Tuesday, May 31, 2016

Haught Wave

Hey, guys. Remember when I said y’all should be watching “Wynonna Earp?” Y’ALL SHOULD BE WATCHING WYNONNA EARP! The show has become my Friday night treat. It’s a heavenly little slice of hot (and Haught, but more on that later) lady bad-assery in a sea of shows with mediocre males believing in their own exceptionalism. Also there are demons and witches and one big honking gun. All in all, it’s a good time for everybody.

But, you ask, what about The Gay? Oh, kittens. Let me tell you about the delicious, delicious slow-burn gayness. Remember when I told you Wynonna’s sister met this nice lady deputy named – and I kind you not - Officer Haught? Remember? Well, things have gone to wet T-shirts and lady flirting to eye sex and gay unicorns and now (spoilers, spoilers if you plan to watch the show) so much more. Yes, Virginia, WayHaught is happening.

Look, I don’t want to tell you how to run your DVR. But if you aren’t recording “Wynonna Earp” you’re doing it wrong.

And if that won’t convince you, please allow this to do the trick. (Though, if I – or the above gif – have already convinced to watch the show, don’t watch and savor the oh-so-slow burn of WayHaught). For everyone else who is already watching, well, no harm in watching again is there?


Monday, May 30, 2016

G.I. Jonesing

Greetings, fellow patriots. Today is a day in the United States where we celebrate the brave women and men in the armed forces who gave their lives for their country. Also, it’s a day when a lot of folks barbecue. So in honor of their service, and less so about the barbecue, here is everyone’s favorite G.I. Jane working on her fitness for America. USA! USA! USA! A grateful nation salutes you.

Friday, May 27, 2016

My Weekend Crush

Well the day after a sexist, racist, homophobic, xenophobic asshat has clinched the Republican party’s nomination for president, I think we could all use a palate refresher. How about Gillian Anderson getting behind a fan-driven dream casting campaign to make her the next Bond. What I particularly love is how she obviously gives zero fucks about the misogynistic freakouts that were sure to follow from fanboys everywhere. But then that’s Gillian, she gives absolutely zero fucks about fragile male ego.

As she told Glamour UK a couple years ago:

Glamour: Do you think life is more or less complicated for women nowadays?
Anderson: I think the really complicated thing about life now is that men haven't caught up with us.
Glamour: What do you get riled about in a feminist context?
Anderson: [Sighing] A lot. I have feminist bones and when I hear things or see people react to women in certain ways I have very little tolerance.
Glamour: But don't you ever feel sorry for modern men? Not knowing whether they should help us with our bags and open doors for us or whether we'll see it as an affront?
Anderson: No. I don't feel sorry for men. I do appreciate gentlemen, though. I have a frozen shoulder at the moment and I've been on a plane twice a week since February, struggling to put my bag into the overhead compartment. Because I always do things for myself I don't ask for help, but it's amazing how people don't even offer. Only three times in two months has any man offered to help. It's sad.
No, I don’t feel sorry for men. The thing about feminism and the fight for equality of any minority group be they people of color or those with disabilities or LGBT people is the folks who already have it need to realize they aren’t losing anything. As it’s been said before by others: when you’ve lived a life accustomed to the privilege of being male or straight or white or whatever equality can feel like oppression. But, believe me, it isn’t.

Or, to allow Gillian to put it more succinctly:



Happy zero fucks given weekend, all.

p.s. I love that Gillian is keeping up this Jane Bond business.

Thursday, May 26, 2016

All the (Amazing) Ladies

Two gay ladies and the future President of the United States walk into a room. No, seriously, this happened. Yesterday Ellen had Hillary Clinton and all the ladies from the new “Ghostbusters” reboot on one show. It was like the MRA’s biggest nightmare scenario.

Anyway, because I’m not alert enough to schedule my DVR, I missed recording the show. But from the online clips it looked pretty amazing.

Like, here’s Hillary talking about the election:



And, like, here’s the “Ghostbusters” cast talking about each other:



Dammit, why didn’t I record this show? Anyway. May our futures be filled with many more happy appearances by amazing these ladies. Perhaps we should all just watch this show on repeat until Nov. 8 to avoid all the ugliness that is no doubt and sadly coming for all of them in the coming months. Oy, universe. Do better.

Wednesday, May 25, 2016

Otterly Adorable

Lesbian moms. Cute otters. And a forgetful fish voiced by the most famous gay lady in the universe. Yes, “Finding Dory” truly had everything I love packed into one movie. (Fine, fine – would it kill them to find cameos for Tina Fey and a Corgi puppy in there as well?)

