TV

Best. Lesbian. Week. Ever. (September 26, 2008)

A LETTER FROM LINDSAY LOHAN’S PUBLICIST Hello, lesbians and bisexuals. Leslie Sloane-Zelnik here. I’m Lindsay Lohan’s publicist, and in case you missed the statement I made to TVGuide.com yesterday, let me clear up a little something for you.

Lindsay Lohan and Samantha Ronson are just friends!

I’m starting to think Bill O’Reilly was right – gang members, the lot of you! Why must you continue to misinterpret the platonic friendship between Lindsay and Samantha?

Yes, they are together all the time. Yes, they wear matching rings. Yes, they blog together to speak out against homophobia. [Note to self: Revoke Lindsay’s Internet privileges.] Yes, their friends call them a couple. Yes, they canoodle in public. Yes, they kiss open-mouthed in front of cameras. And yes, they called into Loveline where Lindsay said they’d been in a relationship for “a really long time.” [Note to self: Revoke Lindsay’s phone privileges.]

So, now you’re going to take those tiny little details and string them together to call it romance? That is the height of ridiculousness. They’re just friends! Friends! My client Lindsay Lohan is not g-ga-, um, she’s not … What I mean to say is Lindsay is not that-which-must-not-be-named. (Starts with “L,” ends with “N,” rhymes with “fezbian.”) OK?

If she were of that persuasion, you could write about her here in your Friday column.

You could say that last night she guest-starred on Ugly Betty, and was hilarious. You could show a screenshot of her in her Flushing Burgers uniform, and mention that during her appearance, she said, “Whatever you do, don’t have sex in the woods on Fire Island.” And you could laugh and laugh because Fire Island is a more lesbionic vacation spot than the Greek island of Lesbos.

You could also show the trailer for Lindsay’s new movie, Labor Pains. You could say that it sort of looks like an indie version of Baby Mama, but that you have big hopes for it anyway, because it also stars Janeane Garofalo, Cheryl Hines and Chris Parnell, which is kind of a comedy trifecta of awesomeness. You could write that Lindsay just finished filming an episode of Project Runway, where she’ll be a guest judge when the show moves to Lifetime next season.

Finally, you could probably even note that pretty much everyone you know wants to see Lindsay back on top of her game, and that you, personally, have been rooting for her since Mean Girls, even before the that-which-must-not-be-named speculation began. You could say that two completed television appearances and one completed movie seem like a good start to a Lohan comeback.

But don’t. Don’t write any of those things. News about Lindsay Lohan belongs on straight-people websites, because Lindsay, herself, is straight people.

July/Brownstein in ’08!

– by Trish Bendix

I NOW PRONOUNCE YOU … BEST FRIENDS Now that gays can get married in California, everybody wants in on the action.

On this week’s season premiere of The New Adventures of Old Christine, star Julia Louis-Dreyfus‘ character Christine marries her best friend Barb (Wanda Sykes) to keep the latter from being deported back to the Bahamas.

The plan is hatched after Barb’s divorce finally comes through. But because she came to the country on a student visa and is not a citizen, Barb now may have to leave the country. So the longtime pals agree to a “friendship marriage.”

As Christine says: “Our marriage will be fun. We’d hang out. We’d eat. We’d pee in front of each other.” Of course, the fatal flaw in the episode’s premise is that while same-sex marriage is legal in California, immigration is still administered by the federal government. And thanks to the Defense of Marriage Act, same-sex unions are not recognized federally. So her piece of California paper wouldn’t mean anything to the INS.

But, details, shemtails. This is TV, not reality TV.

How was the wedding? Christine and Barb are surrounded by lesbian and gay couples when they get their marriage license. But when Barb sees the real happy couples, it gives her pause: “Maybe we shouldn’t be doing this. All of these people have fought their whole life for this.”

But they go ahead anyway and seal it with an awkward if endearing kiss. When Christine explains to her son what’s happening between her and her best friend, it’s no less endearing:

People don’t choose who to love. … California has given people the right to marry who they love, which is wonderful and American and why we left England on the Mayflower in the first place.
Then, after a little it’s-on-it’s-off drama, the happy event took place. The platonic couple exchange vows and earrings. Amid the lightheartedness and laughter, the episode’s message about love and the absurdity of telling people who they can and can’t marry was clear. Take that, INS.

NO MEANS NO

Speaking of gay marriage, director Steven Spielberg and his wife Kate Capshaw have donated $100,000 to the campaign to defeat a proposed constitutional ban on same-sex marriage in California. The couple’s donation follows on the heels of actor Brad Pitt‘s $100,000 donation last week to the same “Vote No on Prop. 8” campaign to fight the proposition that would change California’s constitution and overturn the state Supreme Court’s ruling in May legalizing same-sex marriage. Spielberg and Capshaw’s statement read:

By writing discrimination into our state constitution, Proposition 8 seeks to eliminate the right of each and every citizen in our state to marry regardless of sexual orientation. Such discrimination has NO place in California’s constitution, or any other.
Way to go, straight folks.

SERIOUSLY, NO NO NO In an unusually political move, Ellen DeGeneres has also come out forcefully against Prop. 8 on her blog. The talk show host and newlywed urged her viewers to vote no on the Nov. 4 ballot initiative in a post called “My Political Point…And I Do Have One,” a play off the title of her 1996 book. In her post, Ellen acknowledged her unexpected foray into activism with her signature good-humor:

You know how usually I talk about cell phones or kitty cats or cheese pizza… well, this is sorta like that… without the cell phones, the cats, or the pizza.There’s a California Proposition on the ballot that’s a little confusing. It’s Proposition 8. It’s called, “The California Marriage Protection Act” — but don’t let the name fool you. It’s not protecting anyone’s marriage. Not yours. Not mine.The wording of Prop 8 is tricky. It’s like if someone asked you, “You don’t want dessert, right?” But you do want dessert so you say, “Yes,” which really means you don’t want dessert. And if you say, “No,” which means you do want dessert — it sounds like you don’t. Either way, you don’t get what you want. See — confusing. Just like Prop. 8.So, in case I haven’t made myself clear, I’m FOR gay marriage. And in order to protect that right — please VOTE NO on Proposition 8. And now that you’re informed, spread the word. I’m begging you. I can’t return the wedding gifts — I love my new toaster.
Friends don’t make friends return gravy boats. So listen to Ellen and vote no on Prop. 8.

by Dorothy Snarker

LESBIAN QUOTE OF THE WEEK #1 “Sweet Jesus, when was that? Maybe the Nixon administration? Actually, I cannot remember. Even when I was married, I don’t think I went on a romantic date.”

– comedian Wanda Sykes to The Dallas Voice, when asked “when was the last time you went on a date with a dude?”

I CAN SEE LESBIANS FROM MY HOUSE! There were a handful of queer women at this year’s Emmy Awards, America’s annual celebration of sexism television. Here’s a quick look at some of them.

