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Lez Dish It Out! The AfterEllen Weekly Round-Up

Photo: Netflix, Instagram, YouTube

I can’t believe it’s August, LDIO readers. Thus far, summer 2017 has been a wild ride for lady lovin’ ladies, especially in light of the AMAZING L Word news we received in July. Hopefully the lesbian goddesses will gift us with more great news in August… you never know, right?

This week in lez news, an X Factor star comes out as a lesbian, Ellen DeGeneres launches a lifestyle collection for babies, and Cara Delevingne whoops it up in Mexico. Lez get to it!

Gif: Digital Spy UK Raven-Symoné Returns To The View Photo: Raven-Symoné/Instagram

Now that Raven’s Home has premiered (July 21), Raven is in full-on press mode. This week, the lesbian visited her old job aka The View to discuss the reboot and how her life has changed since leaving the daytime talk show. It turns out Symoné pursued an Associates Arts degree during her break from showbiz, and some of her paintings made it onto the Raven’s Home set.

The actress revealed:

“I have paintings that I painted inside of Raven’s home. And you’re going to have to figure out which ones are mine because my art is in my show and I’m so happy about it.”
Check out Raven’s full interview below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxeYD2uk13k

Moving on, Raven gave an interview to BuzzFeed News about how she was body shamed while filming That’s So Raven. Symoné said:

During that time [while filming the original That’s So Raven], I would get feedback from peers and work and everybody like, ‘You need to lose weight, you need to lose weight, and blah blah blah,’ ‘It’s not sellable,’ or whatever. And I’m just like, what? I’m so confused. Now we are finally able to embrace thicker body types, and I’m like, dang, I wish that was happening when I was on the show. I wouldn’t be so hungry.”
Raven added:
“It’s good to know that time evolves and that you can be a part of change even if you have to go through the pain to make sure somebody else has an easier time. I understand that now.”
Jeez. Can you imagine telling someone that they’re not sellable? At least Raven was able to find confidence and self-empowerment outside of the show. Ellen DeGeneres Unveils Baby Lifestyle Collection Photo: The Ellen Show/NBC

Is there anything Ellen won’t try her hand at?

This week, the lesbian launched a baby lifestyle collection featuring furniture, swaddles, strollers, and a ton of adorable clothes. Ellen said in a press release:

“Babies love to be swaddled and should always be surrounded by love and kindness. I created my baby collection with that thought in mind. Each piece has a message of love, and the line is filled with whimsical and fun pieces. I don’t have a baby, but I love to be swaddled, and you will too!”
Translation: this is an amazing week for lesbian parents.

Here are a few of DeGeneres’ baby products for your viewing pleasure:

Photo: Buy Buy Baby

Photo: Buy Buy Baby

Photo: Buy Buy Baby

As for why Ellen decided to design a line for tiny humans, she provided some insight to People Magazine. The celesbian joked:

“Some of my ED by Ellen adult clothing got put in the dryer for too long and shrunk. But then I looked at it and thought, ‘That would look adorable on babies.'”
On her favorite items from the collection: “The baby socks. Baby socks are so cute they make me want to have a baby just so they can wear baby socks. (I have been told that isn’t enough of a reason).”

Oh, and if you’re wondering whether or not Ellen has changed her mind on having babies, the answer is probably no. The comedian is incredibly busy right now, and she has shut down the idea numerous times. Parenthood isn’t for everyone, and that’s OK.

P.S. You can buy Ellen’s line HERE.

Arrested Development’s Fifth Season Goes Into Production Photo: Netflix

This is the news America needs right now.

On July 30, Jason Bateman took to Twitter to show off a behind-the-scenes shot of the Arrested Development set. Naturally, AD fans were psyched to see the Bluth family home back in action. Better yet, Deadline confirmed the fifth season of the show will go into production next week.

Bateman’s tweet:

Yes, yes, and YES. Who else is ready to see AD return to Netflix in 2018? It’s especially exciting considering we’ll get to see lots more of Portia de Rossi and Alia Shawkat on TV. P.S. Remember when Alia came out as bisexual earlier this year? Represent, Arrested Development.

  X Factor Star Honey G Comes Out As A Lesbian Photo: Honey G/Instagram

Honey G, you are my new spirit animal.

Late last week, the X Factor star came out as a lesbian via a nude photo shoot. Go big or go home, right? The rapper also gave an interview to The Sun about why she delayed coming out, and how she combatted “homophobic haters.”

