Tag Archives: The L Word

The Lesbians That Always Get The Girl (aka The ‘Shane’ Factor) : Here’s 6 Things They Do Differently

The most desirable woman are usually the ones who are the most independent. Why? Because independent women tend to be strong women who don’t put up with a lot of shit — not only do women find that attractive but it’s just a great way to be.

Here are some things that set these kinds of women apart:

1. They’re hard to get.

That doesn’t mean they play games — it just means they’re actually hard to get. They don’t just fall for any cute girl who flirts with them… They makes a women work for it because they know they have options.

2. They believe in love.

Cynicism is natural — after all, it’s hard not be a little cynical after having been single for a while — but the strongest women maintain optimism. They keep the romantic in themselves alive. Think about it — if you don’t expect much from women or love, you’ll be more willing to settle for crap because that’s all you think exists. But if you think you deserve real goodness and believe a great woman is out there for you, you’ll be less likely to waste time on the assholes.

3. They don’t put up with bullshit.

Face it, some women play all sorts of games. All’s fair in love and war right?! But the most independent women keep themselves in check. They don’t lie to themselves. They listen to their guts and tell themselves the truth. If a woman doesn’t seem to be taking their happiness seriously, they bounce.

4. They don’t negotiate when it comes to the basics.

There are things we should compromise on with another woman — our place or hers, Indian or pizza, rom com vs. action flick — but there are other things that should never be up for debate such as feeling heard, valued, supported, equal and safe. Independent women understand this and don’t give in when it comes to things that are critical.

5. They’re not afraid to be alone.

Independent women don’t need someone to complete them because they already complete themselves. Having a full life – which includes great friends, a career that matters, and various hobbies and passions – is a recipe for happiness. It’s also a recipe for finding great love because, when you’re not scared to be on your own, you’re more willing to walk away from bad lovers.

6. They focus on their strengths, not their weaknesses.

Strong women have insecurities like the rest of us but they don’t let them define them or their opportunities. Although insecurity is natural, we all have to do our best to silence those useless, negative thoughts that keep us down. After all, the more you behave like a desirable woman, the more women will treat you like one.

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Is ‘The L Word’ Set To Return? Here’s What Ilene Chaiken Had To Say

Ilene Chaiken, who created the ground breaking lesbian drama The L Word recently talked with Entertainment Weekly and had this to say:

I would love to revisit The L Word. We talk about it from time to time. I talk about it with some of my colleagues who were in the cast who would love to reboot it. I don’t know when.

I’m busy and most of them are too, but I do still think that it’s a viable world in which to tell stories, and those characters are still beloved as far as I can tell.”

While this is hardly a confirmation, it is exciting that Chaiken would be willing to revisit the show, and with such large fan base, a reboot would presumably be rather successful – right?!

The L Word first premiered in 2004 on Showtime, and revolved around a group of queer women living in West Hollywood – the twists and turns of the show and their love, personal, and professional lives made for some captivating and truthful television viewing.

Held a trailblazing show, this was the easily the first show to revolve completely around Queer women, unlike male-dominated LBGT shows like Queer as Folk, and Will And Grace.

While the majority of the principle characters identified as lesbian, The L Word also contained bisexual, transgender and straight characters. Additionally, a major character came out at Transgender, and the show chronicled their transition.

While Ilene Chaiken and the team behind The L Word would like to bring a reboot to their audience, it would be quite the feat to actually accomplish it.

Many of the people who helped make The L Word so great have gone on to busy entertainment careers.

Chaiken is currently showrunner for Fox’s hit Empire. Katherine Moennig, who played everyone’s favourite Shane, is currently a main character in Showtime’s drama Ray Donovan. Jennifer Beals has her own show too.

So the chances on anything happen soon are slim.

Catch follow the interview below:

https://soundcloud.com/ewradio/l-word-reboot-and-empire-crossover

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The Secret Is Out: Holland Tayor And AHS’ Sarah Paulson Are Dating

Well here’s an adorable May-December romance you might not have seen coming!Thank you Entertainment Tonight for doing your homework on this one and cracking the twitter code.

A few days ago, Holland Taylor confirmed she was dating a woman, and the grapevine wasted no time in identifying her bae as fellow actress Sarah Paulson of American Horror Story and Carol fame.

Taylor, hinted that she was dating a younger gal in an interview with WNYC’s Death, Sex & Moneypodcast, joking,

There’s a very big age difference between us which I’m sure shocks a lot of people, and it startles me. But as they say, ‘If she dies, she dies.'”

According to Entertainment Tonight, the thespian couple has been dating for four months, more or less in plain sight if you noticed their series of incredibly charming tweets to one another.

.@MsSarahPaulson I love your appreciation. It's you with the fine (and beautiful) head…

— Holland Taylor (@HollandTaylor) November 7, 2015

When captions fail… pic.twitter.com/b6ECRSA6D3

— Holland Taylor (@HollandTaylor) November 17, 2015

For the record, @MsSarahPaulson is great. Period. The end.

— Holland Taylor (@HollandTaylor) October 30, 2015

Hey @HollandTaylor get off Twitter and call me. I mean, JESUS.

— Sarah Paulson (@MsSarahPaulson) September 8, 2015

By day-the shortcomings of the phone are glaring. The blood velvet, the lushness, well– I can't tell you.
Smitten. pic.twitter.com/Z0PmQPN1p0

— Holland Taylor (@HollandTaylor) February 15, 2015

Paulson, 40, is no stranger to a May-December romance, having dated actress Cherry Jones, some nineteen years her senior. Boom!

15 “Lesbian Rules” to Break

The opinions about stereotypes are all over the board. Some people think that stereotypes exist to keep us down, and some people think that stereotypes exist to make categorization easier. Personally, I feel that they can be used for your benefit or against it, depending on how they’re applied.

Certainly, lesbians have their fair share of stereotypes – some of them make no sense to us in the community because they were assigned by someone who didn’t understand. But how many of these things do you find yourself doing just because you feel like you should?

In order to be classified as a stereotypical move, it’s got to be something that you do because society and culture says you should. Obviously if any of these things are a genuine part of your personality and mannerisms, you shouldn’t stop doing them just for the sake of removing the stereotype – but if you’re not sure why you do them, why would you keep doing them?

Rule #1: Butch women need to be aggressive.

I’m not sure how this one came into play, but there’s no reason why a butch/stud woman needs to be identified by her anger and aggression. In many cases, this is a negative set of traits – so the addition of women who are only exhibiting these traits because society tells them they should, really need to stop. (Depending on the nature and extent of the aggression, professional counseling may be available to help curb an ongoing temper problem – if you think it’s something you need to pursue, it probably is.)

Rule #2: Femme women need to be helpless.

This is one of those things that, in many cases, may be just going along with the “traditional” gender roles that society assumes. I encourage everyone to be as powerful as they can be (without being aggressive; as stated previously, this is a different issue entirely). Of course, it’s possible that this isn’t a stereotype, but rather who you are – but knowledge is power, and helplessness is just an end to learning. Learn to be self-sufficient, learn to bring yourself up – don’t let anyone keep you down because of your label!

Rule #3: Lesbians must get attached quickly and move in together as soon as possible.

Okay, so attachment itself isn’t bad. But the nature of this stereotype is that we, as lesbians, become attached to someone before we even really know them – which isn’t really healthy. If you’re with a woman who treats you well and you want to move in together, great! But please, make sure you’ve done your proper research first – don’t just move forward with your relationship because you think it’s time. Wait until you’re actually ready.

Rule #4: Lesbians must decorate with rainbows and naked women – everywhere.