First, we have Saffron Burrows showing off the sweeping-gown look that was all the rage this year (also see our full rundown of women on the Emmy’s red carpet): After the show, six-time Emmy winner Lily Tomlin tried to add to her collection, and Sarah Paulson showed off her comfortable new shoes: Cynthia Nixon posed with her partner Christine Marinoni: And finally, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler celebrated Tina’s three Emmys: OK, fine, so the latter aren’t technically a lesbian couple. But they’re pretty much honorary lesbians by now, right? In fact, I think the name “Tina Fey” should become shorthand for smart, feminist, lesbian-inclusive behavior. As in, “Donating money to fight Prop. 8 is so Tina Fey.”

It could even be used in reverse – as in, “Voting for Sarah Palin is so not Tina Fey.”

What’s that you say? You want to see Tina and Amy playing Sarah Palin and Hillary Clinton one more time? Well, OK then, if you insist. Still makes me laugh, no matter how many times I watch it.

Tina Fey doesn’t want to keep us laughing, though – at least, not this way. “I want to be done playing this lady Nov. 5,” she told reporters. “So if anybody can help me be done playing this lady Nov. 5, that would be good for me.”

That’s so Tina Fey.

by Sarah Warn

LESBIAN QUOTE OF THE WEEK #2 “Almost everyone who has come out has been happier because of it and in almost every case, it has helped their careers. However the fear is still there – the fear of fans, and of studios. Coming out is easier in the music world and it is generally easier for women than men.”

– Hollywood public relations expert Howard Bragman, commenting to The Washington Post on the Lohan and Clay Aiken news this week

WANTED: YOUNG GERMAN LESBIAN ROLE MODELS AE reader Johanna tipped us off that 47-year-old openly gay German actress Ulrike Folkerts and artist Katharina Schnitzler have gone public this week with their relationship of five-and-a-half years via an interview with the German magazine Stern.

Folkerts and Schnitzler, who are promoting their new book, Found Happiness, have kept their relationship private up until now because Schnitzler didn’t want to be known primarily as Folkerts’ girlfriend. According to EurOut.org blog post about the news, the two first met at one of Katharina’s art shows; since Katharina did not own a TV at that time, she was unaware of Folkerts’ fame until after they started dating. Folkerts, who came out publicly several years ago, is well-known in Germany for playing Lena Odenthal on the German TV show Tatort. The news about their relationship is providing some great lesbian visibility in Germany, but Folkerts tells Stern she doesn’t want to be the perfect lesbian role model anymore, because, “Younger lesbians should do that now.” Unfortunately, as EurOut notes, there aren’t any out high-profile young lesbians in Germany. So who will pick up the mantle now?

I have an idea: What about launching a German reality show called Search for Germany’s Young Lesbian Role Model? Or a German version of America’s Next Top Model… oh wait, it looks like Germany already did that, but the show has yet to yield any openly gay contestants. OK, German readers – time to strike a pose!

LESBIAN QUOTE OF THE WEEK #3 “Long gone are the days when kissing a fellow contestant in a limo full of models was considered cool or edgy (three years ago, I kissed fellow contestant Sarah Rhoades in front of the cameras on America’s Next Top Model), or when the statement “Yep, I’m gay” was actually daring – people claimed that would end Ellen DeGeneres‘ career, and now she’s one of America’s most beloved talk-show hosts, has a hot wife, and gets all the free episodes of Arrested Development that she wants!”

– MTV VJ and News Correspondent Kim Stolz in a blog post on MTV.com about Lohan’s comments this week

by Sarah Warn

BUT WAIT The New York Times reviews Rachel Maddow‘s new MSBNC show, saying, “Ms. Maddow’s deep, modulated voice is reassuringly calm after so much shrill emotionalism and catfights among the channel’s aging, white male divas.”

True Blood’s lesbian vampire, Pam (Kristin Bauer), makes her first appearance in this Sunday’s episode (“Escape from Dragon House”). According to series creator Alan Ball, “There is a vampiress who works [at the vampire bar Fangtasia in Shreveport] who definitely exudes a certain lesbian energy in a really kind of entertaining and seductive way. Pam is a woman who was made vampire in Victorian England, and she dresses all goth when she’s at work, but when she’s not at work she basically wears Chanel.”

Yo Majesty is streaming their album live on their MySpace page.

She Made Me Watch This! is on hiatus for a few weeks, due to Lori’s travel schedule, and Sarah’s crazy busy workload right now (too many lesbians in the news!)

Starting this week, America’s Next Top Model recaps will be posted on Friday nights/Saturdays, instead of Thursday nights.

Look for Dara Nai’s first Grey’s Anatomy recap on Monday!

That’s it for this week! Got the inside scoop on a hot new lesbian/bi actor/musician/TV show/film? Tell us at [email protected]. Check back next Friday for another edition of Best. Lesbian. Week. Ever.

For complete results of GLAAD’s Where We Are on TV: 2007-2008, including LGBT character lists, visit GLAAD’s site. And maybe by next year, diversity will include lesbians, too.

– by the linster

ART SCHOOL: BRINGING OUT THE GAY IN THE BEST OF US On an earlier season of Bones, a private investigator hinted at Angela (played by Michaela Conlin) being bisexual with a reference to “a girl named Roxie, whose heart you broke in second-year art school.”

Of course, we took it from there. Roxie? Art school? This didn’t sound simply like a LUG (lesbian until graduation) – Angela must be one of us.

She dated Dr. Jack Hodgins for two seasons, but there were complications, including a secret husband, which led to a busted engagement. (This is one instance where I’d say that being bisexual might actually be less complicated than being completely straight. She’s got men hiding all over the place!)

In July, Sarah reported that there would be an actual Roxie character on the new season of the show. We waited for producers to realize that Emily Deschanel already had a role so they would just have to find someone equally as hot to play the ex-flame.

Entertainment Weekly is now reporting that In Plain Sight‘s Nicole Hiltz will play Roxie. Executive producer Hart Hanson told E! Online that Hiltz will be on several episodes: “Roxie is not a one-off character. We expect to see her a few more times this season. She is a very real complication for Hodgins and Angela.”

One thing is for sure: Angela once had it bad for the blonde, and if Roxie is anything like Hiltz’s character in The Best Sex Ever, she won’t mind getting, uh, close with a hot female.

NO NEED FOR SAMANTHA OR CHARLOTTE HERE Leave it to Miranda July and Carrie Brownstein to find creative ways to fundraise. The multi-talented duo (July is a filmmaker/artist/author and Brownstein was a member of Sleater-Kinney and now contributes to NPR), have released three videos they collaborated on – but there’s a catch. You can’t watch these videos for free: The queer ladies are asking for donations to the Barack Obama campaign fund. For $10 per piece, you can download the women’s sketches, which come with a warning:

Warning: these videos have absolutely nothing to do with Obama &mdash we made them 8 years ago in Portland, Oregon, with the sole purpose of having fun. However, we do believe that young women are more likely to feel creative and liberated with Barack Obama in the white house.
Visit videobama.mirandajuly.com to watch the women in their element. As those who have watched Brownstein in her Thunderant videos with Fred Armisen can attest, she’s hilarious and also very, very attractive.

