quickly invest in a relationship, otherwise known as U-hauling.

Power added: “We all used to move in with each other at the drop of a hat.”

15 Awkward Moments Every Vegetarian Lesbian Will Understand

I stopped eating meat almost ten years ago. I made this lifestyle change after reading a book called Skinny Bitch and learning about what goes on in slaughterhouses and what goes into our food. The facts really turned me off. I also deal with chronic stomach pain, and since eating meat can be hard to digest, it was a health choice as well.

I’ve never regretted my decision to stop eating meat. Sure, I sometimes smell bacon and miss it. When my mom makes meatballs, I’m reminded of being a little kid and eating them before she put them in sauce (the BEST).

Going out to eat with my girlfriend would probably be a lot less complicated if there weren’t so many things I couldn’t eat. But I love my lifestyle choice and I don’t see myself going back anytime soon.

The worst thing about not eating meat is other people’s reactions (like so much else in life). I don’t know why meat-eaters are obsessed with people who don’t eat meat, but honestly, you all need to chill. I literally do not care what you eat.

Why do you care what I eat?

1. “Ah so, you don’t eat meat (wink, wink, nudge) of any kind.” – it’s a constant killer

2. When everyone with you at a restaurant is trying to help you figure out what to order.

3. When your friends want to share small plates at restaurants with the meat-covered hands.

4. People who crack jokes about vegetarians because they think it makes them edgy and hilarious.

5. Family members who don’t get it – “No I don’t eat fish, and yes I’m still a lesbian!”

6. “So, what DO you eat? Salad?”

7. Eating in France – “Je suis vegetarian” is hugely useless phrases.

Using this word can result in someone only feeding you lettuce, or someone packing thin slices of meat into your food and actually thinking that they are helping. It’s not their fault; the word itself simply does not translate well.

8. When your new meat-eating girlfriend invites you over to their house for dinner, and you let her know you don’t eat meat, which makes her feel obligated to cook you something special.

9. Or you don’t tell her, and then make her feel bad when you can only eat the side dishes.

10. Going on road trips with non-vegetarians.

11. When the waiter is hovering by your table listing off the (all meat) specials.

12. The prix fixe menu. – “Hmm, which should I choose, the chicken or the steak?”

13. When the token vegetarian entree is just a pile of roasted veggies, and you have to pay $18 for it anyway.

14. Having to ask for the ingredients of EVERYTHING.

15. You order the veggie chilli, take one bite, and realise that it has meat in it…

Easy Online Lesbian Dating Guide: Be Simple, Be Honest, Be Cautious

Is it a flaw in our society that we find our dates on the internet these days?

In the last few years, the prevalence of online dating has increased dramatically, with an average of 10% meeting their current partner on the internet in 2015 alone. These amounts vary greatly depending on what the person is looking for – for example, up to 80% of gay men meet their partners in the online world. This is a huge rise from 14% in 2001. Considering the specifics of the gay community, this is a big deal!

Why is online dating so popular these days? Well, between the availability of online dating apps such as Zoosk, Badoo, and Tinder and the difficulty of finding someone in the “real world”, we’re becoming more reliant on the internet as a whole. I even found my current partner on the internet – although not through any of the typical channels (we met through Facebook after I became friends with her cousin, but that’s a much longer story).

So… Is it a flaw in our society that we find our dates on the internet these days? Well, I don’t think so.

Meeting partners through the internet allows us to learn more about them from the comfort of our own homes, without the stress involved with the traditional dating methods. There are definitely a number of things to look out for – such as “romantic scams”, which involve one party getting money and gifts from the other party without ever meeting in person.

However, for those who are cautious and impose their own rules, these risks can be minimized.

Interested in dating online? Here are the ground rules we recommend for your safety and satisfaction.

1. Don’t lie on your profiles.

Lying will soon be found out, and then you’ve just wasted the time of you and your partner.

2. Don’t use old photos.

If you use a photo that doesn’t look like you do now, meeting up with your date can be an embarrassing experience. We all want to put our best foot forward, but you shouldn’t be misleading.

3. Don’t agree to send money or gifts to anyone you don’t know.

This should be a given, but some people are very trusting of others. Generally speaking, this isn’t a good thing on the internet. Sure, there are more “good people” than “bad people” on the internet, but anyone who’s genuinely a good person won’t expect you to pay them without even knowing them.

4. Don’t lie to your friends and family about what you’re doing when you go on a date.

It’s sad that this even has to be mentioned, but the truth is, people do get raped and murdered by people they meet on the internet.

Sure, this can be extended to people you meet through friends as well, and even people you’ve personally known for a long time – but it’s much easier to avoid if you tell at least one reliable person where you’re going to be and who you’re supposed to be meeting with. Consider arranging for a call at some point to make sure you’re ok. It’s a good idea to discuss a “code word” just in case it’s not safe to say what’s really going on.

5. Be honest with yourself (and your matches) about what you want.

There are a good number of people who are looking for just sex (about 12%), a great deal of people who are looking for a casual relationship (about 70%), and a fair amount of people who are looking for someone to marry (about 11%). There’s no reason to be misleading about your intentions – you can find the person you want if you’re honest.

Take selfies! Women who take selfies are about 4% more likely to get a date through online dating apps and websites if they take selfies. Full-body selfies can up this to 203% more responses!

6. Don’t get desperate.

Up to 1/3 of people who date online don’t ever actually make a date with anyone they meet online – and that’s ok. The best relationships tend to happen when you’re not looking, but that doesn’t mean you should necessarily give up. If you really want to find someone, you can. The internet is a big place. Just make sure it’s not the only place you look.

All in all, the important thing to remember if you choose to date online is to be safe and honest, and don’t set your expectations too high. The right woman is out there for you. She just might not be on the other side of the screen.

Couple’s suicide notes reveal stigma they face in India’s queer community

Lesbian couple’s suicide notes reveal stigma they face in India

The suicide of a lesbian couple who jumped into a river and drowned highlights the hidden struggles of gay women in India, who are subjected to ‘corrective rape’ cures and family pressure to marry, activists said this week.

A police officer, who declined to give his name as he was not authorised to speak to the media, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation that the women left suicide notes before killing themselves in the western state of Gujarat on Monday.

He refused to confirm whether one woman also threw her toddler into the river, as reported by local media, which quoted the notes as saying,

“We are leaving this world to live with each other. The world did not allow us to stay together”.

It is more common to hear about lesbians committing suicide than other members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community, said gay rights campaigner Anjali Gopalan.

“They live a far worse life than gay men, a much tougher life, because there is largely more acceptance of male homosexuality,” she told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

“Women’s sexuality is not discussed at all in India, making it much more challenging for them to come out.”

There is no official data on India’s LGBT population, but the government estimates some 2.5 million gay people, reflecting those who have declared their sexuality to the health ministry.

Lesbians face a life of double discrimination – first because of their gender in a male-dominated society where sexual violence, child marriage and female infanticide are common – and then because of their sexuality, activists say.

In a surprise ruling in 2013, India’s top court reinstated a ban on gay sex after a four-year period of decriminalisation, but it is set to reconsider the 2013 decision in July after a slew of petitions opposing the ban as unconstitutional.

Although the law is rarely enforced, it is used to intimidate, harass and blackmail gay people, activists say.

Outside cities, lesbians often face violence, brutality and even death, rights groups say.

“In rural areas, corrective rape is very prevalent and it is one of the main reasons why women do not come out,” Maya Urmi Aher, a transgender rights activist, said, pointing to pressure on women to marry and bear children.

Such rapes are seldom reported as they are often carried out by husbands, brothers and fathers in a bid to ‘cure’ women, she said.