I love rainbows, don’t get me wrong. I even have a floor-length rainbow dress that I consider to be my gayest apparel. And of course, I love naked women (don’t we all?). But if your house “outs” you before a person even walks in the door, you might be going a little overboard. Try choosing a few statement pieces, scattered throughout your house. It’s one thing to be proud of your sexuality – it’s another thing entirely to lean on it for all your décor choices.

Rule #5: Lesbians should hit on straight girls so they know we’re willing to teach them.

Straight girls… What can I even say? Sometimes, we wonder if a woman is straight, because of the way she dresses, or the way she acts, or the way she flirts with us mercilessly. But is there really any difference between predatory lesbians and predatory straight men? Nope. She’s fair game if she comes onto you – but if you know she’s not interested, keep your distance.

Rule #6: Lesbian break-ups need to drag on for ages.

Maybe it’s the attachment thing, but chances are you’ve had at least one break-up that wasn’t over with nice and quick. (I had one girlfriend who I broke up with, multiple times, over the course of 4 years – yeah, it gets bad sometimes.) But the easiest way to get over a break-up is to stop living in it! If you’ve went your separate ways, go your separate ways. Resist the urge to get back together with someone who obviously hasn’t changed since four days ago.

Rule #7: Lesbians must pretend that bisexuals aren’t real, or that they’re really just confused.

It’s almost 2016, and we’ve covered a lot of ground in terms of equal rights for homosexuals – but bisexuals are still getting the short end of the stick. While it’s completely in your rights to prefer not to date a bisexual, it’s not really fair to single them out and discriminate against them. This is the exact thing that causes some bisexuals to have “mixed closets” (that is, call themselves a lesbian when dealing with lesbians, a bisexual when dealing with bisexuals, and a straight girl when dealing with straight people). If they are discriminated against in a community that’s supposed to be about inclusion, what message are we sending?

Rule #8: Shy lesbians must become intoxicated before making a move.

Look, we are all shy under the right circumstances. If you have to be drunk or high to make a move on something, that doesn’t come across as shy – it comes across as either an addiction or a lack of attraction. Get up the courage to approach a woman without compromising your mental clarity, so that you’ll actually be able to remember what was said. Who wants to be with someone who’s not going to remember it in the morning?

Rule #9: Lesbians must go “ghost” when they get a girlfriend.

I am so bad about this one personally. I have such a hard time keeping in touch with people, even when I’m single, but it’s definitely worse when I have a girlfriend. I actually used to set an alarm in my phone to remind me to send “good morning” texts to my besties. (Of course, then I got a girlfriend and deleted the alarm…) But it’s important to remember to keep balance. If anything goes sour with your new boo (which we hope doesn’t happen!), who’s going to be there to help you pick up the pieces? Well, your friends would, if you hadn’t ignored them for the whole relationship!

Rule #10: Lesbians must live, sleep, and breathe for sports.

If you like sports, that’s great! But if you just follow along with (or play) sports because it’s what you’re “supposed” to do as a lesbian, you’re missing the point. You should be an individual, and while you shouldn’t shun things just because they’re popular, you also shouldn’t follow the crowd without thinking for yourself. If you like sports, participate in sports – but if you don’t like sports, there’s really no reason to fake it.

Rule #11: Gold stars are better than everyone else.

I understand why some people have an aversion to women who have been with men before. But it’s important to realize that your aversion does not make you an elite breed. Most lesbians have been with a man before. Some of us take longer to come out than others. Some have family who expect certain things from us. Some of us even used to be attracted to men, or maybe we were questioning ourselves for awhile. Shunning a lesbian just because she hasn’t always followed your own rules of lesbianism is no different than if society shunned us as women because we don’t always act the most ladylike. It’s unfair, and it simply doesn’t hold up.

Rule #12: Lesbians must tell their coming-out story whenever they possibly can.

When you first come out, it can be exciting to share your coming out story. But the truth is that most people don’t care how you came out or what the reaction was. If someone asks, feel free to share – and if someone is questioning whether they should come out too, feel free to give them your experience. But to do it every chance you get makes you look like you’re vying for attention – and that’s not a reputation you want to have.

Rule #13: Lesbians must live in basketball/cargo shorts and tank tops.

I love my basketball shorts and my tank tops. For a long time, that’s all I wore when I wasn’t working. In fact, I still wear them on a fairly regular basis. But most of the time, I’m not going to go out like that – it’s just not practical in all settings. If it actually worked to identify me as a lesbian maybe I’d give it more of a chance, but you should wear what makes you comfortable. Don’t give into the idea of a “lesbian uniform” – it doesn’t work anyway.

Rule #14: Lesbians must love cats.

Cats are funny creatures. It’s hard to tell whether they love you or hate you, and often you’ll see signs of both with the same cat. But you don’t have to own a cat just because you’re gay. “Pussy” jokes aside, not everyone likes cats – and you shouldn’t force yourself to live with one (or five) if you really don’t like them. Pets are best when well cared for, and if you’re not happy with the idea of taking care of it, you shouldn’t have it in the first place.

Rule #15: Lesbians must hate men.

I am of the mindset that no one should hate anyone without a well-justified reason. You only need to justify the reason to yourself, but you should at least understand what it is. This applies to racism, sexism, classism, ableism… Pretty much any -ism you can think of. If you can’t actually justify it in a broad sense, you should consider breaking it down into components. For example, instead of “I hate men”, try “I hate men who won’t accept my sexuality”. Doesn’t that feel better?

I’m hoping that it’s fairly obvious that some of these rules are exaggerated; I can’t think of a single lesbian who actually “follows” every one of these things, nor would I want to. But if you find yourself following along with these things without understanding why you do, I urge you to explore the real reasons behind it – is it something that you actually agree with or just something you feel like you are obligated to do?

If you find it’s the latter, try to change your views on these things – consider the way you can be the best you, instead of the best “lesbian stereotype”. As I mentioned in the beginning of this article, if any of these things actually is a part of who you are, by all means, don’t change yourself to avoid the stereotypes either! Just make sure you’re acting in your own best interest.

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Holland Taylor Opens Up About Her Current Relationship: “I haven’t Come Out Because I Am Out”

In a recent interview with WNYC, Holland Taylor – yes, that is Peggy Peabody of The L Word to you and me – discussed for the first time her own sexual preference, and her relationship goals with her partner, who happens to be a women.

When asked about being “enticed by marriage” in her new committed relationship. Her response:

Well, my relationship is with a woman, and I have not — given my generation it would not be something that would automatically occur to me. But she’s mentioned it because just from a spiritual point of view, from a heart point of view, as a — as a — as a deed that has a very rich symbolic gesture to it, it has its attraction. But it’s been a very casual conversation at this point. But it’s not — it would be a very private thing. I would not do that publicly. But as a symbol, as a pledge, as a plighting one’s troth I would see it — that it would be a wonderful thing to do.”

The interviewer asked if Holland wanted to say her partner’s name, and she decided against it, choosing to protect the privacy of her girlfriend.

Well I feel at this point in the conversation it feels kind of awkward. Now I feel very very shy of it. I’ve been really wrestling with this lately because most of my relationships have been with women and I don’t like talking about them because I don’t like talking about the politics of it all because I’m not political about it. I think we’re ridiculous in this country about it. Ridiculous. And so, it’s awkward because if I talk about relationships in my life or people that have been in my life, or somebody I’ve been seeing for a while or this, that and the other thing, I’d like to be able to just say that, without having to stop and say, ‘so have you come out?’ No, I haven’t come out because I am out. I live out.”

However, what she did let slip, was the fact her bae is a much younger woman.

