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Best. Lesbian. Week. Ever. (November 14, 2008)

A TRANSSEXUAL LESBIAN LOVE STORY Imagine a movie starring two Oscar-winning actresses. Imagine that they play a couple. Imagine that one of the women portrays the world’s first post-op male-to-female transsexual.

Finally, imagine that this is all based on a true story.

Now, stop imagining, because it’s actually happening. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Nicole Kidman and Charlize Theron have signed on to the independent film The Danish Girl, based on the novel about real-life early 20th century Danish artists Einar and Gerda Wegener. Einar (played by Nicole) often dressed as a woman to model for wife Gerda (played by Charlize), and in 1930, became the first person to successfully undergo gender reassignment surgery to become Lili Elbe.

Wow, where to start? In a country where several states just voted overwhelmingly to ban same-sex marriage, this is the first bit of good gay news we’ve heard in a while. And not just good but awesome. While both Gerda and Lili were artists, it was Gerda’s paintings of beautiful women (many of whom turned out to be her husband) that caused the greatest sensation. The couple married in 1904 when Gerda was 17 and Einar was 22. According to a Copenhagen Post article, they lived happily with what at first was Einar’s alter ego and later her full transition to Lili. Sadly, after Gerda’s operation, the Danish government annulled the couple’s marriage since two women could not be legally married in Denmark. How history loves to repeat itself.

Gerda had her own lesbian leanings. A successful painter and illustrator, she is perhaps most famous for her erotic lesbian imagery (most of which is too graphic to publish on these pages, but you can check out some of the NSFW imagery here.) The novel by David Ebershoff is a fictionalized account of Lili’s life and relationship with Gerda. With Nicole and Charlize attached, the project has gone from obscure to high-profile overnight. The two Academy Award winners bring considerable clout as well as some experience playing gay, with Charlize in Monster and Head in the Clouds, and Nicole in subtext with The Hours. As hard as it is to envision Nicole – if only briefly – as a man, I couldn’t be more thrilled at the pairing of these high-caliber actresses. It’s about time more transsexual stories made it to the big screen. And the prospect of seeing Nicole and Charlize together as women is the stuff of lesbian dreams are made of. Well, imagine no more and bring on the popcorn. So, who wants to race me to the ticket counter?

by Dorothy Snarker

IT WAS KIT, IN THE PLANET, WITH THE WAFFLE IRON Showtime just released the first promo for the sixth (and final) season of The L Word, and the general feeling I get from it is murder!

You’ve got the narration talking about the good looks and sexy looks and killer looks. “But this season, the killer looks are not about beauty.” And all the while, you’ve got the crooning in the background, “If words could kill, you’d be dead!” Go ahead and break it down in the comments: Good hair/bad hair, good chemistry/bad chemistry. Sad to see the last season or glad to let it go?

And, most importantly, is someone really going to get killed? I’m guessing probably not. If words could kill, Jenny Schecter would have been dead years ago.

On a related note, Rose Troche was recently on a panel in Italy where she gave away some spoilers about the new season.

If you’re not into reading about possible storylines, look away now!

Troche said that the season was going to focus heavily on Max and his transition, noting “I had more ex-girlfriends getting together with men and more younger friends becoming men in the last five years that in my 30 years of business being a lesbian.”

She continued, “We also did a storyline about adoption and how difficult it is for a couple to adopt.”

MORE RACHEL MADDOW A good friend of mine – a comic book artist who takes his superheroes very seriously – texted me early this week to tell me he’d cracked Rachel Maddow‘s code. “She’s Clark Kent + Lois Lane,” he wrote. “A charmingly self-deprecating journalist who becomes a full-blown superhero at night.”

We’ve written about Maddow extensively here at AfterEllen.com, because media about media is in, and everyone is smitten with Rachel Maddow. You’ll notice on the latest cover of The Advocate that Maddow has donned suspenders. Usually suspenders on a woman scream “gay,” but on Maddow, they’re simply a nod to Mr. Suspenders himself, Larry King. Within two weeks of the first Rachel Maddow Show airing on MSNBC, she was consistently pulling in more viewers than the longtime 9 p.m. go-to guy.

In The Advocate‘s cover story (read it, it’s good), Suzan Colón writes about the thing that has impressed me most about the Maddow phenomenon.

Even more exciting than having achieved this level of success as an out lesbian is the fact that her intelligence, wit and fresh take on politics have overshadowed the fact that she’s an out lesbian.
She is proudly out, speaking affectionately of her partner, Susan, at every turn, but that’s not the story. The story is that she is now the Queen of Cable, a moniker given to her by one of cable’s most royal newsmen, Stephen Colbert.

And because omnipresence is apparently one of her super powers, Maddow was on The Colbert Report last week. When The Advocate asked Maddow about the outcome of the election, she had this to say:

People said, “Oh, won’t you be disappointed if John McCain loses? You won’t have anybody to rail against anymore.” OK, because idiocy will die? And those wars – Puff the Magic Dragon will come in and everything will be fine! If you’re a policy liberal instead of a partisan liberal, there’s no reason to expect life to be any different after the election than it is now.
Translation: Rachel Maddow is here to stay. Which is fine by me, because like Aunt May once told Peter Parker, “Everybody needs a hero.” And it’s nice to have the occasional one who plays for our team.