“Law and order consider crimes like this a joke,” she said.

Jay-Z opens up to David Letterman about his mother’s sexuality

To kick off his interview with rap mogul Jay-Z, David Letterman held up his hand and asked the audience, “We have here married people with families?”

He added, “Families, I think it’s safe to say, are pretty much trouble-free.”

That intro – on the fourth episode of Letterman’s free-ranging interview show “My Next Guest Needs No Introduction With David Letterman,” which dropped Friday on Netflix – foreshadowed the 50-minute conversation during which Jay-Z was strikingly candid about his own family. The rapper opened up about infidelity in his marriage to Beyoncé, his mother coming out as a lesbian and his absentee father.

On his mother, Gloria Carter, coming out as a lesbian

One touching song on Jay-Z’s 2017 album “4:44″ is “Smile,” which reveals that his mother Gloria Carter is gay, with the lines “Mama had four kids, but she’s a lesbian/Had to pretend so long that she’s a thespian.” Carter herself appears at the end of the song with a spoken word poem, saying: “Life is short, and it’s time to be free/Love who you love, because life isn’t guaranteed.”

The rapper told Letterman that he has long known that his mother is a lesbian, but it wasn’t until he was recording that album that the two spoke about it. That conversation was the first time he heard his mother say she loved a romantic partner.

“The only thing about that experience for me is her,” he said. “Imagine having to live your life as someone else, and you think you’re protecting your kids.”

He said the conversation was so emotional that he began crying. The next day, he sat down and wrote “Smile.”

“For her to sit in front of me and tell me, ‘I think I love someone.’ I mean, I really cried,” he said. “I cried because I was so happy for her, that she was free.”

Teen Beaten By Classmates Who Thought She Was A Lesbian

A 15-year-old in India has reportedly been beaten and abused in twisted ways because her attackers suspected she was a lesbian.

According to The News Minute, Reshma (not her real name) went to a covenant school in Karnataka, thousands of miles from her home in Manipur, and was staying in a hostel.

After a rumour spread around the hostel that she was gay, Reshma was allegedly subjected to horrific attacks – which, she said, were fully supported by the hostel authorities.

In one attack, the warden joined the girls in pinning Reshma down and pouring chili powder in her mouth, refusing to let her drink water.

“What if it was another girl and she was actually lesbian? They would have probably killed her.”

Eventually Reshma’s brother, Renjit (not his real name), came from Manipur to investigate.

He told News Minute.

“The warden told me that my sister had tried to sexually assault another girl, which is why the other students had thrashed her. She kept telling me how my sister’s mistake was a ’spiritual’ one. The warden told me that if my sister apologizes, then everything would settle down. But my sister said that she did not want to say sorry because she was the one who had suffered.”

The siblings eventually filed a complaint with India’s Child Rights Commission.

“She is hurt both physically and mentally. She is only a little girl. What did she do to deserve such treatment?”

Authorities are now investigating and believe the warden at Reshma’s hostel might have “intimidated other students.”

Homophobic and transphobic incidents are relatively common in India, where Section 377 still criminalises homosexuality.

The Supreme Court will revisit the law before October, it was announced this week.

‘Black Lightning’ Is Bringing To Life This AWESOME Lesbian Superhero

When The CW debuts Black Lightning on January 16, they’re not just debuting a show about an all-black family of superheroes.

They’re also debuting the first on-screen DC canonical lesbian superhero, who also happens to be a woman of colour.

Black Lightning features the title character as a father to two daughters: Thunder and Lightning. And it’s Thunder, played by 28-year-old Nafessa Williams, who is set to make history.

Thunder, whose real name in the show is Anissa Pierce, is the eldest daughter of the eponymous superhero, Black Lighting, aka Jefferson Pierce (Cress Williams).

In the comics, she agrees to a deal with her mother and father. Graduate college; THEN you can become a superhero. While her younger sister, Jennifer Pierce (China Anne McClain), has powers more in line with Jefferson’s electrical abilities, Anissa is able to increase her body mass while completely reserving her volume.

And there’s even more for LGBT fans to get excited about. Just like in the comics, Thunder’s getting a love interest.

Played by Pretty Little Liars actress Chantal Thuy, the half-Amazonian, Asian-American Grace Choi will feature in the show as Anissa’s girlfriend.

In the comics, Grace is bisexual, and there seems to be no reason to doubt she will be in the show as well.

Another show currently on TV to feature a lesbian superhero is Marvel’s Runaways, in which one of the main characters – Karolina Dean – slowly realises her sexuality.

Last year, Thor: Ragnarok included Valkyrie, a bisexual superhero and woman of colour – though fans were ultimately disappointed with the fact that her sexuality wasn’t made clear on screen.

Marvel also launched a comic led by America Chavez, a queer Latina teenager with lesbian parents.

The comic, called America, prompted an outpouring of support from readers who were overjoyed to finally see an LGBT Latina superhero lead her own comic.

However, Marvel also moved to quash speculation that two warriors in the upcoming film Black Panther will be in a lesbian relationship, sparking outrage and accusations of erasure.

The Handmaid’s Tale Paints A Grim Future For Queer Women

In a world where women are tortured and harvested, LGBT women get the worst treatment.

Enter the realistic torture chamber that is Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale, based on the horrifying Margaret Atwood novel of the same name.

In this women, women are stripped of their identities and assigned to men for procreating. Their very existence revolves around heterosexual reproduction.

So what happens to queer women?

In Atwood’s book, the government immediately hanged all lesbian, bisexual and queer women, but the TV show decides to explore their predicaments a bit more in-depth. Two queer women help anchor the narrative.

First, there is Ofglen (Alexis Bledel). She’s a headstrong lesbian who refuses to bend to the establishment.

Bledel says,

In playing her, I certainly felt that she had more at stake than some of the other handmaids because she would be deemed a gender traitor. She’s a lesbian, and they don’t approve of her sexual orientation, so she’s really vulnerable.”

Add that vulnerability to the fact that she’s a major player in the resistance movement, and Ofglen is a walking target.

But the most heartbreaking narrative is that of Moira, played by Samira Wiley, who recently faced a horrifying death in Orange is the New Black – she can’t get a break. A few episodes in, the audience is told that she has been killed.

The only reason that the government allows queer women to live is because their ovaries are functional. Before the fascist revolution that led to the enslavement of women occurred, there was a major environmental disaster that sterilized many women.

The queer ones who were unable to have children were shipped to colonies and left to die.

In the third episode, Ofglen is publically declared a gender traitor. In what is the most heartrending moment of the series, she is forced to undergo physical and emotional torture, humiliation and mutilation.

Of course, all of this torture is carried out in a way that will prevent Ofglen from ever experiencing any type of sexual pleasure in the future, but will still allow her to have children.

Why tell such a horrifying story? And why now?

With a President that seems hellbent on stripping away the rights of women and LGBT people, these types of stories are more pertinent than ever. They’re a warning: Fight for your rights before it’s too late.

Watch The Handmaid’s Tale on Hulu.

This Cute Lesbian Murder Mystery Is Perfect for Movie Night

This lesbian historical murder mystery is everything that you need in your life.

It’s unlike any other. If you’re tired of lesbian couples where both girls look like they just walked out of Abercrombie and Fitch catalogs, and if you’re tired of historical movies that drag, and if you’re tired of lesbian characters meeting tragic ends in nearly every movie or TV show – then Mystère á la Tour Eiffel is the movie for you.

Welcome to Paris at the turn of the 20th century. The 1800s are fading fast, and the Eiffel Tower now stands tall over the city, glittering with majesty – and murder.