There’s a very big age difference between us which I’m sure shocks a lot of people, and it startles me. But you know, it’s not a statement original to me — I’ve heard it as a joke once in my past, but as they say, “If she dies, she dies.”

Listen to the interview below;

9 Things Lesbians Should Stop Making a Big Deal About

This has been a year full of a number of monumental “firsts” in the gay community. With all these firsts, it doesn’t make sense to me that there are things that we are still (collectively) getting up in arms about. Sure, sometimes people are out against us – but does that really mean that everyone is out against us, always?

Don’t get me wrong. I’m all for crying out in the face of oppression, and in standing up against those who try to keep us down. But most of the time, we’re not actually the victims we want to think we are.

1. Straight girls “acting gay”.

It’s pretty much become a common belief that sexuality is pretty fluid. Why, then, do we assume that a “straight girl is acting gay” when it’s entirely likely that she is genuinely questioning her sexuality? Think of when you first came out – most of us weren’t 100% sure right away. Instead of assuming that girl is just vying for attention, try giving her a chance. She might surprise you.

2. Straight girls wearing gay clothes.

Once upon a time, lesbians were the ones guilty of claiming clothes that “didn’t belong to us”. Lesbians used to face discrimination for appropriating the fashion choices of men, and now we take it upon ourselves to “own” these clothes (and of course, flannel) and we are disappointed when we see a straight woman wearing them. Lighten up! Clothes are clothes, and they belong to everyone.

3. Labels.

So you’ve always been super feminine, but lately you want to dress more masculine. Or maybe you’ve always been more dominant, and now you’re curious about being more submissive. Ladies, if your personal style no longer matches how you feel – why do you have to conform to the label you previously chose for yourself? Sometimes these labels may be 10, 20, even 30 years old. There’s no rule that says you have to stay the same.

4. Bisexual girls.

It’s amazing to me that, in this day and age, there are still so many people put off by bi girls. When we think of the individual components that make up our hesitation, it’s obvious that they don’t make a lot of sense – but still many of us choose to specify that we won’t date a bi girl. The truth is, a bisexual woman is no more likely to cheat on you than anyone else. A difference in sexuality does not mean that the other person is a pervert – remember it used to be the gays that had to prove that?

5. Allies who aren’t perfect.

I have seen a multitude of posts on social media lately about “shitty allies”. What in the world makes an ally bad? Just because the person asks a million questions that you don’t want to answer, doesn’t mean that they mean any harm. Of course, you should let your allies know if they are asking questions that make you uncomfortable, but generally if they are asking questions, it means they want to understand. Lighten up!

6. Lesbians who aren’t lesbians anymore.

Unless the change happened while you were dating her, it’s really none of your business. And, honestly, even if you were with her when the change happened – it’s not really her fault. As we’ve said previously, sexuality is fluid. Certainly not for everyone, but for enough people that you can’t really hold it against them.

7. Bad portrayals of lesbians in the media.

Okay – this one is probably going to get me a lot of backlash. But let me explain something to you: Complaining doesn’t accomplish anything unless you’re actually willing to do the work to change things. Not everyone is cut out for acting, or singing, or any one specific outlet, but if you’re not working to change things, you’re indirectly part of the problem.

8. Every little thing that could be homophobic.

I get it – sometimes, people are homophobic. But that doesn’t mean that everything that happens to you is a result of someone being homophobic. I see so many examples on social media of people who feel that they were slighted because of their sexuality, when there’s really no way that the person who did the offending had any idea that they were gay. Not everything is about gay versus straight, and to keep assuming that everything is just makes the rest of us look bad.

9. Being friend zoned.

The whole notion of being “friend zoned” is sort of ridiculous. Just because you do nice things for someone does not entitle you to sleep with them – no matter how much you want to. We remember these things when it comes to someone hitting on us, but sometimes we forget when it comes to us hitting on someone else. Be realistic!

16 Things Only Lesbians Know

Ladies, let’s face it. Being gay is like being a member in a top-secret society that everyone knows about, but nobody understands. In some ways, it’s even more difficult now that we’re gaining more visibility in the mainstream media – because a lot of the things that are associated with us simply aren’t real!

Here are 16 things that all lesbians know without even thinking about it:

16. Long fingernails = bad sex.

Most of the time, when you watch a lesbian porn, these women have super long acrylic fingernails. It can be a huge turn-on for some people, but as lesbians we know there’s no way in hell those fingernails are going inside of us.

15. Tongue rings are NOT magic.

For a long time, tongue rings have been associated with incredible oral sex. As lesbians, we know that the incredible oral sex has very little to do with the piercing. (wink wink)

14. Scissoring is not like in porn.

A huge number of lesbian porn features scissoring – but most lesbians who got the idea from a porno are not likely to find enjoyment from it. (It can be an incredibly satisfying experience when done right, but most porn actresses definitely do not do it right.)

13. Most gay bars suck for women.

Most gay bars cater towards gay men, not to lesbians. I’m not really sure why that is, and hopefully your local hotspot isn’t like that – but probably 75% of the gay bars I’ve been to were mainly gay guys and straight women with their gay best friends.

12. Lesbians are crazy.

Okay, this isn’t strictly a lesbian thing, and it’s not even all lesbians. But if you think of every lesbian you’ve ever been with, chances are, there’s at least one crazy one. (And if there’s not, maybe it’s you!)

11. Gay ladies are hard to find.

Unless you’re attracted primarily to butch women, it can be pretty tough to find a girlfriend in the “real world”. Most likely, you’ve looked online, or hit up gay bars (only to find that they were mostly dudes… what’s up with that?). Even among other lesbians, femmes are pretty invisible.

10. Not all lesbians are vegetarians.

I really have no idea how this stereotype started. I guess since we don’t like “sausage”, we can’t like any meat… Right? But seriously, lesbians are no more likely to be vegetarians than anyone else.

9. Drag is hard for us.

It’s fun to play around in drag every now and then, but drag kings have it much harder than drag queens do. After all, it’s easy to tuck something between your legs and add a little padding – binding your chest and your hips takes a lot of skill.

8. Lesbians will pretty much watch anything with lesbians in it.

Even if it’s terrible. (Especially if it’s terrible.) We eat it up, and then complain about the way they portrayed us. It’s part of our nature.

7. You will get asked for threesomes… Regularly.

Even the least-conventionally-attracted lesbians will hear that they should join some guy and his girlfriend, or some girl and her boyfriend. We are sexualized to the point where a 6 in the “straight world” somehow gets bumped to a “10” in the “lesbian world”. And if you are conventionally attractive? That 10 turns into a 20 (and they think you’re not really gay anyway).

6. Gaydar is not real.

Especially with straight girls stealing our fashion (I know, I know, fashion belongs to everyone), just because we think someone is gay doesn’t mean she really is. A lot of the time, it’s just wishful thinking.

5. Your exes are going to hook up with each other.

Since the lesbian dating pool is relatively small, and a lot of women limit their choices even further by rejecting bisexual women (tsk, tsk)… At least once in your life, one of your exes will have sex with (at least) one of your other exes. I’ve got an ex who has slept with three of my exes, that I know of – after a while it’s not even weird anymore.

4. (Some) straight girls assume you’re flirting – always.

What’s even worse is when they get offended when you set the record straight!

3. Some straight girls will hit on you.

Not sure if they think it’s funny, if they’re questioning themselves, or what, but there’s always gotta be that one straight girl that messes with your emotions…

2. People will ask why you don’t give guys a chance.

Sometimes it’s your family members. Sometimes it’s a well-intentioned friend who thinks your life would be easier if you’re straight. A lot of times it’ll be straight men who think they can turn you. And, occasionally, it could even be your gynecologist. (Seriously… Happened to my girlfriend one time. Akward!)