Anything but pregnancy and adoption, please. We’ve seen it all before.

– by Trish Bendix

STRAIGHT PEOPLE STEPPING UP MSBNC talk show host Keith Olbermann devoted a “special comment” this week to the issue of gay marriage, asking those who voted for Proposition 8 and similar measures, “Why does this matter to you? What is it to you? In a time of impermanence and fly-by-night relationships these people over here want the same chance at permanence and happiness that is your option.”

Watch it here if you missed it – then send it to every straight person you know. It’s a powerful and emotional speech by a straight person directed to other straight people – and that’s exactly what’s needed if we’re going to win this fight.

In other straight-celebrities-speaking-out news:

George Clooney told E!’s Ted Casablanca this week, “At some point in our lifetime, gay marriage won’t be an issue, and everyone who stood against this civil right will look as outdated as George Wallace standing on the school steps keeping James Hood from entering the University of Alabama because he was black.”

Eden Riegel (All My Children, Imaginary Bitches) made a funny and insightful PSA with her Imaginary Bitches co-stars speaking out against Prop. 8, saying “when society allows the majority to strip away the rights of a minority, that is a fundamental threat to democracy.”

Sophia Bush (One Tree Hill) told E! Online, “I’m really proud to be an American, and I’m embarrassed to be a Californian right now. It’s just so sad that when we’ve been so progressive, we’ve also taken so many steps backward, I’m disgusted. In a world that is so full of hatred and bigotry and war and famine? We’re criticizing two people for loving each other. I think that it’s devastating.”

Whoopi Goldberg attended the gay marriage rally in New York on Wednesday, and told reporters, “I’m here because my friends are gay and want to get married.”

LESBIAN QUOTE OF THE WEEK NO. 2 “We sent them some pictures, and both of our mothers complained about Bridget wearing red and me wearing jeans for such an important occasion. But we didn’t care, we loved our hippie wedding and honeymooned at the beach. We were married by a woman named Lorelei Starbuck, so it’s not like it was a conventional wedding anyway.”

Karman Kregloe on her wedding to Bridget McManus in advance of Prop. 8, in AfterEllen.com’s “Celebrating Lesbian Marriage”

BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE! According this official promo, Bianca and Reese have sex on All My Children today! Keep up on spoilers for Bianca and Reese’s storyline in this forum thread.

Ellen DeGeneres says she probably won’t be hosting the Oscars this year.

The new season of Bravo’s Top Chef started this week, complete with requisite lesbian contestant.

Martina Navratilova will be a contestant on the next season of the UK reality series I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here! (thanks to all the AE readers who sent us this story!)

Watch the trailer for Rosie O’Donnell‘s upcoming NBC variety special.

Pariah director Dee Rees is a finalist for the Sundance Filmmaker Award.

New York Magazine featured two brides in its latest issue.

The Ghostella episode starring Lena Headey and Bridget McManus has been posted. Watch it now.

There is a national rally for gay marriage rights taking place in cities across the country tomorrow – find other AE readers attending here and then post your photos from the rallies here.

by Sarah Warn

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.

When they asked if she considered herself bisexual, she answered, “Maybe. Yeah.” She also said:

I don’t want to classify myself. First of all, you never know what’s going to happen – tomorrow, in a month, a year from now, five years from now. I appreciate people, and it doesn’t matter who they are, and I feel blessed to be able to feel comfortable enough with myself that I can say that.
As part of a younger generation less likely to want to label themselves, it’s not a surprise that Lindsay has been reluctant to identify herself. She does not deny being involved with Samantha (whom she calls “a wonderful person” whom she “loves very much” in the article), and obviously does not have any qualms about being affectionate with her when she knows cameras follow her every move. Someone needs to do a study on the number of magazine copies purchased with the word “lesbian” accompanying a photo versus “bisexual.” I think as long as there is a picture of two women (involved romantically or otherwise), they’d sell equal amounts. They could at least try to get it right.

– by Trish Bendix

AN OPEN LETTER TO OUT MAGAZINE Dear Out magazine,

Hi, remember us? Yeah, we’re women. We’re gay women. Look, I know you don’t normally like to think about us because we’re all icky and girly and you prefer men – hence the gay thing. But we are a part of your community. We exist.

I know that last part is also hard for you to believe, since no gay women were featured on your cover during all of 2008. In fact, only four women (all straight, naturally) made your cover in 2008 total, and that’s being generous and including your December 2007/January 2008 double issue. Otherwise it would just be two – two women in 12 months. But, hey, I understand. You are a magazine that largely caters to gay men. We get that. We’re used to it. And yet, when I looked at your Out 100 December cover I couldn’t help but see red. As in all the blood rushed to my head and started to boil and then started to churn and then started to explode red.

You picked Katy Perry as the female representative of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered people of the year?

Katy Perry? Katy “I Kissed a Girl” Perry? Straight Katy Perry whose song has become an anthem for drunken straight girl-on-girl hook-ups at a frat party everywhere? Seriously? That Katy Perry? You see, it’s not that I have a problem with her inescapably catchy song, per se. I mean, it does irk me when she sings that she hopes her “boyfriend don’t mind” and that it’s an “experimental game” and “not what good girls do.” Yes, I know she is joking. She really loves the gays even if she has never actually kissed a girl or anything truly gay like that.