When a terrible murder occurs at the Eiffel Tower, the daughter of one of its architects, Louise, (Marie Denarnaud) is framed, and no one seems to believe that she’s innocent. She and her girlfriend, Henriette (Aïssa Maïga) adventure across Paris in order to prove Louise’s innocence.

If a murder and a lesbian relationship aren’t scandalous enough, consider that Louise is a divorced woman, which was incredibly taboo at the time. After the divorce, she moves in with her father until another male suitor can be nudged into marrying her. Louise, of course, has no interest in that, and as soon as she meets the dashingly beautiful Henriette – who is a woman of color – their passions for each other build.

It portrays their relationship in a realistic way; there’s no room to say that they’re just friends, but there’s also no voyeuristic hypersexual scene, like the one from Blue is the Warmest Color that dominated a news cycle.

Despite its bold take on 20th-century feminism and racial equality, this film is far from preachy. Instead, it’s a charming romp that manages to entertain and enthrall without taking itself too seriously.

Mystère even touches on mental illness, as one of the protagonists gets locked up in an asylum, where she and the other women face cruel treatment. The film is notable because the protagonist doesn’t protest that she isn’t mentally ill and that her asylum stay is a mistake – she knows that she is mentally ill, but contrary to popular belief at that time, she insists that her mental illness isn’t her homosexuality.

Although the women at the asylum are mistreated, Mystère portrays zero violence against women. As mentioned earlier, many lesbian films have tragic endings: sometimes the pair gets gruesomely torn apart by society, or one or both characters die or endure sexual assault. But this film has none of that. There’s a happy ending, and no woman has to die.

The film is originally in French, but watch the subtitled version here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ne3dPR3x1xc

Here’s Why Lesbian Visibility Day Is So Important To Our Community

Being a queer woman – that is, a woman who identifies herself as lesbian, bisexual, pansexual, queer, or anything other than heterosexual and is attracted to other women – isn’t always easy.

Finding positive portrayals of queer women in media isn’t easy either. So it’s important that together we keep our representation strong.

Today is lesbian visibility day – a day which started in the US almost 10 years ago. It is a day to celebrate lesbian life and culture and all our diversity.

Top 5 Lesbian SNL Sketches, Ranked

We already know that Kate McKinnon is the best thing to ever grace our gay TV screens. And we know that Kristen Stewart’s visit to SNL turned us 200% more gay. But there’s no such thing as too much lesbian humor.

So let’s back at some of SNL’s best (and queerest) sketches, shall we?

5. Whiskers R We

Lesbians like cats. And repressed lesbians love cats.

In this recurring sketch, McKinnon and a female guest host play two middle-aged women who work at a cat rescue shelter. The female guest host always has an unrequited crush on McKinnon, which leads to lines like:

McKinnon: “That is my nipple and I think you know that.”
Wiig: “I think I know you like it.”

and:
McKinnon: “Keep it in your jorts.”

Other great lines?

“Cats have paws, claws and 0 flaws.”

“This cat is a gift from God. At least that’s what he told the members of his cult.”

The good: Kristen Wiig pinching Kate McKinnon’s nipple on live TV.

The bad: They will put cats in your car when you’re not looking.

4. The Concert

Wow, has it already been nine years since Ellen Page came out as gay on SNL?

AKA, wow, has it already been nine years since we fell in love with Ellen Page?

In this sketch, she plays a young woman who has found herself (and a lot of lady lovin’) at a Melissa Etheridge concert.

At one point, Page splits her legs into a deep V and moans, “Why does everything have to have a label? Why can’t I just hug a woman with my legs in friendship?”

The good: Lots and lots of…friendship.

The bad: Andy Samberg and Ellen Page should switch haircuts.

Watch it here.

3. Dyke and Fats

In this homophobic, fatphobic world, who is humanity’s last hope? Les Dykawitz and Chubbina Fatzarelli, AKA the crime-fighting duo Dyke and Fats.

The good: This duo can save me anytime.

The bad: Is the world ready for a savior who’s not a straight white man?

2. Cherry Grove

When gay men have fun, they dance, strip, have crazy sex, start drama and wear a lot of glitter.

When lesbians have fun…they don’t. They do puzzles and have tearful arguments.

The good: Five miracles of home water birth.

The bad: What on earth are water socks?

1. Totinos

This is one of the only post-2012 lesbian sketches on SNL McKinnon hasn’t appeared on – and yet it’s the most gay.

A cheery housewife (Vanessa Bayer) is perfectly happy making pizza rolls for her “hungry guys” – until Kristen Stewart shows up in a leather jacket, and they start having sex on the counter. While speaking French.

The good: Pizza rolls.

The bad: The camera cuts away before we see them reenact Blue is the Warmest Color.

Trump’s Long-Lost Lesbian Muslim Daughter Is Finally Speaking Out

Ayesha Trump is finally speaking out about her father, Donald J. Trump.

As a half-Pakistani lesbian Muslim, she feels it is finally time to tell the world who she is and to reveal her father’s own hypocrisy.

As much as we all wish this were true, Ayesha Trump is the fictional creation of Fawiza Mirza, a Chicago-based comedian.

Mirza, who is a lesbian Muslim in real life, grew frustrated at Trump’s homophobic, misoygnisitic, Islamophobic comments. “What can a little brown girl do?” she asked herself. “Well, I can make something. I can do comedy.”

She has created a twenty-minute satirical exposé on Ayesha Trump. This intense interview follows the style of many groundbreaking documentaries, complete with close-ups on Ayesha playing with a Trump-Gandhi coloring book, dramatic voiceovers, and nail-biting Gotcha! questions like this one.

INTERVIEWER: How many terrorists are in your family?

(Ayesha counts.)

AYESHA: Zero.

INTERVIEW: Why were you counting?

AYESHA: Oh, sorry. There are no terrorists in my Pakistani family. But there are at least three terrorists on my Trump side.

Will comedy like this stop Trump’s Islamophobic legislature? Not directly. But Ayesha has a way of turning the interviewer’s questions and expectations on their head – even though she is a bit ditzy herself (inherited from her father).

Another gem of a line:

INTERVIEWER: Do you have any aspirations?

AYESHA: The only aspiration I have is the sweat that comes out of my body. That’s how I aspire.

Unlike Ayesha, who is only now coming forward, Mirza has been an openly queer powerhouse on the Internet for quite sometime. She often posts videos talking about human rights, Islam and coming out. Before starring as Ayesha, she created hilarious webseries such as Kam Kardashian, which follows the exploits of the long-lost lesbian sister from the famous family, and Brown Girl Problems, which details the lives of quirky South Asian women.

Learn more at Mirza’s website.

Lesbians Less Likely To Get Tested For Cervical Cancer Than Straight Or Bisexual Women

According to a new report by academics at Rice University, Lesbians are less likely to get tested for cervical cancer than straight or bisexual counterparts

The report examined the relationship between sexual orientation and pap smears in 15 states from 2000 and 2010.

It found that gay women were 25% less likely to get tested at regular intervals than their straight or bisexual counterparts.

Mammograms, which test for breast cancer, were found to be around the same rate for gay, bisexual and straight women.

Researchers examined what they described as “timely” tests.

This involved monitoring whether women over 40 had a mammogram every two years and 25 to 65-year-olds took a pap smear every three years.

Alexa Solazzo, the study’s lead author, said it was possible the difference could be down to birth control.

Women who use contraceptives are often required by doctors to have annual pap smears.

