10 First-Ever Lesbian Characters On American TV: Killers, Tramps, Thieves and Therapists
We didn’t get a recurring lesbian character on American TV until 1988 and it wasn’t until 1990 that two women kissed on American television, but lesbian characters did show up before that point — although rarely in a positive light and rarely for more than one episode. Today, the fight for better queer representation is about diversity and whether or not characters play into popular stereotypes and tropes. Back then one could only dream of what we’re fighting for today. In television’s earliest years, explicitly gay and lesbian characters only showed up on television in talk shows and documentary programs, and when a lesbian character appeared on a scripted narrative television show she was usually a homicidal maniac. In this post, we’re gonna look at what I’ve gathered through research are the ten first lesbian characters to appear in primetime scripted shows on American TV, although I suspect there are more that I’ve missed or haven’t been recorded for the ages. Characters in TV movies are not included, only on regular scripted programming.
I wrote this article with the assistance of two reference books; The Prime Time Closet: A History of Gays and Lesbians On TV, by Stephen Tropiano, and Alternate Channels: The Uncensored Story of Gay and Lesbian Images on Radio and Television, by Steven Capsuto.
1. Miss Brant (Virginia Christine), The Asphalt Jungle, “The
Sniper,” April 1961
Actress Virginia Christine
This one-season ABC police drama featured one episode about a “rifle-toting, implicitly lesbian sniper” who killed young, pretty women out with their boyfriends. After a woman is murdered while hooking up with her boyfriend at a Lover’s Lane, the police assume that the suspect is a man. They’re wrong, of course: it’s that old deviant Miss Brant, the female owner of popular teenage hangout The Paradise Diner. Once apprehended, Miss Brant confesses that she was on a quest to punish women for making themselves sexually available to men, exclaiming:
Those girls! Carrying on like that! They had to be punished! I told them! They shouldn’t kiss, hug like that with the boys! They wouldn’t listen to me! Wouldn’t listen! Those girls! Those stupid girls!… I never meant to do any of this! It just came over me and I couldn’t hold it back.
Although Miss Brant isn’t specifically labeled a lesbian, it’s pretty clear. For example, she flirts mercilessly and aggressively with a female employee, even asking her to move in, telling her what to wear, and getting jealous when she goes on a date with a boy. Basically, Miss Brant cannot handle her attraction to pretty young women and therefore must kill them. Makes perfect sense.
2. Hallie Lambert (Kathryn Hays), The Eleventh Hour, “What Did She Mean By Good Luck?”, November 1963
Actress Kathryn Hays
The Eleventh Hour, a medical drama about mental health professionals that aired from 1962-1964, featured guest star Kathryn Hays as actress Hallie Lambert in “What Did They Mean By Good Luck?”. Lambert was struggling with her role in a play with a female director, Marya and was convinced Marya was out to get her, leading Lambert to behave erratically and become impossible for the rest of the cast to work with.
Through therapy — and conversations with Lambert’s overbearing stage Mom, Gerry — the therapist rightly concludes that Lambert has failed to become a proper heterosexual adult and is madly in love with her director. This is all rooted — OF COURSE — in Lambert’s adolescent crush on her high school drama teacher! “…Everyone at one time has a crush on a school teacher or camp counselor of the same sex,” the doctor explains to her, concluding that Hallie’s family situation prevented her from growing out of these childish longings. “You defend yourself from the shame of having unnatural feelings by pretending you are persecuted.”
Robin Richards, reviewing the episode in lesbian magazine The Ladder, wrote that the episode “dealt frankly with lesbianism, on an adolescent level and in sophomoric language and platitudes… the only good angle was that Hallie has a so-so ending instead of being dragged to the nut hatch.” The theme of “make sure women know an adolescent crush doesn’t mean they’re an actual lesbian” is pretty common in shows and films at the time — and probably, to some degree, effectively convinced a bunch of lesbians that they weren’t actually lesbians.
3. Meg Dayton (Kristina Holland), Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law, “Words of Summer,” September 1972
Actress Kristina Holland
Meredith Baxter — who came out as a lesbian six years ago — also starred in this episode, as a collegiate diving superstar who is accused of molesting a fifteen-year-old girl. Meg Dayton (Kristina Holland), her sullen and closeted ex-roommate who writes for a lesbian newspaper, is asked to testify, as the prosecution has decided the best way to prove Ann is a pedophile is to prove she’s a homo. (This was an effective legal strategy at the time, for real.) Ann’s not guilty, of course. It turns out that her accuser was in such a panic over her own feelings for Ann that she decided to press charges against her (??!!). On the stand, Meg says the kids in college knew she was a lezzer from the get-go, and that Ann’s only guilty of one thing: being a really good straight ally.
Get this, though: the character of Ann was inspired by Babe Didrikson, says the screenwriter of the episode (this was the first pitch to the show he’d had accepted, of four), and he’d envisioned her to be a bit masculine-of-center. The producers wanted her to be “pretty,” though, and he agreed ’cause he was so desperate to sell the script. Apparently, Meg was the first young adult character to state unequivocally that she was a lesbian on a TV drama.
4. Valerie DeMarco (Donna Mills), The Bold Ones: The New Doctors, “A Very Strange Triangle,” October 1972
Actress Donna Mills
The four-season NBC medical drama The New Doctors centered on a brilliant neurosurgeon who is so brilliant that he has his very own clinic of brilliance. In “A very strange triangle,” the brilliant neurosurgeon’s number two, Dr. Marty Cohen, is reunited with his ex-girlfriend Valerie and immediately wants to get back together. Unfortunately, Valerie’s got a girlfriend of her own, an older woman named Eleanor. Marty is shocked to find a “lesbo” at Valerie’s when he swings by her place, and laments to his cool liberal doctor friend Dr. Hunter, “If I can’t spot a lesbian when I’m about to propose to her, what kind of shape am I in?” Hunter corrects him, “I’d hope you’d think of it as a threat to her femininity.”
As per ushe, Valerie’s homosexuality is presented as a psychological condition stemmed from family issues, and Eleanor (who’s getting a degree in clinical psychology) is the matronly surrogate who cured Valerie’s Mommy Issues (her Mom was a self-involved alcoholic actress). Marty, like so many men before and after him, continues pursuing Valerie despite her lesbianism, and eventually Marty and Eleanor are reduced to fighting over Valerie. Valerie sleeps with Marty, because why anything, but it doesn’t change her feelings for them. The next morning she admits, “I think I just wanted to prove that I can do it.” Fed up with the feuding lovers, Valerie quits her job and skips town.
5. Dr. Annie Claymore (Lois Nettleton), Medical Center, “Impasse”, October 1973
Actress Lois Nettleton
Medical Center, a CBS medical drama, featured a lesbian character in its fifth season, one of six characters played by Lois Nettleton during the show’s seven-season run. Dr. Annie Claymore was a psychiatrist called in to handle a heart patient, Tobi, who’s not taking her medicine and is refusing a life-saving operation. Tobi keeps having seizures, apparently triggered by phone convos with her BFF Sarah. Dr. Gannon, one of the series main players, has a crush on Annie, and aggressively hits on her, unaware that she’s a lover-of-ladies. Meanwhile, Tobi’s boyfriend Sam is aware of Annie’s Sapphic tendencies and tells Gannon that Annie’s out to convert his girlfriend, a charge Gannon denies ’cause Annie’s obviously super into him and all lesbians hate men. He confronts Annie, who’s like, yup, I’m a homo, and it’s totally ignorant for you to think all lesbos hate men, declaring:
I am a person. I am a woman. I am a psychiatrist. And I am a homosexual. And we are not all the same anymore than heterosexuals are the same. I am not — I am not repelled by the opposite sex. But on a deeper level, any fulfillment comes with other women, that’s all.
As for Sam’s conviction that Annie’s gonna turn Tobi gay, Annie rejects the notion that “a lesbian can’t be trusted to live up to her professional vows and treat a patient of the same sex without pouncing on her.” Sam tells Tobi that Annie is a lesbian, which inspires Tobi to call Sarah over for “a talk.” Then Tobi tries to jump off the roof, explaining that she’s afraid of being a lesbian ’cause Sarah always makes her feel good and Sam doesn’t. Probably it’s ’cause Sam is a jerk, but whatever. She insists to Annie that all she wants in life is to be a wife and have children, which Annie assures her are not “the words of a lesbian. Or a swinger. Or a fool,” and, furthermore, Tobi is clearly “a sweet, honest, healthy girl with honest, healthy ideals.”
Alternate Channels cites her Annie Claymore as “American TV’s first productive, happy lesbian character.”
6. Mame (Fay Spain), Janet (Lynn Loring) and Gladys (Laraine Stephens), Police Woman, “Flowers of Evil,” November 1974
Screenshot from “Flowers of Evil”
Around this time, gay activist groups, most notably the newly-formed Gay Media Task Force, began communicating directly with television studios and screenwriters about the appalling representation of gay men in televised media. Most of this representation occurred on talk shows and documentary programs, but even there, the focus was usually on men. The Lesbian Liberation Committee complained to the GMTF that the needs of women were being ignored by the group. Soon, another independent group, Lesbian Feminist Liberation, began taking action against negative portrayal on programs like The Dick Cavett Show.
“Flowers of Evil” was radically transformed from its initial cut to air, in response to aggressive and overwhelming protest from lesbian activist groups. The episode focused on a nursing home run by a lesbian gang who were killing off and stealing from their residents. Pepper (Angie Dickinson) goes undercover in the nursing home as a nurse to expose the killing-and-stealing scheme. From Alternate Channels:
The ringleader, Mame, is a growling, scowling, swaggering, crude-talking, racist ex-Marine nurse — an austere bulldyke who wears men’s shirts and puffs bitterly on little black cigarettes while leading sweet old women to their deaths. The most likeable gang member is the most traditionally feminine-looking: Janet, portrayed as a young innocent led astray by older lesbians.
NBC responded to protest by removing all explicit references to lesbianism, which of course, just made matters infinitely worse, as the lesbianism remained obvious even if nobody said the word “lesbian.”
It was a time of great conflict between networks and activists. In September, NBC had aired the TV movie Born Innocent, a television movie in which Linda Blair portrays a young woman sent to jail who is violently sexually assaulted by lesbian inmates. In October, nationwide protests were sparked by an episode of Marcus Welby M.D. featuring a teenager boy sexually assaulted by his gay male teacher.
Lesbian Feminist Liberation members went directly to NBC headquarters ten days after the “Police Woman” episode aired, with Stevye Knowles accessing the building by saying she was there for lunch with her husband (she brought her three children along) and the rest entering through a door they’d duct-taped unlocked. The group staged an overnight sit-in, demanding to speak with the NBC Vice President. Outside, around 75 women were marching and handing out leaflets. Networks were realizing we couldn’t be ignored. Consequently, anti-gay groups ramped up their efforts, attempting to stop networks from ever portraying homosexuality in a positive light. That fight continues today.
6b. Marlena (Patricia Crowley), Police Woman, “Trial By Prejudice”
Police Woman did so good with their first lesbian episode that they gave it another shot — this time working with the Gay Media Task Force when developing the story. This time, Pepper is accused of sexually molesting a female suspect. If Pepper wants her job back, she’s gotta find a way to prove she didn’t molest the female suspect JUST KIDDING she’s gotta find a way to prove that she is heterosexual! Pepper calls on her college roommate, Marlena, to testify on her behalf. Marlena, a lesbian and a successful business executive, had feelings for Pepper back in the day which Pepper did not reciprocate, and worries that testifying could ruin her career. But like so many lesbians before her, she’s eternally willing to do anything for her straight crush, and testifies, earning Pepper her job back.
7. Julie Solkin (Geraldine Brooks), Executive Suite, “Re: The Sounds of Silence,” December 1976
Executive Suite, a show about the personal lives of rich people who own a massive corporation, featured a lesbian character who dared to exist for more than one episode! Julie is in an abusive marriage with her husband Bernie (Norman Fell) and confesses her lesbiansim to her bestie, Leona (Patricia Smith). Bernie takes it upon himself to inform Leona’s husband, Andy, that their wives are interested in scissoring each other. Leona confesses to Julie that she kinda likes her, too, and then, feeling very upset about this, walks into traffic with Julie close on her heels. Consequently, JULIE IS HIT BY A TRUCK AND DIES. Bernie blames Julie’s death on Leona and Leona has a nervous breakdown. What a life!
8. Flora Jessup (Blair Brown), Family “We Love You Miss Jessup,” November 1977
Somehow future lesbian Meredith Baxter keeps showing up in shows with lesbian characters! This one’s a double foreshadowing whammy, as “Family” also starred Kristy McNichol, who came out in 2012. In this episode, McNichol’s character Buddy suddenly gets interested in reading under the tutelage of her new teacher, Miss Jessup, who turns out to be a lesbian. A concerned parent, Ms. Palmer, outs her at a school board meeting and suggests they fire the teacher, but few others have a fuck to give, so Ms. Palmer sets out to prove Miss Jessup was fired from her last teaching position for seducing a student. Helen Hunt plays Stacey, the mean girl daughter of the concerned parent, who bullies Buddy for her attachment to the lezzie teacher. Rumors snowball while Buddy panics that Jessup will be coming onto her next, especially because Buddy’s a tomboy who tried out for the boy’s basketball team and “moons” over Miss Jessup. Miss Jessup comes over for dinner, explains herself, and wins over Buddy’s parents and support. “Until recently, homosexual men and women have had two constant companions,” Jessup explains to Buddy’s parents. “Fear and shame.”
Meanwhile Buddy’s flipping out that she could be “like that,” which must’ve been a real trip for Kristy McNichol. “Buddy, I don’t think you should assume that Miss Jessup’s private life has any bearing on her relationship with you,” Buddy’s Mom, Kate, explains, adding that she’s not gonna “defend Miss Jessup’s way of life,” but also that it’s not that important w/r/t her qualities as a teacher.
The episode has a happy ending and Miss Jessup’s portrayal is overwhelmingly positive — the respectability politics at work are blinding, to be honest. Miss Jessup is the best teacher anybody has ever had, literally the first teacher to inspire Buddy to open a book, in order to garner sympathy and support.
This was a particularly hot topic at the time due to the Briggs Initiative and other efforts to prevent gay and lesbian people from serving as schoolteachers.
9. Veronica (K. Callan), All in the Family “Cousin Liz,” October 1977
The Bunkers attend a funeral for Edith’s schoolteacher cousin, where they meet her roommate, Veronica, who turns out to have been Liz’s partner. Veronica wants a tea set of Liz’s, and Edith lets her have it, much to Archie’s dismay, who threatens to take Liz to court over it, which’d lead Veronica to lose her job. Edith tells Archie that Veronica is “all alone in the world now. And she’s got nobody to take care of her, like I have… Archie, I can’t believe you’d do anything that mean.” Archie relents to avoid being on his wife’s shit list. THAT’S LADY POWER FOR YOU. The episode won an Emmy.
10. Jackie Collins (Devon Ericson) and Tina (Joanne Nail), The Streets Of San Francisco, “Once a Con,” March 1977
Those schoolteachers were neat but let’s finish the list with another crazed muderer! In this episode, Jackie murders her girlfriend Tina’s best friend out of jealousy. “I only meant to scar her because she was so beautiful,” explains Jackie. “And then she turned, the knife slipped and — Tina, I was afraid I was losing you. I was afraid you’d leave me.” Tina’s pretty pissed. You know how lesbians are, such drama queens!
50 Brilliant LGBTQ Women Behind The Television Camera
The much-anticipated Supergirl has been blowing up on CBS since its debut a month ago, rea although it sorely lacks lesbian characters, the woman behind it all is lesbian creator Ali Adler. Adler is a heavyweight in the world of narrative television production but she’s far from the only lesbian or bisexual woman running shit. In fact, there are tons of us out there.
Do lesbian or bisexual producers, directors and writers inspire better queer represenation on the shows they help create? That remains to be seen — in most cases, the answer is a definitive “no,” but it’s hard to ignore the fact that many of our highest-profile lesbian and bisexual characters have appeared on shows with some kind of LGBTQ representation in the writers’ room: Glee, Orange is the New Black, The L Word, Pretty Little Liars, Empire, True Blood, South of Nowhere and Transparent.
According to The Center for the Study Of Women In Television and Film, women currently account for only 27% of creators, directors, writers, producers, executive producers, editors, and directors of photography working on broadcast programs and 25% of those working in these key roles on broadcast, cable, and Netflix programs. Fusion’s analysis of a wide swath of representation data found that “when women are hired to create, work on, or write shows, the visibility of women increases noticeably.” People of color are 37% of the population but account for 13.7% of TV staff employment during the 2013-2014 season, according to the Writer’s Guild of America. This is a really good article by Aisha Harris about diversity in the television writers room.
The majority of the list below is white, too — it’s just 30% women of color. I hope there are more out there — it wasn’t easy to find information about the personal lives of most of the writers I looked into. This list is by no means exhaustive in many regards, and doesn’t include a lot of writers who have dabbled in TV but specialize elsewhere, like A.M Homes and Ali Liebegott, or queer women who have worked in film or webseries production but never in scripted broadcast, cable or streaming television. Still, it’s a starter look at who out there is on our team!
1. Ali Adler
photo via shutterstock
Adler’s at the helm of the much-anticipated Supergirl TVs series, set to debut later this fall, starring Melissa Benoit… who you might remember from Glee, which Adler also wrote for. After Glee, she wrote for Ryan Murphy’s short-lived The New Normal. Her first big TV job was in 1991, on Beverly Hills 90210, and she later worked on shows including Family Guy, Just Shoot Me, Commander-in-Chief and Emily’s Reasons Why Not. Spending so much time as the only woman in rooms full of men gave her the insight she needed to write her book, released this year, How to F*ck a Woman: An Insider’s Guide to Love & Relationships.
She’s currently engaged to fellow TV writer Liz Brixius and was previously married to Sara Gilbert, with whom she had two children. After thee split with Gilbert, Adler dated comic Nicol Paone. I also feel like I heard a rumor that the character of Kate Arden in The L Word was based on her.
2. Alex Martinez Kondracke
The partner of the legendary Angela Robinson, Kondracke’s resume includes Hung and The L Word. According to AfterEllen, Robinson and Kondracke are collaborating on a pilot about Old Hollywood.
3. Amanda Bearse
In addition to her success as an actress, Bearse has worked as a director for shows including The Big Gay Sketch Show, Jessie, MADtv, Reba, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Dharma & Greg, The Jamie Foxx Show and Rude Awakening.
4. Andrea Sperling
This writer/producer has recently worked on two major TV shows about transgender people; This is Me and Transparent. She’s also served as producer for a ton of your favorite movies, including Addicted to Fresno, But I’m a Cheerleader, D.E.B.S., Itty Bitty Titty Committe, The Doom Generation and Breaking the Girls.
5. Angela Robinson
Robinson’s short film, D.E.B.S., became her first feature-length film, D.E.B.S., in 2004, the same year she started working as a director, writer and producer for The L Word, writing many of the series’ most beloved episodes. She then took the helm of Girltrash! a webseries on L Word spinoff website OurChart.com, which eventually became a movie that she did not approve. She worked on Hung from 2009-2011, wrote for True Blood from 2012-2014, and is now writing for How to Get Away With Murder. This makes Robinson one of the few black queer women working in television who’ve had a chance to write black queer female characters —Tara Thornton, Bette Porter, Tasha Williams and, now, Annalise Keating.
6. Ann Donahue
It all started with 21 Jump Street. And then: Beverly Hills 90210, Picket Fences, Murder One and High Incident. But her greatest acheivement on this earth is Executive Producer of every CSI franchise: CSI: Miami, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, CSI: NY and CSI: Cyber.
7. Brittani Nichols
photo by Molly K Adams via DAY IN THE LIFE: BRITTANI NICHOLS
In addition to being the writer, creator and producer of the webseries Words With Girls, Brittani Nichols has worked as a writer for Billy on the Street, The Collective and BET’s The Xperiment as well as the MTV pilot Yo, Is This Racist? Her first feature film, Suicide Kale, will debut on the 2016 festival circuit and you can also catch her in Season Two of Transparent.
8. Carly Usdin
Carly has worked as a producer for YouTube Nation and Logo’s NewNowNext on-air music series, as well as editing for shows like Hogan Knows Best, RuPaul’s Drag Race and the E! Documentary Britney Spears: Piece of Me. Her web-work includes directing sketches for Funny or Die and producing the webseries “Man About Modernism.” She’s the director of the aforementioned Suicide Kale movie project written by Brittani Nichols.
9. Carrie Brownstein
Carrie Brownstein is a musician and actress who also writes and produces Portlandia, a show you probably like!
10. Carol Leifer
Carol Leifer at the 2012 Writers Guild Awards, Hollywood Palladium, Hollywood, CA 02-19-12
Leifer is an actress, writer and producer who has worked in a production or writing capacity on a number of successful comedies: Seinfeld, The Larry Sanders Show, Almost Perfect, It’s Like, You Know, I’m With Her and Rules of Engagement. She was also the executive producer for the short-lived and underrated Ellen sitcom reboot, The Ellen Show, and currently works for Devious Maids. She’s also written for many Academy and Emmy Award ceremonies and Saturday Night Live.