The pics:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BXBNu4zh4xK/?hl=en&taken-by=official_honey_g

https://www.instagram.com/p/BXBPn6UBK-g/?hl=en&taken-by=official_honey_g

https://www.instagram.com/p/BXDATAkh1vM/?hl=en&taken-by=official_honey_g

On Dating Men In The Past: “I have dabbled with men before, but I’m gay and looking for a female partner that I want to settle down with. I have been with men in the past. But after I had my second experience with a woman I decided that I wanted to be with women. I was in the process of kind of deciding if I was going to stay with the boyfriend that I had at the time. I was DJing in Ayia Napa and I met someone out there and that was the turning point. I didn’t have real girlfriends until I finished university.”

On Homophobia: “I just wasn’t ready to come out to the public, you know? One of questions that Simon asked me in that first audition was, ‘Have I got as boyfriend?’ And I was a bit defensive at the time because I was just like, ‘No, I’m single.’ Obviously I get worried about homophobia because there are a lot of homophobic people out there. They might not like it. So I was worried about that.”

On Having Kids One Day: “I have been very maternal the whole of my life. I have wanted kids since I was 19. But I don’t just want to have kids on my own. I want to make sure that I’m with someone in a long-term serious relationship.”

P.S. if you’re interested in dating Honey, hit her up on Twitter:

“I suppose they can either contact my management or they can tweet me, send me a picture. Then if I wanted to then I could follow them back and we could direct message.”
Let me know if you guys end up having any luck!

Cara Delevingne Travels To Mexico For An Early Birthday Celebration Photo: Cara Delevingne/Instagram

Who else is not surprised that Cara is a Leo? She’s a quintessential fire sign, in my humble opinion.

Although Delevingne’s birthday isn’t until Aug. 12, the Daily Mail revealed details about her upcoming birthday trip to Mexico. Prepared to be jealous, because the actress rented out an 100K house for 20 of her closest friends to enjoy. And yes, a lot of models will be in attendance.

A source dished:

She’s invited all her closest friends, including Kendall Jenner, Suki Waterhouse, Georgia May Jagger, Jamie Winstone, and, of course, her older sisters Chloe and Poppy.”

As for the finer details of the trip, another insider added:

‘The girls will be trekking in the rainforest, kayaking and going on excursions to sample the varied wildlife of the region… all finished off with a massive party to celebrate Cara’s birthday at the end. It’s a girls-only trip and Cara wanted to celebrate a busy few months of hard work and get away from it all as much as possible with those closest to her. It’s going to be an incredible trip.”

The bad news: we’re not invited. The good news: I’ll share everything I know about this vacation once it happens. I’m a professional lurker, so you can count on me!

Kristen Stewart Reveals She’s Open To Dating Guys Again

Photo: Harper’s Bazaar UK

Before I get into the interview quotes, I want to make it clear that I don’t care about Stewart’s sexual orientation. I really, really don’t. If Kristen finds love with a dude one day, that’s fabulous. Fans don’t deserve to feel betrayed by a celebrity’s sexual orientation, and K. Stew shouldn’t receive flak for who she loves. What does bother me, however, is her “I’m so gay” comment on SNL earlier this year. Although the actress’ “confession” felt huge in the moment, in hindsight it feels exploitative and a tad cavalier. Coming out is incredibly difficult for a lot of people, and Stewart casually labeling herself as “gay” when this clearly isn’t the case is a tad problematic, in my opinion.

Anyways, the actress had this to say about dating guys again:

“Yeah, totally. Definitely… Some people aren’t like that. Some people know that they like grilled cheese and they’ll eat it every day for the rest of their lives. I want to try everything. If I have grilled cheese once I’m like, ‘That was cool, what’s next?'”
Other quotes of interest:

On Her Tomboy Style: “Not all little girls are that way. And it actually really hurt my feelings, like badly. Like, I remember being in the sixth grade [aged 11] and [people would say] ‘Kristen looks like a man. You’re a boy’, or whatever, and I was so offended, horrified and embarrassed. Now I look back on it and I’m like, ‘Girl, be proud of that!'”

On Being Perceived As A “Bitch.” I’m really not introverted — I’m just not acting all the time, which is what it would take to look like how people expect famous people to behave.” She continues, “Men cannot say bitch anymore, I’m sorry. Say something different. Say, ‘You’re rude,’ say, ‘You’re a dick,’ whatever. Just to say, ‘Oh that bitch.’ You can’t say that because there’s nothing I could say to you, there’s no retort that would be equal to that, therefore it’s demeaning and literally on par with… something homophobic or something racist.”

  Rosie O’Donnell Thinks Women Should Start Their Own Political Party Photo: Rosie O’Donnell/Instagram

Rosie, I think you’re onto something.

Earlier this week, Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Ben Ray Luján insinuated that the Democratic party will support anti-abortion candidates in 2018. It’s an extremely tone deaf idea, especially if this is Dems’ solution to reviving the party. How is rolling back women’s rights a revolutionary idea? It’s just too much.

O’Donnell, who is VERY political, took to Twitter to express her disgust about the announcement:

Following the lesbian’s tweet, fans supported her idea:

https://twitter.com/blind_butterfly/status/892718104358383617

Yep.