Many doctors require women who seek a birth-control prescription to have had a recent pap test. Women who don’t have sex with men might theoretically have less of a need for birth control than women who do have sex with men (i.e., heterosexual or bisexual women). Thus, they may be less likely to seek care at an OB-GYN and receive a pap test.”

Solazzo said she hopes that this research will encourage more studies on sexual-minority health disparities and contribute to a change in preventive health communication regarding the promotion of pap smears, emphasizing the importance of having these exams regardless of sexuality.

A straightforward change to the public health message women receive that focuses less on sexual activity and more on the long-term health benefits of pap-smear testing may improve health overall and help reduce differences by sexual orientation.”

Sign Up For This New Resource For Lesbian, Bisexual And Trans Artists

If you’re a creative type, then connect with other queer and transgender female artists on the Women Who Draw database.

Women Who Draw is a new platform for women, transgender and gender non-conforming illustrators and cartoonists to network with each other, find jobs with companies and expand their talents worldwide.

When it first launched in December of 2016, the database received so many applications within the first twenty-four hours that it crashed. It now has 700 active members and 300 more on a fast-moving waiting list.

So how does it work? The site connects artists to clients and clients to artists. Female artists add their name and portfolio to the website and can identify themselves by region, religion, ethnicity, gender identity or sexual orientation. This will help clients looking for a specific type of illustrator to find what they need, and this will help artists connect to specialized projects.

Founder Julia Rothman launched the database after realizing that out of 55 illustrated covers of one of her favorite magazines, only four had been drawn by women. This hiring bias is pervasive throughout the illustration industry.

Many corporations complain that they don’t hire women simply because they don’t know any female artists. Thanks to Women Who Draw, now they do.

According to the Huffington Post, Women Who Draw intends to “bring images of women of color and queer women ― made by women of color and queer women ― into mainstream publications that don’t often showcase them.”

Rothman wants to make it as easy as possible for corporations to access diverse, talented populations.

In the future, Rothman wants to broaden the Women Who Draw database to include other creative fields – perhaps filmmaking, music or creative writing. But for now, she’s passionate about helping illustrators and is excited about how much impact the database is already having.

Women Who Draw follows in the footsteps of other diversity databases. Check out LGBTQ Cartoonists of Color and the Queer Cartoonists Database.

‘How To Not’ – A New Web Series For Queer Girls

Do you ever feel like everyone has got it all together accept you? Your friends have a life plan that works, a career they love and saving in the bank. You hate your job, have pennies in the bank and still rely on your Mum to do your washing. Sound familiar? If yes, this new web series is just for you.

The main character (who strangely has no name!) is a 20 something girl in a causal relationship with an idiot bloke called Cage, has a boss who is an arsehole, has a best friend (Lila) that has her whole life planned out and feels totally lost and forgotten. In a moment of madness, she changes her dating preferences on Tinder to ‘prefers women’ and quickly meets a cute girl called Jamie.

Jamie is pretty much a lesbian’s dream. She’s creative, plays guitar and sings and has a steady job as a paramedic that she loves. But our main character is not sure what she wants and Jamie is moving too fast for her. Although she is texting Jamie all the time she is still preoccupied with Cage, despite the fact he seems more interested in cocaine and his best friend than he is in her.

She feels even worse when the night of her birthday party Lila announces her engagement to perfect boyfriend and she feels quite jealous that Lila has her life so sorted, even though she knows deep down she should be happy for her friend. Gia Vangieri created and starred in the programme and she wanted the main character to reflect what many of us feel like during our 20’s. It’s hard to be in your 20s. We’ve all felt that pressure She felt to “get it together” and to be supportive of your best friend who seems to be in a different place than you are.

Plus, dating someone who has it all together, especially dating someone of the same sex for the first time. Eventually our un-named heroine simply figures out how to enjoy life without putting too much pressure on herself.

How to Not is available on Vimeo On Demand. It’s $4 to rent, but paid content supports queer creators, and it’s worth a watch!

Controversial Lesbian Sex Game “Ladykillers” Now Available

Hit lesbian game Ladykiller in a Bind has made headlines as a “bold exploration of sexual experiences and perspectives” for straight, gay and genderqueer characters alike.

It received rave reviews for being one of very few games to give an honest, unflinching depiction of sex. Created by Christine Love, whis “erotic visual novel” tackles queer sex and sexuality, BDSM, issues of consent, powerplay, trickery and kinks. Dynamic characters take the stage in a gripping and titillating yet complex story about pleasure and power.

The Plot

Forced to pretend to be her twin brother on a cruise ship full of his classmates and enemies, the Beast finds herself thrown into a game of complex social manipulation, as well as literal bondage. An erotic visual novel by the creators of Analogue: A Hate Story about social manipulation, cross-dressing, and girls tying up other girls.

As the Beast, you are a “super cool dyke with a sweet motorcycle and a reputation for being a ladykiller.” You’re also rich and have wear a badass leather jacket.

The Game

Ladykiller in a Bind centers around two main romance storylines, although all characters are available for your sexual pleasure.

The game features a week worth of “explicit, sensual, kinky lesbian sex” aboard a glamorous cruise ship – or you “live dangerously with your brother’s classmates, who just want to fuck you up.”

The game received excellent reviews for its dynamic conversation system, which differs from traditional games in that “instead of hanging off your every word, dialogue options appear as they occur to you and disappear as they become irrelevant to the conversation.”

Your job is to unwind the complex secrets that wrap around your brother and his friend, while you sleep your way through half of his classmates. Characters include Beauty, who is a dominatrix, Stalker, who is a hacker, Swimmer, who is a beach babe, Photographer, who is a spy, Nerd, who is serious and bookish, and Boy, who is a cross-dresser.

The Controversy

Ladykiller is graphic. Very graphic. Characters are depicted naked, tied up, and in other compromising sexual situations. The most popular gaming marketplace, Steam – think the iPhone App Store, but for hardcore gamers – censors the sex out of most games. But Ladykiller simply doesn’t make sense without the sex that drives the plot forward.

Love released the game on Humble, a much smaller marketplace, to widespread success. Fans petitioned for the game to head to Steam. However, the process took months of bargaining and protesting on Love’s part, as the owners of Steam were not immediately cooperative.

Love’s persistence finally paid off, however, and the game is now available to a much wider audience.

Pick up this queer sex game here.

Lesbian South African Films for Your Next Movie Night

South Africa has a vibrant filmmaking scene, especially where LGBT movies are concerned. Grab a bowl of popcorn, snuggle up with your girlfriend and watch one (or all) of these amazing films.

Lost in the World (2015)

While being LGBT is legal in South Africa, the situation is much more complicated for women. Queer women face the threat of corrective rape – men believe that they can sexually assault a woman into being heterosexual. This issue is well-known but not always talked about.

Lost in the World pulls back the curtain on this issue. The film follows a police officer seeking revenge for the brutal rape and murder of her female partner.

Even though the story centers around rape, the rape is not depicted, and the narrative is non-linear, which is deliberately confusing.

The filmmaker, Xolelwa Nhlabatsi, gives the reason why: “I didn’t want people to be comfortable watching this movie. I want you to feel Whitney’s character, I want you to feel this loss and this “What the fuck is going on?” thing all the time.”

The film debuted at the New Queer Visions Film Festival. Stream it here.

The World Unseen (2008)

If you loved Lisa Ray and Sheetal Sheth in the international lesbian romantic comedy, I Can’t Think Straight, then you’ll enjoy The World Unseen.

Apartheid is just beginning in 1950s Cape Town, where South Asian women Amina and Miriam live. While Amina is a free spirit, Miriam is fiercely devoted to her family, to conservative values and to doing what is expected of her. After they fall in love, they decide to meet without raising suspicions by arranging driving lessons.