Finally, NO, we don’t all know each other!

We probably want to, but no, not all lesbians know all other lesbians. That would be so weird – can you imagine if we were all telepathically linked? Think of all the things we could accomplish!

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The 10 Best Things About Being a Lesbian That No One Tells You

1. Kissing a girl is totally amazing. Its so much softer, sexier and lovelier than kissing a guy.

2. You get to snuggle with someone who’s not covered in body hair.

3. Watching The L-word with your girlfriend

4. You don’t wake up to a boner sticking into your back.

5. Women smell a lot better than men.

6. Women have boobs, which you get to touch.

7. You never ever have to experience pregnancy scares.

8. Another woman knows exactly how to touch you and at what speed.

9. When you move in with your girlfriend, your wardrobe literally doubles.

10. The sex is better, which has actually been proven by science.

BONUS Thing. You get to break all societies patriarchal rules!

8 Fictional Lesbians To Crush On

It’s a part of the appeal of any fictional series. We want to find people in the act who we feel drawn to, and for the romantic in us, we want to be able to picture ourselves with them. Sometimes these characters are in TV shows and movies, while other times they may come from different media.

As lesbians, it’s also in our nature to seek out media which shows us – something that, until relatively recently, was pretty hard to do. Now there are a ton of icons of the lesbian community that we can look up to and aspire to be with, or to be like.

How many of these fictional lesbians would make your own list?

#1 and #2 – Lena Katina and Yulia Volkova (t.A.T.u)

Okay, so these ladies aren’t “exactly” fictional, nor are they “exactly” lesbians.

The ladies of t.A.T.u rose to fame with the implication that they were lesbians – which, it was revealed later, was a bit of a marketing ploy. However, those who know me, know that music is a huge part of my life, so it would make sense that there would be musicians on this list. Even though the “lesbians” that they were in their videos was merely an act (and therefore they wouldn’t meet the criteria for real-life lesbian role models), the fact that they had international audiences convinced that they were really gay makes them a shoe-in for a “fictional” lesbian category.

It’s highly unlikely that you haven’t heard of t.A.T.u if you were interested in pop/electro music in the early 2000’s. They never really reached super stardom, but they stayed in the spotlight for years. Unfortunately, last year, Yulia made some anti-gay comments that caused quite a stir, but Lena spoke out saying she absolutely does not agree with the comments. Thanks for your support, Lena!

#3 and #4 – Spencer Carlin and Ashley Davies (South of Nowhere)

This couple was a part of the teen drama “South of Nowhere” – did any of you watch that show too? Anyway, in the show, Spencer has just moved to LA from Ohio (if I remember correctly) and she discovers that she might actually be interested in girls – something she had never considered before – and she begins this wild yo-yo romance with Ashley Davies. I’m not going to give anything away if you want to go watch it, but basically, this was one on-screen romance that I loved as a teenager.

In the show, Spencer and Ashley learn to explore the full extent of their feelings throughout the show, and is in the rare category of shows which examines sexuality being fluid – which is pretty monumental for a show aimed at teenagers. Watching this show, I was drawn to the innocence of Spencer as well as the freeness of Ashley. I highly recommend you check it out if you haven’t already.

#5 – Alice Piezecki (The L Word)

The L Word fans will immediately recognize this name. Basically, as a writer, Alice sums up a lot of what I hope for in my own life – although she has some flaws, she’s able to find success and make decent choices in regards to her friendships and (usually) good choices in her relationships.

I think my crush on Alice is based on my own personal goals. After all, we’re attracted to women whose life plans mesh well with ours – and I could picture myself lining up quite nicely with Alice.

The popularity of The L Word tells me that I probably don’t have to explain much here, but for those few who haven’t seen it, it details the lives of several (fictional) lesbians in LA and the drama that’s intertwined with their lives. If you haven’t actually seen it yet, you definitely should – although it’s no longer in production.

#6 – Maggie (Better than Chocolate)

Maggie is the leading character in one of my favorite “lesbian movies”, Better than Chocolate. In the movie, she is a less-than-out artistic lesbian who just wants to be accepted as she is – flawed and loving. Well, she’s also beautiful, and she deals with her many crises in the movie quite well. (She does have quite a few crises, though.)

If you haven’t seen the movie, I encourage you to check it out – it’s a beautifully poignant movie that tackles not only lesbian issues, but also the issues of other sub-sections of the gay community. It’s beautifully written and I’m consistently surprised that it’s not more popular.

#7 – Sloan (Last Life)

Last Life is something that I have just recently learned about, but I am enthralled in the story. The show follows two witches, who are soul mates – separated by a million factors, but destined to be together. Basically, she screws up somehow, and her most recent incarnation will be her last.

Something interesting to me is that Sloan isn’t “exactly” a lesbian – in her past life, she was a man. This is an interesting premise, as there is a belief in my family that those of us who are gay, may have been the opposite gender in a past life. It was very interesting for me to discover that my family is not alone in this theory.

There are a million other things going on here, and it’s hard to explain to those who haven’t seen the series. Sloan is inspirational to me as she represents power, mystery, and the pull between good and evil. After all, isn’t that something we all deal with? Okay, so maybe most of us don’t have magical powers, too, but that’s a minor detail.

#8 – Marisol Guzman (Hard Love by Ellen Wittlinger)

This is a bit of a different subject for me. It seems that less people read books these days, which means that if a book doesn’t make it to the big times, it’s likely to be overlooked. Hard Love tells the story of an independent zine writer, Johnny, and his friendship with the complex Marisol. I happened upon this book before I came out as a teenager, and I have read it probably a dozen times since then.

Marisol Guzman is a writer, an adoptee, an honor student, and a lesbian. Of course, there are many other aspects of her personality, but these four separate characteristics help to shape a majority of her decisions throughout the book and helped to endear me to her character. If you have the chance to read this book, even as an adult (it’s a young adult fiction novel), I highly recommend it.

There are probably a hundred other fictional lesbians I could detail here, but I think it would be more fun to learn about yours! I’m always looking for new TV shows to explore, new movies to watch, new books to read… Especially ones with gay and lesbian themes. It’s absolutely exciting that they are getting more light lately, and I look forward to your recommendations of fictional lesbians to crush on.

Bi Erasure In Television Perfectly Summed Up In These Wonderful Memes

Are you tired of the straight-as-default trend in most media today? Are you tired of all queer subtext being read as gay or lesbian, but never bisexual? Then you are not alone.

Author and activist Nicole Kristal’s memes about bisexual TV characters hilariously point out, not a single one has used the word “bisexual” on screen.

Talking to Bustle, Kristal explained.

Labels are important because they create visibility and community, and they help dissolve shame.When you’re a minority group who cannot see a positive representation of yourself on television or in films, it’s damaging. It accounts for the horrific stats that have recently come out about bisexuals.”

In an effort to draw attention to bisexual erasure and its effect on individuals, Kristal created the #StillBisexual campaign last January, which features bisexuals discussing their sexuality and dating history in confessional-style videos.

I thought if people could see our bisexual stories, they would finally start to believe that we exist.

When bisexuality is depicted on television, it’s often shown as a transitional stop on the road to gay town …or as ambiguous and undefined. Characters almost never say the b word, especially not in reference to themselves, and often times their sexuality is used as a plot twist rather than a permanent identity.”

As a result, Kristal created memes featuring frustrated TV characters…

Ruby Rose And Phoebe Dahl Throw Idyllic Lesbian Dinner Party (Jealous Much)

Ruby Rose and Phoebe Dahl are showing the world how lesbians do-it. Clean thoughts.