Still, just because the religious right doesn’t like the song either doesn’t mean we have to automatically embrace it. In fact, it feeds into the worst stereotypes about what it means to be gay, namely an experiment on the road back to heteroville.

But who cares, right? As your editor, Aaron Hicklin, responded to Gawker’s criticism of your cover choice, “I Kissed a Girl” has a beat and you can dance to it and “sometimes that’s all I want from my music.”

No, what I really have a problem with is that there were plenty of actual gay women in the world, let alone on your Out 100 list (which inexplicably has 109 people on it instead of 100), who would have made better, more representative cover girls. Take Rachel Maddow (who you claim was unavailable), or Tegan & Sara or Heather Matarazzo or Missy Higgins or Jane Lynch any of the other 24 gay and transgendered women on your list.

Heck, even Lindsay Lohan would have been better since she will at least admit to being in a relationship with a woman.

But then I guess you would have to be thinking about gay women and their representation. You know, the icky girly stuff. I can tell you don’t like to think about that because of the pathetic percentage of women – gay or straight – on your list of 109 people. A scant 22 percent of your honorees were women. And if a picture is worth a thousand words, well, we’d be here all day.

Of the 56 portraits taken of the listmakers, only 9 were of women alone or with other women. That means that 84 percent of the time your photoshoots were men only or women coupled with men. I guess you’ve got to have something to look at, huh.

Look, Out, we’re not looking for a full-scale lezzie takeover of your magazine or anything. We realize we’ll never be your main focus. But we want to be in at the very least considered seriously when it comes time to put together what is meant to be a comprehensive list of the biggest LGBT movers and shakers of the year.

We deserve better than 22 percent. And we definitely deserve better than Katy Perry.

Sincerely (someone who has actually kissed a girl),

Ms. Snarker

by Dorothy Snarker

TRACY CHAPMAN ON OUR BRIGHT FUTURE Can you believe it’s been 20 years since Tracy Chapman first took us for a ride in her “Fast Car”? And, before you tell me you weren’t even born yet, you at least have to have heard her “Talkin’ ’bout a Revolution,” right?

Now the soft-spoken singer-songwriter who lets her lyrics do the talking is back with her eighth studio album, Our Bright Future. The release is her first in three years and, despite what the title may say, it’s not all sunshine and poppies. Instead, in numbers like the title song, Tracy sings in her voice that is equal parts guts and grace that we’ve been “Led on led on/ to take the path/ where our bright future/ is in the past.” In a recent interview with UK paper The Guardian (hat tip, Jenni!), the out artist talked about everything from growing up poor in Cleveland (“I always loved school and thought it was my way out of Cleveland, and out of poverty”) to how the record company treated her as a 24-year-old with her first contract (“you’re young, you’re inexperienced, you’re a woman even, what do you know about any of this?”) and even, yes, the Material Girl herself.

I was trying to make a case for Madonna the other day, saying that she’s to be admired for her longevity in a genre that has mostly been for younger acts. Men are able to sustain a career into their 50s and 60s and still present themselves as sex symbols. With women on the other hand, people say, ‘Why doesn’t she retire?’ It’s just so unfair. So I have to give props to Madonna.
Props also go to Tracy who, as a Barack Obama supporter, was still angered by the sometimes sexist treatment of Hillary Clinton. A longtime supporter of such causes as Amnesty International, AIDS research and anti-war groups, Tracy was not shy about her feminist leanings.
I think it just doesn’t come up because … people think we’re beyond it. There have been some gains made in terms of more equality for women in the workplace and in the way the legal system deals with issues of violence against women…..Taking the recent campaign for the (Democratic presidential) nomination, if you look at the way Hillary Clinton was treated compared with Barack Obama, there seemed to be a double standard. People would make comments on what she was wearing all the time, saying that she was too emotional, even hysterical, and therefore unfit to be commander in chief. Yes, we still need to have a discussion and there needs to be improvement.
While Tracy is happy to talk about politics or humanitarian issues, her new album isn’t all topical. In an appearance on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno last week, Tracy sang the album’s first single, Sing For You, about a lost love. As a fan of Tracy’s for those 20 years, it’s been a privilege to watch her passion all these years. And I can’t be the only one is struck by her seeming discovery of the fountain of youth. Perhaps speaking softly and carrying a big guitar is the secret to eternal youth. At the very least, I know it’s the recipe for some damn good music.

by Dorothy Snarker

A HAPPY LESBIAN PROM NIGHT ON LINCOLN HEIGHTS On this week’s third-season finale of ABC Family’s teen/family darama Lincoln Heights, which StuntDouble teased last week, the openly gay minister’s daughter Stacy (Sharon Pierre-Louis) finally got up the nerve to ask the girl she has a crush on to dance – and she said yes. It’s a lesbian Christmas Sweeps miracle!

Here’s how it went down.

At the beginning of the episode, Stacy is bitching to a sympathetic Cassie (Erica Hubbard) and her boyfriend Charles (Robert Adamson) about how prom is only fun “if you’re straight,” but she won’t ask Kelly (Tiffany Hines) to the prom because she’s “not even sure she likes girls.” When Stacy finally does ask Kelly if she’s going to the prom with anyone, Kelly says yes (some guy asked her) and totally misses why Stacy is asking her this in the first place.