Despite the racist, sexist and homophobic society in which they live, Miriam and Amina realize that the only thing that makes life worth living is their love.

Check out the movie here.

While You Weren’t Looking (2015)

This multigenerational story of queer South Africans twists and turns around itself, bringing several seemingly disparate storylines into one graceful arc.

An elderly gay man searches for one of his lost lovers, who is now a political heavyweight. An interracial lesbian couple find their relationship tearing apart due partly to race and partly to infidelity. Their adopted daughter, who is also the student of the elderly man, falls in love with a “tommy boy.”

Although paraded around Cape Town as the epitome of diversity, their daughter feels more like an experiment.

The film, shot in Cape Town, also features music from local artists.

Rent it here.

5 Totally Relatable Lesbian Podcasts To Check Out Now

Podcasts are no longer given much attention now that streaming videos and music abound. However, these stunning ladies are sure to bring back the classics in a set of lighthearted, comedic shows you can find online.

1. The Girl’s Hour

Jen and Michele are fresh from Melbourne, Australia. They host a weekly radio show on Joy 94.9 where they talk about the LGBTQIA community, promote books, artists, authors, and feature musicians and causes.

Down-to-earth girls in a show made to shake and wake the nation.

2. Questionable at Best

World-famous comedian, writer, and columnist DeAnne Smith runs this radio show. There really isn’t a theme to the show, except for its usual structure where Smith asks one question to either a guest or a listener, and the discussion flows from there.

You can expect a ton of jokes and laughs from this one; time well-spent.

3. Another Word for Lesbian

New York City is where it’s at these days. This is where Another Word for Lesbian, and its creators Torrie and Erika, originate. They identify themselves as “queer and lesbian, black, and carefree besties”. In seemingly unusual fashion, their podcasts are bi-weekly and discuss a plethora of topics from the writing life, to pop culture, and even black queer issues.

A duo of writer friends taking over the world like a true champ.

4. Lesbian Lounge

You can never go wrong with a podcast that covers a variety of subjects such as current events in the community, businesses, content reviews, event coverage, web series, music, and much, much more. Originating from good ole’ England, we present to you Lesbian Lounge by Denise, who, ironically, isn’t from England.

Hold on for the ride of your life venturing through the labyrinths, it’s gonna be a wild one.

5. Tomboy Tirade

Tomboy Tirade is an only all-female comedy chat podcast, which is hosted by the zany co-founders of Tomboy Tarts, Persis Shanker & Raven Lim. The show (pronounced Tomboy Tee-rahd), is a no-holds comedy chat podcast with a whole lot of geek and humour thrown into every episode.

It’s banter overdosed on caffeine.

What Your Queer Girl Celebrity Crush Says About You

Queer female celebrities have always been such an integral part of our queer culture. Whether the celeb in question actually identifies as lesbian, bisexual, or pansexual, or there’s just a lot of speculation about their sexuality, one thing’s for certain: We absolutely love them.

We’ve taken the time to identify 20 of the most famous out queer female celebrities, with a handy little guide to explain what your crush on that particular woman really means.

Ready? Let’s go! In alphabetical order…

Amber Heard

Your crush on “no labels” actress Amber Heard says that you’re more about the person than how they label themselves – and that’s a great feeling. In fact, Amber made sure to note all the way back in 2011 that she doesn’t really label herself one way or the other – “it’s the person who matters.” Your crush on her says that you care about a person for the person they are, rather than the person they love.

Angelina Jolie

You’re into the classical beauty – strong, yet feminine features, with all the right curves and a seriously fierce pout. Between beauty, strength, and inclusivity, there is no contest – all are equally important when it comes to winning your affections. Besides – with a resume like hers, how could you possibly say no?

Anna Paquin

Your crush on Anna Paquin says that your sexuality is far from the most important (or interesting) thing about you – and in fact, you prefer to keep your personal life as personal as possible, unless opening up will help someone else come to terms with who they are. You love the supernatural world and, TBH, you’d probably rather be a creature from another reality anyway. And, I mean, why wouldn’t you?

Caitlyn Jenner

While many chose to label Caitlyn Jenner’s daring coming-out story as a publicity stunt, you instead chose to accept that it takes a lot of courage to come out later in life, and relentlessly supported her transition anyway. Go you for looking past the public opinion and realizing that all people deserve respect – even if they were once on a reality TV show.

Cameron Diaz

While it was widely reported that Cameron Diaz came out as bisexual, the fact of the matter is that she didn’t – so your crush on her might confirm that you tend to veer towards straight girls. (Sorry!) Not that there’s anything wrong with admiring someone you wouldn’t actually get with, of course, so this might mean that you prefer friendships over intimate relationships – and that is A-OK with us.

Cara Delevingne

You’re into all that snark and sarcasm that we’ve come to know Cara for, but it’s more than just that – she manages to be entirely herself without compromising her exquisite beauty. Plus, she’s friends with practically everyone in Hollywood, so you might even be interested in the party scene – but, to be clear, that’s just a super small portion of who you really are.

Demi Moore

Your crush on the gorgeous Demi Moore proves that age is nothing but a number – and if you got that hot cougar thing working for you, well, that’s even better. Although her marriage with Ashton has already fallen apart, rumor has it that she’s just as into women as she is in men – so, in theory, her next boo could be a young, beautiful woman. (Please let this one be true!)

Drew Barrymore

While Drew has spent most of her life in the spotlight, it came as a shock to many when she came out as bisexual – something that hasn’t put the tiniest hitch in her career. Your crush on her reveals that labels don’t really matter to you, and it doesn’t matter what other people think. Even though she has never sought to make herself a “sex symbol,” per se, she’s still definitely sexy to you!

Ellen DeGeneres

Your love for this Ellen means that you are down to be a pioneer, even if being a pioneer isn’t the easiest thing to do. Since Ellen came out way back when it wasn’t socially acceptable to do so, she’s put up with more than her fair share of haters in that time – but, thankfully, her overwhelming kindness and confidence has prevailed. I don’t think her relationship with Portia is going anywhere, though, so this crush isn’t going to lead anywhere in the foreseeable future.

Ellen Page

Ellen Page is one of the quirkiest actresses on our list, and while she doesn’t often play LGBT characters on the screen, she makes a point to support the LGBT community wherever she can. Your crush on her says that activism is super important to you, as is witty humor – and, of course, that makes her the perfect catch.

Evan Rachel Wood

Even though many people have accused Evan of coming out for the attention, she chooses to educate, rather than hate on the uninformed masses. In 2013, she told AfterEllen,

So I don’t get angry or try to fight hate with hate; I just try to educate.” Your crush on her says that you understand that ignorance isn’t usually a choice, and you’d rather be with someone who is accepting of everyone – even those they don’t really understand.

Kesha

Kesha represents strength through adversity, as we all know the highly-visible ordeal she’s been going through these days. While some choose to label her as someone crying out for attention, your support of her proves that we should all be taken seriously – even if we happen to be covered in glitter. The world needs more glitter anyway, guys.

Lea DeLaria

Lea DeLaria might not be the traditional image of beauty that we see in the world, but your crush on her proves that it’s what’s inside that counts – especially when what’s inside is a whole bunch of sassiness, wrapped in activism, with a bit of dapper to hold it all together. You know that someone’s personality is what makes them so great, and you’re all about being your own witty, vulgar person, even if it makes you a pariah.