July/Brownstein in ’08!

– by Trish Bendix

I NOW PRONOUNCE YOU … BEST FRIENDS Now that gays can get married in California, everybody wants in on the action.

On this week’s season premiere of The New Adventures of Old Christine, star Julia Louis-Dreyfus‘ character Christine marries her best friend Barb (Wanda Sykes) to keep the latter from being deported back to the Bahamas.

The plan is hatched after Barb’s divorce finally comes through. But because she came to the country on a student visa and is not a citizen, Barb now may have to leave the country. So the longtime pals agree to a “friendship marriage.”

As Christine says: “Our marriage will be fun. We’d hang out. We’d eat. We’d pee in front of each other.” Of course, the fatal flaw in the episode’s premise is that while same-sex marriage is legal in California, immigration is still administered by the federal government. And thanks to the Defense of Marriage Act, same-sex unions are not recognized federally. So her piece of California paper wouldn’t mean anything to the INS.

But, details, shemtails. This is TV, not reality TV.

How was the wedding? Christine and Barb are surrounded by lesbian and gay couples when they get their marriage license. But when Barb sees the real happy couples, it gives her pause: “Maybe we shouldn’t be doing this. All of these people have fought their whole life for this.”

But they go ahead anyway and seal it with an awkward if endearing kiss. When Christine explains to her son what’s happening between her and her best friend, it’s no less endearing:

People don’t choose who to love. … California has given people the right to marry who they love, which is wonderful and American and why we left England on the Mayflower in the first place.
Then, after a little it’s-on-it’s-off drama, the happy event took place. The platonic couple exchange vows and earrings. Amid the lightheartedness and laughter, the episode’s message about love and the absurdity of telling people who they can and can’t marry was clear. Take that, INS.

NO MEANS NO

Speaking of gay marriage, director Steven Spielberg and his wife Kate Capshaw have donated $100,000 to the campaign to defeat a proposed constitutional ban on same-sex marriage in California. The couple’s donation follows on the heels of actor Brad Pitt‘s $100,000 donation last week to the same “Vote No on Prop. 8” campaign to fight the proposition that would change California’s constitution and overturn the state Supreme Court’s ruling in May legalizing same-sex marriage. Spielberg and Capshaw’s statement read:

By writing discrimination into our state constitution, Proposition 8 seeks to eliminate the right of each and every citizen in our state to marry regardless of sexual orientation. Such discrimination has NO place in California’s constitution, or any other.
Way to go, straight folks.

SERIOUSLY, NO NO NO In an unusually political move, Ellen DeGeneres has also come out forcefully against Prop. 8 on her blog. The talk show host and newlywed urged her viewers to vote no on the Nov. 4 ballot initiative in a post called “My Political Point…And I Do Have One,” a play off the title of her 1996 book. In her post, Ellen acknowledged her unexpected foray into activism with her signature good-humor:

You know how usually I talk about cell phones or kitty cats or cheese pizza… well, this is sorta like that… without the cell phones, the cats, or the pizza.There’s a California Proposition on the ballot that’s a little confusing. It’s Proposition 8. It’s called, “The California Marriage Protection Act” — but don’t let the name fool you. It’s not protecting anyone’s marriage. Not yours. Not mine.The wording of Prop 8 is tricky. It’s like if someone asked you, “You don’t want dessert, right?” But you do want dessert so you say, “Yes,” which really means you don’t want dessert. And if you say, “No,” which means you do want dessert — it sounds like you don’t. Either way, you don’t get what you want. See — confusing. Just like Prop. 8.So, in case I haven’t made myself clear, I’m FOR gay marriage. And in order to protect that right — please VOTE NO on Proposition 8. And now that you’re informed, spread the word. I’m begging you. I can’t return the wedding gifts — I love my new toaster.
Friends don’t make friends return gravy boats. So listen to Ellen and vote no on Prop. 8.

by Dorothy Snarker

LESBIAN QUOTE OF THE WEEK #1 “Sweet Jesus, when was that? Maybe the Nixon administration? Actually, I cannot remember. Even when I was married, I don’t think I went on a romantic date.”

– comedian Wanda Sykes to The Dallas Voice, when asked “when was the last time you went on a date with a dude?”

I CAN SEE LESBIANS FROM MY HOUSE! There were a handful of queer women at this year’s Emmy Awards, America’s annual celebration of sexism television. Here’s a quick look at some of them.

First, we have Saffron Burrows showing off the sweeping-gown look that was all the rage this year (also see our full rundown of women on the Emmy’s red carpet): After the show, six-time Emmy winner Lily Tomlin tried to add to her collection, and Sarah Paulson showed off her comfortable new shoes: Cynthia Nixon posed with her partner Christine Marinoni: And finally, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler celebrated Tina’s three Emmys: OK, fine, so the latter aren’t technically a lesbian couple. But they’re pretty much honorary lesbians by now, right? In fact, I think the name “Tina Fey” should become shorthand for smart, feminist, lesbian-inclusive behavior. As in, “Donating money to fight Prop. 8 is so Tina Fey.”

It could even be used in reverse – as in, “Voting for Sarah Palin is so not Tina Fey.”

What’s that you say? You want to see Tina and Amy playing Sarah Palin and Hillary Clinton one more time? Well, OK then, if you insist. Still makes me laugh, no matter how many times I watch it.

Tina Fey doesn’t want to keep us laughing, though – at least, not this way. “I want to be done playing this lady Nov. 5,” she told reporters. “So if anybody can help me be done playing this lady Nov. 5, that would be good for me.”

That’s so Tina Fey.

by Sarah Warn

LESBIAN QUOTE OF THE WEEK #2 “Almost everyone who has come out has been happier because of it and in almost every case, it has helped their careers. However the fear is still there – the fear of fans, and of studios. Coming out is easier in the music world and it is generally easier for women than men.”

– Hollywood public relations expert Howard Bragman, commenting to The Washington Post on the Lohan and Clay Aiken news this week

WANTED: YOUNG GERMAN LESBIAN ROLE MODELS AE reader Johanna tipped us off that 47-year-old openly gay German actress Ulrike Folkerts and artist Katharina Schnitzler have gone public this week with their relationship of five-and-a-half years via an interview with the German magazine Stern.

Folkerts and Schnitzler, who are promoting their new book, Found Happiness, have kept their relationship private up until now because Schnitzler didn’t want to be known primarily as Folkerts’ girlfriend. According to EurOut.org blog post about the news, the two first met at one of Katharina’s art shows; since Katharina did not own a TV at that time, she was unaware of Folkerts’ fame until after they started dating. Folkerts, who came out publicly several years ago, is well-known in Germany for playing Lena Odenthal on the German TV show Tatort. The news about their relationship is providing some great lesbian visibility in Germany, but Folkerts tells Stern she doesn’t want to be the perfect lesbian role model anymore, because, “Younger lesbians should do that now.” Unfortunately, as EurOut notes, there aren’t any out high-profile young lesbians in Germany. So who will pick up the mantle now?