So Stacy takes Cassie’s younger brother Tay (Mishon Ratliff) instead, because’s he’s nice and safe (he’s only 14). Unfortunately, Tay seems to be the only one who doesn’t know that Stacy plays for the other team, and when her brother (a friend of Tay’s) tells him “Dude, my sister’s gay!” Tay foolishly thinks he still has a chance, because “Tay beats gay.” (If you’re wondering what that sound is, it’s a million lesbians rolling their eyes.)

At prom, when Tay is pulling out all of his best break-dancing moves (even The Robot!), Stacy tells him what a nice guy he is, but… (you can guess where this is headed):

Stacy: But I like girls. Tay: Me too. Stacy: I’m attracted to girls. Tay: Maybe you just haven’t met the right guy yet. Stacy: It’s not about the right guy. The fact is, not even Denzel can turn me on. I like who I am, Tay. Liking girls isn’t a choice for me. If it were, I would just choose a life that wasn’t so complicated.
She apologizes for misleading him, he wanders off for greener (straighter) pastures, and then we finally get to the good part. Here’s my truncated play-by-play:

Stacy gets encouragement from Cassie and Charles, who tell her, “What do you have to lose?”

As soon as Kelly’s alone, Stacy makes her move, just as Tay gets up on stage to croon an R&B ballad (don’t ask). After some awkward banter about how beautiful they both look, Stacy asks Kelly to dance. Kelly says yes! They start to slow-dance together, awkwardly at first. No one else at the prom gives them a second glance, except Stacy’s dad, who leaves in a huff (he was a chaperone).

The two girls finally move in closer and nuzzle a little – but alas, no kiss. (This is still ABC Family, after all – nevermind that they have a show dedicated to sorority girls who sleep with everything that moves.)

Stacy smiles up happily at Tay, who winks at her as he finishes his song.

And that’s pretty much it for this storyline. American readers can watch the whole episode now on ABCFamily.com.

Here’s what I liked most about Stacy’s storyline: it’s not a coming-out story, and no lesbians get pregnant. There’s no “am I gay or not?” angst, Stacy’s sexual orientation isn’t a big secret, and Stacy and Cassie (and even Charles) banter easily throughout this episode and the last about whether her love interest “likes girls, too.” Stacy’s big concern (besides upsetting her father by publicly attending the prom with another girl) is the same one all teenagers have in high school: whether the person she likes, likes her back. The show portrays an acceptance of lesbianism and bisexuality that is really refreshing (if probably a little unrealistic).

I wouldn’t expect Stacy to be back next season – she’s only a minor supporting character on the show – but hey, we got a happy black lesbian teen couple on TV! Which is not something you see every day. Or ever.

LESBIAN QUOTE OF THE WEEK NO. 1 “I think [Clark] might be curious. I don’t know. It was a really fun night and I tend to bring it out in girls that are curious.”

“I’d love to see Clark again. [Laughs.] I’d love to have a [Top Model] reunion and leave together.”

– queer Top Model contestant Elina Ivanova, on her relationship with fellow contestant Clark, whom she kissed in a hot tub on Top Model, in an interview with AfterEllen.com

by Sarah Warn

SUSAN POWTER THINKS IT’S OBVIOUS SHE’S A LESBIAN Out fitness personality Susan Powter says she’s found a new cure for obesity, which she details in her new book, Eat, Breathe, Move, Think.

On The Morning Show with Mike and Juliet this week, she explained that anyone “with a human body” can breathe and be fit. It doesn’t take her long to mention she hates Dr. Phil, no explanation attached. (Click the link above to watch the video.) But what really comes out of nowhere is Mike interrupting her discussion on wellness with, “Here’s the thing: I didn’t know know you were a lesbian.”

“What planet were you living on?” Powter asks and continues to joke about how obvious it should be. Then Mike and Juliet announce her “lover” used to be a comedian on the show named Jessica Kirson. Susan can’t get over the use of the word “lover” and goes to town, repeating it over and over again.

Mike and Juliet are perplexed that Susan has been “married to men” and is now gay, yet Mike also mentions he’s known her for “18 years.” Uh, really? Were you just not paying attention? It looks like Powter is making her way back to being a household name with her new book and theories on weight loss and wellness. She currently blogs daily from her website. Here’s hoping her video blogs will tide you over until there’s more wacky TV appearances.

AROUND THE WORLD IN LESBIAN TELEVISION Thank the goddess for our international readers. We have some hot tips from several this week on what they’ve been watching in their respective homelands, and it appears that here in America I’m missing out.

AfterEllen.com reader Alice let us know that Peta and Poppy on the BBC soap Out of the Blue recently got engaged. Now, they’re sharing duties in preparation for the wedding, which is only two weeks away. (Too many brides in the kitchen? This could be disastrous or, like the best part of lesbian relationships, practical magic.) Poppy (Katherine Hicks) and Peta (Daisy Betts) are adorable together, and their being together is a non-issue for everyone on the show, except for Poppy’s grandma, Olive.

It appears that only Poppy’s parents will be able to make the ceremony, but the women continue to plan for their big day, amid the rest of the drama that comes along with soap operas.

ARKA filled us in on the lesbian couple on Hunters of Men last week, but it appears that Spanish TV will be introducing another lesbian. On the show Lex, which focuses on a lawyer’s office, the secretary is a single lesbian looking for love.