11. Cherien Dabis
Before getting her first major television writing gig on The L Word in 2006, Dabis had penned an L Word parody, “The D Word,” starring Julie Goldman and Marga Gomez, and is now writing for Quantico. The Palestinian American filmmaker is the writer/director of the critically acclaimed Amreeka, which told the story of a Palestinian Christian immigrant single mother raising her son in small town Indiana. (Dabis herself was born in Nebraska and grew up in Ohio, spending summers in Jordan and the West Bank) She wrote and starred in May in the Summer in 2013, which co-starred Alia Shawkat playing a lesbian character. Through her work Dabis seeks to elevate women and portrayals of Arab-Americans. At some point Dabis was romantically linked to Rose Troche, who she worked with on The L Word.
12. Dearbhla Walsh
This Irish director has worked on EastEnders, Shameless, Funland, Borgia, The Tudors and Penny Dreadful.
13. Dee Johnson
Johnson is the one who fought for Dr. Kerry Weaver on E.R to come out as a lesbian. Prior to working on E.R., Johnson got her start writing for Melrose Place in 1993. She has worked as a producer for Nashville, Boss, Rizzoli & Isles, The Good Wife, Southland, Army Wives, Commander in Chief, ER, Profiler and Melrose Place.
14. Dee Rees
Although she is best known for her film work — specifically Pariah — Rees has also directed an episode of Empire and wrote the TV movie Bessie.
15. Donna Deitch
Another woman best known for her film work (specifically Desert Hearts), Deitch has worked on tons of television shows, too: NYPD Blue, Crossing Jordan, Private Practice, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, ER and the excellent TV Movie The Women Of Brewster Place.
16. Ellen DeGeneres
Maybe you’ve heard of her? She’s done a few shows. For example, she was the producer of a pretty popular sitcom called Ellen, and she wrote the very memorable “Puppy Episode” of said sitcom. Furthermore, she currently writes and producers a show called The Ellen DeGeneres Show. Producer credits include Repeat After Me, One Big Happy and Ellen.
17. Faith Soloway
Jill Soloway’s lesbian sister is working with Jill as a writer on her Amazon series Transparent.
18. I Marlene King
King wrote a lesbian character into Now and Then, and the studio let her keep the character, but they didn’t let her keep the character’s lesbianism. So now King is at the helm of Pretty Little Liars, which has a lesbian lead character and about six tertiary queers, too (and one very transphobic portrayal of a trans woman!). Before Liars, she wrote Just my Luck and If These Walls Could Talk (the first one, not the gay one).
19. Ilene Chaiken
My eternal foil Ilene Chaiken, writer of the 1996 Razzie Award Winning Pamela Anderson vehicle Barb Wire, is all up in our lives again for the first time since The Real L Word as a writer and Executive Producer for Empire. As you may have heard, Chaiken was the creator, writer and producer of Showtime’s hit series, The L Word, a groundbreaking series about lesbians in Los Angeles that played a major role in the launch of this website right here, even though it was really bad sometimes, too. Have you noticed the increased numbers of lesbians in this season of Empire? You can thank Ilene Chaiken for that, apparently. She got her start working in casting for Aaron Spelling and Quincy Jones Entertainment, moving on to working as a coordinating producer for The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.
20. Jamie Babbit
jamie babbit was awarded the 2013 frameline award | photo by ana grillo for frameline
Although the project with which Babbit is most commonly associated, But I’m A Cheerleader, is a movie, she has extensive television directing experience including many episodes of The Gilmore Girls, Undressed, Popular, United States of Tara, Drop Dead Diva and Married, as well as 1-3 episodes of shows including The Bernie Mac Show, Malcom in the Middle, Nip/Tuck, Ugly Betty, Alias, Gossip Girl, The L Word, Eli Stone, Dirty Sexy Money, Castle, 90210, Pretty Little Liars, The Middle, Gigantic, Smash, Revenge, Bunheads, Emily Owens M.D., Go On, Rizzoli & Isles, Super Fun Night, Girls, Looking and Brooklyn Nine-Nine.
21. Jan Oxenberg
Oxenberg wrote for Relativity, which featured the first kiss between two lesbian/bisexual characters on American televison in 1997, and Once and Again, which also had a pioneering queer storyline, and (AND!) also has worked as a producer and writer of Pretty Little Liars. Other credits include Cold Case, Kidnapped, In Plain Sight and Chicago Hope.
22. Jen Braeden
via afterellen
It was Jen who fought to make Sophia on Undermployed a lesbian character, so bless you, Jen Braeden. She also told AfterEllen a really cute story about how she became Jill Soloway’s intern, and worked on Super Fun Night, Awkward and Finding Carter.
23. Joanna Johnson
The actress best known for her appearances spanning almost 20 years on The Bold and the Beautiful came out in 2012. She started writing for television in 2013 with Hope & Faith, moving on to Make It Or Break It, Fairly Legal, Emily Owens M.D. and now, of course, The Fosters.
24. Joni Lefkowitz
After writing the very cute lesbianish movie Life Partners, Joni Lefkowitz started work on Chasing Life, which featured a bisexual female lead character.
25. Karey Dornetto
Dornetto is a very funny human being who has written for a lot of really funny television programs. For example: South Park, Arrested Development, Community, Kroll Show, The New Normal, Portlandia, and the new series Red Oaks.
9 “Lesbian Falls For Her Best Friend” TV Storylines From Heart-Wrenching To Heart-Warming
Season Two of Faking It ended with Karma once again breaking the heart of her best friend, Amy, who isn’t sure if she’s a lesbian or bisexual or somewhere in-between but knows one thing for sure: she really wants her best friend to be her girlfriend. They’re certainly not the first TV characters to walk this lonely road. Let’s look at other pairs who’ve walked this lonely road and how that worked out for them exactly, on a scale of “Heartbreaking” to “Heart-warming.”
***THIS POST IS CHOCK-FULL OF SPOILERS!! READ AT YOUR OWN RISK***
“Lesbian or Bisexual woman Falls For Her Best Friend” Storylines, Ranked In Order From Most Heartbreaking to Most Heartwarming
9. Alice and Dana, The L Word
The saddest story on this list actually involves two queer characters — Alice (who identified as bisexual) falls for her best friend, Dana, and tells her so after Dana announces to their friends that she’s gonna marry Tanya EVEN THOUGH TANYA KILLED MR. PIDDLES. After months of sexual tension which eventually explodes and becomes a full-fledged sexual affair, Dana finally leaves Tanya, Alice and Dana get together, and Alice has never been happier! They’re the cutest! But Alice quickly finds herself the one slightly more in love, and there is no agony like the agony of being slightly more in love. Oh wait — yeah there is — it’s the agony of your girlfriend leaving you for her ex AND THEN DYING OF CANCER.
8. Sophie and Sian, Coronation Street
Sophie and Sian’s love story snuck up on both of them — they were in the middle of a fight over a boy when Sophie kissed Sian and told her she was more important than any boy could ever be. After a rocky start, their best friendship turned romantic. They basically lived the dream all lesbians have about the best friend they’re in love with — that she returns your feelings, endures all the coming out drama, and looks at you like you’re the best thing that ever happened to her. They worked through a lot of Lesbian Relationship Tropes, sold us on their chemistry… and then broke up ON THEIR WEDDING DAY because Sophie is terrible. Sian left the show. I cried.
7. Shane and Jenny, The L Word
You can’t really blame Shane for responding to Jenny’s confession that she was “just like all those other girls” who’d fallen for Shane. She had no way of knowing Jenny’s character was gonna be written right off the rails in Season Six! Sure, she probably wasn’t your favorite in prior seasons, either (I’m a Jenny fan personally but we don’t have to talk about it) but Season Six, man. SEASON SIX. Then Jenny died and Shane was like, “meh” because nothing about episode 608 made a lick of sense.
6. Jocelyn and Camilla, East Los High
Camilla and Jocelyn had that classic good girl (Jocelyn) bad girl (Camilla) friendship — and then they kissed, and then they made out, and then they made out some more… but the deeper it got, the more Camilla wanted to act like it wasn’t that deep. Then Camilla committed the most mortal lesbian-falls-for-her-best-friend sin — she leaves Jocelyn for a guy (her brother, at that!), makes it clear she’d never actually date a woman, and then OUTS HER BEST FRIEND TO THE ENTIRE SCHOOL. (And, in turn, her slightly homophobic family.) Nothing like a good ‘ol public shaming for daring to have real feelings for a girl! We get a moment of sweet revenge when Jocelyn’s brother finds them in bed together again, and eventually Jocelyn moves on and dates girls who like her back. But that outing, man. Not cool.
5. Kim and Sugar, Sugar Rush
“I’m sexually obsessed with my best friend Sugar,” Kim tells us from the get-go of the short-lived British show Sugar Rush. Kim is more than ready for the trouble Sugar keeps getting her into, and tags along as Sugar blows through drugs, alcohol, boyfriends and hookups. Everybody’s sex-obsessed, everybody has crabs, everybody’s family is a mess, everybody breaks laws, it’s your classic teenage love story. Kim openly manipulates Sugar to get more of her attention, tricks her into kissing her, feels Sugar up while she’s seemingly passed out and sabotages Sugar’s relationships. Not that Sugar’s a pillar of kindness and decency herself — AfterEllen‘s LezBritain called her “the kind of unstable, exciting mess that attracts a disproportionate amount of otherwise sensible lesbians.” Then Sugar figures out the truth — that Kim “fancies” her — and thus begins the endless torturous process of Sugar playing with Kim’s heart. There’s kissing, there’s sex, there’s prison time, jealousy, games, drugs, all of it. When Kim finally moves on and finds another girlfriend, Saint, Sugar’s presence still looms large. I’ve been reminded of these two more than once during Faking It‘s run, although Amy and Karma’s life is practically Amish compared to Kim and Sugar’s. But you know the deal — Sugar always has a man on her arm but can’t stand it when Kim’s got a woman on hers, and if the show had lasted past two seasons, Sugar would’ve had to face her real feelings. But it didn’t, so, the end! At least nobody died.
4. Poussey and Taystee, Orange is the New Black
Prison is pretty lonely all around, but Poussey, our sensitive soul and eternal crush, seems to feel that even harder than the rest of them. Her best friendship with Taystee is often the only thing that gets her through, and it’s no surprise that she eventually develops a crush. Taystee herself is pretty polite about declining Poussey’s affections — even after Poussey kisses her unexpectedly, she actually apologizes for not being a lesbian and offers to cuddle instead. Taystee could make it a thing, and she actively chooses not to.
Then Vee shows up and makes something tender into something ugly. All Poussey wants to do is protect her best friend from a toxic relationship but Vee blames Poussey’s concern on her lesbianism, scowling, “Taystee will never love you. Not the way you want.” That shit wounds, y’all. Having an unrequited crush is hard enough, but having it thrown in your face to embarrass you when you’re just trying to protect somebody you love, regardless of how they love you back? Cold. So cold. It was a tough season to watch.
Bless us all that Taystee eventually saw the error of her ways and returned to the friendship, and that in the Season Three finale, it looked like Poussey might have found somebody to kiss and cuddle.
3. Fiona and Holly J, Degrassi
Oh, Fiona. Her ex-boyfriend was an abusive douchebag, she’s a loner, she’s a teenager who’s already discovered that she’s an alcoholic and been in and out of rehab — and, through falling in love with her best friend Holly J, she realizes she’s a lesbian. Honestly Holly J put me to sleep from the moment I laid eyes on her, but whatever. She takes it well when Fiona comes out to her, but when a mutual friend reveals to her that Fiona’s got a Big Fat Lesbian Crush on her, she doesn’t really know how to handle it, besides to stop “leading Fiona on,” which manifests itself in cancelled sleepovers and asking somebody else to zip up her dress — which of course, just pisses Fiona off. It could be humiliating, but Fiona rises to the occasion: “I know we’ll never be together, I’m not stupid… stop treating me like a Faberge egg and get over yourself!” She does. Holly J remains the straightest straight girl to ever follow her arrow, Fiona finds other girls to date, and we all grow as human beings.
2. Emily and Alison, Pretty Little Liars
by Heather Hogan
The questions gay girls ask themselves when falling in love with their best friends — could she be queer too? could she like me-like me back? — were even more complicated when Emily Fields started having feelings for Alison DiLaurentis. Why is she such good friends with that old witch? Where’d she get that airplane? Can she freeze time? How come she only owns that one yellow tank top? And then, after Emily kissed her, and Alison invited Emily to move to Paris to be her lesbian lover, things got even more dicey. Is Alison dead? Wait, is she a zombie? Wait, is she immortal? (No, no, maybe.)
By the time Alison rose from the grave, Emily had already answered nearly every question about her own sexuality by dating the hundreds of thousands of lesbians and bisexual women in her high school — but she still wondered if Alison had been for real about having gay feelings for Emily, or if it was all just a part of her tangled web of lies and masks of her own face. So, Alison took matters into her own hands and told Emily that she was serious all those years before she died, and now she was serious post-resurrection: She was never just kissing Emily for practice! And so they kissed again and again and also had some sex.
It maybe could have been forever love, if Emily hadn’t accused Alison of bludgeoning one of their classmates to death and thrown her into jail with her bare hands and then been kidnapped after the murder trial and trapped in an underground bunker with the girl she thought Alison killed pretending to be Alison. Sometimes life just gets in the way, you know?
It didn’t work out super well for Alison and Emily, but their exploratory smooching led to Emily being the most prolific lesbian dater in Pennsylvania and to them sharing one special night and one lifelong bond. You don’t just wear a necklace made of your fake dead fake ex-girlfriend’s fake teeth and come away unchanged.
1. Santana and Brittany, Glee
Santana and Brittany’s best friendship already involved scissoring before Santana’s feelings for Brittany enabled her Big Lesbian Revelation. Luckily, Brittany already knew she swung both ways, but less luckily, was already in a relationship with somebody else (Artie). But that eventually ended, and it was Brittaina time — until Santana left for college and the two drifted apart, eventually breaking up. But they finally got back together and got married just in time for the show to go off the air, leading us all to safely assume that they lived happily ever after. See, kids: one time out of nine, it actually works out!
Lesbian Kisses On American TV: The Definitive History Of Everybody Freaking Out Over Nothing
Once upon a time in a land not that far away or long ago, you couldn’t show two women touching lips on television, period, and if a network dared to do so anyhow, they’d quickly face a barrage of complaints and advertiser pull-outs. When same-sex kisses between women did happen, they often happened during “sweeps week” — weeks in February, May, July and November when advertisers set rates for the year. Networks would vie for the highest ratings possible with attention-grabbing “lesbian kiss episodes” heavy on shock value but light on staying power or actual queer characters. Usually the kisses were between straight women, or a straight character and a guest actress playing a lesbian or bisexual character. What’s more, these kisses were so laughably brief and sexless that it was ridiculous such a big deal had been made over them in the first place. You’ve probably had more intimate exchanges with a relative, honestly. Growing up during this time period, it was easy to think that same-sex kissing was an act generally reserved for straight women and the lesbian or bisexual friends who had crushes on them.
Even if the kiss didn’t happen on sweeps week, it remained unlikely that one kiss, as it so often does in real life, would ever lead to another. “You can show girls kissing once,” said Buffy the Vampire Slayer producer Marti Noxin, “but you can’t show them kissing twice … because the second time, it means that they liked it.”
Lesbian and Bisexual Characters and Same-Sex Kissing on American Television: A Timeline
1986
Lindsay Ann Brice played a recurring role as lesbian cop Kate McBride on Hill Street Blues.
1988
Nurse practitioner Marilyn McGrath and chef Patty of HeartBeat became the first recurring lesbian couple on American television. The introduction of these characters enticed a right-wing fundamentalist protest campaign. It was one of the first shows to portray lesbians in a positive light, but was quickly cancelled “allegedly for low ratings.”
1990: 21 Jump Street (Fox)
Although L.A. Law‘s 1991 lesbian kiss is often cited as the first, it wasn’t — that honor actually belongs to 21 Jump Street — arguably. While working a case, Judy Hoffs (Holly Robinson Pete) gets close to the former protege of a recently-murdered female teacher at her high school, and the protege turns out to be “confused” about her sexuality, as expressed by her attempt to kiss Hoffs. Hoffs just sits there, stunned, and the girl apologizes the next day. However, the bottom half of their faces, where their lips are located, gets cut off!
1991: L.A. Law (NBC)
L.A Law featured one bisexual female character, C.J. (Amanda Donohoe), a lawyer.
“There are probably twenty-five million gay people out there, all of whom have friends and relatives and loved ones. That is so many more people than those… who are liable to be offended by it that, to us, the advertiser saying ‘We lose business’ is irrelevant. It’s a perception, not a fact.”
– Producer Patricia Green
The first-ever lesbian kiss on network television happened in Episode 512 of David E. Kelley’s L.A. Law, when C.J (Amanda Donohoe), a bisexual lawyer, kissed her female colleague Abby Perkins (Michele Greene). There were hints that a relationship could emerge, but Greene only lasted a season, a one-episode appearance by a former “lover” of C.J.’s was inconsequential and eventually she got a boyfriend. Michele Greene later told AfterEllen that the kiss was a ratings ploy and the show never intended to explore lady-on-lady romance.
American Family Association called for advertiser boycotts, five ad sponsors pulled out but NBC found new advertisers at discounted rates. About 85 phone calls came in, half of which were supportive. But L.A. Law had now created what would become the Lesbians Sweeps Kiss / Bisexual Sweeps Stunt situation — an easy way to boost ratings during the week when ad rates are set without having to deal with any plot-impacting aftermath.
The New York Times described these stunts in 2005 as, “eminently visual; cheap, provided the actors are willing; controversial, year in and year out; and elegantly reversible (sweeps lesbians typically vanish or go straight when the week’s over), kisses between women are perfect sweeps stunts. They offer something for everyone, from advocacy groups looking for role models to indignation-seeking conservatives, from goggle-eyed male viewers to progressive female ones, from tyrants who demand psychological complexity to plot buffs.”
1993: Picket Fences (CBS)
Another David E. Kelly project! In Episode 121, “Sugar and Spice,” a friend of Kimberly (Holly Marie Combs), Lisa Fenn (Alexondra Lee), kisses Kimberly and confesses that she’s in love with her. Kimberly isn’t sure for like a second and then is like, let’s be friends. And that was that.
1993
Sisters features a recurring lesbian character, TV producer Nora Lear (Nora Dunn). Her partner is never seen onscreen, but she does get sperm from a male cast member so they can make a baby.
1994
Friends premieres, bringing with it two lesbian characters — Ross’s ex-wife, Carol Willick, and her new girlfriend (and eventual wife), Susan Bunch.
1994: Roseanne (ABC)
Roseanne featured one lesbian character, Nancy Bartlett, played by Sandra Bernhard.
ABC initially declined to air Roseanne episode 618, “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell,” which included a scene where Nancy (Sandra Bernhard)’s new girlfriend Sharon (Mariel Hemmingway) invites Roseanne & Jackie to a gay bar and then plants one on an unsuspecting Roseanne. ABC said it stood to lose $1 million in ad revenue and that it would be “bad for the kids to see.” But Roseanne threatened to take the entire program to a new network if they wouldn’t air it, so they did. However, as evidenced above, Mariel’s mane covered the actual lip contact and the show was preceded by a Parental Advisory for Adult Content.
1994: Lifestories: Families in Crisis (HBO)
In 1994, HBO made More Than Friends: The Coming Out of Heidi Leiter, an episode of “Lifestories: Families in Crisis,” a series which was HBO’s answer to the afterschool special. Mostly based on true stories, each episode tackled a new “issue” such as AIDS, bulimia or sexual abuse. In one episode, Ben Affleck plays a football player addicted to steroids. This episode told the true story of Virginia teenager Heidi Leiter, who took her girlfriend to prom. It’s framed as an inspirational story because they go to prom and nobody dies or punches them in the face (in that scene), but they don’t really seem to be having much fun, either. In the photo above, the two girls kiss in the hospital after Missy is attacked.
1995: Courthouse (CBS)
The first-ever black lesbian couple on television, Rosetta Reide (Jennifer Lewis) and Danni Gates (Cree Summer), appeared on the drama Courthouse, which only lasted 11 episodes. Unfortunately, the lesbianism of their characters apparently got “toned down” before broadcast.
1995: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (UPN)
Rejoined via ELMS
Star Trek has earned a great deal of criticism about its lack of queer characters in a world where discrimination is allegedly passe. But in episode 406 of Deep Space Nine, two women are given a chance to gaze lovingly into one another’s eyes across the dinner table and even lock lips! Basically, Dax (Terry Farrell) and Lenara Kahn (Susanna Thompson) are Trills, souls who live in different host bodies throughout their existence. Symbionts Dax and Lenara previously inhabited the bodies of a heterosexual married couple, and eventually the two broach the topic of the chemistry between them, inspired by their “history.” The two are separated by politics, falling prey to the taboo of “reassociation,” which is when Trills “try to recapture the experiences of a previous host during a current one.” The fact that the two women are same-gendered is never mentioned explicitly.
1997
NYPD Blue features a lesbian uniform officer, Abby Sullivan, who is friends with a male lead and has a partner named Kathy. She’s a lesbian who — surprise! — gets Greg to be a sperm donor so Abby can get pregnant, and she does. Then Kathy gets murdered during a fake robbery staged by her insane ex-girlfriend!
1997: Relativity (ABC)
Relativity featured one lesbian character, Rhonda, the sister of the show’s lead character, Leo.