I have an idea: What about launching a German reality show called Search for Germany’s Young Lesbian Role Model? Or a German version of America’s Next Top Model… oh wait, it looks like Germany already did that, but the show has yet to yield any openly gay contestants. OK, German readers – time to strike a pose!

LESBIAN QUOTE OF THE WEEK #3 “Long gone are the days when kissing a fellow contestant in a limo full of models was considered cool or edgy (three years ago, I kissed fellow contestant Sarah Rhoades in front of the cameras on America’s Next Top Model), or when the statement “Yep, I’m gay” was actually daring – people claimed that would end Ellen DeGeneres‘ career, and now she’s one of America’s most beloved talk-show hosts, has a hot wife, and gets all the free episodes of Arrested Development that she wants!”

– MTV VJ and News Correspondent Kim Stolz in a blog post on MTV.com about Lohan’s comments this week

by Sarah Warn

BUT WAIT The New York Times reviews Rachel Maddow‘s new MSBNC show, saying, “Ms. Maddow’s deep, modulated voice is reassuringly calm after so much shrill emotionalism and catfights among the channel’s aging, white male divas.”

True Blood’s lesbian vampire, Pam (Kristin Bauer), makes her first appearance in this Sunday’s episode (“Escape from Dragon House”). According to series creator Alan Ball, “There is a vampiress who works [at the vampire bar Fangtasia in Shreveport] who definitely exudes a certain lesbian energy in a really kind of entertaining and seductive way. Pam is a woman who was made vampire in Victorian England, and she dresses all goth when she’s at work, but when she’s not at work she basically wears Chanel.”

Yo Majesty is streaming their album live on their MySpace page.

She Made Me Watch This! is on hiatus for a few weeks, due to Lori’s travel schedule, and Sarah’s crazy busy workload right now (too many lesbians in the news!)

Starting this week, America’s Next Top Model recaps will be posted on Friday nights/Saturdays, instead of Thursday nights.

Look for Dara Nai’s first Grey’s Anatomy recap on Monday!

That’s it for this week! Got the inside scoop on a hot new lesbian/bi actor/musician/TV show/film? Tell us at [email protected]. Check back next Friday for another edition of Best. Lesbian. Week. Ever.

It’s also been reported that Papi (Janina Gavankar), who unceremoniously disappeared last year, will resurface. I can’t wait to hear where she’s been hiding. And Dylan (Alexandra Hedison), the manipulative filmmaker-slash-blackmailer is also going to rear her scheming little head. Now, if only they will bring back Carmen de la Pica Morales (Sarah Shahi), I can die happy.

– by Dara Nai

BUT WHERE ARE ALL THE PREGNANT VAMPIRE SERIAL KILLERS? With the new fall television season comes GLAAD’s 13th annual survey of character diversity, “Where We Are on TV.”

The good news: This season brings more LGBT characters to TV than ever before. Quoting the study: “The overall number of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) representations on the broadcast networks will more than double this year after a three-year slump.”

Let us pause for a moment of bright-eyed optimism.

A closer look at the numbers, however, tells us they may be more a case of cosmetic surgery than genuine inclusion, especially for lesbians. That’s a nice way of saying that we’re still missing after all these years – there are no lesbians on the list.

Although I suppose that, technically, the number of lesbian regular characters on broadcast (non-cable) networks did double, since last year’s total was zero. I knew those multiplication tables would come in handy some day.

GLAAD’s pretty charts summarize the characters by sexual orientation: As of Sept. 23, networks listed 616 series regulars. A total of 16, or 2.6 percent, fall in the LGBT category. No need to get your specs on to try to find the lesbian slice of the pie. This pie has no lesbian fruit.

In the recurring-character category, the number of lesbians actually did double, from two to four. We have Mayor Lucy Rodell on Friday Night Lights, Patty Bouvier on The Simpsons, and Mo and Trish, a lesbian couple on ABC’s yet-to-premiere animated show, The Goode Family.

In other words, we have one living, breathing, human lesbian, and three cartoons.

Don’t get me wrong – I like animated lesbians. Besides, cartoon characters always get away with more than real people. But is this really the best we can expect?

For bisexual women, the news is a bit brighter. Last year, GLAAD reported that the only bisexual female on network TV was Caitlin in Cashmere Mafia. Mafia was killed, but Callie and Erica discovered each other in the season finale of Grey’s Anatomy. Over the course of last season, we learned that House‘s Thirteen is bisexual. The new season brings news from Bones that Angela is bisexual and a faint hope that Knight Rider‘s Carrie, who certainly seemed to be bedding a female in the movie, also is bi (the season premiere gave no evidence to that effect).

The number of LGBT series regulars on cable dropped from 40 to 32 this year. If we add here! and Logo, both of which target LGBT viewers, the number increases by 39.

Sure, having lesbian and bisexual women on cable is important in terms of overall visibility, but I can’t get too excited about the cultural ramifications of adding more lesbians to lesbian-themed shows.

Of course, the main limitations in studies such as GLAAD’s is that the real impact of LGBT characters’ presence on television has less to do with quantity than quality. And that’s a hard thing to measure. I mean, I love the fact that some of my favorite shows now feature bisexual women. But I am not a bisexual woman. And a character with a same-sex relationship today that may be dissolved for an opposite-sex relationship tomorrow does not represent my sexuality – or me. I am not at all denigrating bisexuals or their relationships. I am saying that adding bisexual characters but excluding lesbians is a cop-out.

For complete results of GLAAD’s Where We Are on TV: 2007-2008, including LGBT character lists, visit GLAAD’s site. And maybe by next year, diversity will include lesbians, too.

– by the linster

ART SCHOOL: BRINGING OUT THE GAY IN THE BEST OF US On an earlier season of Bones, a private investigator hinted at Angela (played by Michaela Conlin) being bisexual with a reference to “a girl named Roxie, whose heart you broke in second-year art school.”

Of course, we took it from there. Roxie? Art school? This didn’t sound simply like a LUG (lesbian until graduation) – Angela must be one of us.

She dated Dr. Jack Hodgins for two seasons, but there were complications, including a secret husband, which led to a busted engagement. (This is one instance where I’d say that being bisexual might actually be less complicated than being completely straight. She’s got men hiding all over the place!)

In July, Sarah reported that there would be an actual Roxie character on the new season of the show. We waited for producers to realize that Emily Deschanel already had a role so they would just have to find someone equally as hot to play the ex-flame.

Entertainment Weekly is now reporting that In Plain Sight‘s Nicole Hiltz will play Roxie. Executive producer Hart Hanson told E! Online that Hiltz will be on several episodes: “Roxie is not a one-off character. We expect to see her a few more times this season. She is a very real complication for Hodgins and Angela.”