Hopefully, we’ll have more on this as it develops. Thanks for the tip, ARKA!

Reader Gotika in Portugal told us that the primetime soap Podia Acabar o Mundo (The World Could End) has a doctor, Cláudia, and a medical student, Sónia, who will reportedly be sharing a steamy kiss, according to the Portuguese press. Based on a novel of the same name, the show will have the women work together and fall for one another, but then one will get fired because they lack chemistry Sónia has a hard time coming out to her parents, which threatens their relationship.

Sounds like a totally brand-new storyline! What will they come up with next?

Anything but pregnancy and adoption, please. We’ve seen it all before.

– by Trish Bendix

STRAIGHT PEOPLE STEPPING UP MSBNC talk show host Keith Olbermann devoted a “special comment” this week to the issue of gay marriage, asking those who voted for Proposition 8 and similar measures, “Why does this matter to you? What is it to you? In a time of impermanence and fly-by-night relationships these people over here want the same chance at permanence and happiness that is your option.”

Watch it here if you missed it – then send it to every straight person you know. It’s a powerful and emotional speech by a straight person directed to other straight people – and that’s exactly what’s needed if we’re going to win this fight.

In other straight-celebrities-speaking-out news:

George Clooney told E!’s Ted Casablanca this week, “At some point in our lifetime, gay marriage won’t be an issue, and everyone who stood against this civil right will look as outdated as George Wallace standing on the school steps keeping James Hood from entering the University of Alabama because he was black.”

Eden Riegel (All My Children, Imaginary Bitches) made a funny and insightful PSA with her Imaginary Bitches co-stars speaking out against Prop. 8, saying “when society allows the majority to strip away the rights of a minority, that is a fundamental threat to democracy.”

Sophia Bush (One Tree Hill) told E! Online, “I’m really proud to be an American, and I’m embarrassed to be a Californian right now. It’s just so sad that when we’ve been so progressive, we’ve also taken so many steps backward, I’m disgusted. In a world that is so full of hatred and bigotry and war and famine? We’re criticizing two people for loving each other. I think that it’s devastating.”

Whoopi Goldberg attended the gay marriage rally in New York on Wednesday, and told reporters, “I’m here because my friends are gay and want to get married.”

LESBIAN QUOTE OF THE WEEK NO. 2 “We sent them some pictures, and both of our mothers complained about Bridget wearing red and me wearing jeans for such an important occasion. But we didn’t care, we loved our hippie wedding and honeymooned at the beach. We were married by a woman named Lorelei Starbuck, so it’s not like it was a conventional wedding anyway.”

Karman Kregloe on her wedding to Bridget McManus in advance of Prop. 8, in AfterEllen.com’s “Celebrating Lesbian Marriage”

BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE! According this official promo, Bianca and Reese have sex on All My Children today! Keep up on spoilers for Bianca and Reese’s storyline in this forum thread.

Ellen DeGeneres says she probably won’t be hosting the Oscars this year.

The new season of Bravo’s Top Chef started this week, complete with requisite lesbian contestant.

Martina Navratilova will be a contestant on the next season of the UK reality series I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here! (thanks to all the AE readers who sent us this story!)

Watch the trailer for Rosie O’Donnell‘s upcoming NBC variety special.

Pariah director Dee Rees is a finalist for the Sundance Filmmaker Award.

New York Magazine featured two brides in its latest issue.

The Ghostella episode starring Lena Headey and Bridget McManus has been posted. Watch it now.

There is a national rally for gay marriage rights taking place in cities across the country tomorrow – find other AE readers attending here and then post your photos from the rallies here.

by Sarah Warn

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.

UPDATE: Rachel will soon be featured in Vogue magazine, according to Jezebel.com (thanks to ColletteLaLa for the tip!)

– by StuntDouble

LINDSAY SAYS SHE’S IN A RELATIONSHIP WITH SAMANTHA, BUT SHE’S NOT A LESBIAN Most reports of Lindsay Lohan and Samantha Ronson‘s relationship have included the word “lesbian”: lesbian relationship, lesbian lover, LiLo = lesbian.

Rarely is Lohan referred to as a bisexual, despite most of the pieces referencing her very public relationships with several different men. I think it’s safe to say that most lesbians and bisexual women assumed Lindsay was bisexual. I mean, we’re all pretty aware that the in-between exists. Lohan has never really come out to give herself a label, despite many in her life (mom, dad, ex-boyfriends) making sure to say she’s “not a lesbian” (but if she is, her ex, Callum, wants to take credit for it).

In in a new interview with Harper’s Bazaar, she takes it upon herself to answer, “No,” when asked if she was “a lesbian,” but adds, “I think it’s pretty obvious who I’m seeing.”

When they asked if she considered herself bisexual, she answered, “Maybe. Yeah.” She also said:

I don’t want to classify myself. First of all, you never know what’s going to happen – tomorrow, in a month, a year from now, five years from now. I appreciate people, and it doesn’t matter who they are, and I feel blessed to be able to feel comfortable enough with myself that I can say that.
As part of a younger generation less likely to want to label themselves, it’s not a surprise that Lindsay has been reluctant to identify herself. She does not deny being involved with Samantha (whom she calls “a wonderful person” whom she “loves very much” in the article), and obviously does not have any qualms about being affectionate with her when she knows cameras follow her every move. Someone needs to do a study on the number of magazine copies purchased with the word “lesbian” accompanying a photo versus “bisexual.” I think as long as there is a picture of two women (involved romantically or otherwise), they’d sell equal amounts. They could at least try to get it right.