Sarah Warn, founder of AfterEllen.com, wrote in 2002 that Relativity featured “the first real lesbian kiss” on network television because it offered “a kiss between two lesbian or bisexual women.”
This short-lived offering from the producers of My So-Called Life featured a date between two women in Episode 13, “The Day The Earth Moved.” Queer character Rhonda (Lisa Edelstein) rides an “earthquake stimulator” with Suzanne (Kristin Dattilo), and then the two OPEN-MOUTH KISS a little bit and then they go home and have gentle ladysex, which means we see both of them are naked in bed for a second, but it’s super-dark. Suzanne never appeared in the show again and the show was cancelled four episodes later. There’s a lot happening here that we’d never seen before: two queer women kissing each other, two queer women in bed with sex implied, two women open-mouth kissing. But due to the show’s relatively small audience and brief run, it wasn’t a huge deal at the time and many forget about it now.
ABC promoted the episode by calling it “the episode everyone is talking about,” and accusations ran wild that it was just an attempt to boost ratings for a show on the brink of cancellation. But the episode’s writer, Jan Oxenberg, insisted “we didn’t do this to save the show. We would have done this regardless.” Oxenberg is a lesbian herself, and said of the episode “it means a kind of profound acceptance.” Recalling seeing The Children’s Hour at a young age, Oxenberg added: “Kissing is a whole lot better than suicide. That I have a chance to replace those ugly images with the image of a kiss is a dream come true.”
The executive director of the Parents Television Council spoke out against it, the Vice-President of the American Family Association issued an angry press release about it, and ABC and the producers struggled over “how far to push this episode,” with ABC slapping it with a TV-14 and requesting the women can kiss only once. Some advertisers did pull out, but the network found replacements for those spots.
1997: Ellen (ABC)
Ellen featured a lesbian main character, Ellen Morgan, and recurring character Laurie Manning, her love interest.
Season Five, Episode Five – Ellen goes on a date with Laurie Manning
After the big “coming out” episode in 1997, Ellen DeGeneres’s sitcom predictably continued focusing on the life of its main character, Ellen Morgan, who was a newly out lesbian. Therefore, there was a lot of lezzie shit going down every week, a situation interpreted by the world as being too political and abandoning loyal viewers. This also meant there was, from time to time, lesbian kissing! The capture above is from Ellen’s first kiss with an actual gay lady on the show, from when Ellen went on a date with mortgage broker Laurie Manning.
But the most ballsy of these may have been the kiss in Episode 503 shared between Ellen Morgan and her best friend Paige (Joely Fisher), who is the one member of their social group not totally on board with Ellen’s sexual orientation — she doesn’t even want to change clothes around Ellen, let alone witness her talking to other gay ladies.
In what was like the fourth storyline about Ellen expressing interest in a lady who turned out to be straight or taken, Ellen’s neighbors send a friend over to interview about being her new “roommate,” which Ellen’s friends insist is lesbian code. Paige is made uncomfortable by their flirtatious conversation, which is quickly revealed to be not so flirtatious after all — the prospective roommate is straight. To save Ellen’s face, Paige storms in on the increasingly awkward exchange and declares that Ellen is her girlfriend, they’re getting back together, and this girl better hit the road. An extensive tongue kiss ensues.
A series of outsized reactions to the sight of two women kissing reached its peak with Ellen, effectively frightening a generation of pop-culture-savvy queers out of being lesbians. It also sent mainstream television into what writer Kathy Belge has called “a lesbian dry spell.” Honestly these low-rated seasons of the sitcom consisted of some of the most underrated lesbian television episodes ever produced.
1999: Party of Five (Fox)
Following a breakup with an abusive boyfriend, Julia Salinger (Neve Campbell) falls for her lesbian creative writing teacher, Perry Marks (Olivia d’Abo). In a moment of excitement and passion during episode 523, “I’ll Show You Mine,” Julia goes in for the kiss, which continues briefly and is obscured by Perry’s hair. Later, Perry tells Julia that she doesn’t wanna be Julia’s chemistry experiment, basically — that if Julia truly thinks she’s gay and isn’t just caught up in a crush on a teacher after getting out of a rough situation with a dude, she should figure that out before playing with Perry’s heart. Womp womp.
1998-1999: Ally McBeal (Fox)
“Happy Trails” via ELMS
Ally McBeal exploited the same-sex kiss device to the max, despite never actually featuring any queer female characters! This happy trail began in Episode 207, “Happy Trails,” in which lawyer Ally McBeal (Calista Flockhart) goes for a smooch with her secretary Elaine Vassal (Jane Krakowski) in order to repeal an annoying date.
Ally & Georgia
This went so well that Ally pulled the same trick a few episodes later, in episode 209, “You Never Can Tell,” this time with a more impressively lengthy kiss shared with Georgia Thomas (Courtney Thorne-Smith).
You Never Can Tell via ELMS
Ally & Ling
The big attention-grabber, however, was Ally’s Episode 302 kiss with Ling Woo (Lucy Liu) in “Buried Pleasures.” Ling’s confession that she had a sexy lesbian dream about Ally leads to the twosome dirty dancing after hours and kissing for 21 seconds. It was a blatant bid to improve the show’s ratings.
“Buried Pleasures” via ELMS
A Gay Girl’s Guide To Fall 2015 TV
by riese with help from heather
As the leaves change and time slips through our fingertips like sand through the hourglass, a brand new season of television is upon us. Reflecting the overall trend of pretty much everybody being gay, there are quite a few lesbian and bisexual females hitting up your television screens this fall and this is a special safe space in which to celebrate that blessed reality, and then go home and pray quietly to ourselves that they won’t be murdered or relegated to the background.
We’ve been delaying this fall preview in anticipation of the release of GLAAD’s “Where We Are On TV” Report (which usually has a few more reveals regarding which shows will have LGBTQ characters), but we just couldn’t wait another minute since so many of these shows start so soon! You can look forward to another post when GLAAD does release the report.
Grantland has called this season “the worst fall season in modern television history” and The Washington Post says this fall’s docket seems to fit neatly into their prediction that we’d reached the “silver age” of television, with “plenty of quality writing, acting and heightened production values, but how much of it is really, truly, can’t-miss TV?” Still, LGBT women are turning up in significant numbers and we’re seeing a lot of women front and center in new and returning shows.
Asterisks indicate an LGBTQ female character exists on this show.
Monday
*Faking It Season 2B (MTV) – August 31st, 9:30 PM
Faking It Season 2B is, in fact, already upon us, and Amy remains a maybe-lesbian, Karma is a maybe-bisexual, Shane is definitely gay, Reagan is definitely a lesbian, Lauren is intersex and Shane’s boyfriend is also gay. I will be recapping the whole blessed season.
*Gotham Season Two (Fox) – September 21st, 8PM
Gotham Executive Producer John Stephens told AfterEllen that “Barbara will be part of a love triangle that includes a new female villain,” and AE’s bet is on Tabitha/Tigress, played by Jessica Lucas. Heather, however, told John Stephens (via yelling at her laptop) that she will invest exactly zero more minutes into this show because they capitulated to entitled straight white fanboy outrage over the fact that Renee Montoya was a viable romantic rival to The Great Fanboy Mary Sue, Jim Gordon, and wrote her off the show without ceremony or explanation. Yes, the first canonically queer women in a live-action version of either Marvel or DC’s universes, a beloved lesbian Latina character, was trashed, and the women who preferred her over Jim, Miss Barbara Kean, was turned into a depraved bisexual psychopath. Heather gives it zero out of five stars, would not recommend.
Supergirl (CBS) – October 26th, 8 PM
Ideally, this show will erase from our minds all memory of Melissa Benoist playing Marley on Glee — she’s headlining this DC Comics-inspired program, which’ll also feature Laura Benanti as her birth mother and feature Dean Cain (who I remember fondly from Lois & Clark) in a guest spot as her foster father. Out lesbian writer Ali Adler (The New Normal, Glee) is on the writing team. Heather caught a screening of the pilot at the Paley Center and can confirm that this show is full of unapologetic girl power (kind of awesomely aimed at teenage gals!). It’s campy in the style of Lois & Clark (with a special guest appearance by actual Clark), and Benoist plays Kara Danvers with a swoony kickass charm. Like all the best superhero stories, you’ll easily be able to make the connection with hiding superpowers and being in the closet as a gay human.
*Jane The Virgin Season Two (The CW) – October 12th, 9 PM
Jane the Virgin was one of the most delightful (and surprisingly feminist) shows to land on TV last year. It features so many well-round Latina characters — including the matriarchal wonder of a household that includes Jane, her mom, and her abuela — and three queer women. There’s Luisa, the OBGYN who accidentally artificially inseminated Jane with her (Luisa’s) brother’s sperm. There’s Rose, Luisa’s former stepmother who also was her lover; she killed Luisa’s father, buried him in cement, and kidnapped Jane’s baby because in addition to being bisexual, she’s also a criminal mastermind. And there’s Juicy Jordan, Luisa’s current girlfriend who also is an Ultimate Fighting Champion in MMA. (Did I mention this show is a telenova?)
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (The CW) – October 12th
Comedienne Rachel Bloom is behind this unexpected and wacky musical comedy that sees her character, Rebecca, flushing all her meds down the toilet and leaving her career as a lawyer in New York for suburban Covina, California to chase down a boy she fell in love with at summer camp ten years earlier. With a concept that terrible, it has to be fantastic, right?
Tuesday
*Grandfathered (Fox) – September 29th, 8 PM
The lesbian is on the far right
This John Stamos sitcom is, um, a John Stamos sitcom — but, early reviews have been largely positive, and the show’s creator, Danny Chun, did time writing for The Office and The Simpsons. Paget Brewster (Emily Prentiss on Criminal Minds) plays Stamos’ ex and MORE IMPORTANTLY, Kelly Jenrette plays his lesbian assistant, Annelise. How much John Stamos can we endure in order to relish in the beauty of a black lesbian character in a primetime sitcom? Find out this season, on FOX.
*Scream Queens (Fox) – September 22nd, 8pm
The latest Ryan Murphy/ Brad Falchuk / Ian Brennan project is full of blood, guts and Murphy’s own brand of camp. The cast, headed up by Emma Roberts playing sorority girl Chanel Oberlin, also includes Jamie Lee Curtis, Abigail Breslin, Niecy Nash and Lea Michelle. It’s a “killer comedy” about a serial killer, disguised in a devil outfit, who begins terrorizing campus during sorority rush. Sam, played by Asian-American actress Jeanna Han, appears to be our token queer, with a style “inspired by Sam Ronson.” On Afterellen, Trish Bendix noted that although Sam will appear in the pilot, “it doesn’t sound like she’ll survive much longer than that.” So, you do have an out, queer women of the world! You don’t have a moral obligation to watch! Tavi Gevinson will guest star.
The Muppets (ABC) – September 22nd, 8pm
The Muppets are returning to prime time, this time doing a fake reality-show style situation that is sure to tickle your nostalgia bones and also your funny bones and probably sell a lot of merchandise. I don’t know guys I just love the muppets. I know they’re not gay but you know, some of them basically are.
*Fresh Off The Boat Season Two (ABC) – September 22nd, 8:30 pm
Sonya Eddy is playing Deb, the bartender at The Denim Turtle, because it turns out that Jessica’s first trip to the Denim Turtle was not her last — it’s her new favorite bar, and thus, Deb is her new best friend.
*The People’s Couch Season Four (Bravo) – October 6th, 10 PM
JULIE AND BRANDY JULIE AND BRANDY JULIE AND BRANDY no for real I know it sounds stupid to watch people watch television, but this show is genuinely hilarious, and it will do a little something to fill the gaping hole in your heart where In Your Box Office used to live.
Best Time Ever With Neil Patrick Harris (NBC) – September 15th, 10pm
This is a variety show hosted by a gay man, which could be relevant to your interests! Of the premiere, Vulture said, “I’ve seen a lot of next-day complaints that Best Time Ever was awkwardly staged and performed and disappointing and so on. I didn’t see that last night. What I saw was a series of physically and musically and otherwise gifted people doing amazing things with no safety net to speak of, save the rather brief pauses afforded by the prerecorded clips. I don’t think I’ve used a pogo stick since I was a kid, and I damn sure can’t do a backflip from one, as Harris did. Live, people. Live.” They were filming this situation across the street from Heather’s favorite bar recently and there was a crane and everyone sipped on overpriced cocktails and discussed the fact that he should have teamed with Maya Rudolph for this.
The Mindy Project (Hulu), September 15th
Hulu picked up this show (one of my favorites!) last year when it was dumped from network television. Lesbian comedienne Fortune Feimster will play Jody’s sister, Collette Kimball, a nurse with “big energy.” No word on whether or not her character is gay but like, come onnnnnn…..
Wednesday
*Arrow Season Four (The CW), October 7th, 8pm
Arrow. Arrow, Arrow, Arrow. Well, on the one hand, Arrow completely stuffed their leading bisexual character, Sara “Canary” Lance, in the refrigerator very early on in the season last year. Very unacceptable. One thousand points from Slytherin. On the other hand, Arrow brought Nyssa Al Ghul, Sara’s ex-girlfriend, back for a whole lot of the back half of the season and let her kick asses and mourn her beloved out loud. She’ll be back this season. Oh, she’ll be back. Now, on a third hand, Sara Lance (or some incarnation of her) is going to star on CW’s latest Arrow spin-off, Legends of Tomorrow, which lands in January. No word yet on whether or not she’ll be queer, but considering the huge fan backlash over her death, it seems very likely.
*Empire Season Two (Fox), September 23rd, 9pm
Bisexual hip-hop artist Tiana Brown has been upgraded to a series regular for season two and there’ll be a new lesbian character, Forbes list billionairess Mimi Whitman, played by Marisa Tomei. Mimi is described as “a demanding venture capitalist who becomes involved in Lyon family drama” and a “lover of hip-hop music, social trends, high-end fashion and beautiful women.” Our mortal enemy Ilene Chaiken told AfterEllen that Mimi is “a fabulous character. We’ve having loads of fun with her. But she also plays an important role in the soap, in the treachery, in the Cookie vs. Lucious and in the fate of Empire.” Everybody cross your fingers that Cookie and Mimi are gonna hook up please.
*Rosewood (Fox), September 23rd, 8pm
The story of a private pathologist teaming up with a cop to solve crimes will feature two lesbian characters: Gabrielle Dennis will play Pippy, Rosewood’s sister and the practice’s “toxicology queen” and Tara Milly Izikoff will play her fiancé, DNA specialist Anna Konkle. Our main worry, of course, is that being a lesbian is the number one way to get yourself killed in Emily Fields’ Rosewood.
Criminal Minds Season 11 (CBS), September 20th, 9pm
Your favorite guilty pleasure that sometimes scars you psychologically is back AND finally a woman of color has been added to the cast! Aisha Tyler will be playing Dr. Tara Lewis, a forensic psychologist with an alternative lifestyle haircut. Out actress Kristen Vangsness will also be returning as my best friend Penelope Garcia.
*American Horror Story: Hotel (FX), October 7th, 1opm
Ryan Murphy’s ambitious project returns for a new season with a new story — including Angela Basset‘s Ramona Royale, the ex-girlfriend of Lady Gaga‘s character, Elizabeth. Ramona will see herself in a love triangle with Elizabeth and two male characters. Lily Rabe will play lesbian serial killer Aileen Wurnos. Bisexual actress Sarah Paulson is also returning for another season of this extremely twisted show.
Every Current Lesbian/Bisexual TV Character, Ranked By U-Hauling Potential
The lull between summer TV season and fall TV season is a good time to evaluate where we are on television, in terms of queer female representation. As Autostraddle CEO + Editor-in-Chief Riese mentioned last week, we’re moving away from counting gay characters now; it’s time to talk about quality, not quantity. So while we await new episodes of our favorite regular season shows, we thought it would be a good time to address the thing you really care about: Which lesbian/bisexual TV characters would be the best to U-Haul with? And so we’ve evaluated every major recurring lesbian/bi character that currently has a place on American television and ranked them in order of Most U-Hauling Potential to Least U-Hauling Potential!
Off limits: Stef and Lena, The Fosters
Sorry, they belong together forever; you’re not invited.
Off limits: Nomi and Amanita, Sense8
They’re too in love to ever U-Haul with anyone but each other.
46. Sara Harvey, Pretty Little Liars
Pros: None.
Cons: Literally the most boring human being on earth. Takes too many showers.
45. Piper Chapman, Orange Is the New Black
Pros: Good at crafty, Pinterest-style home decorating projects.
Cons: Is a narcissistic abyss of Slytherin schemes and unquenchable insecurities.
44. Tituba, Salem
Pros: V. skilled in magic, could whip up healing potions, etc. in a snap if you’re feeling under the weather.
Cons: Worships the literal devil and would always be doing murder around the house and leaving blood and guts everywhere.
43. Barbara Kean, Gotham
Pros: Knows Batman.
Cons: Is a manipulative psychopath with no qualms about killing even her own family. Wouldn’t be able to spend much time together as she now resides in Arkham Asylum.
42. Rose, Jane the Virgin
Pros: Really hard worker, master entrepreneur; making rent would never be a problem. Interested in having sex in new and exciting places.
Cons: Deals drugs, kidnaps babies.
41. Tara, The Walking Dead
Pros: Loyal, savvy, strong will to survive.
Cons: Too much exposure to the zombie apocalypse, would need lengthy period of re-socialization, similar to a feral cat.
40. Audrey, Scream
Pros: Would stay up all night watching old movies with you and discussing themes of sexism, homophobia, etc.
Cons: Potentially would murder you, as she potentially did to her first girlfriend and others.
39. Faith, UnREAL
Pros: Sweet, really looking to take things to the next commitment level no matter what it takes.
Cons: Will be suffering from reality TV PTSD for the rest of her life.
38. Reagan, Faking It
Pros: Fun! Loyal! Really willing to get in it with you and help you work through your stuff and love your family even though they make her crazy.
Cons: Believes her own singular anecdotal experience of dating a bisexual woman who left her for a man is universal, never wants you to ever have even looked longingly at another human before you met her.
37. Emily Fields, Pretty Little Liars
Pros: Lots of lived experiences, plenty of stories to share. Pretty good at cooking. Deep, deep empathy for everything you’re going through at all times.
Cons: You’ll be murdered for absolute sure.
36. Shay, Orphan Black
Pros: Willing to take on all your significant baggage, into romantic gestures like bringing you breakfast in bed, basically a living ASMR video.
Cons: But like do you really know her? Do you?
35. Lena, Ray Donovan
Pros: Is Shane 2.0.
Cons: Is Shane 2.0.
34. Nicky Nichols, Orange Is the New Black
Pros: Will always make you laugh, even in her most nihilistic spirals. Sees through the bullshit to the heart of things.
Cons: In perpetual Self-Destruct mode.
33. Sameen Shaw, Person of Interest
Pros: Willing to take a literal bullet for you. V. tech savvy, could figure out how to get all the remotes to work with just one remote.
Cons: Occasional psychotic tendencies.
32. Lt. Alisha Granderson, The Last Ship
Pros: A smart, hard worker with a golden soul.
Cons: Lives on a spaceship a billion lightyears away.
31. Delphine, Orphan Black
Pros: If you’ve got a problem, yo, she’s solved it. Like waking up next to a puppy every morning. Actual genius human, would talk you down every time you self-diagnosed cancer after visiting Web MD.
Cons: Potentially is dead, you might have to U-Haul with her ghost.
30. Lexa, The 100
Pros: Resourceful, probably could make dinner out of just some crackers and one condiment. Good at looking at the big picture. Enjoys a good give-and-take.
Cons: Is pretty sure love is a weakness, slave to justice.
29. Alex Vause, Orange Is the New Black
Pros: All overshadowed by letting Piper Chapman ruin her life on repeat.
Cons: Has also ruined Piper Chapman’s life on repeat.
28. Karma, Faking It
Pros: When she gets you, she gets you. When she loves you, she loves you.
Cons: Paralyzing inability to make up her mind, inexplicable fondness for one-dimensional straight white oafish man-children.
27. Nyssa al Ghul, Arrow
Pros: You’ll be safe here.
Cons: Her family is a real piece of work.
26. Luisa Alver, Jane the Virgin
Pros: Loyal and compassionate, super smart and super rich(!).
Cons: Dating a MMA fighter who could destroy you, hasn’t quite conquered her addictive tendencies yet.
25. Big Boo, Orange Is the New Black
Pros: Will go to war for you, can stretch a penny for a mile, not afraid of some sexual experimentation.
Cons: Actually kind of likes going to war?
24. Alison DiLaurentis, Pretty Little Liars
Pros: Has several billion dollars stashed away in various hidey-holes. Has a pilot’s license which will make for easy weekend getaways. Can hold her breath for hours. Knows at least one real witch.
Cons: Lives in a graveyard, potentially suffering from having her brain completely wiped clean.
23. Madame Vastra, Doctor Who
Pros: Always up for an adventure, not scared of any bumps in the night or bugs or anything like that.
Cons: Not really good at knowing what hurts a human lady’s feelings.
22. Root, Person of Interest
Pros: Once you have her heart, it is yours forever. V. good with computer things, could deal with all your wireless router troubles without blowing a gasket.
Cons: Hot-tempered a little bit, likes killing a little bit also.
21. Bo Dennis, Lost Girl
Pros: Doesn’t mind gettin’ into a little trouble.