One thing is for sure: Angela once had it bad for the blonde, and if Roxie is anything like Hiltz’s character in The Best Sex Ever, she won’t mind getting, uh, close with a hot female.

NO NEED FOR SAMANTHA OR CHARLOTTE HERE Leave it to Miranda July and Carrie Brownstein to find creative ways to fundraise. The multi-talented duo (July is a filmmaker/artist/author and Brownstein was a member of Sleater-Kinney and now contributes to NPR), have released three videos they collaborated on – but there’s a catch. You can’t watch these videos for free: The queer ladies are asking for donations to the Barack Obama campaign fund. For $10 per piece, you can download the women’s sketches, which come with a warning:

Warning: these videos have absolutely nothing to do with Obama &mdash we made them 8 years ago in Portland, Oregon, with the sole purpose of having fun. However, we do believe that young women are more likely to feel creative and liberated with Barack Obama in the white house.
Visit videobama.mirandajuly.com to watch the women in their element. As those who have watched Brownstein in her Thunderant videos with Fred Armisen can attest, she’s hilarious and also very, very attractive.

July/Brownstein in ’08!

– by Trish Bendix

I NOW PRONOUNCE YOU … BEST FRIENDS Now that gays can get married in California, everybody wants in on the action.

On this week’s season premiere of The New Adventures of Old Christine, star Julia Louis-Dreyfus‘ character Christine marries her best friend Barb (Wanda Sykes) to keep the latter from being deported back to the Bahamas.

The plan is hatched after Barb’s divorce finally comes through. But because she came to the country on a student visa and is not a citizen, Barb now may have to leave the country. So the longtime pals agree to a “friendship marriage.”

As Christine says: “Our marriage will be fun. We’d hang out. We’d eat. We’d pee in front of each other.” Of course, the fatal flaw in the episode’s premise is that while same-sex marriage is legal in California, immigration is still administered by the federal government. And thanks to the Defense of Marriage Act, same-sex unions are not recognized federally. So her piece of California paper wouldn’t mean anything to the INS.

But, details, shemtails. This is TV, not reality TV.

How was the wedding? Christine and Barb are surrounded by lesbian and gay couples when they get their marriage license. But when Barb sees the real happy couples, it gives her pause: “Maybe we shouldn’t be doing this. All of these people have fought their whole life for this.”

But they go ahead anyway and seal it with an awkward if endearing kiss. When Christine explains to her son what’s happening between her and her best friend, it’s no less endearing:

People don’t choose who to love. … California has given people the right to marry who they love, which is wonderful and American and why we left England on the Mayflower in the first place.
Then, after a little it’s-on-it’s-off drama, the happy event took place. The platonic couple exchange vows and earrings. Amid the lightheartedness and laughter, the episode’s message about love and the absurdity of telling people who they can and can’t marry was clear. Take that, INS.

NO MEANS NO

Speaking of gay marriage, director Steven Spielberg and his wife Kate Capshaw have donated $100,000 to the campaign to defeat a proposed constitutional ban on same-sex marriage in California. The couple’s donation follows on the heels of actor Brad Pitt‘s $100,000 donation last week to the same “Vote No on Prop. 8” campaign to fight the proposition that would change California’s constitution and overturn the state Supreme Court’s ruling in May legalizing same-sex marriage. Spielberg and Capshaw’s statement read:

By writing discrimination into our state constitution, Proposition 8 seeks to eliminate the right of each and every citizen in our state to marry regardless of sexual orientation. Such discrimination has NO place in California’s constitution, or any other.
Way to go, straight folks.

SERIOUSLY, NO NO NO In an unusually political move, Ellen DeGeneres has also come out forcefully against Prop. 8 on her blog. The talk show host and newlywed urged her viewers to vote no on the Nov. 4 ballot initiative in a post called “My Political Point…And I Do Have One,” a play off the title of her 1996 book. In her post, Ellen acknowledged her unexpected foray into activism with her signature good-humor:

You know how usually I talk about cell phones or kitty cats or cheese pizza… well, this is sorta like that… without the cell phones, the cats, or the pizza.There’s a California Proposition on the ballot that’s a little confusing. It’s Proposition 8. It’s called, “The California Marriage Protection Act” — but don’t let the name fool you. It’s not protecting anyone’s marriage. Not yours. Not mine.The wording of Prop 8 is tricky. It’s like if someone asked you, “You don’t want dessert, right?” But you do want dessert so you say, “Yes,” which really means you don’t want dessert. And if you say, “No,” which means you do want dessert — it sounds like you don’t. Either way, you don’t get what you want. See — confusing. Just like Prop. 8.So, in case I haven’t made myself clear, I’m FOR gay marriage. And in order to protect that right — please VOTE NO on Proposition 8. And now that you’re informed, spread the word. I’m begging you. I can’t return the wedding gifts — I love my new toaster.
Friends don’t make friends return gravy boats. So listen to Ellen and vote no on Prop. 8.

by Dorothy Snarker

LESBIAN QUOTE OF THE WEEK #1 “Sweet Jesus, when was that? Maybe the Nixon administration? Actually, I cannot remember. Even when I was married, I don’t think I went on a romantic date.”

– comedian Wanda Sykes to The Dallas Voice, when asked “when was the last time you went on a date with a dude?”

I CAN SEE LESBIANS FROM MY HOUSE! There were a handful of queer women at this year’s Emmy Awards, America’s annual celebration of sexism television. Here’s a quick look at some of them.

First, we have Saffron Burrows showing off the sweeping-gown look that was all the rage this year (also see our full rundown of women on the Emmy’s red carpet): After the show, six-time Emmy winner Lily Tomlin tried to add to her collection, and Sarah Paulson showed off her comfortable new shoes: Cynthia Nixon posed with her partner Christine Marinoni: And finally, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler celebrated Tina’s three Emmys: OK, fine, so the latter aren’t technically a lesbian couple. But they’re pretty much honorary lesbians by now, right? In fact, I think the name “Tina Fey” should become shorthand for smart, feminist, lesbian-inclusive behavior. As in, “Donating money to fight Prop. 8 is so Tina Fey.”

It could even be used in reverse – as in, “Voting for Sarah Palin is so not Tina Fey.”

What’s that you say? You want to see Tina and Amy playing Sarah Palin and Hillary Clinton one more time? Well, OK then, if you insist. Still makes me laugh, no matter how many times I watch it.

Tina Fey doesn’t want to keep us laughing, though – at least, not this way. “I want to be done playing this lady Nov. 5,” she told reporters. “So if anybody can help me be done playing this lady Nov. 5, that would be good for me.”

That’s so Tina Fey.

by Sarah Warn

LESBIAN QUOTE OF THE WEEK #2 “Almost everyone who has come out has been happier because of it and in almost every case, it has helped their careers. However the fear is still there – the fear of fans, and of studios. Coming out is easier in the music world and it is generally easier for women than men.”

