Tag Archives: Pretty Little Liars

Daily Juice: UFC Fighter Jessica Andrade Proposes To girlfriend After Title Fight

What’s the best way to cap off a world championship fight? Proposing to your girlfriend, of course.

Jessica Andrade, an Ultimate Fighting Championship competitor, went five rounds with belt holder Joanna Jędrzejczyk. She ended the contest the loser, but showed enormous spirit in defeat.

And once she had discussed the fight with the in-cage interviewer, Andrade showed further courage to take the ultimate leap.

Fans in the crowd started cheering as she made the proposal to her girlfriend Fernanda in Portuguese, before it was translated into English. (Out Sports)

Today, I’d like to make a special request to my girlfriend, Fernanda, who is here. I want to ask her for marriage.”

Watch the full proposal below:

Pretty Little Liars star Shay Mitchell has said that playing a lesbian character on the hit show was “the best”. Talking to HuffPost, Mitchell opened up about what it was like to play a queer character and what it has meant to her.

That’s the best part. That was definitely the best part out of everything. I’ve had guys and girls come up to me and say, ‘Thanks to your character, I came out to my friends and family’.”

Mitchell added:

That means more to me than anything. The fact that I got to play this character that I had so much fun with and we got to be on an entertaining show that’s one thing, but to have a small impact on people’s lives in that way… Words can’t explain. That’s just awesome.”

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and Tegan and Sara are joing forces with VICE and Instagram to discuss challenges queer people face in dealing with mental health issues. (VICE)

Together with the Trevor Project, Julia Kaye (creator of UP and OUT, a webcomic where she’s been documenting her gender transition), and Instagram public policy representative Carolyn Merrell, they’ll be discussing how each are using social media to combat stigma surrounding mental health issues, and how we can empower both physical and online communities to deal with them.

It will be broadcast live at 8:30 PM EST/5:30 PM PST on @VICE’s Instagram.

Trans whistleblower Chelsea Manning has revealed a new photo of herself after being released from prison yesterday.

In one of his final acts as President, Barack Obama commuted the sentence of Pvt Chelsea Manning, who had been imprisoned in Fort Leavenworth military prison after leaking classified government documents concerning alleged war crimes and rights abuses via WikiLeaks.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BUPbwX0htrw

15 Most Annoying Lesbian Couples On TV

Lesbian relationships on television are generally love-hate. Whether we love one character and hate the other, we love the representation but hate both characters, or whatever the exact storyline is, it’s hard to find a lesbian couple we actually like and want to learn more about.

What is it that has us hating these women so deeply? Well, no two are exactly alike, but generally, they’re relationships we wouldn’t really want to see in our own lives: The women break each other’s hearts in such terrible ways and still stay together? WTF? No one wants to admit that happens in real life, so we don’t want to see it on TV, either.

How many of these couples make you angry, too?

Shane and Jenny (The L Word)

Truly, The L Word brought us so many relationships to hate – but Shane and Jenny is one of the most universally hated ones. Realistically, we couldn’t picture Escape Artist Shane hooking up with someone with so many obvious attachment issues – ahem, Jenny – or crazy narcissistic Jenny just completely getting over the fact that Shane literally just hooked up with Jenny’s girlfriend.

No matter how much Jenny might be a clinger or a hypocrite, she wouldn’t forgive Shane that fast. And the only way that Shane would have been able to pick Jenny after everything that her friends constantly told her would be if she was still picturing Season One Jenny, the sweet and innocent one.

But Shane and Jenny barely even knew each other back then – Shane had to have been able to see the crazy hanging out.

Dawn Denbo and her lover Cindy (The L Word)

It’s not too often that you can predict the catastrophe that is a particular relationship right from the onset. One of these rare examples is Dawn Denbo and her lover Cindy from She-Bar in The L Word. These two are obviously deranged from the very beginning – I mean, who wants to be constantly referred to as someone’s lover? Not only does this set a precedence of ownership, but it also implies that Cindy is only good for one thing – and Dawn isn’t the only one she’s getting it from.