Cons: Is always gettin’ into trouble.
20. Tiana, Empire
Pros: Would fill your house with the most beautiful music from her own personal vocal chords! Friends with Cookie Lyon!
Cons: Hakeem up in your business forever.
19. Clarke, The 100
Pros: Believes in your power, will never leave you behind to save herself if your apartment catches on fire, thrifty, good at medicine things, good at looking on the bright side even in the most dire circumstances.
Cons: Kind of also thinks love is a weakness.
18. M-Chuck, Survivor’s Remorse
Pros: Loves to laugh, steadfast and true in her love for you, will not tolerate homophobic bullying, up for making out in church even.
Cons: Really, really wrapped up in her family’s drama.
17. Betty, Masters of Sex
Pros: Like living with Luna Lovegood, kind of.
Cons: Her boss is the worst and she has a hard time leaving her work at work.
16. Amy, Faking It
Pros: Loves deeply and foreverly, a perfect mix of sweetness and sass.
Cons: Probably never going to be over falling for her best friend in high school, to be honest.
15. Suzanne, Orange Is the New Black
Pros: You’ll never need to spend money on books; she’ll write a whole library for you. Really likes to keep things tidy, doesn’t mind doing the hard housework. Her wisdom will blow you away probably every day.
Cons: Startled by intimacy, weirdly over-involved parents.
14. Cosima Niehuas, Orphan Black
Pros: Probably could invent a robot to do all the cooking and cleaning. Will go on ice cream runs in the middle of the night. Her smile would be your alarm clock, like the sun gently waking you up to begin each new day.
Cons: She’s been dying for a while.
13. Abby Isaacs, Manhattan
Pros: An ardent, devoted companion; ready and willing to try all kinds of new lesbian things she’s never tried before; just wants to make a happy home for you.
Cons: Married to a guy building an atomic bomb.
12. Arizona Robbins, Grey’s Anatomy
Pros: Failed first marriage has given her some perspective about what’s important in life. Really wants a comfortable, happy home. Very good with kids and probably pets also.
Cons: A little bit blame-y about things that aren’t your fault, workaholic.
11. Sophia, Orange Is the New Black
Pros: A hard worker who likes to laugh and also have deep discussions, willing to go the extra hundred miles for people she loves, unwilling to compromise on her principles. Just wants a quiet life with the people she loves most.
Cons: Love sometimes blinds her.
10. Brenna, Chasing Life
Pros: Has Her Shit Together, knows what’s important in life, stands up for what’s right even if it’s not popular.
Cons: Her (very valid) fear of losing the things she loves might make her a little clingy.
9. Tamsin, Lost Girl
Pros: Loves with a love that lasts forever, and she should know because she’s immortal. All the best qualities of all the best roommates you’ve ever had.
Cons: Sometimes has to travel to hell for extended periods of time for work.
8. Soso, Orange Is the New Black
Pros: Knows what she wants out of life now, treasures the moments that matter, ready to make a life with someone who deserves her.
Cons: Impulsive, occasionally gets pulled into a cult.
7. Gail Peck, Rookie Blue
Pros: She’s got a good career and a good heart and she’s done playing the game. She’s ready to settle down, start a family even.
Cons: 100 times out of 100, she chooses to listen to her gut instead of her brain.
6. Paige McCullers, Pretty Little Liars
Pros: Wants to spend time nesting but also hitting up diners and eating all the donuts, has looked into the abyss and survived, so loyal the Sorting Hat placed her in Gryffindor before it even landed on her head, forgives easily because she knows what it’s like to need forgiveness.
Cons: Sometimes she tries so hard she breaks things.
5. Maggie, Younger
Pros: A driven, successful artist with a hella nice rent controlled loft in Bushwick. Is cool going out or staying in, it’s up to you really.
Cons: Everyone in Bushwick drives unicycles now.
4. Callie Torres, Grey’s Anatomy
Pros: She’s not messing around anymore. She knows what she can and cannot live without, and she’s going to get it. When she says she’s there for you, she’s there for you.
Cons: A bad luck cloud follows her around like she’s Charlie Brown.
3. Lauren Lewis, Lost Girl
Pros: Selfless, nurturing, adorable, whip-smart, superheroic, Canadian.
Cons: Not very good at saying no when her ex-girlfriend is in trouble. (Her ex-girlfriend is always in trouble.)
2. Jenny, Doctor Who
Pros: She cooks, cleans, loves to makeout, makes you laugh, holds you when you cry, and also is a time-traveling kick-ass ninja-woman who errs on the side of misandry and will not stand for oppression or injustice!
Cons: Dies sometimes for just a little while.
1. Poussey Washington, Orange Is the New Black
Pros: She’s perfect.
Cons: None.
We’re eager to hear your opinions on our opinions on this subject.
The 10 Best Gal Pals In TV History
Welcome to Gal Pal Week on Autostraddle.com! Usually, our queer identities are discussed in three contexts: relationships, family, and politics. But our queerness plays a role in our friendships, too, and this week is all about that. We’re celebrating gals who are genuinely pals (not girlfriends labeled “gal pals” by weirdo mass media.) We’ve got lots of fun content lined up — most notably a set of Queer BFF interviews — as well as new “gal pal” merch you’re gonna love!
Real, organic friendships between two women on television aren’t easy to find; those kinds of friendships between two queer women are as rare as unicorns. So to kick off this week, we’re counting down ten of our favorite TV gal pals.
Shane and Alice, The L Word
Neither Shane nor Alice were great at love, but they were the best at being best friends. Whether they were comforting each other’s heartbreaks, dropping tough-to-take truth bombs, forgiving each other for their fuck-ups, or baking gay brownies, they always showed up for each other when it counted. They were the only relationship on The L Word that was sure to last forever.
Santana and Quinn, Glee
Sometimes gal pals never cross the friendship line; sometimes they do. Forever gal pals bounce back from their scissoring shenanigans and fall back into being best friends again. So it was with Santana and Quinn, who enjoyed a drunken hook-up at Mr. Schuester’s (non-)wedding, but had no trouble returning to their former status quo: tough love and performing in their high school cheerleading uniforms far beyond an acceptable age.
Willow and Buffy, Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Buffy revealed herself as bisexual in Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s season eight comic books, did you know? Which means she and Willow are two of the greatest queer gal pals in history. Not only did they constantly bring out the best in each other; they literally saved the world over and over and over again. You can call a real gal pal in the middle of the night if you need to talk about your feelings. You can call the best gal pal at any time to help you thwart the Apocalypse.
Big Boo and Nicky, Orange Is the New Black
Big Boo and Nicky’s competitive gal palship keeps them on their toes. When Nicky comes back from max (and she’d better!), we assume they’ll pick right up where they left off.
Madam Vastra and River Song, Doctor Who
Oh, you know, just a lesbian lizard woman from the dawn of time and her bisexual half-Time Lord gal pal. Sometimes they do things like make dinner plans via wibbly-wobbly time-traveling communication devices; sometimes they do things like save each other’s spouses. Either way, it’s always an adventure.
Tasha and Papi, The L Word
A no-chemistry, one-night hook-up in college led Papi and Tasha to being two of the most relatable, least insufferable people in all of The L Word history. With all the entitled hijinks going on in WeHo, it’s no wonder two of the most down-to-earth, loyal women gravitated toward each other. It’s too bad Tasha couldn’t save Papi from falling off at the earth at end of season five, the way Jenny and Sounder II drifted out to sea.
Bo and Tamsin, Lost Girl
The best gal pals can survive universe-shattering disasters and an occasional bout of unrequited love — as with Bo and Tamsin, who sometimes make out to power up Bo’s succubus energy reserves and sometimes make out because Tamsin’s heart gets tangled up, but mostly don’t make out and instead spend their time fighting humans and fae to keep the earth safe from the hell beasts that are constantly trying to blow it up. They always put the other person’s best interests first and they’re the only ones who can consistently make each other belly laugh. It’s a gal pal-ship made in Valhalla (literally).
Max and Anne, Black Sails
It started when Anne tried to keep Max from getting abused aboard her boyfriend, Jack’s, ship. Anne stood guard outside Max’s door and threatened to do a lot of gruesome things to the sailors if they stepped out of line while they were in with Max, who was a sex worker repaying a debt to Jack at the time. It progressed to Anne and Max sleeping together and confusing Anne’s cynical heart a whole lot. And it ended with Anne returning to her boyfriend, but tag-teaming with Max to bring home a whole lot of treasure. Just a couple of queer pirates sailing the high seas, hand-in-hand.
Alison and Emily, Pretty Little Liars
Before Alison was buried alive by her mother and pulled from her would-be grave by an elderly seer, Emily was her favorite Pretty Little Liar. Posing as a ghost, she pulled Emily from a lodge fire and a carbon monoxide-filled barn, where Emily had driven at the behest of a talking doll. As for Emily, she never really believed Alison was dead; she knew she had to be hiding under one of those masks of her own face, somewhere out there. Yeah, they kissed and kissed and hooked up at least once, and maybe what they feel for each other will one day evolve into something more, but while they’re on the run from the omniscient cyberterrorist ninja who is trying to ruin their lives, they lean on each other in gal pal-ship. Emily staying friends with an ex is a big deal. Almost as big a deal as one of Emily’s ex-girlfriends being alive.
Poussey and Soso, Orange Is the New Black
Poussey wanted a girlfriend. Soso wanted a prison family. They ran into each other occasionally, enjoyed some time in the same cult, but it wasn’t until Poussey saved Soso’s life that either of them realized they might have something special together. Are they friends? Are they more? For the moment, they’re gal pal sea otters, floating in a pond, hand-in-hand. And that’s just enough.
Did I miss your favorite TV gal pals? Notify me immediately in these comments!
5 Things I Watched to Prepare Myself for A-Camp
Like many of you, I’ve based my ideas about A-Camp purely on skimming the recamps and trying to decode the inside joke-ridden social media posts from all the campers I know. So in preparing for this, my first A-Camp, I’ve turned to movies and TV to give me inspiration and calm my nerves. Hopefully I made the right choices, but if not, at least I had some entertainment while I packed.
1. The L Word, “Lifecycle”
This is one of my all-time favorite episodes of The L Word, and it has a lot of things my brain anticipates as being central to the A-Camp experience: exercise, obsessive crushes, soul-baring, sex tape-making, gossip, rounds of never have I ever that turn way too serious and, of course, crying over Dana. Hopefully there won’t be any Adeles running around plotting to ruin anyone’s career/life/relationship, but I’m pretty sure if there were we’d all recognize the signs before they cut their hair and started dressing exactly like the senior editors.
2. The Parent Trap
Lindsey Lohan and Lindsey Lohan star in one of the all-time best movies about children plotting to make their parents fall in love. Honestly, I couldn’t fathom in 1998 and still can’t wrap my head around the fact that Lohan is not, in fact, a twin but instead managed to play both Hallie and Annie through the magic of moviemaking. But their magical summer camp bonding (which, of course, begins as a rivalry) and the ease with which each slips into the identity of the other (shhh I know why this is so convincing, don’t ruin the magic) has me pumped to go to Camp and find my long-lost identical twin. I really hope she’s British.
3. The Craft
Confession time: I keep trying to watch The Craft, and it keeps scaring the pants off me, so I give up half an hour in and watch something silly and comforting, like Romy and Michelle’s High School Reunion (which is not a bad alternative) instead. But I really like the witchy vibe we’ve got going on at Autostraddle lately, and it’s enough to help me push through the story of three high school outcasts (Fairuza Balk, Neve Campbell and Rachel True) and the coven they form with the new girl, the mysterious and moody Sarah (Robin Tunney). In addition to being great outfit inspiration, it’s a good warning against letting one’s powers run wild — all the black lipstick in the world can’t save you from the karma of an overblown ego.
4. Little Darlings
So I actually haven’t been able to watch Little Darlings yet, because it isn’t on Netflix and I keep telling myself I’m going to walk to the library to rent it and then finding excuses to stay inside on the couch instead, but it’s been on my list for a while. I mean, you can’t really pass up a plot summary like this one (from an excellent list of summer camp movies Riese wrote a while back): “a contest between Angel (Kristy McNichol), the tomboy ‘girl from the wrong side of the tracks,’ and Ferris (Tatum O’Neal), the rich girl, to see who can lose their virginity first.” If those feathered bangs are any indication, Angel may just have the stuff to edge Ferris out.
5. Saved!
Sometimes you have to prepare for the chance that maybe this is all some sort of secret plot by the CIA to get me to accept Jesus into my heart and renounce my lesbianism for the sake of these United States of AmericaTM. Do I really think that’s going to happen? I mean… no. But just in case, I want to arm myself with witty retorts and badass style a la Cassandra, who helps naive Mary find a new crowd after she gets pregnant trying to save her boyfriend from being gay. And who knows? Maybe I’ll help expose my own Mandy Moore as a hypocrite and end up with a baby. That wouldn’t be the worst thing, right?
7 TV Shows About Trans Women Coming Soon to Your TV
Just a few short years ago there were exactly zero shows on TV that I could watch to see transgender women like me, played by transgender women like me, on a weekly basis. Now, thanks in large part to Laverne Cox’s brilliant breakout Emmy-nominated role in Orange is the New Black, and the success of Jill Soloway’s Golden Globe winning Transparent, it seems like networks are scrambling to jump on the trans bandwagon.
For some reason, trans-based reality shows seem to be much more popular than scripted shows about trans people. Actually, there are lots of obvious reasons. The film and television industry’s reluctance to cast trans actors, especially in starring roles, the very palpable fascination that the public has with real-life trans people (and especially trans women) and the lack of creativity most writers have historically shown for telling stories with trans characters have all probably affected the amount of fictional trans characters we see on TV. Still, things are definitely getting better and according to casting directors, trans actors are in higher demand than they’ve ever been before. It would be nicer to see some more diversity, though. Seeing a teenage trans girl on a scripted show, non-binary trans people, more trans people of color (I personally, as a trans Latina, would love to see some trans Latinas on TV), and trans guys would be wonderful.
We don’t know how long this very welcome trend will last (especially since the scripted shows are just pilots and might not even get picked up), so while we’ve got options, we thought we’d look at the slate of upcoming shows and gauge our excitement for them. To be honest, I’ll probably check out all of these that are on channels that I get because I’m starved for representation and I have almost no willpower when it comes to things like this.
Some of the cast and producers of New Girls on the Block via Variety
1. New Girls on the Block
Discovery Life
This show, premiering April 11, is about six trans women who are all friends in Kansas City, Missouri. According to the Discovery Life Channel, “after years struggling with their gender identities, they are finally finding themselves and learning what it means to be the women they always knew that they were.” It will follow their love lives (some came out after getting married, others are exploring the dating world as trans women), how transitioning affects their work lives and their efforts to be seen as human beings as and women.
While the actual trans women that star in this show seem cool and interesting, the way Discovery Life is presenting it makes me more than a little worried. It seems like the show is kind of preoccupied with their transition and the struggles they face because of it, which, if you’ve been reading and watching trans books, documentaries and stories for years (like I have), is getting kind of really old at this point. Even if you haven’t been watching a ton of trans stories, I’m sure it’s getting repetitive. Executive Producer Jay James’ comment that “to be perfectly honest, there’s a natural curiosity to see what transgender people are all about” makes me even more nervous. Mari will have a more in-depth article on this show soon, so keep an eye out for that.
Excitement level: I’d rather meet these people in real life than watch them on TV. 2/5 Sophia Bursets
Jazz and her family via aceshowbiz.com
2. All That Jazz
TLC
Despite only being 14, Jazz Jennings has been in the national spotlight for years as a trans advocate, someone who speaks up for trans kids’ rights and encourages acceptance of transgender children. Now she’s taking the next step and this summer will be starring in a TLC reality show about her and her parents, twin brothers and older sister.
Jazz already has a few years of being in the spotlight and being on camera talking about trans issues and how they relate to her own life, and from what I’ve seen, her family is super supportive, so those are good signs. On the other hand, though, TLC is kind of famous for its exploitative reality TV shows, like Here Comes Honey Boo Boo and My 600-lb Life. So, hopefully this won’t turn into one of those.
Excitement Level: If it helps one set of parents learn to accept their trans kid I’ll be happy. 3.5/5 Sophia Bursets
Carly reading a letter to her family via Think Progress
3. Becoming Us
ABC Family
Also coming out this summer, this time from ABC Family, is Becoming Us, which is actually about a cis person, 17-year-old Ben Lehwald, and his parent, Carly, who came out as a trans woman during Ben’s first year of high school and is transitioning. He’s also dating a girl who has a transgender parent. This show seems to be focusing on how Ben, his older sister and the rest of the family process Carly’s transition and transness. ABC Family had previously featured a trans guy character named Cole on the show The Fosters and had a trans actor, Tom Phelan, play the character.
Back when Transparent was first coming out, Mari and I talked about our mixed feelings regarding the show, and one of our issues was that it was re-hashing the tale as old as time: a Well-Off White Trans Woman With Kids who comes out later in life. This seems like it might be basically a reality TV version of that show, but hopefully Carly’s family isn’t full of absolutely horrible people like Maura’s is.
Excitement Level: I’ll just stick to watching Transparent (but will probably watch at least one episode of this). 1.5/5 Sophia Bursets
via Shutterstock
4. Transcendent
Fuse
There’s not a ton of information about this upcoming series that was just announced today, but it does seem kind of interesting. Fuse already has Big Freedia, which stars the gender non-comforming (but not trans) Queen of Bounce, and this fall they’ll be adding this show which is about “the triumphs and struggles of a group of transgender San Francisco cabaret performers.”
I don’t get Fuse, but I do enjoy the episodes of Big Freedia that I’ve seen. And this show seems to have a different spin on it than all the others, so this show does have my attention.
Excitement Level: If I had Fuse I’d watch it. 4/5 Sophia Bursets
5. TransAmerica
VH1
There actually hasn’t been any news about this show in a while, so I’m not 100% sure if it’s still coming out, but there was a lot of excitement for it when it was first announced. TransAmerica is going to feature of group of trans women living in Chicago named Giselle, Natalia, Sidney and Victory with transgender model Carmen Carrera acting as a sort of mentor for them and host for the show.
When this show was announced, Carrera was fresh off of flawlessly reacting to Katie Couric’s extremely uncomfortable questions to both her and Laverne Cox, and Tyra Banks has been a reality TV queen ever since the first season of America’s Next Top Model. However, despite getting an eight episode order, and having a pretty detailed description about the show and the trans women who were starring in it, a premiere date still hasn’t been announced. Since then, Carrera has also made more than a few missteps when it comes to policing other trans women’s bodies and lives, so that makes me a little worried about her role in the show. There are a bunch of news stories about this show being announced last May, but nothing since then, so really, the future of this show is up in the air at this point.
Excitement Level: Is it still going to happen? Who knows! 3/5 Sophia Bursets
Cox in her recent appearance on The Mindy Project via Variety
6. Doubt
CBS
I was extremely excited when I first heard that Laverne Cox had been cast in this show. Her performance on Orange is the New Black (as well as just her talent as an actress) had earned her a few guest spots on shows like Faking It and The Mindy Project, but this will be her first regular role on another TV show. Created by Tony Phelan and Joan Rater, two long-time Grey’s Anatomy executive producers (which I think is a good sign), Doubt is about a defense lawyer (played by KaDee Strickland) who gets involved with one of her clients (Teddy Sears, who played Zachary Quinto’s boyfriend in the first season of American Horror Story) who may or may not have murdered a 15-year-old girl. Cox plays Cameron Wirth, a “fierce and funny, competitive and compassionate transgender Ivy League-educated attorney. The fact that she’s experienced injustice first hand makes her fight all the harder for her clients.”
Now this is what I’m talking about. Cox’s role seems to be a substantial one, it also seems to not be overly stereotypical and the producers said that they sought a trans actress to play the role from the beginning, so all of that looks really good. Plus, I like the fact that, from the get-go, this is a scripted series that is committing to a trans character who has defined characteristics that have nothing to do with her gender or her transition. And it costars Dreama Walker, from the amazing and canceled-too-soon Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23, so it’s got that going for it.
Excitement Level: I can’t wait for the Doubt/Elementary crossover event so that I can see Laverne Cox’s Cameron Wirth and Lucy Liu’s Joan Watson team up. 5/5 Sophia Bursets
via Digital Spy
7. The Curse of the Fuentes Women
NBC
Are there really two trans women being cast as series regulars in upcoming network pilots? Yes, there are! Transparent‘s Trace Lysette is joining this show about three generations of Latinas who are unlucky in love and in life until a mysterious man emerges from the ocean and comes into their lives. This magical realism drama comes from Silvio Horta, who adapted Ugly Betty for American TV and served as a head writer and executive producer for that show. Lysette plays Gloria, a “brash transgender hostess at Café Fuentes” who “is never shy about voicing her opinions, often to her own detriment.”
No joke, despite how hetero this show sounds, it also sounds like it’s right up my alley. Magic, Latinas, trans women are pretty much my Holy Trinity. Also, Lysette was always completely charming in her limited screen time on Transparent, so I’m excited to see her in a bigger role.
Excitement Level: I know one Bruja Femme who’ll be watching this show (it’s me). 4.5/5 Sophia Bursets
Which of these shows (or another one featuring trans women that I didn’t’ mention) are you most excited for?
