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The women of this year’s Out 100

Out magazine’s 16th annual Out 100 is out today, documenting the year’s “most compelling people.” This occasion is exciting but also a bit overshadowed by inevitable disappointment. In 2008, the only woman on the cover was Katy Perry. The straight, “I Kissed a Girl” singer was one of only 24 women represented in the list as a whole. OK, we won’t get into that whole argument again.

Last year, was a bit better – at least from the outside. Newly out Wanda Sykes graced the cover, giving us some lesbian representation we could be proud of. And there were 30 women over all. A slight improvement, but I’ll take what I can get from always dude-heavy publication. (It’s sad, isn’t it?)

With last year’s improvements in mind, I was sure the 2010 Out 100 would blow my mind. But seeing the cover was a bittersweet moment. First, there’s Rachel Maddow. Who doesn’t love her? It’s super exciting to see her front and off-center.  

And what’s that? Another woman? Yep. Julianne Moore is also there (along with Ricky Martin, Nate Berkus and Johnny Weir). Now, I love Julianne Moore as an actress and think The Kids Are All Right, despite the whole “sleeping-with-a-man” storyline, did a lot for gay visibility and normalizing lesbian motherhood this past summer; but, the film’s director, Lisa Cholodenko is also included in the Out 100 and is an actual out lesbian. She’s the woman who also gave us High Art, for pete’s sake! That deserves a spot on the cover, if you ask me. I realize that a well-known actress probably helps sell more magazines, so I tried to see past the magazine editors’ choice here. Besides, I was sure there would be loads more women included and I could feel better. If last year, we gained six, maybe this year we could get five or seven more.

Nope.

There are 22 women included in this year’s Out 100. You’d think the writers and editors never read our complaints. Don’t they know we have some every year?

Without harping too much on the negative, I do have to say the few women included are great choices. While I wish there were more of them, let’s see which other ladies grace the pages of the 2010 Out 100: Ana Matronic (who identifies as bisexual) and her band released their third album, Night Work, this year, reaching No.2 on the British charts and landing on the Billboard Top 20. Scissor Sisters will support Lady Gaga on tour in 2011. There was a lot of hype surrounding country musician Chely Wright’s coming out this year. People magazine promised it’d be big, and while it wasn’t Queen Latifah or anyone more well-known like we were hoping for, it did help thrust Wright into mainstream spotlight.

Demeo has done extensive with the Mexican American Legal Defense Fund in Washington, D.C. which led to recent appointment in the D.C. superior court. An avid fighter for equality, she’s the right person for the job. Personal trainer/performance artist Heather Cassils’ piece Tiresias was part of the 2010 Gutted benefit for the Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions. You may recognize her as Lady Gaga’s prison girlfriend in the “Telephone” video. A Fullbright-winning filmmaker, Youruba Richen tackles important LGBT and African-American issues. Her upcoming film, The New Black, will merge the two, highlighting the African-American and LGBT civil rights movements. The Dublin-born, Ontario-based author wrote one of the most talked about bestsellers this year. Room is from the point-of-view of a 5-year-old boy, as he details his life in captivity with his mom. Donoghue has previously been awarded the Lambda Literary and Stonewall Book awards. Katie Miller ranked ninth in her class of 1,157 at West Point. But, thanks to DADT not allowing her to serve openly, she withdrew (and then went on tell Rachel Maddow all about it on her show). Since leaving West Point, Miller has transferred to Yale, where she studies political science and is very active on the fight against DADT. She even escorted Lady Gaga to MTV’s Video Music Awards this year. Hot date! The ladies pictured with columnist Michael Musto all have very distinctive accomplishments. Transgender lesbian filmmaker Kimberely Reed’s documentary, Prodigal Son, chronicled the former high school football quarterback’s coming out and reunion with old classmates. Oh, then she was on Oprah, which pretty much means she’s made it.

Lawyer-turned-lesbian porn director Jincey Lumpkin founded and oversees everything that goes on at Juicy Pink Box, a for women, by women adult film production empire.

Laverne Cox was the first African-American trans woman on reality TV (2008’s I Want to Work for Diddy). That earned her a GLAAD award, and her own VH1 show, Transform Me, helping women be more lady-like.

It’s hard to believe the woman who gave us “Springbreak for Lesbians” is just now included. Just think of how many one night stands, relationships, breakups and cat fights she’s solely responsible for. The Dinah is a big deal – and not just to golfers. It surely takes a lot of work. Returning to J.J. Abrams’ newest Fox series, Fringe, for its third season, Jasika Nicole is the only out lesbian of color on prime time. And while that certainly earns her a deserving spot on the Out 100, it begs us to ask primetime to get with it already and bring even more talented, nice to look at lesbians to prime time with her. The Family Ties star came out publicly last year in a tell-all interview with People. In addition to working on her upcoming memoir, Baxter has her own skincare line and breast cancer research foundation. Elyse Keaton forever! When it comes to moves, Fatima has them all – and has no problem teaching them to everyone from the Black Eyed Peas to President Obama (she choreographed HBO’s 2008 inauguration event). Up next: the Super Bowl 2011 halftime show.

Instrumental in the gay clergy debate, Mary Glasspool became the first openly lesbian bishop for the Episcopal diocese of Los Angelges in May. Christian musician Jennifer Knapp made a big name for herself in the niche music genre in the late ’90s, and then seemingly disappeared for five years. Then, she came back, came out, and released her new album, Letting Go. Since we talked to Sia about coming out and dating JD Samson, the Australian singer has kept quite busy. She released a new album, We Are Born, and wrote four songs for Christina Aguilera’s new album, Bionic, as well as one for the upcoming musical movie, Burlesque. NYC council speaker Christine Quinn has been very outspoken about the recent string of gay youth suicides and shot down Carl Paladino’s homophobic remarks – again and again. A gay rights and marriage equality advocate is also looking like a good candidate to succeed Mayor Bloomberg. Lucky New Yorkers.

Tracy Young is the mastermind behind 40 No.1 hits on the Billboard Club Play chart, including remixes for Christina Aguilera, Shakira and Madonna. Most people discovered her when her song “Tardy for the Party” for The Real Housewives of Atlanta’s Kim Zoliciak was released and rumors of the two being an item began circulating. Want to visit the White House? You have to go through Ellie Schafer. Her job as the director of the visitors office means she plays host to everyone from celebrities to ambassadors and everyone in between. Folk musician Chris Pureka has been a longtime favorite with a niche audience. It wasn’t until this year’s album, How I Learned to See in the Dark, that she received more much-deserved mainstream attention. Along with Derek Hartley, Romain Patterson hosts a popular drive time radio talk show. Known for her activism that started when her friend, Matthew Shepard, was murdered, Patterson is an important voice to have on the air.

What do you think of this year’s Out 100? Disappointed at the under-representation of women? Who else do you think should have made it?

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