Then again, Dawn isn’t exactly a peach either. Would I say she deserved to be cheated on? Probably not – but she definitely deserved to have some bad stuff happen to her.

Camilla and Mimi (Empire)

This is a relationship that literally only exists to fulfill a possibility once marriage equality was legalized in the United States. Literally – this was confirmed by series co-creator Danny Strong. These two don’t love each other, and they belong to that portion of the (hypothetical) queer community that anti-equality advocates say will destroy the fabric of “traditional marriage” – and as such I’d like to formally reject them as representatives of lesbians and bisexual women.

Samantha and Maria (Sex and the City)

Who would have ever pictured Samantha with a woman? Answer: No one, because the writers didn’t let us believe there was a chance. Then, suddenly, plot twist – she likes the ladies, too. To prove this, she ends up with a woman she has nothing in common with – no chemistry, even. We just don’t like that. And then when Maria has to basically turn crazy before they break up? Yeah, I don’t buy it – there wasn’t even anything there to start with.

Tammy and Sarah (Transparent)

This is one that was pretty much doomed from the start, even if fans didn’t want to admit it right away. Realistically, if you leave your husband for your girlfriend, it’s probably not going to work out too great. When Tammy reveals her “true colors” and basically refuses to even acknowledge Sarah’s kids – hello, they’re part of your life now, too – Sarah gets out before things get too horrible. Of course, if Sarah had just left her husband before hooking up with someone else, maybe this whole situation could have been avoided. I guess we’ll never know, since the two both ended up bitter and single and alone.

Emily and Sara (Pretty Little Liars)

Okay, so these two were never really a couple, but the writers let us think they were going to go there for just a little too long. (Shame on you for intentionally queerbaiting a seriously believable queer character, by the way – not nice!) Anyway, the writers let us think that Emily and Sara were actually going to become a thing – and then had Emily knock her upside the face. You go, Emily.

Emily and Paige (Pretty Little Liars)

This is another one that had me yelling at the TV – but Em hadn’t learned yet. I mean, would you be able to form a relationship with someone who legit just tried to kill you a few episodes back? I couldn’t, but maybe that’s not a deal-breaker for our Emily. There are more than a few times when Paige royally screws up and I just wanted her to move away or get taken by A or something. Sigh. At least things finally ended – even if it did take just a little too long.

Adriana and Gia (90210)

Maybe I’m just a little bitter about seeing someone “try out lesbianism” as a way to deal with their boy problems, but Adriana and Gia’s relationship was a mess of stuff we don’t want to deal with. It even spawned a music video – a terrible, terrible music video. Seriously, if you haven’t heard the song, take a listen and see how much angrier you are at the couple afterward.

Tess and Lou (Lip Service)

It’s rough to be with someone who refuses to come out of the closet, and while it’s a completely respectable choice to stay in the closet, it’s not fair to force someone else back into the closet, essentially, to suit your own needs. It’s not her fault you’re not out of the closet, and it definitely wasn’t her choice. These two weren’t bad people, but they weren’t right for each other – no matter how cute they were together.

Nikki and Dutch (The Strain)

I love Dutch so much – even if she is a bit wishy-washy in her relationships. But I’d rather see her with Fet than Nikki. Hello, Nikki completely abandoned you for a long time, and stole all your stuff. Why would you even consider getting back together?! Stick with Fet – he’s good for you, and he’ll actually step up and help save the friggin’ world. Nikki would rather fight with you than fight next to you. You deserve so much better!

Leslie and Clarice (Chicago Fire)

Call me crazy, but the trope about an ex coming back pregnant and the two getting back together for this new family is… Strange. Maybe it actually happens, what do I know – but this couple showed why it’s probably not the best idea – at least not for everyone.

Willow and Kennedy (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)

Lesbians aren’t just interchangeable – and the pairing of Willow and Kennedy definitely lacked the depth that Willow and Tara shared. This whole relationship seemed like an excuse for gratuitous onscreen canoodling, and it really didn’t feel like Willow gave a rat’s ass about Kennedy. (Not that she should have been in love with her or anything, but there should have been some chemistry somewhere.)