15 Of Those Actresses Who Were In That Show
You know the ones: the actresses you keep seeing in everything and you don’t know their names but you swear you’ve seen her in something else! Firstly, I hope you know Jane Lynch’s name, if not, it’s probably Jane Lynch. Or is it Lili Taylor? Lorraine Toussaint? Double-check, I can wait.
Okay. So: they aren’t ever the lead character, they’re not getting interviewed on talk shows or put on the cover of magazines. They’re not winning huge awards or starting fashion lines or having their relationships invaded on TMZ.
But they keep showing up on our shows!!!
They’re not always playing the queer character — ’cause if they were, we’d know their name — but these actresses all have a knack for showing up on shows that have some kind of queer content or are otherwise on our radar.
1. Aasha Davis
Remember when she was: Chelsea on South of Nowhere
And then you saw her in: Pariah
Wherever you are, she is too: breaking Alike’s heart in Pariah, getting preggers in South of Nowhere, trying to keep Smash in line in Friday Night Lights. You’ve spotted her in Criminal Minds, Chasing Life, House, ER, Gilmore Girls and Grey’s Anatomy. She’s also starred in two queer webseries, Nick & Nora and Cowgirl Up; and one not-queer but super-awesome webseries “The Unwritten Rules” about “the comedic realities of a Black Co-Worker in a predominantly white workplace.”
2. Kim Dickens
You know her from: She was Saracen’s Mom on Friday Night Lights
Wait is that Saracen’s Mom in: Gone Girl
She’s remarkably versatile but still has such a memorable face. You may know her from her recurring roles on House of Cards, Sons of Anarchy and Treme. I first noticed she was one of those women I saw everywhere when the woman who long-conned Sawyer on Lost showed up on Saracen’s doorstep. Then there she was, not having aged a wink, playing a cop on Gone Girl! She’s also dropped in on White Collar, FlashForward, 12 Miles of Bad Road, Numb3rs and Spin City.
ETA: And apparently she played a lesbian in Deadwood!
3. Adina Porter
You know her from: Tara’s Mom on True Blood
You were pretty sure that was Tara’s Mom you saw in: The Newsroom, The 100
She played Tara’s mom, Lettie Mae Thornton, on True Blood, and Grounder warrior Indra on The 100, but she’s also shown up in queer favorites like Grey’s Anatomy, Glee, American Horror Story and lesbian classic Gia, in which she played “the girl at group therapy.”
Aside from her gigs on True Blood, The 100, The Newsroom and the 2002-2003 series American Dreams, she’s rarely a series regular. That’s given her plenty of time to appear in one or two episodes of every other show in the world: NYPD Blue, Crossing Jordan, ER, CSI:NY, Prison Break, Without a Trace, House M.D., Law and Order SVU, Cold Case, CSI, Saving Grace, Hawthorne, Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior, Private Practice, Ringer, Prime Suspect and The Vampire Diaries.
4. Anne Ramsay
You know her as: The first woman who dared to date a post-Marina Jenny on The L Word
But you might also remember her from: A League of Their Own
I’m so consistently surprised when people don’t know who Anne Ramsay is. She has been in EVERYTHING, y’all! She was Jenny’s girlfriend in The L Word. She was an out lesbian Mom on Secret Life Of the American Teenager. She played ball in your favorite not-gay gay movie, A League of Their Own. She was even in my favorite show of all time, Six Feet Under! But if you’re of a certain generation you might know her best from Mad About You. Regardless, it’s impossible to have missed her boat entirely, as she’s played recurring roles on Hart of Dixie, Hawthorne, Dexter, Related, Dharma & Greg, Star Trek: The Next Generation and, most memorably, on Mad About You.
5. Annabeth Gish
You know her as: The therapist on Pretty Little Liars
Or maybe: The X-Files, The Bridge
This is a generational situation — if you’re young, you probably saw her for the first time in Pretty Little Liars. If you’re my age or older, though, you probably have been aware of her for a long time. I mean, she was nominated for a young actress award for Mystic Pizza! Remember Mystic Pizza? The first time I looked her up was when she showed up on The Bridge, and I was like, WHERE DO I KNOW HER FROM. Mhm. Dr. Sullivan, y’all. Also The West Wing, obvs. But you’ve also seen her in The X-Files, Once Upon a Time, Parenthood, Parks & Rec or Sons of Anarchy and movies like Beautiful Girls and SLC Punk!
6. CCH Pounder
Recently crossed my radar as: Mrs. Frederic on Warehouse 13
If you already knew this woman’s name than you are a wiser and better human than I am, because she’s one of the most accomplished working actresses of all time and yet I didn’t know her name until today. She’s scored regular roles on NCIS: New Orleans, Sons of Anarchy, Law & Order SVU, The Shield, ER, Women in Prison, and Brothers. She was featured in Avatar, Face/Off and Orphan and has lent her talent to shows ranging from Cagney & Lacey, The Cosby Show and Hill Street Blues to The Practice, Girlfriends and Revenge.
7. Senta Moses
She danced the night away with Rickie on My So-Called Life and I forgot about her entirely ’til she reappeared as Principal Penelope on Faking It. But she was also Kevin McAllister’s cousin in Home Alone! Or maybe you saw her in Rizzoli & Isles, Castle, Greek, Girl Meets World, NCIS, Beckman’s World or Sister, Sister? Her hair has been perfectly curly for ages.
8. Rekha Sharma
This woman who is long overdue for a magazine cover: Canadian actress Rekha Sharma has navigated the murky ethical codes of the post-apocalyptic human race in featured roles in The 100 and Battlestar Galactica as well as popping up on Arrow, Supernatural, Once Upon a Time In Wonderland, V, Dark Angel and Smallville. She also allegedly appeared as “Lori” in the first two episodes of The L Word but I can’t find her in it for the life of me.
9. Michelle Hurst
You know her from: Orange is the New Black
You saw her again in: Law and Order
and again in: Law and Order
and also one more time in Law and Order
As Stef noted in her epic And Now Every Character From “Orange is the New Black” As They Appear In “Law and Order”, Michelle Hurst has played nine different characters in various shows in the Law & Order franchise. She’s also shown up on queer-friendly shows like Broad City, Last Tango in Halifax, The Good Wife and Sex & The City.
10. Kathryn Hahn
You know her from: You’ve been thinking that she’s Ana Gasteyer this whole time
She was that rabbi who made the mistake of falling for Josh in Transparent, but she’s also been in Girls, Hung, The Newsroom, Parks & Recreation, Kroll Show and 115 episodes of Crossing Jordan. She looked the most like Ana Gasteyer in We’re the Millers. That picture of her is from Anchorman.
11. Beth Grant
Beth Grant has 182 IMDB credits! She’s been in over 70 feature films, appeared in over thirty plays, guested on every television show to ever exist… AND YET. She’s Beverly on The Mindy Project, but you’ve also seen her in Criminal Minds, Friends, Six Feet Under, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, CSI, Everwood, The Secret Life of the American Teenager, The Office, Grey’s Anatomy, Modern Family, Pushing Daisies and Bones.
ETA: LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE
12. Amy Hill
You might recognize this Japanese-Finnish-American performance artist and actress’ voice moreso than her face, but you probably recognize her face, too, ’cause this woman has been working. I think I first saw her when, at the age of 41, she played Margaret Cho’s 65-year-old grandmother in All-American Girl. In addition to doing voices for Lilo & Stich, Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness, American Dad!, The Legend of Korra, King of The Hill, Kim Possible and The Life and Times of Juniper Lee, she played Judy Harvey in Enlightened, Dr. Laura Brown in General Hospital, Mrs. DePaulo in That’s So Raven and did guest spots on Grey’s Anatomy, Ghost Whisperer, Glee, Law & Order, Arrested Development, The League, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Frasier, Six Feet Under, Without a Trace, Friends, Third Rock From The Sun, The Hughleys, The Closer and Desperate Housewives. Her film work includes 50 First Dates, Cat in the Hat and Next Friday.
13. Justina Machado
She was definitely Rico’s better half on Six Feet Under and also has played recurring roles on ER, Goode Behavior, Private Practice, Three Rivers and Welcome to the Family. She also turned up in Season One of The Fosters and has guested on shows including Ugly Betty, Switched at Birth, Desperate Housewives and Kath & Kim.
14. Melora Hardin
You know her from: She played Jan on The Office
And weren’t sure where you recognized her from when she showed up as: a lesbian on Transparent
Melora Hardin has 103 credits on IMDB, and is known primarily for The Office and The Hot Chick — but she’s actually been working consistently since she was nine years old. So in addition to popping up on classics like Lois & Clark, Murder She Wrote, Friends, Matlock, Little House on the Prairie, Diff’rent Strokes, The Love Boat, Quantum Leap and starring in the failed 1988 Dirty Dancing TV series, she’s also been busy these days with stuff like Scandal, Wedding Band, Outlaw, Monk, Gilmore Girls and Cover Me. Also she had lesbian sex in Transparent, so.
15. Tina Majorino
One of the most notable aspects of this actress’ career is that you’ve maybe accidentally seen everything she’s ever been in, and she hasn’t been in a ton of stuff. Just, you know, stuff like Napoleon Dynamite, Big Love, Grey’s Anatomy, Veronica Mars, True Blood and Bones. She was a child star when I was an aspiring child star, too, turning up in all my favorite films like Andre, Waterworld and Corrina, Corrina. Yet so many people still get her mixed up with Jenna Malone! I feel like she’s one TV show away from the cover of BUST Magazine. Am I the only human on earth who didn’t already know her name, though. Be honest with me.
So, how many of these actresses did you already know?
50 People Who Are Definitely A on Pretty Little Liars
Tonight is the season 5B finale of Pretty Little Liars, and apparently we are for sure or absolutely not at all going to find out who Big A is. But you don’t have to wait until 8:00 p.m. for the reveal because I have compiled all the evidence I’ve been collecting for five seasons and sussed out the answer. These 50 people are definitely A.
1. Jenna Marshall
The Liars blinded her by throwing fireworks at her face, and remember how A announced that she wasn’t Ali at the end of the Christmas episode? Uh-huh, honey: Fireworks in the shape of an A.
2. Lucas Muddy Shoes McGee
The Grunwald said Emily had been touched by the one Ali feared the most and it was Lucas who gave her that creepy-ass gloved massage in secret that one time.
3. Jason DiLaurentis (Original Head)
Maybe he’s mad because he got an entirely new face and no one even cared.
4. Johnny Garbage Art
Clearly a psycho.
5. Ben Coogan
As soon as Emily stopped using him as a beard, A texts started coming in.
6. Big Rhonda
Rhonda said Bethany did those drawings of a Godzilla eating Mrs. D, but how do we know that’s true? Maybe it was Big Rhonda herself. Also, Aria kept stealing her shit, so she probably wants revenge for that, and who can blame her.
7. Coachprah
She certainly had access to Emily’s sports cream (that was secretly poison cream!).
8. Diane Fitzgerald
Maybe she thought she could encourage Ezra to date adults if she made the lives of the children around him seem terrifying.
9. Maya St. Germain
She moved into Ali’s old bedroom and had access to all of Ali’s old stuff, which means she had access to all the Liars’ secrets, and anyway, we know the dirt in Ali’s backyard is breathable. Maya doesn’t have to be dead just because she got buried.
10. Wesley Fitzgerald
What kind of monster ruins a perfectly good pizza by hurling it down the street?
11. Paige McCullers
No, you’re using this list as an excuse to post a photo of Paige McCullers in her hoedown getup.
12. The Grunwald
A literal witch with actual magic powers. She’s the second most capable person w/r/t doing all the things A can do.
13. Malcolm Mack
I’d want to set the world on fire, too, if I found out Ezra was my dad and Aria was my babysitter.
14. Samara Cook
Maybe she learned how to cope with break-ups at the Jenny Schecter School of Emotional Health. Maybe she went nuts after Emily went back to Paige.
15. That Kid in the Doll Hospital
Follow him, end up like him.
16. Jason DiLaurentis (New Head)
He fell down an elevator shaft and lived, so obviously he’s indestructible, and he’s a known pervert and misanthropist.
17. Cece Drake
We’ve seen what this broad can do with a mannequin leg. Imagine what she can do with a shovel.
18. Adam Lambert
Only a real vampire would be that excited to talk to Aria.
19. Meredith Jody Sawyer
She did lock the Liars in a basement one time like it was a dungeon, and anyone who would go to those lengths to date Byron Montgomery is completely unhinged.
20. Holden Hobbit Strauss
He was in a fight club, I think you’ll remember, so he’s definitely got the ninja skills.
21. Sydney Driscoll
She traded souls and skin with Jenna the way Cece did with Alison, so there’s something bigger than just run of the mill lesbianism going on here.
22. Talia Empanadas
She’s her own personal secret machine.
23. Jackie Molina
Maybe she wanted to get revenge on Ezra for breaking off their engagement to date a 14-year-old, and so she decided to engage in emotional warfare against the 14-year-old and her best friends.
24. Uncle-Dad Jamie
Fact: Loves barns. Fact: Two-thirds of everyone who dies in Rosewood ends up in barns.
25. Sean Virginity
He made Hanna go to chastity club to shame her for wanting to have sex just because he was gay. A known butthole!
9 Things “Glee” Did Right: On Bullying, Burt, Brittana, One Straight Butch and A Straight-Up Bitch
Glee has fucked up more often than not over the past several years, but it also did a lot of things right (besides produce a lot of really good pop covers). As the series comes to a close this Friday night, we wanted to look back on the times Glee didn’t make us want to remove our eyeballs and donate them to a haunted fruit basket.
1. They Re-Wrote The Script On Bullying
by Riese
There was always a limit to how much tolerance anybody could be expected to extend to their gay friend or child on television. You might be okay with it, privately, you might personally refrain from beating him up yourself. But stand up for him? NEVER! That would mean all kinds of terrible things, like the possibility that you, too, were gay! We learned to settle for “tolerance,” like that was all we deserved and all we could ask for. But, following several episodes of Kurt getting bullied and nobody doing enough about it, “Furt” demanded more. Kurt visited Dalton and met Blaine and realized that he was allowed to demand more, and one hopes that everybody watching at home knew it, too.
He demanded not just tolerance, but acceptance. Not just acceptance, but a protective embrace, but loyalty. In one solid hour of prime-time television, we saw loyalty in spades: A group of popular girls tell their boyfriends they have to stand up for Kurt. Four football players tell another football player that if he doesn’t stop bullying Kurt, they will destroy him. Rachel tells her popular football-playing boyfriend that she’s never been as disappointed in him as she is when he wouldn’t join the guys standing up for Kurt. The football coach stands up for Kurt.
The entire Glee Club shames the popular football-playing boyfriend for not standing up for Kurt. Kurt’s father goes after the bully. The bully is expelled. We witness the glory of community accountability. But Kurt still demands more, and he transfers to Dalton to find it. The Karofsky/Kurt storyline also provided a triumphant twist that happens in real life all the time and also happened on Queer as Folk, wherein the guy defending the gay guy isn’t gay, it’s the guy attacking the gay guy who is. So THERE.
2. Brittany bypassed bi tropes
by Heather Hogan
With the exception of Santana’s very bizarre and out-of-character tirade about bisexual people being flaky cheaters (despite the fact that Brittany never, ever cheated on her) when she was getting together with Dani, Glee handled Brittany’s bisexuality with surprising aplomb. She wasn’t a depraved bisexual sociopath. She wasn’t an insatiable sex maniac who would do anything with anyone. She wasn’t a threesome gateway. And she wasn’t just experimenting. Brittany loved who she loved, and when she was dating someone, she was with them. The show painted her as a super math genius in the end, but her real genius was her superheroic empathy. She just saw things in other people (especially Santana) that they didn’t see in themselves. In a world where bisexual characters are sociopaths at worst and deeply narcissistic assholes at best, Brittany S. Pierce was a breath of fresh unicorn air.
3. Sue Sylvester defied all sort of stereotypes
by Heather Hogan
Find me a woman over 50 on TV who is not a playing a supporting role as someone’s grandma. Go on, I’ll wait. You can’t even name five of them, right? Can you name a woman over 50 who is playing a series regular straight butchy woman on TV? Nope, you sure can’t, because Jane Lynch as Sue Sylvester is the only one. Sue defied stereotypes left and right. The butchy straight thing. The fact that her main focus was her career and not a family. The way she never apologized for being a HBIC who wanted more power. Sometimes she was the villain and sometimes she was the hero, but she was one of the only characters on the show who was always entertaining. (Maybe the only other character on the show besides Santana.) We’re only ever going to see one Sue Sylvester on our TVs. Weirdly enough, I think I’ll miss her most of all. You could tell her story for a hundred years and never run out of hijinks.
4. They told a teenage lesbian coming out story that hadn’t been told before
By Riese
When I first heard that Santana was a lesbian (before watching the episode myself, ’cause I didn’t have a television), I thought it might be a joke, because you know, Santana is the slutty one who sleeps with all the boys! But then I realized, all at once: but I was the slutty one who slept with all the boys. Santana’s story was the first teenage lesbian on television who felt like me, even though I was in my early 20s by the time I figured it out. I didn’t figure it out gradually and then suddenly or even just gradually, I figured it out all at once, like Santana did, and then all the discordant elements of my life came together and finally made sense. I never would’ve predicted lesbiansim was my final clue, but there it was, and it felt right but it also felt so scary. I’d thought making out with girls was just an extension of aforementioned sluthood and couldn’t possibly mean I wanted to like, date one. “I made out with a mannequin,” Santana tells Holly when trying to parse out who she likes. “I even had a sex dream about a shrub that was in the shape of a person.” Boys greased the wheels of her social ambition, and her need for popularity and power was so strong that it disguised itself as desire for the boys themselves and not what they represented. Was Santana always written that way? I don’t know. But sometimes life feels like that: one storyline, and then another.
5. Dave Karofsky and Spencer Postmodern Gay Were Jocks
by Heather Hogan
Karofsky’s suicide storyline was exploitive and terrible, and Spencer’s self-satisfied meta commentary about the glory of Glee was insufferable and masturbatory, but there’s no denying that having two openly gay football players on a TV show is a big damn deal. The blow up after Michael Sam kissed his boyfriend on ESPN after he was drafted by the St. Louis Rams, just last year, proves that. And Sam still hasn’t found a permanent spot on a roster. Sports culture (especially football culture) is still rife with homophobia. And sports culture (especially football culture) is a driving force in nearly every aspect of American life, from the economy to what’s on TV to Top 40 song lyrics. So it had to Get Better on Glee before it even had a shot of Getting Better in the NFL.
6. Kurt and Blaine were endgame
by Heather Hogan
There has been a very weird, very gross dichotomy between the way gay men and gay women are represented on TV for a long time. Gay men are more prominent, but up until very recently, they were never seen in sexual (or even overtly romantic) situations, especially on network television. Gay women, however, have been hyper sexualized and used as ratings bait for over a decade. But Kurt and Blaine blew up that double standard. Their first time having sex was as important as Rachel and Finn’s first time having sex. They kissed with their mouths open and also with their tongues ON FOX. They made out at school, in cars, in their bedroom, in hotel rooms, in fake elevators, and at prom. They shared some of the most romantic moments and duets on the whole entire show. And they got married, in the end, at a double gay wedding. Kurt and Blaine really did change things for every other broadcast network. Just a couple of gay teenagers in love.
7. They Had a Teenage Trans Girl of Color Who Was A Part of the Main Cast
by Mey Rude
Okay, yes, there was a lot about how the show treated Unique that was a straight up mess, but there was also something revolutionary about her. Let’s think just for a minute about how amazing it actually was to have a character like Unique Adams on Network Television. She was a black, plus size, supremely talented and fashionable trans girl who had a group of friends who actually cared about her and, when they weren’t being completely ignorant, tried to support her in her transition. We’d never seen a character like her before and we haven’t really seen anyone like her since. As a fat, trans woman of color, seeing Unique do things like be the best singer at Nationals, or have fun at a sleepover with the other girls in “Glease” or have her fellow New New Directioners step up and say that they’ll walk home from school with her so that she doesn’t have to be afraid anymore regularly brought me to tears. Despite all the show did wrong with Unique, they did make is so that trans women of color like myself had someone on TV we could look to and see ourselves reflected back.
8. Kurt and Burt’s Father-Son Relationship Was Brilliant
by Heather Hogan
Kurt and Burt’s father/son dynamic was the thing that hooked me on Glee in the beginning. Burt Hummel was the voice of middle America. He was not some teenage thespian. He was a blue collar widower who went from taking away his son’s car if he acted gay to officiating his son’s gay wedding, and in between all that, he became the best father any gay TV character could ask for. He gave Kurt love advice, life advice, and forced him to listen to safe sex advice. He drove Kurt to the airport so he could follow his dreams to New York, even though he knew that meant Kurt would never really come home again. Burt was Kurt’s safe space and the springboard for his dreams. And, as soon as Kurt came out to him for real, he was Kurt’s greatest defender when he found himself being bullied for being gay. Glee fans can’t agree on anything, really, except for the fact that Burt Hummel is the best ever. He probably changed as many minds as Kurt did, because like Burt, a lot of Americans didn’t know any gay people until Kurt came out. And when the mechanic from Lima, Ohio was okay with it, middle America felt okay with it too.