Jane Lynch Channels Janet Reno In Manhunt: The Unabomber Photo: Jane Lynch/Instagram

A few months ago, I filled you guys in on Jane’s Discovery Channel series about Janet Reno’s hunt for Ted Kaczynski, aka the Unabomber. Manhunt: The Unabomber premiered on Aug. 1, and the lesbian actress has received positive reviews for her performance as Reno, the late U.S. Attorney General responsible for bringing Kaczynski to justice. Check out Lynch’s channeling of Reno below:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BWwS6nFFXev/?taken-by=janelynchofficial

For Jane’s diehard fans, this role might seem out of place given her longstanding career in comedy. It turns out the celesbian has a taste for drama, and she’s open to more “dark” roles in the future.

On getting the opportunity to play a dramatic role: “Well, I was thrilled. I’ve always been a great admirer of Janet Reno and I’ve always been quite charmed by her. It was the beginnings of my becoming a political animal back in the ’90s. And I didn’t know the details of this case or any of the other huge cases she had on her desk during her tenure, which is 11 years long, but I always got the sense that she was a straight shooter. And also, what I found out — I guessed it back then — was that she had a terrific sense of humor in everything. We don’t get to see it in the show, but there is a great humanity to her, and she had some really big life-or-death decisions to make during her tenure. She will admit, and did, that she made some mistakes, especially, with regard to the loss of life at Waco. But, she was taking a really big gamble publishing this manifesto, agreeing to do that, because it’s akin to negotiating with terrorists. And it ended up working out for her, but it could have gone the other way.”

On starting off as a dramatic actress: “… I was, and, I thought I was deciding how my career would go — and then my career just, kind of had a life of its own. And I ended up in comedy and sketch, and I loved it. But I did think that I would be, like, a theater actor. I thought that’s what I was gonna do. Life had different plans for me.

On the possibility of collaborating with Ryan Murphy in the future: “Absolutely. And something very dark would be fun, too. Because he thinks outside of the box, he’s a real renegade. And it’s always exciting to see what he comes up with next.”

So, what do you guys think? Should Jane take a break from comedy to pursue more dramatic roles? It seems like she has a knack for it. Evan Rachel Wood & Avril Lavigne Are Twins Photo: Evan Rachel Wood/Instagram

Ha! This is as cute as it is 100 percent random.

On Monday, Evan shared a twinning photo of herself and Avril to Instagram. In the pic, the bisexual actress and Lavigne look strikingly similar, all the way from their glasses to their bright blue eyes. Check it out:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BXNSfYrFTeP/?hl=en&taken-by=evanrachelwood

Hmm, maybe this is a sign that Wood and Avril should start a band. Stranger things have happened…

ICYMI: Tegan & Sara To Release The Con 10th Anniversary Covers Album

Photo: Tegan & Sara/Instagram

I’ll never forgive myself for missing this last week. On July 24, Tegan and Sara celebrated the 10th anniversary of The Con. The album deserves a lifetime of praise, and its impact on LGBTQ women is overwhelming.

To celebrate the emotional milestone, the lesbian musicians announced their plans to release a 10th anniversary covers album. The band’s statement is a little long, but it’s definitely worth the read:

When we released The Con exactly 10 years ago today — July 24, 2007 — we had been on earth for 9,390 days. Another 3,650 days have passed since then and if we’re lucky we could live another 12,510 days. In a way, we’re at the hallway point of our lives; “halfway to death” as our Dad ominously told us on his 35th birthday. This was also the kind of existential number-crunching we were doing during our 26th year on earth in 2007, and The Con was born from that experiential panic. To commemorate the impact The Con had on our career and songwriting, today we are very excited to announce The Con X: Covers, a new album featuring 14 of our favorite artists covering all 14 songs from the original album. When I hear another band or artist cover one of our songs it can be indescribable and pleasantly disorienting — creating hope where there was originally hopelessness or joy where there was only ever regret. A pop song can become a claustrophobic ballad, or an anguished confession might be transformed into a euphoric mantra. In some ways hearing someone else interpret something so familiar is a way to finally be freed from the personal history of the song and to hear it for the first time.The Con X: Covers will be released on October 13, 2017, and we are especially excited to announce that our record label, Warner Bros., will be donating net album proceeds to The Tegan and Sara Foundation, working in support of LGBTQ girls and women. Our next announcement will include the full list of artists (be patient!), and for now we want to thank each and every one of them for donating their time and talents to this cause that we are so passionate about. xo Sara (and Tegan).”
Ahh, how exciting. Although I don’t know who the chosen cover artists are, the The Con X: Covers will be released on October 13.

That’s a wrap. See you next week, ladies!

GIF: Giphy

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