Jeri and Wendy (Jessica Jones)

This couple basically exists to remind us that rich person + rich person does not automatically mean their relationship will be happy and successful and magical. In fact, these two are pretty messed up right from the start. This is what happens when you cheat on your wife – be the bigger person and break up before pursuing the side chick! Come on!

Dana and Tonya (The L Word)

Tonya might just be the most horrible girlfriend on this entire list – I mean, she allocated Dana’s money to herself, and killed her cat. Who in their right mind would get engaged to someone like that?! You mess with animals, you get an immediate “no” from me, and how about a little autonomy in finances, too? If your woman wants to give you some money, she should feel free to do so without any pressure from you. Especially if you’ve already got your own decent paying job. Buh-bye, Tonya, we won’t miss you.

Lindsay and Melanie (Queer as Folk)

These two are basically the epitome of lesbian negative stereotypes – from their clothes, to their infidelity, to their man-hating ways (we’re looking at you, Melanie). It was one of the first lesbian relationships openly shown on TV, so we really wanted to like the couple. But it’s obvious that this show was written to cater the gay men and not the lesbians. It’s almost as if it’s denying the existence of lesbians in the Pittsburgh gay scene entirely.

[interaction id=”5665ec7d76e6a1db7f776201″]

7 TV Shows That Treat LGBT Characters Fairly

As far as queer representation in television goes, it’s a really hit-and-miss game. Some characters are so gay that it hurts, while others play into that “bi-curious phase” stigma that affects so much of our bisexual family. No matter what the specific problem is, it’s really hard to find a show that actually treats their LGBT characters fairly. (And, by “fairly”, we mean like real people – not like plot devices.)

What is so hard about making a believable queer character? Especially since we must assume that they’re putting them in their shows for their queer audience. Like we’re not going to notice that they’re a terrible caricature of us. Give me a break.

Thankfully, there are some shows that treat their LGBT characters the way we want them treated. I’ve gathered a list of 7 shows that get it right, based entirely on my own perspective. I’m well aware that there are other shows with gay and bisexual characters in them, but I don’t watch every single one. Hopefully my list will help you find a new favorite – or drop the name of one I’ve missed down in the comments!

(Note: For the sake of simplicity, I’m leaving out shows which feature primarily queer characters. Sorry, OitNB – I’ll show you some love later on, I promise. Also, understandably, this post may contain spoilers, so read at your own risk.)

1. American Horror Story

While AHS might not be the pinnacle of queer entertainment, there are queer characters throughout the seasons.

These characters aren’t “special snowflakes” (usually) or sacrificed for the sake of ratings – they are no more or less likely to die than their straight counterparts.

As a huge horror media junkie, seeing queer characters placed organically within the storyline makes me happy – even if I know they’re going to die in the end.

2. Pretty Little Liars

While PLL loses some points for their “dramatic reveal” of the mentally-ill transgendered character being the big villain, they do win some of those points back for their portrayal of Emily Fields and her many love interests throughout the show.

Emily’s character is relatable because her sexual identity isn’t her only identity – it’s just one of the facets of her life. She shows that lesbians fall in love, have straight friends, and stress about the crazy shit in their lives, just like everyone else, and that we can also look smoking hot while doing it.

3. Scream

I’ll admit: I’m a major slasher nerd. So when I heard that Scream was being remade into a TV series, I was ecstatic. When I found out that one of the main characters was not exactly straight, I was even more ecstatic.

Audrey Jensen’s character identifies as bi-curious, but she’s explored her sexuality a bit off the camera. What I love even more about her is that her BFFs, Emma Duval and Noah Foster, don’t push her to identify a certain way – making them awesome allies, too.

4. Orphan Black

Okay, so I was way, way late coming to the OB fandom (so late, in fact, that I binge-watched the first three seasons within about a week so I could catch up for the season four premiere… ahem), but the reputation held by CoPhine (Cosima and Delphine, for non-fans) had already drawn me in before I watched that first episode.

I could berate the writers for using Delphine to queerbait Cosima and the viewers, but instead I’ll point out how both Cosima and Tony exist as real people who just happen to be lesbian and transgender, respectively.