9. Lesbian fandom seized its power
by Heather Hogan
Riese and I have written about this a lot in our recaps this season, but it should be repeated (forever, really): Way back during “Sectionals,” the 13th episode of season one, Brittany said a thing that wasn’t meant to stick. It was meant as a joke: “Sex isn’t dating; if it were, Santana and I would be dating.” If she’d said that at any other time in history, maybe it would have just floated on by. But she said it during a perfect storm of Prop. 8 backlash, a horrific pandemic of gay teenagers committing suicide after being bullied, and the rise of Twitter. Suddenly, lesbian fandom had a way to talk to the people who made TV, and there was a justified fire inside them, and they were not backing down.
Santana resonated with so many lesbians who had never seen themselves represented on TV before (see above) and Brittany resonated with so many queer women who didn’t feel the need to bag-and-tag their sexual orientation (see below). And, of course, falling in love with your best friend is a lesbian rite of passage. For six seasons, lesbian fandom demanded to be heard, to be represented fairly, to be able to watch see story that was meant to be, right on their TVs. Every milestone of Brittany and Santana’s relationship happened because of lesbian fandom. From their first (actual, real) kiss to their wedding. The Lesbian Blogger Community didn’t quit when the show’s creators chided them on social media, mocked them inside the show, or tried very hard to ignore them. When I write the book on lesbian fandom, I will point to Brittana fans as the ones who changed the world.
Top 17 Most Devastating Breakups in Lesbian Television History
by riese & heather
Yes, it’s time to look back on all the times television kindly informed us that Love is a Lie. We did not include queer couples who broke up because one of them died, as so often happens — such as Pepa and Silvia on Los Hombres De Paco and Tara and Pam on True Blood — because that’s like, a whole ‘nother level of tragic.
17 Heartbreaking Queer TV Breakups, In No Particular Order
1. Naomi and Emily, Skins
After Naomi was brave enough to want Emily back but before they rode off into the sunset for their Happily Ever After (because Skins Fire never happened; so say we all), Naomi and Emily had the saddest breakup in British TV history. In the wild, carefree, sexy days of finally just being together, Naomi panicked and cheated on Emily with some random girl on a train. Emily found out about it, of course. It was hard not to find out about it when the train girl got so obsessed with Naomi that she hurled herself off the ledge of a club right in front of them when she realized Naomi had just used her for cheaterpants sex. And so Emily also climbed to the ledge of a building and yelled and cried and told Naomi how special they were and how fragile everything in life is, while Naomi cried and yelled back about how sorry she was. Emily hopped down to the roof and looked at Naomi with saddest sad eyes ever. “You’re always sorry,” she said. And she left her up on that roof all by herself.
(hh)
2. Shane & Carmen, The L Word
Pro tip: don’t leave a girl at the altar. Really, just don’t do it. It’s super-expensive, for starters, all that fuss and no ceremony? Plus, it’s embarrassing for her, and she’s wearing really nice makeup and her hair looks really fantastic and you’re gonna go and make her cry? This is especially devastating when you were all set up to marry THE HOTTEST GIRL TO EVER EXIST IN ALL OF HUMAN HISTORY and then you um, don’t show up? Show some respect, brah.
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3. Bo and Lauren, Lost Girl
It’s hard out here for a human doctor in a fae world, especially when the love of your life is a magical succubus who insists on saving the world from imminent destruction every week. It makes you tired. That’s what Lauren told Bo when she was explaining that she needed a break. And Bo said okay. She said they could take a break and of course Lauren was tired and they could focus on her for a little while and Bo wasn’t going anywhere and they’d just work on giving Lauren what she needed and they could take one tiny little moment apart and that was all and they loved each other and everything was going to be okay because it was just one small, insignificant, barely-there step back. “It is just a break, right?” Bo said, when she was getting ready to go, but they were both crying their beautiful eyeballs out because they knew it was more than just a break. And the whole time Adaline was crooning “Say Goodbye” in the background and everything was awful and a million angels cried!
(hh)
4. Marissa and Alex, The O.C.
These two had only just begun when they were ripped mercilessly apart because Alex didn’t see a place for herself in Marissa’s life — but neither did Ryan, once, so why couldn’t this work? Well, This was back in Ye Olde Dark Ages. We knew this would be Marissa Cooper’s one and only dalliance into girl-on-girl culture for the duration of the show, ’cause those were the rules of television.
Alex let herself have feelings for Marissa and Marissa seemed to have genuine feelings for Alex but they didn’t last long because, you know, Ryan Atwood. And despite what Julie Cooper told Alex when she was telling Alex about how Marissa was just using her, Ryan Atwood does not look nearly as cute in a white tank top as Alex does. Not nearly!
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5. Helen and Nikki, Bad Girls
Bad Girls is basically Orange Is the New Black, but it aired on British network TV in the 1990s. The first three seasons revolve around Helen Stewart, the Governing Governor of the G-Wing of Larkhall Prison. She was fierce and idealistic and unwilling to compromise her black-and-white morals, until she fell in love with an inmate named Nikki Wade who was in the clink for murdering a man who tried to rape her girlfriend. Their love story was tender and tentative and sweeter than just about anything you’ve ever seen on TV. It was also full of starts and stops, because Helen had real qualms about being Nikki’s lover and her jailor. One night, Nikki broke out of prison — dressed in a blonde wig, looking for all the world like Dusty Springfield! — and showed up at Helen’s house. Helen yelled. She threatened to call the cops. And then she made sweet lesbian love with Nikki right on her couch. She did take Nikki back to prison, though. She sneaked her right back in the front gates. And that’s when broke up with her, because the way they loved each other was making them do foolish, dangerous things. (They got back together, though! In the series three finale! When Nikki finally got out of jail!)
(hh)
6. Alice & Dana, The L Word
We waited for a solid half of Season Two for these two to finally get together, and when they did it was glorious! Well… mostly. I mean, after they got past the “omg we’re finally together!” bliss, it was pretty clear that Alice was the one who cared more, you know? She was the one ready to say I love you and ready to move in first, she was the one made uneasy by the re-appearance of Lara. Anybody who’s ever been the one less in love knows what an anxious, slippery place that is to be. Then we returned for Season Three to discover that they’d broken up and Alice had gone off the rails. Then Dana gets cancer and dies. So.
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7. Emily and Paige, Pretty Little Liars
The first time they broke up, it was only kind of sad. Emily couldn’t be with someone who wouldn’t come out, after all. The second time they broke up, it was much sadder. Emily was furious at Paige for telling the police that Emily’s ex-girlfriend/Paige’s ex-bully had been buried alive and pulled from the grave by a psychic witch and was now in hiding. The third time they broke up, it was the worst. Paige’s parents insisted that she leave Rosewood to go to Stanford for her swimming scholarship before her senior year was over, because her parents caught onto the fact that no teenage girls survive in Rosewood, PA. Emily tried everything to get Paige’s parents to let her stay, but in the end Paige confessed that she wanted to go. She was tired of fighting. This was the beginning of life and if she spent everything she had just trying to stay alive, what would she have left for living? They kissed and hugged and kissed and cried, and Paige got on a plane and flew away.
(hh)
8. Tara and Naomi, True Blood
This wasn’t just Tara breaking up with Naomi, this was Tara realizing that she probably couldn’t ever date anyone, ever, not if she wanted to live. “Everyone who’s ever been with me has ended up dead,” Tara tells the girlfriend who tracked her down and cracked her open. “It’s not a long list, but it’s a bad one to be on.” Naomi tells Tara she is going to regret this and Tara says that she already does. We didn’t know yet that Tara would become a vampire and then find vampire-love (before getting killed, obviously), so this felt like it. That moment when you realize your life is too toxic and dangerous for you to find a space in it for something so precious as love. That rare circumstance when you know the best way to love a person is to ask them to leave you, forever, alone and fighting for your own life. The camera pans out to reveal Tara in front of Merlotte’s, wailing and sobbing and struggling to remain standing, alone.
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9. Rachel and Lisa, House of Cards
Rachel and Lisa’s timid friendship-turned-romance was one of the most surprising things to happen on House of Cards. It’s a show about horrible people doing horrible things to each other to get more power to control more horrible people in horrible ways. So the fact that these two young, broken women who had been used and abused by the system found comfort and love with each other was shockingly sweet. And they only had each other, that’s it! Then Doug Stamper, Frank’s Chief of Staff/main henchman, decided they couldn’t even have that because he was obsessed with Rachel and he didn’t like her loving anyone who wasn’t him. (She never loved him.) He forced Rachel to break up with Lisa, with no explanation, and that’s exactly what she did. Lisa wailed and threw things and begged Rachel to stay, sobbed about how she didn’t understand what had happened or was happening, but Rachel walked away anyway, because she did love Lisa, and it was the only way to keep her safe.
(hh)
10. Bette & Tina, The L Word
Bless us all — but especially the loyal Tibetters — that these two were happily reunited by the end of the show, because their break-ups were brutal. The first breakup was the most painful, and it happened after Tina saw Bette and the carpenter in a departing hand-hold-release that betrayed a thousand other stolen moments. This lead to one of the best and most intense sex scenes in television history — that raw, angry, hate-sex scene that closed out The L Word‘s first season. They both understood the road that had led them there but had higher hopes for each other. Bette can’t swallow the idea of Tina ever leaving her and Tina is so angry about being so hurt and so blindsided. Sometimes you hate how much you love a person and the only thing to do besides kill them is fuck them.
It wasn’t even their only breakup! They broke up again! And it was terrible that time, too, although not QUITE as terrible, it was still terrible.
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11. Cosima and Delphine, Orphan Black
Cosima told Delphine she just wanted to make crazy science with her, and she probably thought that was true. But she was in love and that’s so much more than science. So when she found out Delphine had been working for Dr. Leaky all along, she got on a bus and ran away. And when she got where she was going, heart shattered into one zillion pieces, she also realized she was dying from Clone Lung Failure! Cosima and Delphine finally made up and tag-teamed to take over the world of genetics (and to save Cosima’s life), but Cosima finding out Delphine was her handler was one of the most heartbreaking things to happen in two whole seasons on Orphan Black, and that’s saying something since the main plot of season one was the systematic murder of a whole family of sister-clones.
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12. Sophie & Sian, Coronation Street
When this went down I wished Sian had just run into traffic instead of running away from the wedding because what went down broke my heart into a million little pieces. Sophie and Sian’s story had been tender and realistic and complicated and, well, long, like, very long, like many years long. They were friends and then they were more than friends and they worked through every Lesbian Relationship Trope in the book, all the way to the chapel. There they were in the front of the church in their big poofy wedding dresses with their pretty hairdos and Sophie’s reading her vows and then her doofus Dad is like, “Hey maybe don’t!” Sian finds out that Sophie kissed another girl and runs out of the church, and Sophie runs after her, and then they make up and decide to get married after all but then Sian — oh fuck, I can’t. I can’t even get into what happens next or I’ll cry and throw up all over again. It’s torture. It’s absolute torture, the whole goshdarn thing.
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13. Brittany and Santana, Glee
Oh, Santana! One does not simply break up with a magical math genius unicorn dancing queen simply because one has an “energy exchange” with some random lesbo in the library! Which is what Brittany tried to tell you! But oh-ho, no! You wouldn’t listen! You broke our hearts and you broke her heart and dumbest of all, Santana Lopez, you broke your own damn heart! You knew she was your lobster! Luckily y’all are married now and honeymooning on Paradise Island with Wonder Woman and her sisters, but we’re never going to hear “The Scientist” without breaking down into wracking sobs because of what you almost destroyed.
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14. Shane & Cherie, The L Word
Shane’s entire life people told her that she would become a psychopath if she didn’t know how to feel. Her entire life! And she would like to know what’s so great about feeling, Cherie. Because she finally let herself feel — she let herself feel things FOR YOU — and she feels like her heart has been completely ripped out. DO YOU HEAR THAT CHERIE? COMPLETELY RIPPED OUT! She had this insane idea that you and her could be together! Because it felt real! I know, Cherie, I know: it wouldn’t make a difference, right? What difference would it make if you did feel the same way about her? What if that were true? Would you still be able to leave your husband, your child, your houses in Bel-Air and East Hampton and your trips to paris? Your black-tie galas? To run to some rank little love nest with a 25-year-old assistant hairdresser who barely has her foot in the door? Well apparently not, Cherie. Because in this fucking ugly world, that kind of love does not exist.
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15. Willow & Tara, Buffy the Vampire Slayer
It’s nearly impossible to write about Willow and Tara breaking up because it makes you think about Willow and Tara getting back together, which makes you think about Tara getting shot in the literal heart and dying in Willow’s arms, which was the worst thing to ever happen, period. Tara didn’t even want to break up with Willow! They were thinking about taking Dawn from Sunnydale and moving away to start their own family! They were in love forever! But dang Willow got too addicted to magic, and when Tara called her out on it, Willow tried TWO DIFFERENT TIMES to magic Tara’s brain into forgetting they’d talked about it. So Tara had to step back and move out of the Summers’ house where she and Willow had been raising Dawn. They finally did get back together because they loved each other too much to stay apart (and Willow dialed back the magic), and one second it was, “Can you just be kissing me now?” And the next second, Tara was dead. And I don’t want to talk about it anymore.
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16. Callie and Arizona, Grey’s Anatomy
Callie and Arizona’s breakup was almost unbearable to watch because it was way too true to life. That thing where you know a relationship is over and that both of you will be so much better off in the long run if you’ll just walk away, but you love the other person too much to ever walk away. So you spend months (or even years) bleeding all over the place and wounding each other more and more and patching up flesh wounds with Band-Aids, even though you’re a literal surgeon and you know better. And then the moment when one person summons the courage to say, “I can’t imagine my life without you, but I will be miserable forever if I keep trying to live my life with you.” GOD. It’s like a knife in the face of your soul watching Callie and Arizona rip each other up and finally say goodbye.
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17. Emily and Maya, Pretty Little Liars
Maya St. Germain was Emily’s first love. Well, her first love who loved her back. Okay, her first love who loved her back, openly. Maya gave Emily the courage to come out of the closet loudly and proudly. She helped Emily relax. She made Emily really, truly happy (when Emily wasn’t being tortured by her omnipotent cyber stalker/terrorist). But Pam Fields couldn’t handle the fact that her daughter was gay, so she rifled through Maya’s backpack and found a couple of joints stashed in an Altoids can and had Maya shipped away to drug camp. The night Maya left, she and Emily shared a romantic, heart-wrenching, candlelit goodbye. In retrospect, it’s even sadder because it’s at drug camp where Maya would meet her fake cousin who would end up murdering her and burying her in Alison’s grave in Spencer’s backyard.
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12 TV Stars Of The ’80s and ’90s Who Turned Out To Be Lesbian, Bisexual or Otherwise Totally Queer
This morning at the gym I was thinking about Tori from Saved By The Bell and how she reminded me of my babysitter and how I thought she was the all-time coolest and then I found out that the actress who played her was gay and my head exploded! So then I decided to make this list.
Some of the women on this list were out when they were on television, but most of them kept their sexual orientation on the down low until recently. Let’s look back at all the girls we lusted after who it turns out also enjoyed lusting after other girls!
1. Leanne Creel, Tori in Saved By The Bell
Greenberg/Creel Family Photo by Katie Hawkins
Suddenly Kelly Kapowski and Jessie Spano were nowhere to be seen and instead we were gifted with this smokin’ hot tough girl in a leather jacket. No explanation whatsoever! After acting in a bunch of shows about teenagers, Creel went to UCLA and got into film production. She now runs her own production company and married her partner Rinat Greenberg on June 17, 2008, during that brief window of legalized same-sex marriage in California before Prop 8 was passed. They have two sons.
2. Meredith Baxter, Elyse Keaton on Family Ties
Famous Family Ties actress Meredith Baxter came out to herself in 2002 (and to us in 2009), after three marriages and a brief lesbian affair in 1996 that she didn’t take seriously at the time. She began dating her now-wife, Nancy Locke, in 2005, and rumors began swirling about her sexuality after she appeared on a Sweet Cruise in November 2009. She told The Today Show that it was that same-sex relationship in 2002 that changed her everything: “It was that kind of awakening. I never fought it because it was like, oh, I understand why I had the issues I had early in life. I had a great deal of difficulty connecting with men in relationships.”
3. Raven-Symone, Olivia on The Cosby Show
The cutest little kid on The Cosby Show grew up into the cutest most crittery woman who enjoys the company of other women.
4. Margaret Cho, Margaret on All-American Girl
The short-lived 1994 sitcom All-American Girl became a legendary catastrophe and Margaret Cho‘s famous for much more than being on this show. (For example: stand-up!) But the sitcom was my introduction to Margaret Cho (I genuinely loved the show) and will always be remembered as the first American prime-time network sitcom about an Asian-American family. (The second, Fresh off the Boat, premiered this year.)
5. Sara Gilbert, Darlene Conner on Roseanne
Darlene didn’t have to be a lesbian to be a lesbian fashion icon, so Sara Gilbert coming out as an adult felt like a pretty natural next-step in her development as a public figure . She’s now a co-host on The Talk, has a recurring role on The Big Bang Theory, and is married to Linda Perry. She has two children with her ex, TV Producer Allison Adler, and is currently pregnant!
6. Kristy McNichol, “Buddy” on Family and Barbara Weston on Empty Nest
After starring in the hit movie Little Darlings and the TV show Family, Kristy McNichol landed what turned out to be a 200+ episode role on Empty Nest, eventually leaving the show in 1992. McNichol then vanished from the public eye for quite some time and re-emerged in 2012 as a bona-fide lesbian.
7. Iyari Limon, Kennedy on Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Technically, this would count as a TV star of the early ’00s, since Limon joined the cast of this ’90s show in the early ’00s. BUT WHATEVER.
Limon joined the Buffy cast late in the game, playing Willow’s new love interest, Kennedy. In a 2006 interview with AfterEllen, Limon revealed that she’d had “intimacy” with a female friend as a teenager but didn’t think she was gay or bi, even while doing research for her role on Buffy. Then she met DJ Sandra Edge, who she was dating at the time of the interview. “I loved how she was just in her own little world, and she was so cute,” she told AE. “I love androgyny, androgynous women. You know, short hair, really don’t have to wear a lot of make-up, pretty face, just cool and confident and know who they are.” She actually auditioned for the role of Carmen on The L Word, and during her audition, ad libbed “Quiero lamerte hasta que te vengas en mi boca mil veces” (“I want to lick you until you come in my mouth a thousand times”) into Kate Moennig’s ear. Although Limon didn’t get the part, The L Word kept the line. She married her husband Alejandro Soltero in 2007.
8. Sandra Bernhard, Nancy Bartlett on Roseanne
Stand-up comedian and actress Sandra Bernhard played Nancy Bartlett, one of the first openly lesbian recurring characters on American television, from 1991-1997. Bernhard has been openly bisexual for quite some time, including that time she gave Patricia Velasquez her big gay awakening. She has a daughter, is in a relationship with Sara Switzer and is currently on a stand-up tour.
9. Amanda Bearse, Marcy D’Arcy on Married… With Children
Bearse got her start in theater, eventually landing a recurring role on All My Children in the early ’80s. But she’s best known for playing Marcy D’Arcy on Married…with Children for ten years (1987-1997). She’s been an out lesbian since 1993, and married to her wife Carrie Schenken since 2010. Furthermore, she and Rosie O’Donnell are responsible for bringing The Big Gay Sketch Show to Logo in 2007.
10. Maia Brewton, Shelly Lewis on Parker Lewis Can’t Lose
You’re might recognize her from Adventures in Babysitting, but Brewton also starred as Shelly Lewis on Parker Lewis Can’t Lose for three years. She married her partner Laura Spots in 2008.
11. Geri Jewell, Cousin Geri on The Facts of Life
Jewell is best known for her 1980-1984 role on The Facts of Life, which made her the first person with a disability to have a regular role on a prime time TV series. The title of her 2011 autobiography, I’m Walking As Straight As I Can, was a nod towards her lesbianism. LGBTQ Nation reports that the book “talks about her struggles growing up with a disability and how she dealt with her sexuality as a child, and her struggles as an adult with tax problems and drug addiction.”
12. Ellen DeGeneres, Ellen on Ellen
DID YOU KNOW? DID YOU KNOW THAT ELLEN DEGENERES FROM THAT FUNNY SITCOM ELLEN IS GAY? SHE EVEN CAME OUT AS GAY ON HER SHOW!! IT WAS A REALLY BIG DEAL!
12 SNL Women I’d Like To Co-Parent a Kitten With
Saturday Night Live’s 40th anniversary reunion show made me think: I totally would love to date these SNL ladies.
12. Tina Fey
Let’s start with the obvious: who hasn’t dreamed about co-parenting a kitty with Tina, spending romantic afternoons needlessly worrying together at the Vet’s practice? Don’t lie. Just think about it and you’ll find it in your heart that the scenario just feels right.
However, she suffers from White Feminism Syndrome™ and the way 30 Rock handled race issues didn’t help her case.
11. Amy Poehler
Amy is a golden goddess made of sunshine. She was a GREAT Weekend Update host and gave us memorable moments like bitch is the new black and the Really?! Bits with Seth Meyers. She’s also a great performer and Leslie Knope has forever changed my standards in terms of dateability. Like Tina, she is not perfect but has the capacity for improvement.
You can do it, Amy.
10. Ana Gasteyer
I don’t know a lot about Ana, but she’s to blame if I now find the turtleneck+vest combo extremely sexy. Let me clean your pool at your California holiday home, Ana.
