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Lez Dish It Out! The AfterEllen Les/Bi News Round-Up

Happy Pride Month, ladies! I hope you had a wonderful June spent celebrating who you are and who you love, regardless of whether you feel comfortable at your local Pride events or not. It’s not for everyone, but this happy little corner of the internet is! We have lots of lesbian and bi lady news to cover this month like Ellen’s new tour and some seriously smoking naked soccer stars, so lez not waste anymore time and get right to it!

  Amandla Stenberg is officially an out and proud lesbian. A couple years ago, 19-year-old actress Amandla Stenberg told Teen Vogue she was bisexual. Last week, Amandla came out again to singer and songwriter King Princess with the announcement that she’s not bisexual, but has realized she’s a lesbian. The interview is full of lots of fabulously fierce content, but here’s the official statement she made about coming to terms with her sexuality:

I was so overcome with this profound sense of relief when I realized that I’m gay ÔÇò not bi, not pan, but gay ÔÇò with a romantic love for women.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BkGrwx4hlyJ/?utm_source=ig_embed

Whether lesbian or bisexual, AE readers, we’re in your corner and so proud of you for living your truth! Janelle Monáe brings the Pride and the black girl magic. Behold the sexiest android alive and all her rainbow glory. Janelle Monáe has come out and she is as proud as ever. Check out her showstopping gown at the BET awards and just try to get her out of your dreams.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bkf3dv0h3xz/?hl=en&taken-by=janellemonae

The statements didn’t just end on the red carpet, because she rocked the stage too. I’d live in her palace any day. Watch the performance here.

Wrapping up Janelle news for the month, I couldn’t move on without sharing the cover shoot and interview she recently did for Allure magazine. When talking about the state of the country as a result of the election of Donald Trump, she said:

You strip away the makeup, the costumes, and everything you know about Janelle Monáe the artist, and I’m still the African-American, queer woman who grew up with poor, working-class parents. When I walk off a stage, I have to deal with these confrontations. I have to deal with being afraid for my family.
Visit Allure to read the entire interview and see the stunning photos spread. Justice Kennedy has retired and our rights are in jeopardy. Speaking of Donald Trump, we have one piece of tragic, yet vital information that can’t be ignored, because it’s going to have a potentially earth-shattering effect on the fabric of society for decades to come. AE writer Susan SurfTone writes about the impact of Anthony Kennedy’s retirement and Trump’s subsequent pick on our community,

Marriage equality was such an enormous step forward in our inalienable rights to wed the ones we love, and we assumed we’d never be in danger of losing that right once it was granted to us. But now, we could be in real jeopardy, not to mention the endangerment of abortion rights. Now is the time to stand up and taller than we ever have. Resist.

Kate McKinnon shines in Glamour Glamour magazine calls Kate McKinnon “one of the most famous gay women in America.” Come for the quirky, quick-witted interview with McKinnon, and stay for the bright, buoyant photo shoot that features one of our favorite lesbians in all her glory.

The comedian is taking her first major starring role in this summer’s The Spy Who Dumped Me alongside Mila Kunis. We shared the trailer with you when it dropped, but here it is again if you missed it the first time around.

We’ve been wondering whether or not McKinnon was going to be playing a lesbian character in this summer romp, and we finally got (kind of) an answer. Director Susanna Fogel recently told The Advocate, “It’s sort of obvious to most people that she’s not straight-identifying,”

Maybe it’s just me, but I’m a bit disappointed in this answer. Although I love seeing an enigmatic, androgynous hottie in menswear just as much as the next lady loving gal, subtext just isn’t enough for me. McKinnon is incredibly private about her personal life, so this might have been creatively her own decision, who knows. I guess we’ll just wait and see for ourselves!

LAS VEGAS, NV – APRIL 26: Actresses Kate McKinnon (L) and Mila Kunis attend CinemaCon 2018 (Photo by Gabe Ginsberg/Getty Images) Australian lesbian comedian Hannah Gadsby dropped a Netflix special and you MUST watch it. If you don’t believe me, just ask AE writer Julia Diana Robertson. Gadsby’s special Nanette, is harrowing, hilarious, and heartbreaking. It dives unflinchingly into the brutal world of butch lesbians and the uphill battle they fight every day to be respected as women. Julia says of the special:

But despite her anger, depression and #metoo stories, she doesn’t want to be seen as a victim. “There is nothing stronger than a broken woman who has rebuilt herself,” she says valiantly. And I agree. Gadsby is now added to a proud history of suit-wearing lesbian warriors. And those warriors are often the best that womanhood has to offer.
https://twitter.com/Hannahgadsby/status/1011288340681904128

This special left my wife and me both speechless. Myself, in awe of how raw her story was, my wife, in tears over how much she saw herself. Go watch it. Now. The Dyke March rocked New York City. The 26th New York City Dyke March took place on June 23rd, and it was powerful. Here are some of the highlights from the March’s social media:

All images are courtesy of the March’s Facebook page. Our favorite Senators showed up at Pride In these tumultuous times, as we inch closer and closer to our own version of Gilead, it means more than ever before when our representatives in Congress step up to support us.

Elizabeth Warren never fails to hit up Pride in her home state of Massachusetts. Here are a few photos of her and that signature boa. Oh yeah, and Melissa Etheridge too!

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bj0zYuPDtOJ/?hl=en&taken-by=elizabethwarrenma

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bj06j8ZjEyw/?hl=en&taken-by=elizabethwarrenma

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bj0SKeijSpI/?hl=en&taken-by=elizabethwarrenma

Kamala Harris also stepped out last week repping one of those regal Lena Waithe tees. She has a message for all the kids out there who need support.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bkk-8D3Hxe4/?hl=en&taken-by=kamalaharris

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

https://www.instagram.com/p/BkQKweon8Rd/?hl=en&taken-by=kamalaharris Stephanie Beatriz is bi and proud as hell. That’s the title of a powerful new GQ features about the Brooklyn 911 star who came out earlier this year. In this article, Beatriz eloquently puts into words so many feelings I’ve had since coming out. She says:

When do you get to stop telling people you’re bi? When do people start to grasp that this is your truth? When do you get to slide easily through life with everyone assuming your sexuality correctly? When do you start seeing yourself reflected positively in all (hey, even any?) of the media you consume?
Read the full feature here.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BkTFltanzAI/?hl=en&taken-by=iamstephbeatz Read about the creator of the first lesbian comic. Writer Priscilla Frank wrote a piece on Mary Wings, who created the first lesbian comic titled “Come Out Comix.” She says:

The pamphlet tells, in rambling thought bubbles and crosshatch-heavy drawings, how Wings came out as gay, found a community and her first lesbian love. Yet its unapologetic bluntness and emotional generosity made the book an instant classic.
Part of what I love about Pride Month is the stories that emerge about our history, about individuals who blazed a trail for us. Be sure to read the article here. Margaret Cho wants people to believe she’s bisexual. Speaking of other Pride stories, Margaret Cho also has a feature up on HuffPo. Yet again, she manages to put so many of my feelings into words.
I’ve only been with either straight or gay people, so, it’s a very suspicious place.
“Suspicious” is so often the word that comes to mind when it comes to bisexuality. I still have friends and family who are skeptical of the label and my identification with it. This article is a must read.

https://twitter.com/noahmichelson/status/1009053970126589953 Jurassic World character “de-gayed” in movie. Another day, another blockbuster movie deletes lesbian representation on screen. Daniella Pineda speaks out that her Jurassic Park: Fallen Kingdom character Dr. Zia Rodriguez, a brilliant veterinarian, is a lesbian, but the scene that acknowledges it was cut from the film.

The cut scene involves her telling Chris Pratt that she’s not into men, but if she were she’d go for him. The studio claimed they removed the scene because it wasn’t integral to the plot, but apparently, the heterosexual love story between the two main characters is. Read the full article here.

The ESPN Body issue it out and… I can’t breathe. For the first time ever, a lesbian couple is featured on the cover. You’ll have to excuse me while I let these photos speak for themselves.

Also I can’t read the interview and watch the videos without sobbing and sweating at the same time. Ellen is going on tour! Talk about burying the lead with this one. Sorry to make you wait until the end! Ellen DeGeneres recently announced that she’s heading back on the road for the first time in 15 freaking years!

As of now she’s only hitting three cities, so you better grab them and be prepared to travel if you aren’t in Cali or Washington.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BkA0flHh71v/?utm_source=ig_embed

Also, you know those divorce rumors always swirling around Ellen and Portia? The two don’t hate them, and the reason why is really fantastic.

That seems like an appropriate note to end on. Did I miss anything? Let me know in the comments and Happy Pride!

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