5. Adventure Time

Let’s talk about Princess Bubblegum and Marceline for a minute. These aren’t exactly your run-of-the-mill bisexual characters – and, like pretty much all bisexual characters on TV, ever, they don’t actually say the word.

Even with this subtle bi erasure, it’s great that there are cartoons that show that being bisexual is really NBD.

6. Real O’Neals

Unlike the other shows on this list, Real O’Neals is actually about being gay and discriminated against, but the way they handle it is so beautiful that it deserves its own recognition.

While Kenny O’Neal’s character does play on quite a few stereotypes about gay young men, it also deals with the all-too-important message of accepting and loving yourself, and the idea that your family will come around to it, eventually. (And, if not, it’s their loss.)

7. Steven Universe

For the longest time, I tried to pretend I didn’t like Steven Universe. It’s really hard for me to find animated series’ that I’ll actively watch, as opposed to leaving them on for background noise. Still, I was shocked (in the best way possible) to see their treatment of queer characters.

The fact that two of the main characters are in a committed and loving same-sex relationship with one another, so committed that they become one entity… I suppose it could be argued that they’re playing on the stereotypical lesbian “urge to merge”, but I don’t care. I love them anyway.

Shay Mitchell Speaks Candidly About Not Labelling Her Sexuality

Pretty Little Liars actress Shay Mitchell has been discussing why she won’t label her sexuality.

On her hit show Pretty Little Liars, her character, Emily, is lesbian, but in real life she doesn’t put herself in on category.

When I started, people were like, ‘What are you?’ I’m like, right now I’m dating a guy. I don’t know what it’s going to be in three years,” she told the mag, which she graces the cover of in a red hot swimsuit for the June 2016 issue. “You love who you love. Black, white, polka dot, that’s what my dad always said”

In her personal life, Mitchell is currently in a relationship with a man but doesn’t apply labels to her sexuality, instead advocating a fluid approach.

Talking to Cosmopolitan, she added.

I’m never going to label myself. I could be 50 and dating a woman and then what? I said I was straight and now I’m not?’”

The actress joins a number of high-profile individuals who have rejected categorising their sexuality such as Miley Cyrus, Kristen Stewart and St Vincent.

Pretty Little Liars’ Marlene King and Shay Mitchell Discuss Emily’s Love Interests

Living in Rosewood hasn’t exactly been a walk in the park for the characters of Pretty Little Liars.

As across the show’s six and half seasons, characters have been murdered and stuffed in boxes, they’ve been locked inside industrial freezers, they’ve been attacked with batting cage ball shooters and they’ve been kidnapped and implanted with tracking chips.

It’s surprising then that with all of this going on, the four titular liars have managed to have any sort of romantic relationships. All four of the show’s leads (Emily, Spencer, Hanna and Aria) have had various love interests, but it’s Emily’s love life that’s often talked about the most.

It’s become somewhat of a funny talking point amongst the show’s fans that Emily has had so many romantic partners: Maya, Paige, Alison, Talia, Samara and her latest love interest, Sara.

Fans have often joked about Rosewood’s multitude of queer women and it seems that Shay Mitchell, the actress who plays her, and I. Marlene King, who created the show, are in on the laughs.

In an interview with AfterEllen, the two women say that they discuss this a lot, with Mitchell suggesting that “maybe [Emily] is just turning [all of the women]” and King saying “who wouldn’t be gay for Shay, she’s so beautiful”.

As for who fans think that Emily should end up with, many fans support ‘Emison’, the portmanteaus for Emily and Alison’s relationship.

Alison was Emily’s first true love, so it’s unsurprising that there are many ‘die-hard’ fans, with Shay saying that sometimes when she does photoshoots, Emison fans will “superimpose [Alison’s] face onto whatever it is that [she’s] looking so lovingly at” and that when it comes to Emison, her motto is “never say never”.

King, on the other hand, says that “they don’t have to be sexually a couple to be ‘Emison'” and that “they always have that special connection”, noting that there is a cute Emison moment in the summer finale of the show which recently aired.