– by Trish Bendix

AN OPEN LETTER TO OUT MAGAZINE Dear Out magazine,

Hi, remember us? Yeah, we’re women. We’re gay women. Look, I know you don’t normally like to think about us because we’re all icky and girly and you prefer men – hence the gay thing. But we are a part of your community. We exist.

I know that last part is also hard for you to believe, since no gay women were featured on your cover during all of 2008. In fact, only four women (all straight, naturally) made your cover in 2008 total, and that’s being generous and including your December 2007/January 2008 double issue. Otherwise it would just be two – two women in 12 months. But, hey, I understand. You are a magazine that largely caters to gay men. We get that. We’re used to it. And yet, when I looked at your Out 100 December cover I couldn’t help but see red. As in all the blood rushed to my head and started to boil and then started to churn and then started to explode red.

You picked Katy Perry as the female representative of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered people of the year?

Katy Perry? Katy “I Kissed a Girl” Perry? Straight Katy Perry whose song has become an anthem for drunken straight girl-on-girl hook-ups at a frat party everywhere? Seriously? That Katy Perry? You see, it’s not that I have a problem with her inescapably catchy song, per se. I mean, it does irk me when she sings that she hopes her “boyfriend don’t mind” and that it’s an “experimental game” and “not what good girls do.” Yes, I know she is joking. She really loves the gays even if she has never actually kissed a girl or anything truly gay like that.

Still, just because the religious right doesn’t like the song either doesn’t mean we have to automatically embrace it. In fact, it feeds into the worst stereotypes about what it means to be gay, namely an experiment on the road back to heteroville.

But who cares, right? As your editor, Aaron Hicklin, responded to Gawker’s criticism of your cover choice, “I Kissed a Girl” has a beat and you can dance to it and “sometimes that’s all I want from my music.”

No, what I really have a problem with is that there were plenty of actual gay women in the world, let alone on your Out 100 list (which inexplicably has 109 people on it instead of 100), who would have made better, more representative cover girls. Take Rachel Maddow (who you claim was unavailable), or Tegan & Sara or Heather Matarazzo or Missy Higgins or Jane Lynch any of the other 24 gay and transgendered women on your list.

Heck, even Lindsay Lohan would have been better since she will at least admit to being in a relationship with a woman.

But then I guess you would have to be thinking about gay women and their representation. You know, the icky girly stuff. I can tell you don’t like to think about that because of the pathetic percentage of women – gay or straight – on your list of 109 people. A scant 22 percent of your honorees were women. And if a picture is worth a thousand words, well, we’d be here all day.

Of the 56 portraits taken of the listmakers, only 9 were of women alone or with other women. That means that 84 percent of the time your photoshoots were men only or women coupled with men. I guess you’ve got to have something to look at, huh.

Look, Out, we’re not looking for a full-scale lezzie takeover of your magazine or anything. We realize we’ll never be your main focus. But we want to be in at the very least considered seriously when it comes time to put together what is meant to be a comprehensive list of the biggest LGBT movers and shakers of the year.

We deserve better than 22 percent. And we definitely deserve better than Katy Perry.

Sincerely (someone who has actually kissed a girl),

Ms. Snarker

by Dorothy Snarker

TRACY CHAPMAN ON OUR BRIGHT FUTURE Can you believe it’s been 20 years since Tracy Chapman first took us for a ride in her “Fast Car”? And, before you tell me you weren’t even born yet, you at least have to have heard her “Talkin’ ’bout a Revolution,” right?

Now the soft-spoken singer-songwriter who lets her lyrics do the talking is back with her eighth studio album, Our Bright Future. The release is her first in three years and, despite what the title may say, it’s not all sunshine and poppies. Instead, in numbers like the title song, Tracy sings in her voice that is equal parts guts and grace that we’ve been “Led on led on/ to take the path/ where our bright future/ is in the past.” In a recent interview with UK paper The Guardian (hat tip, Jenni!), the out artist talked about everything from growing up poor in Cleveland (“I always loved school and thought it was my way out of Cleveland, and out of poverty”) to how the record company treated her as a 24-year-old with her first contract (“you’re young, you’re inexperienced, you’re a woman even, what do you know about any of this?”) and even, yes, the Material Girl herself.

I was trying to make a case for Madonna the other day, saying that she’s to be admired for her longevity in a genre that has mostly been for younger acts. Men are able to sustain a career into their 50s and 60s and still present themselves as sex symbols. With women on the other hand, people say, ‘Why doesn’t she retire?’ It’s just so unfair. So I have to give props to Madonna.
Props also go to Tracy who, as a Barack Obama supporter, was still angered by the sometimes sexist treatment of Hillary Clinton. A longtime supporter of such causes as Amnesty International, AIDS research and anti-war groups, Tracy was not shy about her feminist leanings.
I think it just doesn’t come up because … people think we’re beyond it. There have been some gains made in terms of more equality for women in the workplace and in the way the legal system deals with issues of violence against women…..Taking the recent campaign for the (Democratic presidential) nomination, if you look at the way Hillary Clinton was treated compared with Barack Obama, there seemed to be a double standard. People would make comments on what she was wearing all the time, saying that she was too emotional, even hysterical, and therefore unfit to be commander in chief. Yes, we still need to have a discussion and there needs to be improvement.
While Tracy is happy to talk about politics or humanitarian issues, her new album isn’t all topical. In an appearance on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno last week, Tracy sang the album’s first single, Sing For You, about a lost love. As a fan of Tracy’s for those 20 years, it’s been a privilege to watch her passion all these years. And I can’t be the only one is struck by her seeming discovery of the fountain of youth. Perhaps speaking softly and carrying a big guitar is the secret to eternal youth. At the very least, I know it’s the recipe for some damn good music.