Here are the possibly/probably gay moms (at 1:05 in above trailer):



Here is the trailer with the cute otters (at 0:20 in below trailer):



Look, I know this is a “kids” movie and all, but as I’ve happily admitted before “Finding Nemo” truly is my happy place. And if 13 years after the original the sequel comes out to include not only more Ellen, possibly/probably gay moms and so many cute otters, I say there’s not enough butter* in the world for all the popcorn I’m going to eat when I go see this movie over and over and over again.

* Don’t worry, all that butter will pair perfectly with the Male Tears I’ll be enjoying while at my other favorite movie of the summer.

Tuesday, May 24, 2016

Brienne of Not In This Lifetime

Look, there are a lot of issues with “Game of Thrones.” Its gender politics, its sexual politics, its equalization of the female gender. I could go on and on. But I continue to watch because, well, dragons – but also the female characters who have managed to survive are almost – to a woman – amazing. They’re complicated and interesting and incredibly kick ass. Yes, even Cersei (p.s. A rewatching of Season 1 has – surprisingly – made me even more sympathetic to her – or perhaps it was the recent rewatch of “Imagine Me & You.”)

Also (hello, spoilers if you’re two episodes behind) Khaleesi.Is.FIRE.

Anyway, what I really wanted to talk about is the unexpected (well, maybe not all that unexpected) kinship all us gay ladies have with Brienne of Tarth this season. Granted, most of us clocked her from the start. That stance, that scowl, that swordplay.

But now that Brienne has finally found Sansa and made it to The Wall, our connection to her has grown even stronger. Why? Because now she has to deal with something most of us – and really all women, gay or straight – have had to deal with: Unwanted Male Attention. Wildling commander, resident red-beard and Amazonian-lady aficionado Tormund has been making eyes at our Brienne since she got there. And the “relationship,” such that it isn’t, is entirely one-sided.

Lots of folks are already shipping it, and have named them “Torienne.” But for me, I hope they never get together. Not that there’s anything wrong with Tormund – I rather the guy (also did you know the actor is in those Wyndham hotel commercials?). But, clearly, Brienne is not into it. Not at all.

Whenever Brienne sees Tormund smiling at her it’s every lesbian everywhere when a dude hits on us at the club. Or the coffeeshop. Or the train. Or the anywhere.

Brienne, girl, we feel you. We feel you. Stay strong for all of us.


Monday, May 23, 2016

Lady & The Furbaby

How we love our furbabies. Sometimes all a gay gal needs is her cat. Or her dog. Or whatever furbaby makes her happy. Though some vintage shot of legendary lady celebrities with their pups and pusses isn’t bad either. Some celebs, like Elizabeth Taylor above, clearly can’t decide between their canine and feline friends. Others have taken sides. So please snuggle up to your own fury friends and enjoy the puppy/kitty/et al love.

TEAM CAT:

Bette Davis


Judy Garland


Lauren Bacall


Sophia Loren


Cher


TEAM DOG:

Billie Holiday


Brigitte Bardot


Jayne Mansfield


Josephine Baker


Marilyn Monroe


TEAM DEER:

Audrey Hepburn


Frida Kahlo


So, fess up. Are you Team Cat? Team Dog? Team Both? Though, come on, is Team Deer really a thing?

Friday, May 20, 2016

My Weekend Crush

You guys, I have said it once and I will say it again, I absolutely cannot wait to buy a gazillion tickets to see “Ghostbusters” this summer. Keep crying, baby-men. Keep on crying. I hope they offer “male tears” as a popcorn flavoring in the theaters. Happy lady ghostbusting and weekend, all.

p.s. I think Leslie and Kate are totally gonna steal this movie from Melissa and Krsiten and I am totally OK with that.

Thursday, May 19, 2016

Woman Trouble

If you really think about it, it’s a wonder we women folk haven’t burned the world down already. We make up more than half the world. Yet, when it comes to our place in it, we continue to be systematically subjugated by our male counterparts. This is not opinion, just fact. We earn less than men. We run less than men. We govern less than men.

In the 227 years of the presidency, we have never once had a female president. Not once. Yet somehow, mentioning our desire to perhaps see a woman be elected to the highest office in the land is playing some unfair and unreasonable “woman card.” Still it’s perfectly OK for one of our major political parties to pick a man to run for said highest office who sees casual misogyny as his signature brand. Neat-o.