– Hollywood public relations expert Howard Bragman, commenting to The Washington Post on the Lohan and Clay Aiken news this week

WANTED: YOUNG GERMAN LESBIAN ROLE MODELS AE reader Johanna tipped us off that 47-year-old openly gay German actress Ulrike Folkerts and artist Katharina Schnitzler have gone public this week with their relationship of five-and-a-half years via an interview with the German magazine Stern.

Folkerts and Schnitzler, who are promoting their new book, Found Happiness, have kept their relationship private up until now because Schnitzler didn’t want to be known primarily as Folkerts’ girlfriend. According to EurOut.org blog post about the news, the two first met at one of Katharina’s art shows; since Katharina did not own a TV at that time, she was unaware of Folkerts’ fame until after they started dating. Folkerts, who came out publicly several years ago, is well-known in Germany for playing Lena Odenthal on the German TV show Tatort. The news about their relationship is providing some great lesbian visibility in Germany, but Folkerts tells Stern she doesn’t want to be the perfect lesbian role model anymore, because, “Younger lesbians should do that now.” Unfortunately, as EurOut notes, there aren’t any out high-profile young lesbians in Germany. So who will pick up the mantle now?

I have an idea: What about launching a German reality show called Search for Germany’s Young Lesbian Role Model? Or a German version of America’s Next Top Model… oh wait, it looks like Germany already did that, but the show has yet to yield any openly gay contestants. OK, German readers – time to strike a pose!

LESBIAN QUOTE OF THE WEEK #3 “Long gone are the days when kissing a fellow contestant in a limo full of models was considered cool or edgy (three years ago, I kissed fellow contestant Sarah Rhoades in front of the cameras on America’s Next Top Model), or when the statement “Yep, I’m gay” was actually daring – people claimed that would end Ellen DeGeneres‘ career, and now she’s one of America’s most beloved talk-show hosts, has a hot wife, and gets all the free episodes of Arrested Development that she wants!”

– MTV VJ and News Correspondent Kim Stolz in a blog post on MTV.com about Lohan’s comments this week

by Sarah Warn

BUT WAIT The New York Times reviews Rachel Maddow‘s new MSBNC show, saying, “Ms. Maddow’s deep, modulated voice is reassuringly calm after so much shrill emotionalism and catfights among the channel’s aging, white male divas.”

True Blood’s lesbian vampire, Pam (Kristin Bauer), makes her first appearance in this Sunday’s episode (“Escape from Dragon House”). According to series creator Alan Ball, “There is a vampiress who works [at the vampire bar Fangtasia in Shreveport] who definitely exudes a certain lesbian energy in a really kind of entertaining and seductive way. Pam is a woman who was made vampire in Victorian England, and she dresses all goth when she’s at work, but when she’s not at work she basically wears Chanel.”

Yo Majesty is streaming their album live on their MySpace page.

She Made Me Watch This! is on hiatus for a few weeks, due to Lori’s travel schedule, and Sarah’s crazy busy workload right now (too many lesbians in the news!)

Starting this week, America’s Next Top Model recaps will be posted on Friday nights/Saturdays, instead of Thursday nights.

Look for Dara Nai’s first Grey’s Anatomy recap on Monday!

That’s it for this week! Got the inside scoop on a hot new lesbian/bi actor/musician/TV show/film? Tell us at [email protected]. Check back next Friday for another edition of Best. Lesbian. Week. Ever.

And you people? Well, let’s just say I know what you did last summer, and it involved Fire Island.

– by StuntDouble

LUCY LAWLESS TO APPEAR IN THE FINAL SEASON OF THE L WORD – LET LOOSE YOUR BEST XENA BATTLE CRY Xena and Battlestar Galactica star Lucy Lawless has been added to the ever-growing list of celesbians slated to pop up in the final season of The L Word.

Oh sure. Bring out the big guns now.

This is no information about Lucy’s role in Season 6 yet, beyond this last sentence from her post on her fan club blog: “Also, look for me on The L Word at some point. Can’t tell you anything about that – it’s deep in the closet.” Gear up the atomic speculator machine. “At some point?” How many episodes is that, exactly? “It’s deep in the closet?” Wink, nudge. Drop hints much? So, Lawless is going to play a closeted lesbian? A storage system consultant? An old pair of Uggs? What?

In a recent interview with The Bay Area Reporter, Lucy teased us some more, saying “Oh, I don’t know if it’s been announced, but I’ll give it to you: I’m going to do a guest spot on The L Word.” But as for whether she’ll be playing a lesbian, she said, “I don’t know. They’ve sent me several scripts, and I haven’t been through them all, which I must do soon!” (thanks to AE reader Natalia for the tip!)

Stop taunting us with your skimpy tank top and panties, you give us some details, woman. On second thought, don’t stop. Does anyone remember that, had things gone differently, Lucy might have embodied the role of Marina? Karman would have had to come up three octaves and throw in a Kiwi accent for our WGN re-enactments. “G’dday, Jenny. I’m using my sexual mind control on you …”

In an Advocate interview in October 2006, Lucy talked about being approached by Chaiken and company:

They came to me about The L Word early on. Then they got some girl with a Xena haircut [Karina Lombard]. That’s what often happens to me. They came to me about [the 1999 movie] Pushing Tin, and then at the last minute they said, “Oh, never mind,” because Billy Bob [Thornton] had met Angelina [Jolie]. So what did they do? They gave her the haircut! I can’t use that haircut anymore, because everyone else has done it.
I didn’t know Lucy held the patent on long, straight locks with bangs, but I do know what it might have looked like had she been offered the role of Jenny’s hypnotic, exotic, erotic obsession. Lucy joins other L Word final-season additions Elizabeth Berkley (Showgirls), who will play an art gallery owner who’s also “the straight girl that got away from [Bette] in college,” and Mei Melancon (X-Men: The Last Stand), who will play a social worker from a downtown L.A. shelter.

It’s also been reported that Papi (Janina Gavankar), who unceremoniously disappeared last year, will resurface. I can’t wait to hear where she’s been hiding. And Dylan (Alexandra Hedison), the manipulative filmmaker-slash-blackmailer is also going to rear her scheming little head. Now, if only they will bring back Carmen de la Pica Morales (Sarah Shahi), I can die happy.

– by Dara Nai

BUT WHERE ARE ALL THE PREGNANT VAMPIRE SERIAL KILLERS? With the new fall television season comes GLAAD’s 13th annual survey of character diversity, “Where We Are on TV.”

The good news: This season brings more LGBT characters to TV than ever before. Quoting the study: “The overall number of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) representations on the broadcast networks will more than double this year after a three-year slump.”

Let us pause for a moment of bright-eyed optimism.

A closer look at the numbers, however, tells us they may be more a case of cosmetic surgery than genuine inclusion, especially for lesbians. That’s a nice way of saying that we’re still missing after all these years – there are no lesbians on the list.