The actress/model and fashion designer threw a beautiful summer dinner party and invited Elle Magazine to stop by.

Also in attendance: Ruby’s friend, Kate Moennig (Yes, THAT Kate Moenning), as well as jewellery designer Lizzie Dulien, model Ruby Corley, and model/skateboarder Nick Hinman.

Described by Elle magazine as a “storybook version of chaos”, guests lounge around Dahl’s childhood home in LA, eating culinary delights such as watermelon salad, lobster potpie and blackened corn.

Sigh. We can always print off the pictures and glue them to the wall as we tuck into a sloppy ready-made-meal for one, pretending we were there…

Empire Season 2 Premieres And Sadly The Lesbian Stereotypes Come Out To Play

Last night saw the return Empire for it’s second season, and boy did we have mixed feelings about it all.

The show has always had gay edge, with showrunner Ilene Chaiken (creator of The L Word) making sure that queer women got their due.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQxP8zRcp4Q

And now we have Marisa Tomei playing Mimi Whiteman in the mix – a powerful woman whose money is their to help the family out of a jam.

Mimi’s a lesbian, and her sexuality is a central plot point, since Cookie seems to be courting her business entirely through flirtation.

The ploy is ridiculous. It shouldn’t take any canoodling to see that the record label is a good investment.

What’s more, it’s disappointing for a show as sensitive and dynamic about queerness as Empire has been with Jamal to lean on lusty lesbian stereotypes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QJGsWah3YM

Tomei has signed up for a multi-episode arc so hopefully this character will be defined a bit more.

But besides Tomei, we’ll also be meeting Freda (played by newcomer Bre-Z ), a young lesbian rapper who intrigues Luscious.

Bre-Z recently told Okayplayer about her role:

Between (Jamal Lyon & Freda Gatz’s character), their sexuality is not who they are. And I feel like that goes for anybody. None of your sexual likenesses are displayed in public view whether you’re with a man or a woman or the same sex. What you do in your bedroom is your business. There’s no need to make a spectacle of it, but you do have to acknowledge that it exists and treat people accordingly, and not be hateful and not a bully or taunt people because they may not walk in the same shoes as you do.”

Bre-Z’s first track for Empire is out now, called “Same Song,” which she describes as “a song about that struggle of being a young black girl… trying to pursue our dreams. All of us tend to sing the same old song. Some people don’t see no way out of that, but you got to make a way. It’s a little piece of me. I love it!”

Bisexual pop star Tiana (Serayah McNeill) and queer DJ Chicken (AzMarie Livingston) are also back this season, and Serayah teased that her character, who is now a series regular, will show more of herself, although no word on if her girlfriend will make a reappearance.

Seryah told CY Interview

We’ve seen Tiana for the crazy things she’s done. But this season I think there’s gonna be a lot more in-depth with Tiana and her feelings and maybe some more of where she comes from and just seeing her more I think will give people more of an insight on my character.”

We will wait to see how these other stories play out.

Natasha Lyonne Stars in Dark Comedy Film ‘Addicted to Fresno’

Natasha Lyonne is one actor who has a huge LGBTQ fanbase. Lyonne is perhaps best known for playing gay inmate Nicky Nichols in Netflix’s hit show Orange is the New Black but in 1999 she also starred in iconic queer movie But I’m a Cheerleader.

In this, Lyonne played Megan, a teenager sent to camp after her friends and family suspect her of being a lesbian.

But I’m a Cheerleader is also the first time that Lyonne worked with out queer director Jamie Babbit. So, with that film having played such an important part in the scope of LGBTQ media (it’s right up there with Imagine Me and You and The L Word) plenty will be glad to hear that Babbit and Lyonne have teamed up again for the new dark comedy film, Addicted to Fresno.

In Addicted to Fresno, Lyonne once again plays a lesbian, this time as a housekeeper named Martha. Martha mostly has her life together, she has a job in a hotel and she has a love interest, Kelly (played by Aubrey Plaza), who is also her personal trainer.

Things completely get turned upside down then when her sex addict sister Shannon (played by Judy Greer) rolls into town needing help because she’s just been fired from her job after having slept with a whole bunch of people.

Things don’t quieten down after that as Martha graciously gets Shannon a job with her at the hotel but it’s not long before Shannon manages to kill someone.

Think it’s as easy as ditching the body and burning it in the woods, How To Get Away With Murder style? Sadly not as the sisters then need to come up with $25,000 in three days to make sure that pet cemetery owners Gerald (played by Fred Armisen) and Ruby (played by Allison Tolman) stay quiet about the murder.

Hilarious hijinks and plenty of racy humour ensue as they go on a robbery spree to find the money.

Addicted to Fresno‘s madcap comedy stylings have been praised plenty following its September 3rd premiere and although the romance between Martha and Kelly has been described as a little bit “awkward” by some outlets, that’s a highlight too.

Addicted to Fresno is available now from iTunes and Amazon and it will be in theatres from October 2nd.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MdwP1eF8sgU

Katherine Moennig Joins New Indie Film ‘Lane 1974’

The L Word actress Katherine Moennig is set to star in Lane 1974.

Lane 1974 will be directed by S.J. Chiro, and is based on Clane Hayward’s memoir, The Hypocrisy of Disco.

It follows a 13-year-old played by newcomer Sophia Mitri Schloss who attempts to live within the confines of her mother’s (Moennig) bizarrely rigid counter culture philosophies in a commune in Northern California.

Chiro, who grew up on two communes in the ‘70s, is making her directorial debut with the project.

Talking on casting Moennig, Chiro said

Katherine Moennig was the actress I immediately thought of to play Hallelujah. Working with her has been one of the great joys of my career. Kate is a sharp, incisive, and straightforward person, much like the woman she plays. She is able to bring incredible depth and humanity to a complicated role. I can’t wait for the world to see a very different side of Kate Moennig.”

As we all know Moennig is known for playing Shane McCutcheon in the The L Word, but she is currently starring on Showtime series Ray Donovan as Lena.

And this week she is set to share the screen again in the she with Sarah Shahi. Go ‪#‎sharmen‬

Her other feature film credits include The Lincoln Lawyer opposite Matthew McConaughey, and Art School Confidential for Terry Zwigoff.

Do We Actually Need ‘The L Word’ Reboot?

Can you believe it’s been ten long years since The L Word premiered, and only six years since it finished?

Yet, since then television has yet to replace it with another show centred solely around a large group of lesbian or bisexual characters.

In the last 5 years, we have seen a slight increase in lesbian and bisexual characters in broadcast, cable, and streaming network programming.

And we now have some great queer characters scattered on some great shows.

There are the two loving lesbian parents in The Fosters, a clone or two in Orphan Black, one of the Pretty Little Liars, the couple formerly known as Calzona on Grey’s Anatomy, the bisexual succubus and her human doctor on Lost Girl, the not-actually-faking-it lesbian of Faking It, and about a third of the cellblock on Orange is the New Black.

So do we really need an L Word reboot at this time?

One could argue that our representation is better served with inclusion in more mainstream shows. Lesbian and bisexual characters play prominent roles in everything from freshman breakout Jane the Virgin to the complicated are-they, aren’t they Root/Shaw dance on Person of Interest and the transitioning nuclear families of Transparent.

And then there are the regular and recurring lesbian or bisexual female roles on Empire, The Walking Dead, Gotham, The 100, Marry Me, Arrow, Chasing Life, Heart of Dixie, Survivor’s Remorse, Black Sails, The Returned, Younger, and more I’m missing that you’ll no doubt tell me about in comments.