Now, keep in mind, we women have only even had the legal right to vote since 1920 in this country. I would wager a few of you might have grandparents born before women’s suffrage. Almost all of you have great-grandparents who lived when we couldn’t vote. History you can still go to visit for tea.

None of this is news, which makes it all the more extraordinary. We live in a world that is patently unfair to more than half the population and quietly accepts it. This is not opinion, this is just fact. And, of course, the world is just as unfair, if not very much more so, when you add on our intersecting identities – be that as a person of color, or a LGBT person, or a person with a disability, et al. Life is just harder if you’re not a straight white male – period.

Yet, ironically, one of the most persistent political narratives this election is the power and importance of the Angry White Male voter. They flail furiously at any perceived threat to their long-standing dominance. That means when we women – or any underrepresented group – try to gain a little ground and find more equal footing, we are met with dismissal, mockery, hatred or violence. Want to wallow in despair forever? Find an “MRA” thread on Reddit.

Given all this consequential, real-world utter bullshit, it might seem silly to get riled up about something as seemingly insignificant as, say, a female-fronted TV show adapted from a female-centered book series not getting picked up became it skewed “too female.” Or, say, a blockbuster superhero franchise nixing a female villain because the toymaker thought it would hurt sales. Or, say, a trailer for a high-profile female-led movie reboot getting the most “dislikes” on YouTube ever.

All the while, it should be mentioned, over on CBS (the channel which passed over that “too female” Nancy Drew series starring Sarah Shahi) all six of the new shows ordered for next season by the network feature white male leads? But by all means you stay angry, white men – stay angry.

The thing is all of this feeds into each other. It piles on. Our cultural narrative, despite our statistical dominance, is one that dismisses women as secondary, less important, unequal. We women make up 51 percent of the population, and yet.

The simple fact is we women are on the losing end of representation and governance and ultimately control in this country. Yet, because of our prevalence, it’s easier to dismiss the insidious institutionalized sexism that exists. Many men think, how can women still be discriminated against? I see them every day. They are everywhere. They seem fine.

And, yes, some of us are fine. But fine is not the same as being truly equal. And being told we should be happy with what we have, quit whining and definitely stop talking about it is exhausting, so terribly exhausting. But also maddening. We are not crazy, we are just sick and tired of this crap.

But we cannot get beaten down by it either. We cannot simply accept it as our place. We need to keep bringing it up, both amongst ourselves and to the men in our lives.

Like, hey, don’t you think it’s crazy we’ve never had a woman president? Or, hey, don’t you think it’s nuts there are so few woman bosses? Or, hey, isn’t it whack that mom/sister/wife/best friend/coworker makes less than you just because she is a woman? Or, hey, isn’t it weird that so few major studio films are about women? Or, hey, isn’t it stupid that people think men won’t go see a movie/watch a show/read a book featuring women? Or, hey, isn’t it cuckoo bananas people still expect women to do most of the housework and child-rearing – still, today, in 2016? Because it is, all of it is.

Pointing out the fundamental inequality women face is a necessary part of progress. We should, and will, never shut up about it. It is in fact the only way we will ever achieve the equality we deserve. Feminism is how we solve this. I mean, what else can we do? Burn the whole world down?

Wednesday, May 18, 2016

Foster Care

Yes, yes, I know we just talked about Jodie. But, truth be told, I have always – since well before she became my very first Weekend Crush – been a fan of Ms. Foster. Her talent both in front and behind the camera only equaled by the continual intelligence she radiates. This is a very smart woman, and a very private woman – which some might say is part of what makes her very smart. She only relents on the private part every few years when promoting a movie. And then once again we get to feast on a glut of appearances (like getting that star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame dealie), interviews (like here, here and here) and TV stops (like all these) before she retreats again into her signature brand of assured yet more silent celebrity.

Yet the journey of watching Jodie become who she is today – from those days when we thought she might never come out, to her dipping a toe into the waters, to finally that Golden moment and even getting married – have been quite something to watch.

I mean, she even made a real, live lesbian joke in her Buzzfeed interview. Did you catch it? It was when she was talking about directing on “Orange Is the New Black.”

And did Foster think it was funny that she — of all people — was directing an episode called “Lesbian Request Denied”?

“It was fantastic,” Foster said. “I laughed. It was almost as good as making a movie called The Beaver.“
Also quite something to watch? Jodie succumbing to the silliness of stardom while promoting her new movie “Money Monster.” Yes, even the great Jodie Foster wear egg and cheese on her head sometimes. Enjoy it while you can.





p.s. Also kudos for Jodie calling out the terribly overused “she was raped, that’s why” plot device from too many male writers.