Lindsay Lohan

Now, LiLo fans are a little more into the party scene than the Cara fans, but can you blame them? Lindsay had a pretty rough childhood in the spotlight, like Miley, and she had to take some time for herself to get her head back on straight. Your crush on her means that you understand when your romantic interest makes some bad choices – it doesn’t mean she’s a bad person.

Megan Fox

Megan Fox has garnered some negative attention in saying that she, as a bisexual woman, won’t sleep with other bisexual women. However, you realize that it’s powerful to know exactly who you are and exactly what you want – and if your dream girl can do so while looking absolutely fabulous, even better.

Michelle Rodriguez

Action is important to you – all kinds of action, both the kind fueled by love and the kind that takes place inside super fast cars or alongside Danny Trejo. She makes no excuses for who she is, and she won’t let anyone else define her – exactly what you like in a woman!

Miley Cyrus

You’re really into a woman who does her own thing, even if it took her a while to be comfortable in her own skin. You want someone who is unapologetic about who she is, even if that means she doesn’t always fit in with the crowd. The woman of your dreams would never put herself back into hiding just to make other people comfortable – what’s the point in that?

Rachel Maddow

Your crush on political correspondent Rachel Maddow shows that you want a woman who is well-informed and also just a bit sarcastic. Although many disapprove of the way she has spoken about the U.S. President Elect Donald Trump, you want a woman who speaks her mind in any situation – even if it doesn’t win her any popularity. Her witty humor turns you on, and you need a woman who can do the same in your life.

Ruby Rose

Your crush on Ruby Rose tells us that you want someone flexible – a woman who can be either the studliest stud or the most feminine femme, all while looking absolutely fabulous. You don’t even care how much attention she’s getting from straight girls and lesbians alike – she’s bae and that’s all there is to it!

Samira Wiley

Your love for Samira tells us that you are all about using your powers for good. As a Julliard graduate, she chose to forego the more traditional path to perfection and instead bolted into everyone’s hearts as OITNB’s Poussey – at least until her untimely death at the end of the last season. Yikes. Hopefully we’ll have a chance to see her in other awesome stuff, besides just her adorable Instagram pics with future wifey Lauren Morelli.

Did we miss your crush?

Drop us a comment below letting us know who you’d like to see on this list! If there’s enough interest, we’ll do a second list with all the suggestions from readers.

Check Out Lesbian Alt-Rock Band MUNA

If you love alternative rock, provocative lyrics, and funky haircuts, then why aren’t you listening to MUNA already?

The band is making waves for their controversial single, Loudspeaker, the title track from their just-released Loudspeaker EP. The banger is an anthem for speaking up and making your voice heard.

The lead singer, Katie Gavin, wrote the song after coming out about her own sexual assault. When she finally opened up to trusted friends, very few people believed her. She faced a difficult decision: remain silent and pretend that she’d never been violated, or speak up about her traumatizing experiences?

She didn’t just speak up. She wrote one of the boldest, loudest songs of the year.

“I’m gonna put it high on the loudspeaker/And if I feel like crying, I won’t hide it/I am a loudspeaker.”

This song is empowering to anyone scared to speak up about any injustice – from sexual assault to racism, sexism and homophobia. “It’s helping me to scream this is not my fault!” Gavin bellows.

MUNA has been making waves for their ability to combine heavy, taboo subjects with bubbly synth-pop music.

I Know a Place is a love letter to LGBTQ people all around the world, and gained new life after June’s tragic Pulse Nightclub shooting.

Naomi McPherson (synth), Josette Maskin (guitar), and Katie Gavin (vocals), the band’s members, met several years ago at the University of Southern California, and have been making world-shaking music since 2013. This year, RCA Records signed them off the strength of The Loudspeaker EP, so you’ll be hearing much more MUNA in the years to come.

They’re currently touring the country on a twelve-city tour, hitting cities from Indianapolis to Brooklyn to New Orleans. The tour extends through November, so it’s not too late to grab front-row seats. Tickets start at $28.

Proud Mother Been Holding The Same Sign At Pride For Over 30 Years: “I Adore My Lesbian Daughters. Keep them Safe”

30 years, LGBTQ ally Frances Goldin has been attending New York Pridewith a sign that reads: “I adore my lesbian daughters. Keep them safe.”

She’s been doing it since her two daughters came out shortly after New York’s first pride parade in 1970.

Standing at the same spot every year (the corner of 18th and 5th Avenue), in recent years she has taken her wheelchair to take a break if it gets too hot.

Talking to BuzzFeed, Francis explined that she had been attending New York’s pride parade “since the beginning”, and even attends on her own when her daughters can’t make it.

Since the beginning of the parade, I’ve been going and waving my sign. It sort of hit a nerve with people, particularly those whose parents rejected them. The response to the sign is always so great, it urges me to keep going.”

The original sign which simply read, “I adore my lesbian daughters” had “keep them safe”, was added to in 1993, when Francis attended a historic LGBT march in Washington DC.

The back of the sign reads, “a proud parent of lesbians”.

Francis’ daughters added that when young people see the sign and ask her for support, she often writes to their parents and encourages them to support their kids.

I think I changed a few people’s minds and I’m glad about that. Everyone should support their gay and lesbian children, they’re missing a lot in life if they don’t.”

New Women-Only Sex Club Kicks Off In Sydney

Women who love women are bracing themselves for the newly opened sex club exclusive to woman-identified patrons in Sydney, Australia.

Skirt Club is an internationally recognized name in the business of sex parties around the world ranging from Miami, Florida to London, England.

The club focuses on the sexual desires of lesbian, bisexual, and questioning women in search of adventure and a bedroom fantasy brought to life. Each event caters to a different theme or fetish and encourages participation in costumed dances, games, and exploration of sexuality.

Though sex parties suggest the excitement of sensuality and physicality, all guests are required to demonstrate respect as well as adhere to rules regarding consent.

All women, gay or straight, are invited to join in on the beauty of sexual exploration and deep innate bodily desires at Sydney’s newly established and prized Skirt Club– a place where men are left at the front door.

‘Carmilla’ Season 3 Trailer Is Worth The Watch

Carmilla – the wildly popular Canadian vampire web series – is kind of like a queer-er Buffy, blended with Scooby-Doo, and little bit Veronica Mars style action.

It has attracted millions of fans around the world, and not just because of strong story, but it has a whole lot of queerness too.

And now it’s back for its third and final season this September 15^th.

Carmilla (inspired by the infamous novella by J. Sheridan Le Fanu) is all about a girl called Laura (Elise Bauman), who has left her home town for the first time to attend Silas University, which boasts its own Gnostic Mathematics department, many clubs for the students to enjoy like the Alchemy Club, and an extensive library where the books will search for you.

But then things get weird when Laura’s roommate disappears without a trace one night, which no-one seems to notice or care about.

Laura decides to investigate herself, and with help from her dorm managers Perry and LaFontaine, and Danny the friendly TA, uncovers a similar string of disappearances and a seedy underbelly of danger lurking underneath Silas.Meanwhile, her new roommate Carmilla keeps stealing her chocolate! Oh, and she might be a vampire targeting Laura as her next victim.

This Month America Could Crown Its First Ever Out Miss America

Erin O’Flaherty was recently crowned Miss Missouri at the state pageant in the city of Mexico, Missouri on Saturday.

This makes her the first out lesbian to be crowned.

Speaking to the Associated Press this week, O’Flaherty said she came out as gay at the age of 18.

I’m on cloud nine really just to be Miss Missouri. I don’t know that I intended to be the first, but I am. So I’m very excited about it.”

O’Flaherty will also be the first out gay woman to compete in the Miss America scholarship pageant.

The competition will take place in Atlantic City on 11 September.