And what of Paily? The relationship of Paige and Emily? Paige and Emily have had one of the most well-supported relationships on the show, with Emily helping Paige discover her sexuality, but in season five they appeared to break up, with Paige’s family moving her to a different state to get away from Rosewood’s drama.

With Pretty Little Liars doing a five year time jump forward, however, there is a chance for them to reunite in some capacity. King notes that the show’s story does at least put them in the same state

Pretty Little Liars Christmas Special: Everything We Know So Far

Spoiler alert! The midseason finale of Pretty Little Liars was a big’un. Things are always dark in Rosewood aka the murder capital of the world but in that episode it really lived up to its (unofficial) nickname as fan favourite Mona Vanderwaal was killed off. We even saw her dead body; it was grim.

The liars also fell out with Ali in a big way as the queen of lies and deception began to plot against Emily, Spencer, Hanna and Aria despite the group previously being her best friends and it left us with a plethora of new questions and an intricate web of mystery.

What other secrets is Ali holding? Does she have the power do blackmail the liars? And has she been ‘A’ all along? Aaargh! So much has been left unanswered but we’ll be one step closer to a solution later this year when Pretty Little Liars returns for its Christmas special.

So what do we know so far? Like many of the Halloween specials before it, PLL’s Christmas themed episode is centred around one big party. The theme is ‘Winter Wonderland’ so we’re told and so the liars –plus Ali and her henchpeople – are suitably dressed in icy blue and white attire. I’m not quite sure how dresses are appropriate for Winter weather but it’s Pretty Little Liars so let’s just go with it.

Aria will also be dancing with her boyfriend, English teacher Ezra Fitz, but it won’t all be slow dances under the disco ball for Rosewood’s most famous, definitely illegal couple. The episode is called “How the ‘A’ Stole Christmas” so the infamous villain (or the villainous group) will be back to cause mischief like the Grinch, but with more black hoodies.

Furthermore, A’s plotting includes some Christmas-themed spooks. There’s no word yet on what they are yet but Mona Vanderwaal makes a return as the ghost of Christmas past, with Janel Parrish who plays the deceased teen explaining that she’s “going to be in the Christmas special as the ghost of Christmas past, present and future, and in the second half of the season there will be more Mona flashbacks”.

In a more festive holiday spirit though, the liars, along with Paige, Jenna, Lucas and Sydney, visit the Shady Days Nursing Home to sing some Christmas carols!

Even Ali celebrates the right way as the cunning teen gets her smooch on at the party with someone dressed like Santa Claus, according to Pretty Little Liars writer Bryan Holdman. It’s unclear just who is dressed up as Santa though (some fans are hoping that it’s Emily, despite her and Paige looking pretty loved up in the teaser photos) so that will be one of many big reveals when the episode airs in December.

Pretty Little Liars’ Sasha Pieterse Discuss Emily and Alison’s Relationship

Life can be hard for the budding, young, gay lady when she’s crushing on a straight girl, not least when that straight girl also happens to be her best friend and it comes at a time when she’s trying to deal with her not-so-heterosexual feelings.

Feel sorry for Pretty Little Liars’ Emily Fields then, the gay teen in that analogy, as not only was she forced to acknowledge the fact that she was in totally-definitely-not-heterosexual love with her best friend, Alison DiLaurentis. Then Alison proceeded to disappear, presumed dead with no chance of returning alive, or returning Emily’s feelings. But then earlier this season on PLL, Alison came back, alive, well and hinting that she liked Emily back too.

But after several girlfriends and years of Emily trying to get over her would Alison and Emily, “Emison”, be able to kiss and make up? Sasha Pieterse, the actress who plays Ali has since explained.

Pieterse acknowledges that questions and alarm bells were sounded by viewers alike when Emison reunited, promptly making out when Alison stayed at Emily’s house explaining that she didn’t want to be alone.

“I don’t think the audience can tell if Ali is genuine or if she’s playing Emily to get close to her or if she just wants Emily’s protection. I wasn’t sure at the beginning of the season where they were going to go with it, and how the fans were going to react”.

Sasha Pieterse

But is it real or, as we have seen somewhat from Ali already since her return, is this another one of her dirty, mind-muddling tricks?

“I think Alison is so scared to show her real feelings that we never really know what’s true and what isn’t. I can’t tell you too much about that, but you will be able to see more. I think the writers do a really good job of finding that balance, and even though these characters live in a heightened reality, there’s still a trueness about being that age and not being sure what you’re feeling. Alison hasn’t really had an opportunity to figure out who she is. Emily has had such a journey with it and she’s grown into herself. You will see more of Alison figuring herself out, and I’m excited to see how the fans react.”

Sasha Pieterse

That Ali is just coming to terms with her feelings (and keep in mind that her time away means that she probably wasn’t able to explore her sexuality or date women – or anyone of any gender – the way Emily has) rings true to the character so with half a season of Pretty Little Liars still left to go there’s still chance yet for the popular couple.

Source: AfterEllen

What to Expect From Pretty Little Liars Season 5

Wow, that Pretty Little Liars season 4 finale was a bit of a shocker wasn’t it? If you haven’t seen the episode and have no idea what happens in any of the surprising end of season scenes, then look away because this post is about to get spoilerific to the highest degree.

Right, now onwards for those of us who know just how PLL season 4 ended. Not only were Allison DiLaurentis’ (Sasha Pieterse) plans for safety scuppered by a gun, a goon and giant gap between buildings, but part time fan favourite and part time antagonist Ezra Fitz (Ian Harding) was also shot, leading to a dramatic scene on a rooftop where Aria (Lucy Hale) held her long-time love interest in her arms as he lay there with a bullet lodged in his gut. It’s unclear what will become of Mr. Fitz the seducer of teens (he was dated both Allison and Aria, after all) and teacher of English but he could hold the key to one of the show’s biggest mysteries – just who is A? If you remember, one of the last things ol’ Fitzy proclaimed at the end of last season was that he knew who the mysterious, hooded figure was. Interesting indeed.

This is info we could be privy to in the Pretty Little Liars season 5 premiere with S5’s first episode being PLL’s 100th overall and is being written by show runner Marlene King and directed by longstanding director, Norman Buckley, as a result. According to King herself, “There will be a big reveal: One of our mysteries that we’ve had for a long time on the show will be revealed in the 100th,” also saying that “We hope that it’s emotionally epic for us.” While it’s unclear just what that ‘emotional epic’ will entail, we do have some idea of who, if not what, will be on camera.

For a start, Hanna’s ex-boyfriend, Caleb (played by Tyler Blackburn), will make a return to the show after PLL’s supernatural spin-off, Ravenswood, was cancelled and he’ll be featured in the Pretty Little Liars season 5 premiere likely looking to shake things up between Hanna and her new mechanic love interest. Other Hanna related scenes include one between Hanna and Spencer that King tweeted she had written. In turn, Noel Kahn and Lucas Gottesman (played by Brant Daugherty and Brendan Robinson) will also make a return at some point in the season.

But a big question on everyone’s lips or at least those of LGBT viewers is just what will become of Emily Fields’ love life? The penultimate episode of Pretty Little Liars season 4 saw a dramatic scene between Emily and girlfriend Paige as Emily told her that she couldn’t trust her anymore as a result of Paige dobbing Allison’s ‘alive and well’ status in to the cops. It wasn’t completely clear if the couple are donezo (is anything on this show?) but we do know that a new love interest could be right around the corner for our teenage swimmer as she meets new character Sydney Driscoll (played by Chloe Bridges) who is both a newcomer to the show and to the Rosewood swim team, with the two girls reportedly becoming friends. Or maybe we’ll see the feelings between Emily and her first love, Allison rekindled as these four separate photos from Norman Buckley’s Twitter seem to suggest that Allison will be featured heavily in the show’s season premiere.

While it all seems very exciting for the future of one of television’s most intriguing shows, we won’t know more until new teasers and promos are released, so we’ll keep you posted until the run up of the Pretty Little Liars season 5 premiere in June.

Tag Archives: Pretty Little Liars

Daily Juice: UFC Fighter Jessica Andrade Proposes To girlfriend After Title Fight