"OUT" leaves lesbians behind in its Power 50

Honestly, what do you expect? AE is supposed to be about Lesbian visibility but rarely promotes famous lesbians who don't make the top 50 hot list. Who else is going to promote the lesbians who are really out there, truly fighting for equality, if not our own community? I don't think OUT was trying to snub us -- I think they just honestly don't have a clue, and why would they?

This Web site is supposed to be about Lesbian visibility right? At least in entertainment, although I don't see how the obsession with Rachel Maddow qualifies as entertainment. Someone like Christine Quinn is making vast strides in GLBT, or just L, equality, but she's rarely mentioned on here.

I understand that the focus is on entertaintainment but AE has a rare opportunity -- you have a huge, international lesbian following. Why not channel the often negative ranting posted on here into some outreach or activism? 

Why not publish AE's power 50 instead of hot 50? Show OUT who really has the scoop on understated power lesbians with political clout.

Don't get me wrong, I'm obsessed with your Web site and read it every day. But it does get tiring to see all the negativity with nothing positive coming out of it. Just a thought.

I think sometimes we forget that most people don't know any lesbians, let alone that some of the women featured in the OUT spread are still not openly out, really.  Heck, I know seven lesbians in my direct physical life, including my wife.  And of the 12 women on OUT's list, I had only heard of half of them.  Who's Jane Velez-Mitchell?  I'm asking that truthfully.  

In numerous interviews, many American bi/lesbian women waffle about being bis/lesbians at all, and maybe OUT, in its own way, tried to find more bi/lesbians, but just couldn't justify labelling any more women, because even though they out lots of people, for some women, its a true reach to call them bis/lesbians even with proof.

On the other side, I know tons of gay men who are openly gay and let me know that they love/hate being gay on a regular basis. My wife is the only lesbian I know who will talk openly about her sexuality.

Maybe the real problem we need to focus on is that there really aren't a lot of us, and of us, there aren't a lot of us who aren't hiding.

I've never been a fan of Out.  I own one issue and that was the Margaret Cammermeyer issue from the mid 90's.  That's not to say I've never bought the magazine before -- when I first came out in 1994 I was desperate for a decent national gay and lesbian news source.  I quickly realized that this was not the magazine for me.  It was as if they tossed in an article or two related to women in between the pictures of oiled men and Queer Eye articles.

So this blog piqued my curiosity and I did a little research from the Out website.  Specifically for women-related covers.

Since the first issue in 1993 there have been 182 published issues of Out.  Of those, only 34 issues featured women on the cover.  Mind you, women that lesbians would probably like to read about.  I didn't count Liza Minelli, Paris Hilton or Cher covers.  I was being generous with my counting certain covers even.  I would say it's closer to 25.

I also didn't count that horrid issue with the Anderson Cooper and Jodie Foster "masks".  If I ever once considered buying that magazine again I wouldn't just because of that cover and subsequent article.  Just because you're a self-proclaimed gay and lesbian magazine doesn't give you the right to out anyone.

* There is a margin for error in my calculations since I freely admit I am only proficient in math to a 3rd grade level - Give or take a year or two.  :P

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I guess I don't see the list as being unfair to lesbians, even though we don't have exact numerical representation on the list. Anytime there's a list of bests, hottest, smartest, whatever-est people are going to look at that list and find some fault. If there were 24 women and 26 men, there are still some who would  call this unequal. I would bet if there would still be some complaining about the discrepency. I'm sure there were men who some believe were left off the list too.  Maybe, in general, men feel more of a need to tout their accomplishments than women or they are better at getting publicity. For instance, Barney Frank's roles in congress keep him in the forefront more than Tammy Baldwin's do at this point of time.  I wonder, if asked who Baldwin is, how many straight folks would know she's an out lesbian member of congress.

There should not be competition between gays and lesbians. Our community is small in comparison to non LGBTs.  It's not like there were 2 lesbians and 48 gay men on the list with glaring omissions.  Let's do what we can to  promote lesbians in business, politics, and the arts (not just entertainment) so we can raise the awareness of own community. 

I would love to see this site focus more on women outside the entertainment industry. I find the 100 hottest lesbian list offensive. I voted for Rachel Maddow because brains are hot, even if she's not aesthetically my type. If not for Rachel I wouldn't have voted. I'd rather see more articles on what someone like Suze Orman or Tammy Baldwin are doing. I'd love to hear about lesbian artists, writers, famous lesbians throughout history. I'm in my mid 40s and there's a lot on this site I don't bother with like comic books, teen dramas, or 99% of the entertainment things.  I am ok with pointing out things like the lack of lesbian characters on TV as long as that info is in context. Surely there are other minorities not well represented on tv.  I think there's a way to express that without sounding like we're martyrs or whining and to encourage proactivity amongst AE readers. I think we're stronger as a community when we speak out judiciously.  

I understand the inclusion of semi-out folks like Anderson Cooper and Jodi Foster on the list. Just because someone isn't talking about their LGBT orientation in the media, doesn't mean they aren't out to friends and those in their social circles and in the industry. I think it depends on the definition of OUT .  I respect those in the public eye like Rachel Maddow and Tammy Baldwin who are comfortable talking openly about their sexual orientation as part of their persona.  They do such a great service to our cause for equality. Just because someone famous hasn't spoke in an interview about their sexual orientation doesn't mean they are in the closet. 

I believe when someone ventures into a career in the public that they give up certain rights of privacy as an occupational hazard. We can debate the fairness of this, but it is a fact of being a public figure in the 21st century. I don't have a problem with LGBT folks being outed if they are indeed LGBT,because of this.  To me this isn't same as people pointing fingers in an accusatory manner, teasing an effeminite man or masculine woman with homophobic taunts.

It doesn't really matter you personal life as long as you can keep your business straight. Of course this women managed to outrank many others, and I admire them. But to be honest, I prefer gay women than men. The way you look at it, women make a better job in being gay, right? That's why I love powerful women.