Although I suppose that, technically, the number of lesbian regular characters on broadcast (non-cable) networks did double, since last year’s total was zero. I knew those multiplication tables would come in handy some day.

GLAAD’s pretty charts summarize the characters by sexual orientation: As of Sept. 23, networks listed 616 series regulars. A total of 16, or 2.6 percent, fall in the LGBT category. No need to get your specs on to try to find the lesbian slice of the pie. This pie has no lesbian fruit.

In the recurring-character category, the number of lesbians actually did double, from two to four. We have Mayor Lucy Rodell on Friday Night Lights, Patty Bouvier on The Simpsons, and Mo and Trish, a lesbian couple on ABC’s yet-to-premiere animated show, The Goode Family.

In other words, we have one living, breathing, human lesbian, and three cartoons.

Don’t get me wrong – I like animated lesbians. Besides, cartoon characters always get away with more than real people. But is this really the best we can expect?

For bisexual women, the news is a bit brighter. Last year, GLAAD reported that the only bisexual female on network TV was Caitlin in Cashmere Mafia. Mafia was killed, but Callie and Erica discovered each other in the season finale of Grey’s Anatomy. Over the course of last season, we learned that House‘s Thirteen is bisexual. The new season brings news from Bones that Angela is bisexual and a faint hope that Knight Rider‘s Carrie, who certainly seemed to be bedding a female in the movie, also is bi (the season premiere gave no evidence to that effect).

The number of LGBT series regulars on cable dropped from 40 to 32 this year. If we add here! and Logo, both of which target LGBT viewers, the number increases by 39.

Sure, having lesbian and bisexual women on cable is important in terms of overall visibility, but I can’t get too excited about the cultural ramifications of adding more lesbians to lesbian-themed shows.

Of course, the main limitations in studies such as GLAAD’s is that the real impact of LGBT characters’ presence on television has less to do with quantity than quality. And that’s a hard thing to measure. I mean, I love the fact that some of my favorite shows now feature bisexual women. But I am not a bisexual woman. And a character with a same-sex relationship today that may be dissolved for an opposite-sex relationship tomorrow does not represent my sexuality – or me. I am not at all denigrating bisexuals or their relationships. I am saying that adding bisexual characters but excluding lesbians is a cop-out.

For complete results of GLAAD’s Where We Are on TV: 2007-2008, including LGBT character lists, visit GLAAD’s site. And maybe by next year, diversity will include lesbians, too.

– by the linster

ART SCHOOL: BRINGING OUT THE GAY IN THE BEST OF US On an earlier season of Bones, a private investigator hinted at Angela (played by Michaela Conlin) being bisexual with a reference to “a girl named Roxie, whose heart you broke in second-year art school.”

Of course, we took it from there. Roxie? Art school? This didn’t sound simply like a LUG (lesbian until graduation) – Angela must be one of us.

She dated Dr. Jack Hodgins for two seasons, but there were complications, including a secret husband, which led to a busted engagement. (This is one instance where I’d say that being bisexual might actually be less complicated than being completely straight. She’s got men hiding all over the place!)

In July, Sarah reported that there would be an actual Roxie character on the new season of the show. We waited for producers to realize that Emily Deschanel already had a role so they would just have to find someone equally as hot to play the ex-flame.

Entertainment Weekly is now reporting that In Plain Sight‘s Nicole Hiltz will play Roxie. Executive producer Hart Hanson told E! Online that Hiltz will be on several episodes: “Roxie is not a one-off character. We expect to see her a few more times this season. She is a very real complication for Hodgins and Angela.”

One thing is for sure: Angela once had it bad for the blonde, and if Roxie is anything like Hiltz’s character in The Best Sex Ever, she won’t mind getting, uh, close with a hot female.

NO NEED FOR SAMANTHA OR CHARLOTTE HERE Leave it to Miranda July and Carrie Brownstein to find creative ways to fundraise. The multi-talented duo (July is a filmmaker/artist/author and Brownstein was a member of Sleater-Kinney and now contributes to NPR), have released three videos they collaborated on – but there’s a catch. You can’t watch these videos for free: The queer ladies are asking for donations to the Barack Obama campaign fund. For $10 per piece, you can download the women’s sketches, which come with a warning:

Warning: these videos have absolutely nothing to do with Obama &mdash we made them 8 years ago in Portland, Oregon, with the sole purpose of having fun. However, we do believe that young women are more likely to feel creative and liberated with Barack Obama in the white house.
Visit videobama.mirandajuly.com to watch the women in their element. As those who have watched Brownstein in her Thunderant videos with Fred Armisen can attest, she’s hilarious and also very, very attractive.

July/Brownstein in ’08!

– by Trish Bendix

I NOW PRONOUNCE YOU … BEST FRIENDS Now that gays can get married in California, everybody wants in on the action.

On this week’s season premiere of The New Adventures of Old Christine, star Julia Louis-Dreyfus‘ character Christine marries her best friend Barb (Wanda Sykes) to keep the latter from being deported back to the Bahamas.

The plan is hatched after Barb’s divorce finally comes through. But because she came to the country on a student visa and is not a citizen, Barb now may have to leave the country. So the longtime pals agree to a “friendship marriage.”

As Christine says: “Our marriage will be fun. We’d hang out. We’d eat. We’d pee in front of each other.” Of course, the fatal flaw in the episode’s premise is that while same-sex marriage is legal in California, immigration is still administered by the federal government. And thanks to the Defense of Marriage Act, same-sex unions are not recognized federally. So her piece of California paper wouldn’t mean anything to the INS.

But, details, shemtails. This is TV, not reality TV.

How was the wedding? Christine and Barb are surrounded by lesbian and gay couples when they get their marriage license. But when Barb sees the real happy couples, it gives her pause: “Maybe we shouldn’t be doing this. All of these people have fought their whole life for this.”

But they go ahead anyway and seal it with an awkward if endearing kiss. When Christine explains to her son what’s happening between her and her best friend, it’s no less endearing:

People don’t choose who to love. … California has given people the right to marry who they love, which is wonderful and American and why we left England on the Mayflower in the first place.
Then, after a little it’s-on-it’s-off drama, the happy event took place. The platonic couple exchange vows and earrings. Amid the lightheartedness and laughter, the episode’s message about love and the absurdity of telling people who they can and can’t marry was clear. Take that, INS.

NO MEANS NO

Speaking of gay marriage, director Steven Spielberg and his wife Kate Capshaw have donated $100,000 to the campaign to defeat a proposed constitutional ban on same-sex marriage in California. The couple’s donation follows on the heels of actor Brad Pitt‘s $100,000 donation last week to the same “Vote No on Prop. 8” campaign to fight the proposition that would change California’s constitution and overturn the state Supreme Court’s ruling in May legalizing same-sex marriage. Spielberg and Capshaw’s statement read:

By writing discrimination into our state constitution, Proposition 8 seeks to eliminate the right of each and every citizen in our state to marry regardless of sexual orientation. Such discrimination has NO place in California’s constitution, or any other.
Way to go, straight folks.