Tuesday, May 17, 2016

Girls Just Want Equal Rights

Cyndi Lauper has been a longtime favorite of mine and I’m sure yours. Everyone of a certain age fondly remembers she-bopping along in their rooms to “Girls Just Want to Have Fun.” And “True Colors” and “Time After Time” give me guaranteed goose bumps every time I hear her sing them anew. Part of what has always made her wonderful is her delightful weirdness and dedicated commitment to LGBT and women’s rights. So imagine my delight when she popped up last week on “The Late Late Show with James Corden” singing that same tune for an updated version of “Girls.” Now there’s a girl who never disappoints.

p.s. Remember when shot a shout-out for Dorothy Surrenders for her True Colors tour?



p.p.s. Twice?


Monday, May 16, 2016

This Is Why We Fight

I really can’t tell you how proud I am of this movement, this revolution. It is proof positive that fandom, and LGBT fandom in particular, is a powerful force to be reckoned with. And this video is a perfect example of the talent and passion of everyone in the LGBT Fans Deserve Better campaign. Storytellers have every right to tell the stories they want to tell. But fans also have a right to ask for truthful and representative stories from those storytellers. The first step toward making that symbiotic relationship between he two is to identify the issues. After the LGBT Fans Deserve Better campaign, no storyteller or show creator or series writer can honestly claim they didn’t know about the Bury Your Gays or Dead Lesbian Syndrome tropes. That’s the power of demanding better and refusing to settle for what we’ve too often been given. Never stop pushing for more and better representation. Because that’s how we’ll finally get it.

Friday, May 13, 2016

My Weekend Crush

First things first, let’s all go out and buy an axe. It’s both essential tool in any pending apocalypse and, until then, great to grind while fighting the patriarchy. Fetch me my axe, I’ve got some grinding to do. But, of course, not about this trailer. Our first look at the new Ellen Page and Evan Rachel Wood film “Into the Forest” does not disappoint. The pair play sisters who must survive after the power grid goes down and humanity goes a little mad in what appears to be the not too distant future. The film was written and directed by out filmmaker Patricia Rozema (of “When Night is Falling,” “I’ve Heard the Mermaids Singing” and “Mansfield Park” fame) based on the novel by Jean Hegland. I cannot overstate the awesomeness of a film by and starring three out queer women. Granted, I don’t think anything particularly gay happens in the move (they’re sisters, people, please). But still, it’s pretty great. And, yes, definitely makes me want to invest in an axe. Happy weekend, all.


Thursday, May 12, 2016

Gender Fuck Thursday: Lucy Liu Tie Edition

“Elementary” is one of those shows I watch but rarely write about. It’s probably because there’s little overtly gay about it. And also probably because it’s one of those reliably good shows that doesn’t inspire much ranting. Also, sometimes it’s nice to just have some things to yourself. And I do find it quite nice. I dare say – and I know this is sacrilege to some – that I prefer this version of Sherlock and Watson to the British version. A lot of that has to do with Lucy Liu. Her Watson is much more of an equal than merely a sidekick. And I like that. I like that a lot. I also like how Lucy has stepped up her neckwear game this season. What can I say, the woman wears a cravat well. Alas, now we must wait until next season to see what ties our dear Watson shows up in next.

Until then, a look back in wonder at Watson’s necktie style.

Wednesday, May 11, 2016

Back to Black

In case you missed yesterday’s Lesbian Bat Signal, the trailer for “Orange Is the New Black” season 4 is officially out. It signals some dark – and tearful – times ahead at Litchfield. There’s also precious little evidence – though there is one precious moment – of gay lady happiness in the new preview. Now lots of people complained that last season lacked narrative drive. But I rather enjoyed the third season because it gave me a window into these diverse and fascinating women’s lives while not annoying me with an artificial Big Bad storyline. (cough, RIP Vee, cough) From the trailer, Big Corporate Prison will once again be our main antagonist. We’ll see how it goes.

Some other random and not-so random thoughts on the trailer.

1. So much cry. Don’t be cry, ladies.

2. Sophia is still in SHU. Dammit, get Sophia out of SHU.


3. Sieg heil much, Piper? Because as much as I’d like those shaved heads to be a sign of potential lesbianism, those tattoos are more like “I’m voting for Donald Trump.”


4. