2005 was a big year for high-profile lesbians in the news, with break-ups, new romances, comebacks, coming-outs, and coming-outs that never happened. Throw in s a little dirty laundry, and you've got more than enough to keep the lesbian-happy gossip rags happy.

Portia de Rossi became the first lesbian media darling of the new year when the very private actor found herself entangled at the center of the year’s most publicized lesbian dating web. The native Australian’s long-term relationship with singer Francesca Gregorini had hardly been a secret, but de Rossi had steadfastly avoided coming out or publicly acknowledging their relationship. So it was big news when de Rossi left Gregorini for Ellen DeGeneres, and the two went public with their relationship.

DeGeneres subsequently left her girlfriend of four years, photographer and actress Alexandra Hedison (who has a 10-episode guest role on the third season of The L Word), and one year later, DeGeneres and De Rossi are still happily together.

Out-and-proud tennis legend Martina Navratilova generated a lot of publicity this year as well, although not the good kind. Following in the footsteps of another pro athlete, LPGA star Rosie Jones, Navratilova signed an endorsement contract with lesbian vacation company Olivia Travel. After announcing the deal in spring, Martina went on to garner what was arguably the worst publicity by a lesbian this past year. She got herself embroiled in some very public mudslinging with the two women who market the Rainbow Card, an endeavor that Martina had co-founded and endorsed for nearly ten years.

That business partnership, as well as that friendship, ended when Navratilova announced that she refused to be associated with a company that promoted The L Word and Queer as Folk, shows she referred to as “depraved.” No matter that practically an entire episode of The L Word was filmed on an Olivia cruise. Navratilova filed a legal complaint to bar the Rainbow Card from using her name and likeness any further, and the company soon filed a countersuit.

Taking shots at two very popular queer TV shows after she had already dissed her former cause celebre amounted to a double fault even in the eyes of longtime Martina fans.

Olivia contracts certainly proved to be a popular accessory in 2005, when basketball star Sheryl Swoopes came out in an interview with ESPN magazine in October. Her announcement sparked 2005’s next big lesbian-centered media frenzy, as Swoopes became just the second openly gay player in the WNBA, alongside the Minnesota Lynx’s Michele Van Gorp, who came out the previous year.

In the ESPN interview Swoopes referred to her partner only as “the person I love” and “the person I care about,” but she told The Advocate that her love interest of seven years is Alisa Scott, who had been an assistant coach for eight seasons with the Houston Comets, Swoopes’ team, before resigning in January of 2005. Much of the media coverage surrounding Swoopes’ news revealed enduringly homophobic notions about lesbians in sports, including the idea that coming out was less risky, and therefore less heroic, for her than it would be for a male athlete. But regardless of what she had to lose, Swoopes made gains for women athletes of any sexual orientation, calling for a more tolerant playing field.

Swoopes may be the basketball star, but the woman with the best fake in the league this year was Marcia Cross. Rumors that the former Melrose Place villain and current Desperate Housewives star is gay have long been circulating, but in February, anonymous message board posters caused enough of a tempest that the gossip captured mainstream news media attention.