SERIOUSLY, NO NO NO In an unusually political move, Ellen DeGeneres has also come out forcefully against Prop. 8 on her blog. The talk show host and newlywed urged her viewers to vote no on the Nov. 4 ballot initiative in a post called “My Political Point…And I Do Have One,” a play off the title of her 1996 book. In her post, Ellen acknowledged her unexpected foray into activism with her signature good-humor:

You know how usually I talk about cell phones or kitty cats or cheese pizza… well, this is sorta like that… without the cell phones, the cats, or the pizza.There’s a California Proposition on the ballot that’s a little confusing. It’s Proposition 8. It’s called, “The California Marriage Protection Act” — but don’t let the name fool you. It’s not protecting anyone’s marriage. Not yours. Not mine.The wording of Prop 8 is tricky. It’s like if someone asked you, “You don’t want dessert, right?” But you do want dessert so you say, “Yes,” which really means you don’t want dessert. And if you say, “No,” which means you do want dessert — it sounds like you don’t. Either way, you don’t get what you want. See — confusing. Just like Prop. 8.So, in case I haven’t made myself clear, I’m FOR gay marriage. And in order to protect that right — please VOTE NO on Proposition 8. And now that you’re informed, spread the word. I’m begging you. I can’t return the wedding gifts — I love my new toaster.
Friends don’t make friends return gravy boats. So listen to Ellen and vote no on Prop. 8.

by Dorothy Snarker

LESBIAN QUOTE OF THE WEEK #1 “Sweet Jesus, when was that? Maybe the Nixon administration? Actually, I cannot remember. Even when I was married, I don’t think I went on a romantic date.”

– comedian Wanda Sykes to The Dallas Voice, when asked “when was the last time you went on a date with a dude?”

I CAN SEE LESBIANS FROM MY HOUSE! There were a handful of queer women at this year’s Emmy Awards, America’s annual celebration of sexism television. Here’s a quick look at some of them.

First, we have Saffron Burrows showing off the sweeping-gown look that was all the rage this year (also see our full rundown of women on the Emmy’s red carpet): After the show, six-time Emmy winner Lily Tomlin tried to add to her collection, and Sarah Paulson showed off her comfortable new shoes: Cynthia Nixon posed with her partner Christine Marinoni: And finally, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler celebrated Tina’s three Emmys: OK, fine, so the latter aren’t technically a lesbian couple. But they’re pretty much honorary lesbians by now, right? In fact, I think the name “Tina Fey” should become shorthand for smart, feminist, lesbian-inclusive behavior. As in, “Donating money to fight Prop. 8 is so Tina Fey.”

It could even be used in reverse – as in, “Voting for Sarah Palin is so not Tina Fey.”

What’s that you say? You want to see Tina and Amy playing Sarah Palin and Hillary Clinton one more time? Well, OK then, if you insist. Still makes me laugh, no matter how many times I watch it.

Tina Fey doesn’t want to keep us laughing, though – at least, not this way. “I want to be done playing this lady Nov. 5,” she told reporters. “So if anybody can help me be done playing this lady Nov. 5, that would be good for me.”

That’s so Tina Fey.

by Sarah Warn

LESBIAN QUOTE OF THE WEEK #2 “Almost everyone who has come out has been happier because of it and in almost every case, it has helped their careers. However the fear is still there – the fear of fans, and of studios. Coming out is easier in the music world and it is generally easier for women than men.”

– Hollywood public relations expert Howard Bragman, commenting to The Washington Post on the Lohan and Clay Aiken news this week

WANTED: YOUNG GERMAN LESBIAN ROLE MODELS AE reader Johanna tipped us off that 47-year-old openly gay German actress Ulrike Folkerts and artist Katharina Schnitzler have gone public this week with their relationship of five-and-a-half years via an interview with the German magazine Stern.

Folkerts and Schnitzler, who are promoting their new book, Found Happiness, have kept their relationship private up until now because Schnitzler didn’t want to be known primarily as Folkerts’ girlfriend. According to EurOut.org blog post about the news, the two first met at one of Katharina’s art shows; since Katharina did not own a TV at that time, she was unaware of Folkerts’ fame until after they started dating. Folkerts, who came out publicly several years ago, is well-known in Germany for playing Lena Odenthal on the German TV show Tatort. The news about their relationship is providing some great lesbian visibility in Germany, but Folkerts tells Stern she doesn’t want to be the perfect lesbian role model anymore, because, “Younger lesbians should do that now.” Unfortunately, as EurOut notes, there aren’t any out high-profile young lesbians in Germany. So who will pick up the mantle now?

I have an idea: What about launching a German reality show called Search for Germany’s Young Lesbian Role Model? Or a German version of America’s Next Top Model… oh wait, it looks like Germany already did that, but the show has yet to yield any openly gay contestants. OK, German readers – time to strike a pose!

LESBIAN QUOTE OF THE WEEK #3 “Long gone are the days when kissing a fellow contestant in a limo full of models was considered cool or edgy (three years ago, I kissed fellow contestant Sarah Rhoades in front of the cameras on America’s Next Top Model), or when the statement “Yep, I’m gay” was actually daring – people claimed that would end Ellen DeGeneres‘ career, and now she’s one of America’s most beloved talk-show hosts, has a hot wife, and gets all the free episodes of Arrested Development that she wants!”

– MTV VJ and News Correspondent Kim Stolz in a blog post on MTV.com about Lohan’s comments this week

by Sarah Warn

BUT WAIT The New York Times reviews Rachel Maddow‘s new MSBNC show, saying, “Ms. Maddow’s deep, modulated voice is reassuringly calm after so much shrill emotionalism and catfights among the channel’s aging, white male divas.”

True Blood’s lesbian vampire, Pam (Kristin Bauer), makes her first appearance in this Sunday’s episode (“Escape from Dragon House”). According to series creator Alan Ball, “There is a vampiress who works [at the vampire bar Fangtasia in Shreveport] who definitely exudes a certain lesbian energy in a really kind of entertaining and seductive way. Pam is a woman who was made vampire in Victorian England, and she dresses all goth when she’s at work, but when she’s not at work she basically wears Chanel.”

Yo Majesty is streaming their album live on their MySpace page.

She Made Me Watch This! is on hiatus for a few weeks, due to Lori’s travel schedule, and Sarah’s crazy busy workload right now (too many lesbians in the news!)

Starting this week, America’s Next Top Model recaps will be posted on Friday nights/Saturdays, instead of Thursday nights.

Look for Dara Nai’s first Grey’s Anatomy recap on Monday!

That’s it for this week! Got the inside scoop on a hot new lesbian/bi actor/musician/TV show/film? Tell us at [email protected]. Check back next Friday for another edition of Best. Lesbian. Week. Ever.

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