9. Nora Dunn
via chicagomag.com
Nora Dunn walked out of SNL to boycott Andrew Dice Clay and his misogynistic bullshit. Nora Dunn was done with that shit. Cast member accused her of pulling a stunt just for the attention but in my opinion she didn’t have NEARLY as much attention as she deserved. Walking out of the show once isn’t enough; I endorse hiring Nora Dunn next season so she can quit again. You do you, Nora.
8. Jane Curtin
She’s stunning, she’s funny and she slammed Chevy Chase in front of Oprah. What more could you ask for?
7. Julia Louis-Dreyfus
SHE SURVIVED THE SEINFELD CURSE! I get strong witch-vibes from Julia and I want her to protect me from the evil of the Patriarchy. We could be happy together.
6. Ellen Cleghorne, PhD.
Yes, as of 2014 Ellen has a PhD in Performance Studies at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. Her research focuses on Black comedy and “Black humor practices as critical race theory deconstruction methodologies. How do you like me now?,” she says.
A lot.
We like her a lot.
5. Maya Rudolph
Although Ellen had the best cameo at the SNL 40th Anniversary Reunion, Maya almost gave me an heart attack when she showed up as Beyonce. What can I say, I’ve got a soft spot for ladies that can pull off a good Oprah impression.
4. Jenny Slate
Jenny Slate is a PEACH and, unfortunately, so is her husband David Fleischer-Kamp.
She was grossly underrated at SNL, but luckily she moved on and gave us her gift of Marcel the Shell and her perfomance in Obvious Child.
3. Janeane Garofalo
Janeane is just effortlessly cool. She worked for Lorne for about five months and yet she made it to number 3 in my heart on this list. She had the misfortune of landing at SNL when Adam Sandler was also part of the cast.
Janeane is a martyr and she deserves all the happiness in this world.
2. Danitra Vance
Danitra was the best thing that ever happened to SNL since Gilda Radner. Not only was she first black female member of the cast (it only took Lorne ten years to hire one!) but she’s still the only black lesbian woman to ever grace studio 8H. She was vocal about the way show writers treated cast members. She died of breast cancer in 1995, way too soon, and she even wrote a solo piece about the experience of getting a mastectomy, years before Tig Notaro’s stand-up set at Largo.
1. Gilda Radner
*Notable absentees: Kristen Wiig, Laraine Newman, Cheri Oteri, Molly Shannon, Rachel Dratch and Joan Cusack. I’m sorry ladies, but I had to stop at some point.
Autostraddle’s Favorite LGBT TV Characters Of 2014
NPR ran a story yesterday about how LGBT rights activists are calling 2014 a “super banner year” for marriage equality (after the banner year of 2013). It’s silly, but that’s exactly how I would describe 2014 in terms of LGBT TV. In 2012, we added 11 new queer female TV characters to the pop culture canon. In 2013, we added 44; an enormous leap! And this year, 53 new lady-lovin’-ladies made their way to our televisions, bringing the yearly total to 128. ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-EIGHT. When I started writing about gay women on television, there was one single leading lesbian character on primetime. Just one. I’m going to break this down for you, in chart form, tomorrow, but before I do that, our crack team of writers has weighed in on their favorite characters of this monumental year.
Riese, Editor-in-Chief
Recaps: Faking It, Glee, Orange is the New Black
Amy Raudenfeld (Rita Volk), Faking It
Amy has really nice hair! Even first thing in the morning, her hair looks really fantastic! She’s got really cool t-shirts, too, I like her t-shirts. Oh right, and her coming out experience has resonated deeply with all of y’all. This show (and Amy’s character) was a surprisingly delightful situation delivered to us by MTV this past summer, against all odds, and although the show had some profoundly disappointing moments it had some touching, honest and hilarious ones too. Now we must just close our eyes and pray that she’ll get over Karma and get under Reagan, stat.
Poussey (Samira Wiley), Orange Is the New Black
This season, we finally got the inside scoop regarding our girl on the inside, Poussey, who I consider to be the heart and the moral center of this consistently challenging, innovative and progressive series. We loved her even before she wore that sleeveless shirt, tried scissoring and dissolved into a fit of giggles, stood up for her lesbian love life against all odds and a very stern German military man and dealt with that awkward thing where you’ve got a crush on your best friend. But afterwards? Our heart was in her hands.
Syd (Carrie Brownstein), Transparent
I just really hate Josh and I felt like maybe she just slept with Josh because she was secretly in love with Gabby Hoffman, which made me feel better about life. Plus it was Carrie Brownstein! Basically I loved how queer this show was so I want to plug it, but all of the bi and gay female characters on it were such selfish assholes that I’m left with only Syd to have and to hold.
Kate, Contributing Editor
Recaps: Bomb Girls, Orange is the New Black, Once Upon A Time
Stella Gibson (Gillian Anderson), The Fall
How do I begin to describe Stella Gibson? She is my favorite television character of all time. Doubt me if you will, but like hidden dive bars and the third season of Luther, if you know then you know. Played to absolute chilling perfection by Gillian Anderson, Stella Gibson is an amazingly complex individual. There’s a tradition in storytelling of creating a heroine by hurting her and giving her a backstory of pain and victimhood; Stella is not that character. Stella does not need to be “haunted by her past” for the stakes to be high. She sees your trope and she walks right on by, honey. To show her strength, she has not been made unemotional or unfeminine. She’s at the top of her field, she is respected and intimidating without there being a stereotypical compromise in the conditions of her respectfulness.
Her sexuality is brilliantly portrayed, which might seem like a weird thing to say until you have watched her in action, in which case you know exactly what I’m talking about. I have twice on Twitter referred to The Fall as a show that “exists only to demonstrate that Gillian Anderson has chemistry with literally everybody”, and I stand by that. Stella does what Stella wants. There are attempts to slut-shame her, to which Stella Gibson responds with some of the most feminist things you have ever heard on television (coming from the mouth of Gillian Anderson to boot, as if you weren’t already breathing heavily and fainting on your fainting couch). The amount of times she cuts some dude down to his weak-ass size is episodic. I don’t want to spoil anything for those of you on the other side of the Atlantic who have yet to enjoy the second season, but let’s just say that Stella Gibson is also undeniably not heterosexual. Not that we ever had any doubts. Did I mention it’s Gillian Anderson, the human equivalent of a fine wine? It’s like watching a beautiful ice sculpture who can move us to tears with a simple curl of her upper lip. She is, quite simply, a goddamned masterpiece.
Mey, Trans Editor
Sophia Burset (Laverne Cox), Orange is the New Black
Even though the show tried to hold her back by giving her less screen time than last season, Sophia still killed it. While just about every other character was getting caught up in the drama that Vee was causing, Sophia rose above it all and was her flawless self. One of her highlights included her tour de force explanation of human anatomy in the episode “A Whole Other Hole which not only enlightens the other inmates, but shows that once and for all, she is the best. We also got to see a really touching moment when her son came and visited her in prison for the first time. The meeting starts out a little rough, but when her son warms to her over a game of cards, it really is lovely seeing her get some happiness. I really hope that next season she gets a wider role, as she’s not only one of the most interesting, unique and funny, characters on the show, but Laverne Cox is one of the best actresses on the show that is overflowing with amazingly talented performances.
Maura Pfefferman (Jeffrey Tambor), Transparent
I was really worried about this before I saw the show, and even still pretty worried when the show started. However, once her oldest daughter asked if she would be “dressing up like a lady all the time” and she laughed and said “No, honey, all my life, my whole life, I’ve been dressing like a man” I was 110% on board. That’s a perfectly written line and Jeffrey Tambor delivers it like an angel. I really love Transparent, and the whole thing hinges on Maura. Honestly, the idea of another man winning an award for playing a trans woman still really bothers me, but if Tambor did, I would totally understand it. This was definitely one of my favorite-written and favorite-acted roles that I saw all year.
Davina (Alexandra Billings), Transparent
As I watched more episodes of Transparent, I was super happy to see that there were some trans women who got significant screen time who were actually played by trans actresses. Davina’s more than a friend in that she acts as a sort of guide to Maura as she begins her coming out process and her transition. But Davina doesn’t just help guide Maura, she also helps guide the audience. When she’s teaching Maura about what it’s like being trans, she’s also teaching any cis people who are watching. This is a super important role and Alexandra Billings is great in it. I hope we get to see even more of her next season.
Shea (Trace Lysette), Transparent
Look at this! A fourth trans woman character that I loved and a third one played by an actual trans woman! That’s double the number I wrote about last year! Next year let’s go for eight! Now, I know she’s only in a couple episodes, but Trace Lysette’s Shea still plays an important part in Maura’s life. Plus, seeing as the studies show that the majority of trans women are younger, it was nice seeing someone who represented that demographic on the show. We first meet Shea when she’s teaching a “Namaste, Hey Girl Hey” Yoga class that Maura’s taking, and then she quickly joins Davina in Maura’s inner circle. She has no time for boring old men hitting on her, she offers jokes and support to Maura and she adds some lightness and fun to the series.
Haddie Braverman (Sarah Ramos), Parenthood
I love Parenthood. But the whole time my brother and I watched it, we would always wonder, how in a family this large was there not a single queer person? And then, in the season finale of season five back in April, our wishes were granted. Adam and Kristina Braverman’s oldest daughter Haddie, played by the always wonderful Sarah Ramos, came home from college with her “friend” Tavi Gevinson in tow. At first, Haddie was nervous to come out- this was her first girlfriend, and like I said, no one else in her family was queer. But eventually, her brother Max saw her and Tavi making out and asked his mom about it. You guys, I love love love the scene where Monica Potter (who plays Kristina) and Haddie talk and Monica Potter tells her that no matter what, they’ll always love and support her and that they’re happy for her. It’s so great and it makes me cry every time. Haddie’s only shown up once since then, but when she did, the show didn’t shy away from frank discussions about her identity and her sexuality. I’m really sad that she’s on the show as little as she is, but every time she was on the screen, I was thankful that she was.
Alley Hector, Contributing Editor
Recaps: Gotham, Orange is the New Black
Bo Dennis (Anna Silk), Lost Girl
Bo is constantly pulled in two directions, human/fae, Lauren/Dyson, monogamy/magical polyamory, you know the usual. So I can relate. The beginning of this year saw even bigger family revelations, betrayals, and shenanigans in this sometimes serious yet seriously silly fantasy series. It seems to also be the end of her lesbian relationship with the human hot doc but things change quickly in the Canadian mythological play of light vs dark.
Cosima Niehaus (Tatiana Maslany), Orphan Black
While the trope of the sickly lesbian isn’t my favorite one, I do appreciate that Cosima is a sexy scientist. I have every confidence she will continue to be brilliant and save her own life. Plus having one actress portray so many clones feels like a meta-fantasy come true for any taste. They even introduced a new transmasculine clone this season. Not sure the haircut is working for Tony but it’s nice to meet him nonetheless. And the clone dance finale: epic. Yet another Canadian sci-fi show killin’ it for the queers.
Jenny Flint (Catrin Stewart) and Madame Vastra (Neve McIntosh), Doctor Who
Truly groundbreaking to not just feature a lesbian household in Victorian England but a cross-species one at that. Add in their class differences and I am in absolute amazement that their relationship has survived. Although Jenny does point out in the first episode of the new season this year that she is, indeed, wearing the maid’s outfit and pouring tea for Madame’s guests so all may not be perfect in social equality land. Plus Jenny is just absolutely kick ass once that maid’s outfit comes off to reveal and full leather suit that somehow is conducive to elaborate fight scenes.
Myka Bering (Joanne Kelly), Warehouse 13
The Hermione of the Warehouse 13 world, Myka’s sexuality is pretty subsumed under her adventurous but arduous work schedule saving the world. But there are ladies along the road and the most fun one for her to have tension with is the complex H.G Wells. It’s always fun when a protagonist falls for a potential villain. But of course perhaps Wells is a good guy after all. So hard to tell when played perfectly on the edge by Jaime Murray.
Kalinda Sharma (Archie Panjabi), The Good Wife
She gets shit done (as a hella tough and rule-breaking investigator for Alicia Florrick’s law firm) and looks good doing it (usually in a leather jacket). But more than that she pretends to have no feelings but really they are just locked behind her perfect wall of beautiful unavailability. This season she might be letting that façade crumble just the tiniest bit for an equally hot FBI agent (just as fantasy stoking as you think this sounds). This is just the kind of woman for whom I so painfully pine. It’s tragic really.
Rachel Kincaid, Managing Editor
Recaps: Transparent
Maura Pfefferman (Jeffrey Tambor), Transparent
Although I wish she wasn’t played by a cis dude, Maura is such a great character and deserves such great things. She’s funny and brave and nuanced and I’m really looking forward to seeing what she’ll do in Season 2. Basically what I want for her character arc is for there to be about 4x more of it.
Davina (Alexandra Billings), Transparent
Davina is another character where my greatest criticism is that I wish I saw more of her. She’s wry, wise, and a crucially relatively objective viewpoint in a show largely populated by self-absorbed people whose perceptions of things around them are less than reliable. I hope that she and Maura get to have an even deeper and more layered friendship. Also, Alexandra Billings is a very accomplished singer, which means she can anchor my dreamt-of musical episode of Transparent.
Nicky Nichols (Natasha Lyonne), Orange Is The New Black
Aside from my crush on Natasha Lyonne and my appreciation for all that she’s done for the frizzy-haired look, Nicky was a real emotional rollercoaster for me this season. Obviously the competition with Boo was gross and awful, but the way her character dealt with addiction was really powerful and affecting, and I was #deeplymoved by her support of Poussey while Taystee was being manipulated by Vee and also her willingness to assassinate Vee.
Heather Hogan, Senior Editor
Recaps: Pretty Little Liars, The Fosters, Gotham, Orange Is the New Black, Orphan Black, Glee, Boobs on Your Tube
First, let me second and amen and ditto everything Alley Hector said up there. And also this:
Paige McCullers (Lindsey Shaw), Pretty Little Liars
Paige McCullers makes people mad. Real mad. She’s probably the most polarizing lesbian character I’ve written about in all my life, and my career spans all the way back to The L Word, OK? I know Jenny Schecter. Paige feels like the personification, the actual physical incarnation, of everything Judith Butler was saying when she started talking about the word “queer.” And I’m convinced that’s why she pisses people off so much. Because she makes them hella uncomfortable. Because they don’t know what to do with her. Because they can’t shake her down to this one thing or that other thing. And self-identity is as much about where you stand in relation to other people as it is about what’s going on inside your brain and heart, and outside your body. Like, if you’re an X, you’re the same as other X’s and the opposite of Y’s, right? Everyone: labeled and shelved.
But Paige doesn’t give a fuuuuck. She’s not a Liar, but she’s not a boyfriend, either. She’s not hyperfeminine, but she’s also not hypermasculine. She’s not Chaotic Evil, but she’s not Lawful Good. She’s running around in the grey, ignoring the black-and-white — like the very concept of queerness itself, which has no interest in being stabilized or consolidated, but instead exists outside a system and inside the cracks of a system, to show you how broken the system really is — and most people find that shit terrifying. Queerness doesn’t apologize for being mercurial, or for not fitting in; queerness exists to perpetually evolve, and to be excluded. And here’s the best part: Paige didn’t show up that way! She was a self-hating lesbian who had been bullied into the closet by the first love of the girl she was crushing on so hard. She was meant to be around for three episodes. But here she is, five seasons later, and she’s grown more than any supporting character on the show and half the main characters too! (Here’s the second best part: She’s on ABC Family.)
Paige makes people mad. But also she is a beacon of authentic hope, a balm that hasn’t been poisoned. The hashtag is #PailyMatters, and that’s really true, but #PaigeMatters just as much, on her own, because she is the absolute true-est and the absolute best.
Alison DiLaurentis (Sasha Pieterse), Pretty Little Liars
Yeah, that’s right: I picked Ali and Paige, and I put them right beside each other. I don’t need your shipping wars!
You know what we love? Dead blonde girls. As a society, we love TV shows about dead blonde girls who are dead when we meet them, and every new discovery about their murders reveals that they knew a lot more about sex than they should have known/were letting on that they knew. Dead blonde girls who were assumed to be oh so virginal and pure, but were, in actual fact, sexually active targets of sexual predators. Twin Peaks, Veronica Mars, Top of the Lake, True Detective, Pretty Little Liars. It’s quite a list!
So, you’re trying to solve the mystery of who killed the dead girl, but along the way it becomes pretty obvious that you’re also trying to solve the mystery of who raped the dead girl. And always, always, always there’s this sinister theme of, like: Wow, did she cause her own murder because she was both a madonna and a whore. Right? We cannot look away from these narratives about girls who are sexually abused and ultimately murdered as punishment, basically, for eating the fruit in the garden and gaining an understanding about the way the world actually works. Punished for Knowing. Punished for seeking pleasure anyway.
Enter Alison DiLaurentis, who was the same as all those other dead girls. Until she wasn’t dead at all. Alison DiLaurentis, who got it, just absolutely 100 percent figured out that there’s a violent, bloody battle raging for control of female sexuality, and she wandered into it with her eyes open, and she survived! She refused to ignore the monster and the monster came for her, and she lived! And you know what else sets her apart from all those other dead girls? (Besides the magical witch who pulled her out of her grave?) She’s queer. She used her mouth to say it this year, both with words and also by smooshing it around on Emily’s face and body during their scissor-time activities.
I hate when people call Alison a bitch. Do you call Albus Dumbledore a bitch? Because he’s a also a person who spent his whole life moving people around like chess pieces to destroy an evil so enormous they couldn’t even grasp it. He did it better because he was an old guy with lots of resources. Ali started making plans to destroy Voldemort when she was a child. (And anyway, when you call her a bitch you’re just reinforcing a world where Ezra Fitz is the good guy and the women he exploits are just silly little girls.)
Renee Montoya (Victoria Cartagena), Gotham
Renee Montoya is my all-time favorite comic book character, so when Fox announced that she’d be part of their live-action Batman prequel, I almost lost my mind. There’s no use pretending Gotham has given Renee Montoya enough to do; they have not. But the first half of the season of Gotham has suffered from not knowing what to do with any of its characters, really. What Gotham did do, however, is boldly go where no fanboy nerdhaven has even gone before: Queerville, USA, population: (1) Kickass Latina Lesbian, (1) Bisexual Woman Engaged to Jim Gordon. When Barbara left the patriarchal safety of Detective Gordon’s straight white mansplaining arms and crawled into bed with Montoya for comfort and safety and finger-bangin’ good-times, fanboys unleashed a tornado of misogynistic fury onto the internet. And oh, I feasted on their tears. More Montoya in 2015, man. I’m shining her signal straight from my heart!
Stef and Lena Foster-Adams (Teri Polo and Sherri Saum), The Fosters
I don’t care how hokey so much of The Fosters is, you guys. I cry and laugh and clap my hands together during every single episode, and so much of that is because I’m still not over the fact that I get to watch an interracial lesbian couple parent their gaggle of drama-bomb children like some kind of Coach and Tami Taylor. I think Tami and Lena would get along really well, actually, now that I’m thinking about it. And so would Coach and Stef. Oh, man. The spin-off I just created in my imagination.
Stahma Tarr (Jamie Murray), Defiance
I always get in trouble for saying I love Defiance more than I ever loved Battlestar Galactica, but it’s true and at least half of that comes down to Stahma Tarr. She was raised and has survived (thrived, even) in a Castithan society that is dense patriarchy, and her husband is the worst of them all. (“I come from a culture that worship dicks,” she says at one point in season two.) Entitled. Abusive. Religious only when he wants to lord his power over his family. But Stahma beat him at his own game this year and became the most powerful woman — nay, person! — in all of Defiance. She also finally admitted to being in full-blown love with Kenya Rosewater, even if it was only after she was caressing Kenya’s tiny human skull that she’d dug up from her grave to prove the new Kenya in town was a clone. Stahma also had one of my favorite spousal exchanges in 2014 when Datak said, “I will not have my wife running around town pretending to be smarter than me,” and she spat back, “I’m not pretending!”
Kay (Tymberlee Hill), Marry Me
There has been a complete dearth of leading queer female characters on sitcoms since Ellen came out back in the ’90s. Gay men? Everywhere. Gay ladies? Anne from the defunct Matthew Perry comedy Go On comes to mind, but that’s really it. But now! Into that void! It is Kay from NBC’s new comedy Marry Me, from the folks that brought you Happy Endings. The show itself is working through some growing pains w/r/t gender stuff, in the sense that it’s making jokes I Love Lucy made a hundred years ago. But it’s getting better, and Kay is just the best. She’s sweet, she’s smart, and she’s funny as hell. And to Marry Me‘s credit, they haven’t shied away from the sex part of her sexuality. She came out by simply announcing that she got a blast on Boobr and was going to “go get it, get it and forget it.” She identifies as a “soft butch lipstick flannel queen,” y’all. She’s perfect.