She hopes winning Miss Missouri and moving on to the Miss America pageant sends a message to any other young LGBT members who hope to compete someday.

I think it’s really nice that maybe somebody in the state might be able to relate to me and think they can do this too. I don’t think I had that when I was growing up.”

O’Flaherty will head to Atlantic City, New Jersey, for the national competition in September. She says while the reality of winning Miss Missouri hasn’t quite set in yet, she’s ready.

Study Shows Eating Disorders On The Rise For Lesbian And Bisexual Teens

A new study has shown that lesbians and bisexual youth are continuing to purge, fast or take diet pills to lose weight, while rates for such behaviour among heterosexual youth have decreased.

The University of British Columbia conducted the study which involved 26,000 students from Massachusetts.

The students interviewed were asked to identify their sexual orientation, a question that has rarely been asked in previous studies.

Lead researcher Ryan Watson explained:

Our study has found that it’s (eating disorders) only getting worse for lesbian and bisexual girls.”

The Massachusetts study, based on data collected between 1999 and 2013, was published this week in the International Journal of Eating Disorders.

Watson said Massachusetts is one of the few states that since 1991 has asked youth about sexual orientation as part of its regular surveys on adolescents.

The study said that in 2013, lesbians were twice as likely to report purging and fasting than they were in 1999. For that year, the prevalence of purging among bisexual girls, at 33 per cent, was higher than for lesbians, at 22 per cent, but stayed nearly the same in 2013, when it jumped to 36 per cent for lesbians girls.

In comparison, eight per cent of heterosexual girls reported purging in 1999, but the rate went down to five per cent in 2013.

Heterosexual boys had the lowest rates of the behaviour, and it declined further over the years.

While the researchers say the reasons for the increase for lesbians is not known they suggest health programs around eating disorders need to be more tailored to lesbians and bisexual girls.

The gap is really widening for lesbian and bisexual girls where it’s not for boys who are gay or bisexual, and so really [there are] some differences here within sexual orientation subgroups that are pretty alarming.”

He said the research suggests healthy eating and body-image programs that seem to be working for straight youth haven’t reached lesbian, gay and bisexual kids.

Dr. Pei-Yoong Lam, a pediatrician in the eating disorders program at B.C. Children’s Hospital, said the study creates more awareness about the impact of sexual identity on eating disorders.

Kids who are lesbian, gay or bisexual or transgender are at risk of various conditions, particularly mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety. There also tend to be more risk-taking behaviours in this population and it really is about the support that they receive in the community.”

She said bullying and rejection over sexual identity has an impact on various mental health conditions, including eating disorders among children.

Dr. Laird Birmingham, who has specialized in treating eating disorders for more than 40 years and now runs a private clinic after working at St. Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver, said specialized services are needed for sexual minorities.

The government has no specific programs for individuals in those categories. They have to be allowed to hear things in the context of their beliefs, of their life, how it’s developing, and the challenges they have sexually,” he said, adding that it’s all the more important in small-group therapy.

The messaging has to be specific, just the same as it has to be for males and females. In fact, even the tests that diagnose eating disorders are different based on different ethnicities.”

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Bisexual, Gay, And Lesbian Adults Face Greater Health Risks, According To New Study

According to study, bisexual, gay and lesbian adults are more likely to experience psychological distress and engage in unhealthy behaviours, possibly as a result of being the target of discrimination, according to a study published Monday.

The study in the US medical journal JAMA Internal Medicine analysed the results of the 2013 and 2014 National Health Interview Survey, which for the first time included a question on sexual orientation.

It reported,

Findings from our study indicate that LGB adults experience significant health disparities — particularly in mental health and substance use — likely due to the minority stress that LGB adults experience as a result of their exposure to both interpersonal and structural discrimination.”

The analysis showed that 40.1% of bisexual men and 25.9% of gay men reported moderate or severe levels of psychological distress, compared to 16.9% of heterosexual men.

Heavy drinking was reported by 10.9% of bisexual men, compared with 5.7% for heterosexual men and 5.1% for gay men.

Rates of heavy smoking were also highest among bisexual men at 9.3%, compared to 6.2% for gay men and six percent for heterosexual men.

Among women, 46.4% of bisexuals and 28.4% of lesbians reported moderate and severe psychological distress, compared with 21.9% of heterosexual women.

Bisexual women also had the highest rates of heavy alcohol consumption, 11.7%, compared with 8.9% for lesbians and 4.8% for heterosexual women.

Heavy smoking was most prevalent among lesbian women at 5.2%, followed by bisexual women at 4.2%. The rate among heterosexual women was 3.4%.

The negative findings for bisexual adults may be linked to their “marginalization” by heterosexuals and “stigma” from gays and lesbians, according to the study, led by Gilbert Gonzales of Vanderbilt University.

JAMA Internal Medicine Deputy Editor Mitchell Katz wrote in an editor’s note that it’s important for medical professionals to ask patients open-ended questions.

For example, asking a new patient whether he or she has sex with men, women or both indicates openness and acceptance. In caring for people who have experienced bias and discrimination, support is a very potent medicine.”

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Another Queer Woman Harassed For Using The Women’s Restroom

With all of the hysteria surrounding bathroom bills, it was only a matter of time until citizens started taking the matter into their own hands.

On Thursday, Jessica Rush was at the Baylor Medical Center to get her two broken fingers examined. While she was waiting to be seen, she decided to use the restroom – a decision which turned into a dramatic encounter when a man in the waiting room followed her to bathroom, believing she was a man.

Rush posted on Facebook that the man came into the bathroom at Baylor Medical Center at Frisco, after her because he thought she was a man.

Rush was able to record the tail end of the encounter on her phone.

“You didn’t look like a girl when I saw you enter so I thought you was—” the man said in the video.

“A boy?” Rush said.

“Yeah, and I was kind of confused. It’s difficult, you’re dressed like a man.”

https://www.facebook.com/l7weenie/videos/10205678617554807/

Talking to Mashable, Rush said

I was panicked. Any woman’s first instincts of a guy walking straight into a bathroom are it could be anything, getting robbed, attacked or raped.”

Rush, who said she was wearing a t-shirt and basketball shorts at the time, was able to film some of the interaction to show to her wife in the waiting room, and eventually posted it to Facebook.

The man then walked away, but later in the lobby of the hospital, where Rush was waiting to have her broken fingers fitted with a cast, he explained he followed Rush because his elderly mother needed to use the women’s bathroom and he was concerned about her safety.

I was confused when I see someone entering the woman bathroom looking like a man. I was going to make sure she was going to the right place.”

https://www.facebook.com/l7weenie/videos/10205678820639884/

Rush said this incident is nothing new for her, and in fact happens “all the time,” but said this is the first instance she’s been able to document.

She said she understands the safety concerns of parents who oppose bathroom bills that allow trans individuals to use the bathrooms of their choice (Rush is not transgender nor is she transitioning), but she said a woman being followed into the restroom by a man is also a matter of safety.

There should be safety all around, not just for one side. We’re all humans, we all have to use the restroom and in the end this is insane that it’s coming down to this.”

Rush said the incident has opened her eyes to the challenges faced by trans people. She said she isn’t angry about what happened, but instead hopes her experience will bring attention to the issue.

I’m trying to raise awareness in a positive way. Even if it was an honest mistake, one way or another we can all learn from this.”

Have something to add to this story? Share it in the comments.

Lesbian Forcibly Removed From Women’s Bathroom By Poilce

A video has been posted on Facebook of a gay woman being harassed and forced to leave a public restroom because the police insist she’s a man.

In the video, the woman is asked by police to leave the women’s restroom. She points out she’s a woman, and not going anywhere.

