dispatch from lesbians being visible
and something about the gay ol' white house
Welcome to this week’s dispatch from the lesbian internet, a mid-week news roundup from Paging Dr. Lesbian, exclusively for paid subscribers. In honor of lesbian visibility week, I’ve made today’s newsletter free for all subscribers. If you want this in your inbox every week, upgrade your subscription.
Happy lesbian visibility day to all. Check out Autostraddle’s list of 20 TV moments that changed lesbian visibility forever. According to my Letterboxd, I re-watched Portrait of a Lady on Fire on this day in 2021. What should I watch tonight? Comment below if you have plans/suggestions.
Speaking of visible lesbians, the cast of The L Word: Gen Q was invited to the White House to mark this auspicious day. Jennifer Beals was invited as an #ally, which normally would annoy me but I can’t really be mad at her. Thankfully, OG showrunner Ilene Chaiken was there instead of Gen Q leader Marja-Lewis Ryan, who I think is a straight-up bad showrunner. (Not that I trust Chaiken either, really. #JusticeForDana.) I love this video Beals posted of the squad walking down the halls. Don’t you think at some point someone had to tell Biden he couldn’t call lesbians dykes anymore? That’s the vibe I get.
Dead Ringers came out on Friday, and I have watched all of it. Here are my initial thoughts: I thought the first episode was strong and I did really enjoy the ending, but everything in between felt a little muddled to me. I’ve noticed that a lot of 6-8 episode series these days tend to really struggle with pacing, and I found that to be the case here. The plot felt like it was going nowhere for a while. The highlight was Rachel Weisz’ performance(s), and she ate – literally! – per usual. Though, speaking of eating, I do think all of the “hungry” metaphors were a little heavy-handed. What did you think?
Another one bites the dust. Buzzfeed News has shut down, and this is very sad news, indeed. You might still think of Buzzfeed as the site that makes goofy YouTube videos and personality quizzes, but Buzzfeed News was a well-regarded, Pulitzer-prize-winning newsroom that’s done a ton of essential reporting. Per usual, the blame lies directly at the feet of the CEOS for making poor business decisions (and taking huge salaries while their staffers remain underpaid and undervalued). It’s hard out here in journalism right now, so if you have the means to financially support writers or publications you enjoy, why not do so? This may or may not be a shameless plug to support me and my newsletter by upgrading your subscription….
Further reading:
Jackie O’s granddaughter is gay and helps run her wife’s restaurant, according to the Daily Mail.
Missouri’s “trans snitch form” – a government tip site created so people can post “concerns” about gender-affirming healthcare – was shut down after people spammed it with the Bee Movie script. This is iconic.
If you’re looking for something to watch, check out Season 2 (and Season 1) of Bridget Everett's series Somebody Somewhere on HBO Max. It doesn’t feature lesbians (yet) but it does feature several queer characters and is set in Kansas, a combination of things you almost never see.
The community has become undone after watching this video of MUNA’s Katie Gavin and Phoebe Bridgers dancing at Coachella.
Rayne Fisher-Quann’s essay “no good alone” has gone somewhat viral, and rightfully so. You should definitely read it.
A student in my former Master’s program wrote a thesis about aromanticism and asexuality in fanfiction – you can check it out here if that sounds interesting to you.
That’s all for today, folks. Stay tuned for more. I will leave you with this photo of Sandra Bernhard, Sheryl Crow, Bonnie Raitt, Sarah McLachlan, and Chrissie Hynde on stage at Lilith Fair.
👏🏼👏🏼 Bette Porter for President.
Happy Lesbian Visibility Day! 🩷🏳️🌈🌈