Suzanne “Crazy Eyes” Warren (Uzo Aduba), Orange Is the New Black
In season one, Uzo Aduba went all in on Crazy Eyes’, well, craziness. There were moments of shocking vulnerability (when she asked Piper why people call her “Crazy Eyes,” for example), but the character was so disconnected from reality that nearly everything was played for laughs. Not so in season two. Crazy Eyes’ desperate need for validation, acceptance, and a maternal figure to cling to manifested itself in dangerous, heartbreaking ways. We saw her uncomfortable past with her white adoptive parents. We saw the ease with which Vee manipulated her. We saw her doubting her own sanity when she was falsely accused of attacking another prisoner. And we also saw sparks of that sweet wisdom she drops that always leaves me breathless, like when she told Morello: “I know something about loving people who aren’t smart enough to want to be loved back. I learned a secret that I can tell you: They don’t deserve it.”
Uzo Aduba deserved her Emmy so much, and she deserves every other trophy that stands at the end of a red carpet. She was the best thing about the 2014 TV season, full stop.
Okay, your turn! Who were your favorite LGBT TV characters of 2014?
The Best Television Shows of 2014 According to Us
By now you might have read a few lists about the best television of 2014 written by television critics, people with strong opinions, or just people that love TV. That’s all very cute but I thought it was time to find out what we, a collection of random queers with impeccable taste, liked this year. We’re not experts or critics (though we do write some pretty bomb recaps). I just thought it would be interesting to see if any of the shows we love had things in common with each other. I suppose you can try to spot the trends yourself.
Best Shows of 2014
These are the shows that our esteemed collection of TV watching Autostraddle affiliates deemed the best of the year.
5. Jane the Virgin
4. Transparent
3. Bob’s Burgers
2. Broad City
1. Orange is the New Black
Best of the Rest
These are the shows that got a lot of votes but not enough to crack the Top 5.
True Detectives
The Walking Dead
The Comeback
Orphan Black
Key and Peele
Game of Thrones
Shows We Wish We’d Watched in 2014
Since we’re not an all knowing group of folks that watch every single thing, I thought this would be a good way to acknowledge the shows that we’ve heard are great but haven’t gotten around to. Maybe those that have seen them can fill us in in the comments. I think it says something that apparently we’ve all seen OITNB, Broad City, and Bob’s Burgers?
10. Adventure Time
9. Inside Amy Schumer
8. Fargo
7. True Detective
6. The Comeback
5. Masters of Sex
4. Black-ish
3. Jane the Virgin
2. Transparent
1. Orphan Black
Well-Received Shows that We Apparently Don’t Care About?
These shows got no votes in best show or shows we want to watch.
Louie
Girls
The Americans
What were your favorite shows from 2014? What shows have you been meaning to watch? Has this list convinced you to give anything a shot?
Here’s 35 LGBTQ Female TV Characters of Color Who Made 2014 A Very Queer Year
2014 was a remarkable year for queer women on scripted television. Five years ago, broadcast and cable networks clocked in at 32 queer female characters, total. This year, they boasted over 100. When I started covering lesbian media back in 2008, we didn’t have enough content to split between five writers for one weekly column; these days, we couldn’t recap every show with a queer female character if we had a full-time army of writers. TV still has a long way to go, both in terms of the quantity and quality of writing for LGBTQ women and trans women in particular, but we have come a really long way in a really short amount of time.
One of the main things to cheer about this year was that there were more LGBTQ characters of color on television than ever before. I counted 34 on broadcast, cable and streaming TV services. That’s more than the total number of lesbian/bi characters on TV in 2009, which is good news! It’s not great news, but it’s good news!
The reason it’s not great is because of those 34 characters, ten of them won’t be returning in 2015 due to being killed off their shows, written off their shows, or having their shows cancelled. There’s some overlap here. Nenna (Crossbones), Tara (True Blood) and Rayna (Matador) were killed off, for example, but their shows were also cancelled. The other thing that makes it good-not-great news is that of the remaining women, only six can really be counted as main characters. And, of course, fictional queer women of color only make up about 30 percent of the total number of fictional queer women on TV, and it’s still painfully uncommon to see a same-sex couple on TV where both women are of color.
Like I said, we’ve got a long way to go.
But, it’s encouraging that the number of queer female characters on TV has increased 300 percent in five years. And it’s encouraging that it is becoming commonplace to add queer female characters to new TV shows, and that these characters won’t always be white. And it’s super encouraging that streaming TV services are making broadcast network models of making television completely obsolete. Things are changing faster than I ever thought possible, visibility-wise. So, as we keep pushing forward for equality in mainstream media, let’s celebrate the 34 queer characters of color who helped usher in one of the most promising years of LGBT TV in history.
Adriana Mendez, The Bridge
FX didn’t renew The Bridge for a third season, but for 26 exciting episodes, Adriana gave Lois Lane a run for her money when it came to investigative reporting.
Arika, Dominion
I don’t want to spoil the dozen surprise plot twists and turns of Syfy’s Dominion, but I will spoil this one: Arika isn’t who she says she is, and that includes the part where she pretends to be into doing it with David Whale (played by Anthony Head Stewart, so: Old Man Giles, basically).
Callie Torres, Grey’s Anatomy
She may have called it quits with Arizona this season, but she’s not calling it quits on being one of the most kickass surgeons at Seattle Grace.
Camilla and Jocelyn, East Los High
This couple surprised us in the very best way on season two of Hulu’s original drama.
Carolyn Hill, Under the Dome
First, her wife died. Then, the Dome’s magnetization caused her house to knock her out. Then, she was almost shot for discovering a stockpile of food and supplies. But Carolyn survived Stephen King’s hellscape, and she’ll be back for season three!
Diana Barrigan, White Collar
USA finally pulled the plug on White Collar this year after a six-episode mini-season, and while the show never gave Diana the screentime she deserved, they also didn’t brutally axe-murder her to further the plot of the three main white guys on the show. Progress!
Emily Fields, Pretty Little Liars
She will go down as one of the most progressive lesbian characters in the history of television. This year, she even scissored a resurrected ghost.
Kalinda Sharma, The Good Wife
Kalinda’s story was on the back burner for many of the early episodes of season six, but she’s back in the thick of things now. She’s even building a relationship with Lana that might actually be serious.
Kay, Marry Me
Tymberlee Hill‘s “soft butch lipstick flannel queen” is the best new original queer character of the 2014-2015 TV season, hands down.
Korra and Asami Sato, The Legend of Korra
![aceshowbiz.com](http://www.aceshowbiz.com/images/wennpic/jazz-jennings-24th-annual-glaad-media-awards-04.jpg"){kind=link}
Lena Adams-Foster, The Fosters
2014 was an emotionally devastating year for Lena, but at least she and Stef finally got rid of that sex-killing hospital bed Annie Potts bought them.
Luisa Alver, Jane the Virgin
Accidentally artificially inseminated the wrong woman because she was in shock that her wife cheated on her? Check. Slept with her step-mom? Check. Tossed into an asylum? Check, check. Luisa lives in Miami, but it might as well be Rosewood.
M-Chuck, Survivor’s Remorse
She’s the sister of an NBA legend in the making, but M-Chuck is the real superstar of her family. She keeps them together. She doesn’t pull punches. And sometimes she makes out with ladies in church.
Max, Black Sails
Max is a sex worker in a brothel in Nassau who finds true love with Eleanor Guthrie for a hot second before things get bad like they always do when pirates come to town.
Nyssa al Ghul, Arrow
The only good thing about Sara Lance getting murdered is it opened the door for Nyssa Al Ghul to finally make her way back to Starling City to settle some scores. She’ll be back in 2015, too, with Flashback Sara at her side!
Poussey Washington, Orange Is the New Black
We cannot get enough of this character, which was easily one of the most beloved of the year.
Renee Montoya, Gotham
A kickass Latina lesbian of color who re-won the heart of the woman who is engaged to the whitest white hero in the history male whitedom. And she did it while taking down bad guys and wearing heels! If you thrive on the tears of fanboys, Gotham is your eternal sustenance.
Santana Lopez, Glee
She won back Brittany. She won Rachel’s Broadway role. And in the (merciful) final season of Glee, she is actually getting gay married. Who’d have thunk it back in season one when she was just a lesbian throwaway joke? Four for you, Santana Lopez. You go, Santana Lopez. (And none for Ryan Murphy bye.)
Shana Fring, Pretty Little Liars
She turned out to be a maniac who died by falling three feet off a theater stage, but at least we still got to see her in flashbacks/the multi-camera funeral her family filmed from different angles and uploaded to YouTube.
Sophia Burset, Orange Is the New Black
Laverne Cox didn’t come close to having enough to do in season two of Orange Is the New Black. She was fierce as hell, but super underused. Season three is going to be her time to shine, we’re sure of it.
Tara Thornton, True Blood
Another casualty of 2014 on another TV show that lasted three seasons past its expiration date. Ah, Tara. You really were too good for this world.
Unique Adams, Glee
There are rumors that Unique’s class of New Directions won’t be back for the final season of the show, but I’ve Stopped Beleivein’ anything about Glee until I see it with my own bleeding eyes.
Reagan, Faking It
There’s a lot to love about this 19-year-old DJ who succeeded in pulling Amy away from her crush on her straight best friend, Karma, like that she’s awesome and a feminist and hot and also that she’s Not Karma.
Kate, Last Tango in Halifax
Thank the gods of Public Television that they brought this show (legally) across the pond for us. Kate and Caroline are one of the sweetest queer couples we’ve seen in ages.
Nenna, Crossbones
The show only lasted a minute, but it was a beautiful minute of Tracy Ifeachor playing a lesbian pirate.
Dr. Jean Fisherman, The Mindy Project
Jean made her entrance with a Sweeps Weeks-style lesbian kiss of a very straight Mindy, but we were willing to overlook it because there was so much to love about her character. Now all we need is more of her.
Brook Soso, Orange Is the New Black
It turns out Piper 2.0 might actually be even nuttier than Original Piper, which always makes for good game on Orange Is the New Black.
Reyna, Matador
Reyna was one of way too many lesbian characters that were murdered on TV this year, but at least El Ray pulled the plug on the show in a moment of sweet comeuppance after the end of the first season.
Natalie, Switched at Birth
In addition to being a woman of color, Natalie is the only deaf lesbian on TV since Marlee Matlin‘s Jodie Learner on The L Word. She refuses to wear a dress to prom, refuses to give up her Prom King crown, and refuses to stop making out with her girlfriend in her school’s hallways. She’s pretty badass.
Lt. Alisha Granderson, The Last Ship
Much like Ming-Na Wen‘s character on Stargate Universe, Lt. Granderson leaves her girlfriend on earth to go do stuff in space. Specifically, she’s looking for a cure for a virus that wiped out 80 percent of the world’s population. So, like Interstallar without Matthew Mcconaughey mansplaining everything the whole time.
Suzanne Warren, Orange Is the New Black
Uzo Aduba deserves every award nomination she’s pulled down for her nuanced, powerful portrayal of Suzanne in Orange Is the New Black‘s second season. She was the highlight in every single way.
Tituba, Salem
Is she canonically queer? Is she not? Let me just quote Rachel here: “I mean, what kind of a world do we want to live in, where we watch someone have gay witch sex and then try to second-guess it?” And there you have it!
Dani, Glee
She only showed up for one episode of Glee in 2014, but she did it in so much style.
19 Reasons Pretty Little Liars’ A is Probably Santa Claus
Next week, Pretty Little Liars will air its first ever Christmas special, “How the A Stole Christmas.” The more I think about the holiday season in Rosewood, PA, the more I think I finally have this thing figured out — A is Santa Claus. Here are 19 things A and Santa have in common. Laugh if you want, but this theory is at least as good as the stuff Spencer comes up with, you guys.
1. They both wear red coats all day every day, no matter the season.
2. They see you when you’re sleeping.
3. They know when you’re awake.
4. They know if you’ve been bad or good.
5. They reward/punish you based on this arbitrary scale of good/evil.
6. They sneak into your house to leave toys when you’re asleep.
7. They kiss your mom.
8. They use slave labor to accomplish impossible tasks.
9. “Jump in bed and cover your head” is one of the only ways to deal with them.
10. They would run over your grandma.
11. They pick nerdy outcasts with magical powers to lead their teams.
12. They are everywhere and nowhere.
13. They both keep workshops full of doll parts.
14. Neither of them can be tracked, even by the most sophisticated software/mind matrixes.
15. They’re full of secrets.
16. Only an insane teenager would ever admit to an adult that they think Santa Claus/A exists.
17. You never know which one is the real one.
18. They have the uncanny ability to make animals do their bidding.
19. They’re coming to town, whether you like it or not.
“How the A Stole Christmas” happens next Tuesday, December 9, at 8:00 pm!
Top 10 Queer and Feminist-y Moments of Degrassi Season 13
Feature Image via Degrassi Wiki
Season fifty-eleven gazillion of Degrassi: The Next (Next Next) Generation kicked off last week. Before we get too far into bisexual cutie pie Imogen’s last semester in the show, we figured we should take a look back at last season. So welcome to Degrassi High, where every student gets cancer and there are too many spontaneous musical numbers for the characters to be as straight as they claim to be. Even though Degrassi killed off our favorite trans character, Adam Torres, the show made an attempt to appease the queers with some lesbian action, a touch of female empowerment, and a handful heteros with queer ambitions. Without further ado, here are the top 10 queer and feminist-y moments of Degrassi season 13.
10. Drew’s mom gives us a lesson on treating women with respect
Remember Drew Torres? So-called lady killer, champion of heterosexuality and stereotypical masculine chest thumping, and somehow the school president as of last season? The most interesting thing about Drew for the last few years — as far as I’m concerned — is that he is (or was) Adam’s older brother and gave producers an excuse to give Adam more screen time.
via MTV Canada
Am I really that irrelevant now?
Fortunately, Drew decided to get some ambition in his senior year by becoming a leader in the student council, and getting an internship with a douchey mayoral candidate. Even though he says he’s taking a break from women, we all know that on Degrassi, life decisions only last two minutes of real world time and one episode of screen time. Obviously, he starts dating a sophomore named Zoë Rivas after an outfit change.
In an attempt to stay true to his no-dating commitment, Drew claims that their relationship is casual and has sex with Zoë in a pool house to prove it.
Zoë is not amused that Drew tells her post-sexy time that he wants to be casual, especially since their pool house dalliance was her first time having sex and she thought it was special. Zoë tells her mom that Drew is an asshat and Mama Rivas confronts Drew at a public Q&A session with the mayor that Drew is hosting for his internship. Awkward! The mothers and ex-casual-not-casual-pool house-frequenting lovers meet with Principal Simpson, who is probably the worst person to use as a conflict mediator and who helps resolve this conflict in no way. Drew faces no punishment because technically his pool house adventures were not statutory rape in Canada thanks to “close-in-age exceptions” in the law.
But when Drew gets home his mom is like, “Sike! I hate men like you!” She tells Drew that it’s important for him to be aware of why he’s having sex with someone and that it’s fucked up to use someone for sex.
“Sex is serious especially for a girl, especially at that age. You did a dumb, selfish, insensitive thing.”
Her reasoning isn’t perfect, but thanks, Mama Torres, for educating your son. He needed to have several seats.
9. Clare joins a coven of dykes
Clare Edwards is yet another champion of heterosexuality, most often associated with former emo-kid/current NYU student Eli Goldsworthy. After the most yo-yo hetero relationship I’ve seen in a while with Eli, briefly dating her step brother, and then falling for Drew (I call witchcraft on this kid’s pheromones), Clare decides to focus on herself by training for a triathlon.
Who else would be the triathlon coach but new student, pot smoking dancer, and our resident Lady Homo, Jack. Jack sees straight (heh) through Clare’s struggle.
OMG a real lesbian sweating before me!
Jack: Lemme guess, just broke up with a guy and now you’re here to get fit.
Clare: Two guys actually. And my friends seem to have zero interest in hanging out with me.
Jack: Women.
Jack tells Clare to hang out with her and her friends for a better time, and take Clare … AXE THROWING!?!
Clare: What is this?!
Jack: Backyard axe throwing week, duh.
Aka the gayest shit I have ever heard of. Let’s take a moment of silence for all of us women in the U.S. who did not know that in Canada y’all throw axes for fun, and who are now contemplating crossing the border. I can’t be the only one whose world was rocked this hard by axe throwing.
Jack offers Clare some really beautiful advice in this episode which I hope Clare takes to heart:
Casual flannel, casual beer toss.
“Take boys out of the picture and the whole world opens up.”
Jack’s raging misandry is a breath of fresh air, but proves too overwhelming for Clare, who feels the need to come out as straight at the end of the episode. Jack says they can still be friends, adding, “You’re a cool girl Clare, even if you’re a hetero.” Imogen better marry this woman or I will hop into the TV and marry Jack myself.
8. Imogen fights the system with feminism?
One of Degrassi‘s most consistent queer ladies is awkward heartthrob Imogen Moreno. She shows up to her French class late and is forced to make her presentation on Celine Dion as soon as she runs in the door because high school sucks. Imogen, in her rush, forgot to wear a bra, which is definitely not scandalous in my world. But, this douche-canoe named Luke starts making fun of the fact that everyone can see Imogen’s nipples. The French teacher pulls Imogen aside in what we hope will be a moment of breasted-people solidarity, but instead she tells Imogen that she’s distracting the class — which would’ve happened even if Imogen were wearing 20 bras because homegirl is a cutie — and needs to leave until she gets a bra.
In a meeting with conflict-resolving-failure Principal Simpson and Madame Brassiere, Imogen rightly complains that kicking her out of class for wearing no bra is sexist and irrational. Simpson concedes that nothing in the school constitution states that a student with breasts needs to wear a bra, but mentions that said constitution has language about community standards. Imogen is like fuck the noise! and uses her school television department, Degrassi TV, to shame the administration. She wears her bra over her shirt so that everyone will know her boobs are covered.
Simpson is mad as hell because boobs are scary and other breasted-folks are following Imogen’s lead. He’s also mad because Imogen takes her complaint a step further by pointing out that the dress code specifically aims to control female students’ appearances.
Simpson says that Imogen gets to decide how to amend the dress code, which is a harder task than Imogen anticipated. Imogen’s friend Becky spends most of this episode’s plot murmuring some respectability politics-informed feedback that we all ignore. Fortunately, Imogen tells Becky that the problem with dress codes is that they limit the creative self-expression of all people, and that the solution isn’t just forcing male students to wear tutus or stop wearing their pants low. After some questionable statements about feminism and what Gandhi would do, Imogen proposes a new dress code where students can wear whatever they want as long as their intention is not to distract other students or to disrespect themselves. I’m not exactly sure how the administration plans to enforce this, and the language of “disrespecting themselves” seems like it might lead to some problems down the road; but Degrassi‘s knack for continuity is only a little better than Glee‘s, so I don’t think anyone will be inconvenienced by the dress code for another 14 seasons.
7. Grace is a character
Grace Cardinal has to be the best secret homo sidekick since Alex Nuñez (seasons 3-6). She rocks blue hair and numerous piercings, confronts her male friends when they say problematic things about women, is not afraid to call people out for treating the students in remedial classes like trash, and helps expose two students who sexually assaulted Zoë Rivas (more on that to come).
via Tumblr
Grace understands the queer struggle and pities you not at all
Grace has not gotten a plot of her own, but she is a nice contrast to sidekick characters like Connor or Winston (aka Chewy), who literally spend seasons making white characters feel better about themselves before they get any kind of development. Grace isn’t a stand alone character yet, and we don’t learn why she is placed in the “Rubber Room” for remedial classes, but I think she shows potential. Also, everything about her screams baby queer to me so I am excited for her to embrace her lady-loving feels someday. And, if the producers decide to kill or write off the queer ladies (again), we may have a survivor!
6. Becky tries to be gay
As a former conservative Christian/misguided biddie, I sympathize with Becky’s struggle. Except I’m actually gay but that’s a different story. Becky Baker became a somewhat decent LGBTQ ally when she started dating Adam Torres, but maybe we hate her because she killed Adam. (Okay, no she didn’t but she may as well have.) Without a boo, she doesn’t really have anyone at school to call a friend until she bonds with Imogen. They have all the BFFL feels until Jack transfers to Degrassi mid-semester and mid-season. Imogen tries to do the thing where you’re totally into that cute lady and you’re 85% sure she’s queer, but you don’t know how to flirt so you ask said potentially queer person to spend all of their time with you and your friends while you try to find out how they identify and learn how to flirt. Becky is not amused because she knows about the lesbian merge and doesn’t want to lose her new BFFL.
Becky makes mistake number one and asks Drew for advice. Drew’s like “Have a ladies night,” which theoretically could’ve worked if Becky didn’t ask Imogen to go to Degrassi’s Sweethearts semi-formal dance with her so that the two could get to know each other more “intimately.” Becky goes back to Drew for advice, because as a man and as the straightest dude ever he must know about queer women. Drew advises:
“You could become a lesbian. Or pretend to be a lesbian.”
And that’s how MTV came up with the idea for Faking It.
via Project Casting
Jack is not amused when she finds out that Becky is jacking her swag and tells Becky to do better.
This is why I hate straight girls…
Jack: “But you’re not gay…”
At the semi-formal, Becky and Imogen slow dance for a hot second and then Becky also comes out as straight. When Becky blurts out that she can’t be a lesbian, Imogen is actually really happy.
She was clearly praying to the queer ancestors that no one actually shipped her with Becky
Imogen: Oh thank goodness!
Becky: Why? Because you already hate me?
Imogen: No, because you’re my first girlfriend at Degrassi that isn’t my girlfriend. Fiona and I used to be inseparable but now we barely talk.
#LezzieTruths
#BeckyTried