Plus, we haven’t even mentioned the recently and soon-to-be dearly departed lesbian and bisexual characters from shows like The Good Wife, Glee, Chicago Fire, and even the latter-day Two and a Half Men.

Yet, when it comes to a show primarily about queer women, we continue to falter.

The latest edition was the Liz Feldman and Ellen DeGeneres produced sitcom One Big Happy. A series with the first lesbian-led network comedy since Ellen back in 1998.

But the show did not do well, and was cancelled after one season.

The hype was not there, and the excited wave of lesbian and bisexual women actually watching One Big didn’t emerge.

Compare that to The L Word watching parties you had with friends or thrown by your friendly neighbourhood lesbian bars back in the day.

The urgency to see ourselves reflected on the TV screen isn’t as great because we’re already there – the diversity of lesbian and bisexual female characters has increased.

One of the biggest critiques about The L Word (besides everything and anything about Jenny Schecter) was its limited portrayal of queer women.

They were mostly femme, largely white, overwhelmingly upwardly mobile, and so on and so forth.

The difficulty any show about an underrepresented minority faces, particularly trailblazing shows, is the desire to be all things for all people.

New hits like Black-ish and Fresh Off the Boat have successfully avoided that trap while still finding commercial and critical success.

Another L Word would need to straddle that world of specificity and commonalities. Still, perhaps the burden of being The Lesbian Show would be lessened because of the increased representation elsewhere.

Ilene Chaiken Discusses Empire’s Queer Women, The L Word Reboot

One of the surprise breakout hits of the television season has been Empire. The TV show, created by filmmaker Lee Daniels, revolves around the Lyon family: their nefarious dad Lucious, three sons (Andre, Jamal and Hakeem) and the boys’ mother, Cookie Lyon who has just been released from prison after taking the fall for the dad’s crime.

The show was praised by critics and fans alike not just for the way that it kept viewers on the edge of their seats, watching its power struggles, secrets and lies play out but also by the way that it embraced diversity.

The cast is predominantly African-American and one of its main characters – Jamal – also begins the show as a closeted gay man who struggles with the fact that his dad doesn’t accept his sexuality.

But Jamal isn’t the only one whose queerness is explored on the show as we also saw Tiana, the girlfriend of Hakeem, with her female love interest, India.

Season two of Empire beings back Tiana but it also introduces another queer woman, a billionaire venture capitalist played by (Oscar-winning actress) Marisa Tomei. She has signed up for a multi-episode arc and Empire fans are eager to see how her character will get involved in the Lyon family drama and if she’ll be romantically involved with anyone too.

Speaking to After Ellen, Empire showrunner Ilene Chaiken says that

…she plays a really important role in the melodrama of Season 2. She’s a fabulous character. We’ve having loads of fun with her. But she also plays an important role in the soap, in the treachery, in the Cookie vs. Lucious and in the fate of Empire.”

And when quizzed on whether Tomei’s character is single, Chaiken gave a cryptic answer of “that remains to be seen”, though the show will make it clear that she’s gay as we learn her sexuality definitively in the season premiere. Chaiken wouldn’t say how that would be shown, but she did say that it’s “not subtle”.

Many Empire fans may also be hoping Tomei’s character gets together with Cookie Lyon. Chaiken says that the billionaire is a “womanizer” and that “she and Lucious might turn out to have similar taste in women”.

Then, when asked by AE on whether or not Cookie is interested in women, she notes that both she and Taraji P. Henson (who plays Cookie) maintain that although Lucious was the only man Cookie had ever been with, that didn’t mean that she was the only person she’d ever been with – after all, she had been in a women’s prison for 17 years.

As for Chaiken’s other show, The L Word, she also spoke to the publication about a possible reboot.

She says she would “love to [reboot the show], but we really need a compelling reason to do it” and that if it did come back “it would feature some of the original cast and a lot of new characters”.

Unfortunately, if it got greenlit, Chaiken says she wouldn’t be able to do it “right now” but that doesn’t rule it out completely forever.

So keep your fingers crossed for a return of the iconic talking, laughing, loving, breathing, and fighting group of queer women at some point in the future.

QUIZ | Can We Guess Which Decade You Came Out In?

Coming out is one of the most powerful tools we have to combat ignorance and prejudice. Things are getting a lot easier in some places, and time has made a big difference. So can we guess which decade you came out in?

Jennifer Beals Talks ‘The L Word’, Progression and Lesbian Visibility

Jennifer Beals has worked in a variety of leading roles, but most memorable for us is her starring role in the TV series The L Word.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3-afsSCYEQ

In a recent interview with A.V Club, she discussed the importance of the show to herself:

That series was really very, very important for me as an actor and as a human being in the world, because it introduced me to this whole new world of badass people who were unapologetic as to who they were and who they loved.”

She went on to say:

I made some really lovely friends on the show, like Ilene Chaiken, who was just fantastic. She would encourage me to speak at these different LGBT events as to my experience of playing the character, and as a result, I was able to meet so many incredible activists who really kind of modelled for me how activism at its root is truly about speaking truth to power and getting as many people to speak that truth until power can no longer ignore what is righteous. That was hugely important for me to witness, because it engaged me in a very different way with social-justice issues, and it created this bridge eventually in my life to environmental-health issues, which is, in fact, a social-justice issue.

And on visibility and progression:

For me, when I started playing the character, when I saw the script for the pilot, I thought, “This would be amazing to have some girl somewhere in the middle of nowhere, who has no access to her tribe, really, see herself represented as a multiplicity in a mainstream media.” I thought that would be incredible.

To touch just one person with this story, I would’ve been happy. But for the show to have had – and to still have – the kind of following that it does is incredibly gratifying. There are no fans that are more loyal than The L Word fans. They’re so engaged and present.

And in regards to portrayal of Bette and her storyline, she added:

I got to play really, really interesting things, and it’s funny because before I received this script, I remember I was on a hike by myself—I’m always on a trail somewhere – and I was thinking, “What do I want to play?” I said, “I really want to play a great love story.

I want to play a great, profound, and beautiful love story.” Then this script arrived. [Laughs.] I hadn’t specified if it was going to be a heterosexual love story. I wasn’t specific in that request because it didn’t occur to me.

I wasn’t living in that mind set. But it was perfect: I got to play this great love story as this amazing character, and I got to be introduced to art in a different way, particularly contemporary art. I got to work with really great people, and I got to work with a group of women, which… You know, women don’t often get to work with other women. It just doesn’t happen very often.

Stop Everything – Is This The L Word Reunion We’ve Been Waiting For?

No quiet, but close enough.

Former The L Word co-stars and on-screen lovers – Sarah Shahi (who played Carmen) and Kate Moennig (Shane) – were reunited on the set of Ray Donovan in today’s Post of the Day.

When #RayDonovan meets #TheLword…10 years later. #identitycrisis @onlysarahshahi pic.twitter.com/IOSEigTb9g

— kate moennig (@katemoennig) June 6, 2015

No caption necessary @katemoennig pic.twitter.com/nj1QSdQ6Us

— Sarah Shahi (@sarahshahi) June 17, 2015

Sarah is guest starring Ray Donovan. She’ll be playing Hasmig, an Armenian pop star. Much to any fan of The L Word’s delight, she will play opposite of Kate—who plays Lena, Donovan’s assistant.

The third season of Ray Donovan premieres on July 12. We can’t wait to see Kate and Sarah back on the small screen together again.