by Dorothy Snarker

A HAPPY LESBIAN PROM NIGHT ON LINCOLN HEIGHTS On this week’s third-season finale of ABC Family’s teen/family darama Lincoln Heights, which StuntDouble teased last week, the openly gay minister’s daughter Stacy (Sharon Pierre-Louis) finally got up the nerve to ask the girl she has a crush on to dance – and she said yes. It’s a lesbian Christmas Sweeps miracle!

Here’s how it went down.

At the beginning of the episode, Stacy is bitching to a sympathetic Cassie (Erica Hubbard) and her boyfriend Charles (Robert Adamson) about how prom is only fun “if you’re straight,” but she won’t ask Kelly (Tiffany Hines) to the prom because she’s “not even sure she likes girls.” When Stacy finally does ask Kelly if she’s going to the prom with anyone, Kelly says yes (some guy asked her) and totally misses why Stacy is asking her this in the first place.

So Stacy takes Cassie’s younger brother Tay (Mishon Ratliff) instead, because’s he’s nice and safe (he’s only 14). Unfortunately, Tay seems to be the only one who doesn’t know that Stacy plays for the other team, and when her brother (a friend of Tay’s) tells him “Dude, my sister’s gay!” Tay foolishly thinks he still has a chance, because “Tay beats gay.” (If you’re wondering what that sound is, it’s a million lesbians rolling their eyes.)

At prom, when Tay is pulling out all of his best break-dancing moves (even The Robot!), Stacy tells him what a nice guy he is, but… (you can guess where this is headed):

Stacy: But I like girls. Tay: Me too. Stacy: I’m attracted to girls. Tay: Maybe you just haven’t met the right guy yet. Stacy: It’s not about the right guy. The fact is, not even Denzel can turn me on. I like who I am, Tay. Liking girls isn’t a choice for me. If it were, I would just choose a life that wasn’t so complicated.
She apologizes for misleading him, he wanders off for greener (straighter) pastures, and then we finally get to the good part. Here’s my truncated play-by-play:

Stacy gets encouragement from Cassie and Charles, who tell her, “What do you have to lose?”

As soon as Kelly’s alone, Stacy makes her move, just as Tay gets up on stage to croon an R&B ballad (don’t ask). After some awkward banter about how beautiful they both look, Stacy asks Kelly to dance. Kelly says yes! They start to slow-dance together, awkwardly at first. No one else at the prom gives them a second glance, except Stacy’s dad, who leaves in a huff (he was a chaperone).

The two girls finally move in closer and nuzzle a little – but alas, no kiss. (This is still ABC Family, after all – nevermind that they have a show dedicated to sorority girls who sleep with everything that moves.)

Stacy smiles up happily at Tay, who winks at her as he finishes his song.

And that’s pretty much it for this storyline. American readers can watch the whole episode now on ABCFamily.com.

Here’s what I liked most about Stacy’s storyline: it’s not a coming-out story, and no lesbians get pregnant. There’s no “am I gay or not?” angst, Stacy’s sexual orientation isn’t a big secret, and Stacy and Cassie (and even Charles) banter easily throughout this episode and the last about whether her love interest “likes girls, too.” Stacy’s big concern (besides upsetting her father by publicly attending the prom with another girl) is the same one all teenagers have in high school: whether the person she likes, likes her back. The show portrays an acceptance of lesbianism and bisexuality that is really refreshing (if probably a little unrealistic).

I wouldn’t expect Stacy to be back next season – she’s only a minor supporting character on the show – but hey, we got a happy black lesbian teen couple on TV! Which is not something you see every day. Or ever.

LESBIAN QUOTE OF THE WEEK NO. 1 “I think [Clark] might be curious. I don’t know. It was a really fun night and I tend to bring it out in girls that are curious.”

“I’d love to see Clark again. [Laughs.] I’d love to have a [Top Model] reunion and leave together.”

– queer Top Model contestant Elina Ivanova, on her relationship with fellow contestant Clark, whom she kissed in a hot tub on Top Model, in an interview with AfterEllen.com

by Sarah Warn

SUSAN POWTER THINKS IT’S OBVIOUS SHE’S A LESBIAN Out fitness personality Susan Powter says she’s found a new cure for obesity, which she details in her new book, Eat, Breathe, Move, Think.

On The Morning Show with Mike and Juliet this week, she explained that anyone “with a human body” can breathe and be fit. It doesn’t take her long to mention she hates Dr. Phil, no explanation attached. (Click the link above to watch the video.) But what really comes out of nowhere is Mike interrupting her discussion on wellness with, “Here’s the thing: I didn’t know know you were a lesbian.”