The police ask for her ID. She says she doesn’t have one.

“Then out!” says the cop. “You got no ID, then get out!”

Police forcibly remove her from the bathroom, while her female companions curse them.

The posted states

Is this what “Make America Great Again” means? This makes me very sad and I want no part of this irrational fear. I mean, you can’t think of a 1000 ways these laws will be used as an excuse to harass, humiliate, and arrest people? SMDH

Watch below;

https://www.facebook.com/RealBlackHair/videos/1041393762599408/

Mormon Teen Forced To Carry Backpack Full Of Stones To Make Her Straight

21-year-old ex-Mormon Alex Cooper, of Salt Lake City, is speak out against her experiences coming out to her parents aged 15.

When Alex Cooper, came out to her Mormon parents in 2009, rather than embrace their gay daughter, they first kicked her out, then decided they were going to “fix” her.

They took her to the home of fellow Mormons Tiana and Johnny Siale in St. George, Utah, where Cooper was subject to eight months of captivity and torture, according to her book, Saving Alex.

Cooper claims that the pair – who did not have any license or training to operate as a therapist – subjected her to cruel and unusual punishments, including beatings, forcing her to stand facing a wall for up to 18 hours a day, and making her wear a backpack full of rocks.

Cooper told CBS outlet KUTV:

It’s like sending you to therapy to change your eye colour… it’s not going to work. What it’s going to do is damage you.”

The teen was forced to stay with the Siales, living in captivity and surviving a suicide attempt.

She says many in the Mormon-dominated local community were aware of the pair’s methods, but did not raise a hand to help her.

Eventually she was allowed to attend a local school – and sought help through the juvenile court system via a Salt Lake City attorney.

Years after securing her right to live openly, Cooper now wants to stamp out the threat of ‘gay cure’ therapy to other teens.

Cooper, who now lives as an out lesbian in Portland, Oregon, and is no longer a practicing Mormon, ultimately chose not to prosecute the Siales.

She has also reconciled with her parents, saying she believes they were only doing what they felt was right, and following the tenets of the Mormon faith.

Cooper told KUTV.

I don’t blame my parents. I am able to share my life with them, and it’s awesome.”

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which once conducted shock and vomit aversion therapy on homosexual members at Brigham Young University, no longer advocates so-called “reparative therapy.”

However, it still teaches that gay sex is sinful, and in November the church unveiled a policy declaring same-sex couples “apostates” and barring their children from being baptized.

More than 30 young LGBT Mormons reportedly have committed suicide in the wake of the policy.

In response to Cooper’s book, the Mormon church issued a statement saying it “denounces any therapy that subjects an individual to abusive practices,” according to KUTV.

We hope those who experience the complex realities of same-sex attraction find compassion and understanding from family members, professional counselors and church members.”

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Analyst Discovers The Real Cost Of Being Lesbian, And Now She Wants A Refund

A data specialist and entrepreneur has calculated the cost of being out in the job market, and the results are sadly disappointing.

Over three years, Vivienne Ming worked out how much harder it is to be a woman, from an ethnic minority or a member of the LGBT community when entering the job market or seeking promotion.

What she discovered was there is a “tax on being different”, and this fee has huge ramifications for the economy.

Speaking at The Economist’s Pride and Prejudice event in London last week, Vivienne said business needs to understand this and how it has to change.

When someone says ‘I had to work twice as hard to get where I am today’, I just had to know what that meant.

Did they literally work twice as hard, was there some tangible cost of being a woman on a board or being hispanic in the California tech industry or to be gay or lesbian?”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSgiFjuGLy8

Intrigued and with a database of information to hand, Vivienne developed a model that allowed her to analyse performance information of individual workers and compare how likely people of similar skills would get promoted.

This led her to discover the tax on being different, where for instance a lesbian in the tech industry in Hong Kong – to be in with a chance of being just as likely to get promoted as a straight male colleague – would have to pay a ‘tax’ of around $800,000 and $1.5 million.

This tax comes in the form of advanced degrees, a number of extra years in lower positions and missed opportunities to earn.

Talking to the Pink News, Ming explained

In this particular case what we see is that the woman has to have as much as a PhD to be competitive with a man with no degree at all.

If you have to go through lots of extra work, enter the job market 10 years older, just to be equitable – there is a big question of why would you bother?”

When looking at the LGBT community in the UK, she said that even though society had moved forward there was still a divide.

She said:

Why would a gay man growing up in England necessarily put as much effort into his career if he knew he would have a tax of £38,000.

Imagine that 10% of the UK population was born with a £38,000 loan they had to pay. They never got the money in the first place, they just have to pay it back. What a disincentive.”

Vivienne added that what was important to note, was that it wasn’t impossible to achieve (she highlights Apple CEO, Tim Cook as an example), it was just a lot harder.

It’s like everyone can climb Mount Everest, but some people just have to carry 100 pounds of rock on their back for no reason.”

Vivienne explained that although the social justice issues are important, the ‘tax’ was actually damaging the world economy.

There is a case for corporations to care about this. It is because everyone will pay the tax for being different if we’re holding people back.

Estimates that we’ve done have shown that this tax may well cost the world’s economy $4 to 5 trillion a year. That’s enormous and what a profound loss to civilisation.”

1. “Ah so, you don’t eat meat (wink, wink, nudge) of any kind.” – it’s a constant killer

2. When everyone with you at a restaurant is trying to help you figure out what to order.

3. When your friends want to share small plates at restaurants with the meat-covered hands.

4. People who crack jokes about vegetarians because they think it makes them edgy and hilarious.

5. Family members who don’t get it – “No I don’t eat fish, and yes I’m still a lesbian!”

6. “So, what DO you eat? Salad?”

7. Eating in France – “Je suis vegetarian” is hugely useless phrases.

8. When your new meat-eating girlfriend invites you over to their house for dinner, and you let her know you don’t eat meat, which makes her feel obligated to cook you something special.

9. Or you don’t tell her, and then make her feel bad when you can only eat the side dishes.

10. Going on road trips with non-vegetarians.

11. When the waiter is hovering by your table listing off the (all meat) specials.

12. The prix fixe menu. – “Hmm, which should I choose, the chicken or the steak?”

13. When the token vegetarian entree is just a pile of roasted veggies, and you have to pay $18 for it anyway.

14. Having to ask for the ingredients of EVERYTHING.

15. You order the veggie chilli, take one bite, and realise that it has meat in it…

Is it a flaw in our society that we find our dates on the internet these days?

1. Don’t lie on your profiles.

2. Don’t use old photos.

3. Don’t agree to send money or gifts to anyone you don’t know.

4. Don’t lie to your friends and family about what you’re doing when you go on a date.

5. Be honest with yourself (and your matches) about what you want.

6. Don’t get desperate.

5. Whiskers R We

4. The Concert

3. Dyke and Fats

2. Cherry Grove

1. Totinos

The Plot

The Game

The Controversy

Lost in the World (2015)

While You Weren’t Looking (2015)

1. The Girl’s Hour

2. Questionable at Best

3. Another Word for Lesbian

4. Lesbian Lounge

5. Tomboy Tirade

Amber Heard

Angelina Jolie

Anna Paquin

Caitlyn Jenner

Cameron Diaz

Cara Delevingne

Demi Moore

Drew Barrymore

Ellen DeGeneres

Ellen Page

Evan Rachel Wood

Kesha

Lea DeLaria

Lindsay Lohan

Megan Fox

Michelle Rodriguez

Miley Cyrus

Rachel Maddow

Ruby Rose

Samira Wiley

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