The L Word’s Leisha Hailey Cameos in Jennifer Hudson’s New Music Video For Marriage Equality (Video)

Jennifer Hudson shines the spotlight on marriage equality in her ‘I Still Love You!’ video, which tells the story of a dad deciding whether to attend his son’s wedding.

Jennifer Hudson is an out and proud LGBT ally, who is also the campaign ambassador for the ‘Turn It Up For Change’ campaign, which advocates for LGBT rights.

The video for ‘I Still Love You!’ is supported by the Human Rights Campaign, and W Hotels, and will help to support Logo’s #All50 campaign, which seeks to give out information to LGBT people and allies leading up to the US Supreme Court’s decision on same-sex marriage in the coming month.

Leisha Hailey makes a cameo as the officiant of a gorgeous wedding, and then JHud joins the reception for a huge queer dance party. Just try and get the song out of your head.

L Word Actress Clementine Ford Discusses Labels and Sexuality In “Words In My Mouth”

Actress Clementine Ford is probably best known for playing Molly Kroll in iconic queer show The L Word. As Molly, the daughter of Phyllis Kroll (played by Ford’s mother in real life, Cybill Shepherd), she fell for lothario Shane, despite initially having been dating a man. Molly’s time on the show was significant for viewers as it was an example of how sexuality can change, but for Ford the role was significant as it was on The L Word set in which she fell hard; for a woman.

When she fell for this woman during her time as an L Word cast member, it wasn’t the first time that she’d had feelings for someone of the same sex as she’d had romances with women when she was younger, before dating men, getting married, and then getting divorced. But it did set off an unfortunate chain of events for the actress.

Also read: How TV Culture and Lesbian Visibility Have Changed After The L Word

Namely, there was the fact that this woman Ford fell for appeared to be biphobic, having said “You’re not bi, are you? Because bi girls are a fucking nightmare. Ugh. They’re just so—”, to which Ford replied that she was “totally gay”. And also because once they broke up and Ford continued to date, before eventually settling down with a woman, the actress did an interview with DIVA Magazine which they ran with the headline “Clementine Ford comes out!” while non-lesbian websites said “Cybill Shepherd’s daughter a lesbian!”

In a new personal piece on AfterEllen called “Words In My Mouth”, Ford explains that those headlines calling her a lesbian were not entirely true. Following DIVA’s piece Ford did an interview with TV Guide explaining that she wasn’t interested in labels, but after the interview she felt as though she was “letting everybody down” and so she went on TV and told people that she’s gay.

Flash forward a few years and Ford began dating a man named Cyrus, who had been her co-star, and after asking her mother for advice, Shepherd went on TV and told viewers that her daughter had a boyfriend, causing dismay from Ford and severe backlash from the public.

In the piece, Ford explains that despite having dated both women and men, at the time she wasn’t sure where she fell on the Kinsey scale. She wasn’t a lesbian because she liked men and she liked women so she couldn’t be straight either. As for bisexual, she didn’t want to put that label on herself because, as she puts it, “no one likes bisexuals”. And so after speaking to her sister, Ford decided to identify as ‘queer’, saying that “nothing felt truer than identifying as a lesbian, but queer was a close second”.

Perhaps as expected, the comments on that personal piece are particularly nasty, with many commenters attacking the actress for shunning bisexuality and for ‘not being brave enough’, with one commenter saying that “it’s time bisexuals say they are”. However, Ford is part of a growing community who chooses not to identify as either gay, straight, or bisexual.

Also read: What Does it Mean to be Gender Fluid?

Many more people are choosing to identify with the word queer for the fact that their sexuality is fluid and that is the word that they feel most comfortable with – should society force them to choose some sort of label. So we applaud Ford for her honesty and for being so open about her identity; no matter how divisive it is.

Season 2 of Brazilian-based Lesbian Web Series ‘RED’ is on it Way (Video)

The Brazilian-based web series RED focuses on two actresses, Mel and Liz, who meet while filming a movie and find that their mutual attraction throws them both for a loop.

In season one, we saw Liz, who has no trouble attracting women, falling for the very married Mel.

Mel, who has always assumed she was happy in her life and marriage, begins to feel a pull towards Liz that she never expected.

Created by Viv Schiller and Germana Bolo, the series is beautiful put together and well acted. Lead actresses Ana Paula Lima (Liz) and Luciana Bollina (Mel) are stunning and completely captivating.

The new season starts Friday 29^th May. However, you can see the first full season of RED free at KitschMix TV.

Follow RED on Twitter and Instagram for more updates.

Jennifer Beals Discusses her New Show ‘Proof’ and Chances of a ‘L Word’ Reboot

Jennifer Beals has a new TV show coming to TNT, which is produced by Kyra Sedgwick and called Proof.

In a recent interview with ETonline, Beals talked about her new character, and whether she is open for The L Word return.

When ETonline asked about reviving her famous role in Flash Dance, Beals replied with promising nod to The L Word instead.

Who knows! Maybe! But you will probably sooner see another L Word!

She went on to say…

… people ask me quite often, “Is The L Word coming back?” You keep seeing shows like The X Files and Full House now being revamped and coming back to television, so you never know!”

The L Word was a landmark Showtime drama, which depicted the lives of a group of lesbian and bisexual women in West Hollywood. It ran for six seasons from 2004-2009. Beals appears as one of the main characters, Bette Porter, for all six seasons.

In her new show, Beals plays Dr. Cat Tyler, a brilliant yet arrogant surgeon who is struggling with the death of her son and the dissolution of her marriage.

Approached by a cancer-stricken wealthy inventor (Matthew Modine), he promises Cat his financial empire, funding all her side projects, if she examines the connection between life and death. She is then drawn into investigating cases of near-death experiences and reincarnation, hauntings and other phenomena.

Leisha Hailey is Back (Briefly) on Our Screens!!

As Supernatural heads towards its season 10 finale, and we get given an extra special treat. L-word famed Leisha Hailey appears in the show, playing Claire Novak’s mom, Amelia.

Its been over ten years since lesbian drama The L Word first smashed on to our TV screens. An instant hit with gay and bi women around the world, it revolutionised the portrayal of LGBT women on TV and paved the way for more popular shows with gay/bi girls as major characters.

In Supernatural the episode Hailey is in focuses on character Claire Novak, who is back in town after she gets a lead on her long-lost mother, Amelia (Hailey).

Feeling the guilt for what he had done to Claire’s family, Castiel would want to make amends and the only thing to do it is by getting the mother and daughter reunite with each other.

He will do so by asking the Winchester brothers, Dean (Jensen Ackles) and Sam (Jared Padalecki) for some help.

Unfortunately, the summary noted, the group will discover some truth as to what took Amelia. They soon realize that there is a chance that Claire may not get the happy ending she looks for.

A report from Carter Matt pointed out that this Castiel-centric episode could be a breather for the rigorous Mark of Cain storyline.

According to the publication:

Ultimately, the timing seems right for there to be a Castiel episode … Also, we hope that it can be one that gives Castiel even more great stuff to do. While he has some pretty interesting stuff going on right now trying to manage the guilt that he feels from his past, it took a little while this season for his story to really start to rocket off of the ground.”

Quiz | How Unusual Are You?

Are you actually a complete weirdo? Or maybe you’re just a bit eccentric? Or simple bland as paint?

Either way, lets find out how unusual you are…

How Tello’s Queer Web Series Can Save You From Boring TV Shows

According to GLAAD’s annual ‘Where We Are On TV’ report for 2014, just 32 out of 813 primetime broadcast scripted series regulars will be LGBT (3.9%). Even if you agree with the low ball statistic that 1 in 10 people are queer, that number doesn’t cut it and most definitely doesn’t reflect the queer faces who are watching these TV shows and trying to relate to the characters’ stories. Over half of these characters on primetime television are also queer men and the few queer women who we get to see are often subject to uncomfortable and familiar tropes such as Pretty Little Liars’ Emily who cheated on her girlfriend and kissed a guy, or the many queer female characters who are killed off.