“What planet were you living on?” Powter asks and continues to joke about how obvious it should be. Then Mike and Juliet announce her “lover” used to be a comedian on the show named Jessica Kirson. Susan can’t get over the use of the word “lover” and goes to town, repeating it over and over again.

Mike and Juliet are perplexed that Susan has been “married to men” and is now gay, yet Mike also mentions he’s known her for “18 years.” Uh, really? Were you just not paying attention? It looks like Powter is making her way back to being a household name with her new book and theories on weight loss and wellness. She currently blogs daily from her website. Here’s hoping her video blogs will tide you over until there’s more wacky TV appearances.

AROUND THE WORLD IN LESBIAN TELEVISION Thank the goddess for our international readers. We have some hot tips from several this week on what they’ve been watching in their respective homelands, and it appears that here in America I’m missing out.

AfterEllen.com reader Alice let us know that Peta and Poppy on the BBC soap Out of the Blue recently got engaged. Now, they’re sharing duties in preparation for the wedding, which is only two weeks away. (Too many brides in the kitchen? This could be disastrous or, like the best part of lesbian relationships, practical magic.) Poppy (Katherine Hicks) and Peta (Daisy Betts) are adorable together, and their being together is a non-issue for everyone on the show, except for Poppy’s grandma, Olive.

It appears that only Poppy’s parents will be able to make the ceremony, but the women continue to plan for their big day, amid the rest of the drama that comes along with soap operas.

ARKA filled us in on the lesbian couple on Hunters of Men last week, but it appears that Spanish TV will be introducing another lesbian. On the show Lex, which focuses on a lawyer’s office, the secretary is a single lesbian looking for love.

Hopefully, we’ll have more on this as it develops. Thanks for the tip, ARKA!

Reader Gotika in Portugal told us that the primetime soap Podia Acabar o Mundo (The World Could End) has a doctor, Cláudia, and a medical student, Sónia, who will reportedly be sharing a steamy kiss, according to the Portuguese press. Based on a novel of the same name, the show will have the women work together and fall for one another, but then one will get fired because they lack chemistry Sónia has a hard time coming out to her parents, which threatens their relationship.

Sounds like a totally brand-new storyline! What will they come up with next?

Anything but pregnancy and adoption, please. We’ve seen it all before.

– by Trish Bendix

STRAIGHT PEOPLE STEPPING UP MSBNC talk show host Keith Olbermann devoted a “special comment” this week to the issue of gay marriage, asking those who voted for Proposition 8 and similar measures, “Why does this matter to you? What is it to you? In a time of impermanence and fly-by-night relationships these people over here want the same chance at permanence and happiness that is your option.”

Watch it here if you missed it – then send it to every straight person you know. It’s a powerful and emotional speech by a straight person directed to other straight people – and that’s exactly what’s needed if we’re going to win this fight.

In other straight-celebrities-speaking-out news:

George Clooney told E!’s Ted Casablanca this week, “At some point in our lifetime, gay marriage won’t be an issue, and everyone who stood against this civil right will look as outdated as George Wallace standing on the school steps keeping James Hood from entering the University of Alabama because he was black.”

Eden Riegel (All My Children, Imaginary Bitches) made a funny and insightful PSA with her Imaginary Bitches co-stars speaking out against Prop. 8, saying “when society allows the majority to strip away the rights of a minority, that is a fundamental threat to democracy.”

Sophia Bush (One Tree Hill) told E! Online, “I’m really proud to be an American, and I’m embarrassed to be a Californian right now. It’s just so sad that when we’ve been so progressive, we’ve also taken so many steps backward, I’m disgusted. In a world that is so full of hatred and bigotry and war and famine? We’re criticizing two people for loving each other. I think that it’s devastating.”

Whoopi Goldberg attended the gay marriage rally in New York on Wednesday, and told reporters, “I’m here because my friends are gay and want to get married.”

LESBIAN QUOTE OF THE WEEK NO. 2 “We sent them some pictures, and both of our mothers complained about Bridget wearing red and me wearing jeans for such an important occasion. But we didn’t care, we loved our hippie wedding and honeymooned at the beach. We were married by a woman named Lorelei Starbuck, so it’s not like it was a conventional wedding anyway.”

Karman Kregloe on her wedding to Bridget McManus in advance of Prop. 8, in AfterEllen.com’s “Celebrating Lesbian Marriage”

BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE! According this official promo, Bianca and Reese have sex on All My Children today! Keep up on spoilers for Bianca and Reese’s storyline in this forum thread.

Ellen DeGeneres says she probably won’t be hosting the Oscars this year.

The new season of Bravo’s Top Chef started this week, complete with requisite lesbian contestant.

Martina Navratilova will be a contestant on the next season of the UK reality series I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here! (thanks to all the AE readers who sent us this story!)

Watch the trailer for Rosie O’Donnell‘s upcoming NBC variety special.

Pariah director Dee Rees is a finalist for the Sundance Filmmaker Award.

New York Magazine featured two brides in its latest issue.

The Ghostella episode starring Lena Headey and Bridget McManus has been posted. Watch it now.

There is a national rally for gay marriage rights taking place in cities across the country tomorrow – find other AE readers attending here and then post your photos from the rallies here.

by Sarah Warn

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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