At times it can be impossible to enjoy television, when you’re well aware that your favourite TV lesbian is playing second fiddle to a mundane heterosexual love triangle and it can leave you with nothing to watch on the telly. But while TV fails, the Internet can help pick up the slack and as one of the most popular portals for queer web series, tellofilms should be your number one destination for fictional queer ladies.

tellofilms’ co-creator Christin Baker explains:

“I realised that the web was becoming an interesting space for non-traditional entertainment, and wanted to explore it. Our focus has always been to make series distributed over the web, specifically for a lesbian audience.

I did it because it’s stuff that I like to watch. I’ve put my own money into the company – it had to be something I wanted to watch. Because, at the end of the day, if you’re putting your free time, money, blood, sweat and tears into something, you’d better be passionate about it.”

Saying that The Fosters, Orange is the New Black, Orphan Black and new Amazon web series Transparent are “shows that are trying”, Baker also states that “those shows will eventually get canceled like The L Word. On the other hand, [tellofilms has] new content all the time.”

Also: Why Rent Controlled Is The Funniest Web Series You’ll Watch

That list of shows Baker mentions could see them each go on for five seasons or so, proud of the fact that they feature queer female leads but once they end due to the natural closure of the plot or diminished viewership, we’d be lucky to see them replaced with something just as queer friendly. They are the exceptions not the rule. And with tello’s 15 or so web series (a roster constantly being added to) all featuring lesbians both in front of and behind the camera (such as the hilarious #Hashtag and Rent Controlled) viewers will constantly have queer media to enjoy – even when other inclusive shows or cancelled or are on hiatus.

As tellofilms continues to do well and strives to deliver more great content to its 3500~ subscribers, Baker says that “We’re interested in honouring our audience and subscribers outside of just letting them watch content. We’ve started to create this great community and now we’re really excited to figure out what that looks like and what that is.”

One exciting project that subscribers should look forward to later this year is a yet-untitled project about a ballerina who has to “slum it” at a queer, modern dance company after she suffers an injury.

But as for those who aren’t subscribed to tello, as a small business owner Baker offers sage wisdom, “It’s important to support indie artists. If you notice something missing – it’s probably out there, being made by someone in the indie community.”

Real L Word Star in Training to be a Pro Wrestler

TMZ have reported that The Real L Word’s Sara Bettencourt is in training to become a pro-wrestler.

That’s correct KitschMixers.

The former LA party girl and reality star – has been in training with Pro Wrestling Revolution in San Jose, and going by the stage name Sada Simone.

According to TMZ, she is making a splash, impressing the coaches with her progress as a pro wrestler, and just last weekend, she made her debut in the ring as a valet, managing a tag team by the name of Los Chicanos.

Sara came into our lesbian orbits, staring in The Real L Word for three seasons. In the show, she kept us all highly entertained with her turbulent love affair with lover, Whitney Mixter.

The couple also appeared on a season of VH1’s Couples Therapy together.

So will we be seeing her working her way up to WWE diva status anytime soon? Let’s hope so.

Must Watch, Lost Girl Season 5 Promo Finally Out

While the announcement of Lost Girl’s end has come as a shock for its many fans, for those who have been watching the Canada-made series since its introduction in 2010, it’s not a completely bad thing either.

In the past four series Lost Girl has prided itself on unbridled sexuality, queer identity and sheer ass-kicking power from both the guys and the girls.

Sexualities in the show aren’t labelled – Bo is seen as bisexual as she feeds off of sexual energy to heal herself and she takes both male and female lovers, most notably the human doctor, Dr. Lauren Lewis and shape-shifting wolf, Dyson, but neither the character nor the show ever says ‘gay’ or ‘bisexual’ to describe themselves or anyone else.

It’s that in part that’s made it such a hit but admittedly, even with the popular Bo/Dyson/Lauren love triangle at its core and each episode weaving a tale of supernatural intrigue, the love for Lost Girl has waned a little.

Season 1 was a popular introduction to the somewhat Buffy-esque show and it aired in 13 episodes, but in Season 2 there were 22 episodes and by Season 3 of Lost Girl came around, the show had lost a showrunner (series creator Michelle Lovretta) and the long season seen previously had seen Lost Girl lose a bit of its sheen. Emily Andras was showrunner for Season 3 and 4 but for many fans the plot seemed to grate or bore depending on their attention span. So it’s good that Season 5 will be the end then and it too has another new showrunner, with Andras leaving recently. When it airs the first of its final episodes this December we’ll be able to give a good send off to an iconic piece of queer media.

Lost Girl Faewell – Weirdest Moments

Start Watching of New Lesbian Web Series from Brazil ‘RED’

The new Brazilian web series RED is now out – in Portuguese but with english sub-titles (perfect). We highly recommend you all start watching this slick new series that already has our pulses racing – addictive viewing.

RED is based in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and tells the story of two actresses, Mel Béart and Liz Malmo, that meet on the set of a short film called RED. The two women soon take their developing romance from the set, as Scarlet and Simone (Mel and Liz, respectively), to real life.

RED will have a total of eight webisodes in its first season, premiering weekly on Vimeo. It’s a lesbian-themed webseries independently produced and financed by its creators, Viv Schiller and Germana Belo, who were inspired by other great content shared within the LGBT community. Coming from a country where sexual diversity is timidly discussed, both writers felt it was time to create awesome content for [the local] people who want to see more stories that focus on same-sex relationships.

Viv and Germana pitched their idea to actor and director Fernando Belo, who decided to embrace the project. The producers started a campaign to raise R$ 7.000 (Brazilian Reais) through crowd funding for season two.

Watch the Teaser for New Brazilian Lesbian Webs Series ‘RED’

RED is the a new web series from Brazil. An 8 episode show, that has been pitched as a cross between a noir film of the 50s, with a modern L Word twist.

http://youtu.be/BZdNy243LmA

The web series tells the story of Mel Béart and Liz Malmo, two actresses who meet while shooting a short film and end up taking their on-screen relation off-scree.

However, the show is not just a visual experience. What is interesting about this web series, is the creators plan to use social media channels to also tell the stories.

“RED also comes up with the proposal to bring its audience a broader way of experiencing the story you want to tell, through a narrative that, in this case, is not restricted to audiovisual and generates content on different platforms, such as social networks like Twitter and Instagram. This means that the viewer knows the story not only through watching, but also information that has access through these different means. Far from being new, is the fact that, today, still offers little in that direction when we consider what is produced nationally… “

RED Production Team

The series will be launched on the Internet in late September.

The LGBT visibility has increasingly been the subject of discussions, and film to large networks of foreign television industry, we see a growing investment stories with this theme. However, when it comes to the national media, this movement is still shy. Gradually television is opening space for these characters and stories, but we’re still taking its first steps in this direction. Projects like ours are very important to show the mainstream media that there is rather a large LGBT audience that wants to see represented in a realistic way, with respect and without lapse into caricature or traditionalist censorship. Enabling the first and second seasons of RED, we hope to contribute to the advancement of this discussion and to open more space for the LGBT audience in novels, TV series, movies, and others.

We hope this is the first of several projects developed by RED team. The success of our first few seasons will be opening doors to develop new series and movies, always addressing issues that we consider important to the society we live in, counted in order to enhance the experience of our viewer.

RED Production Team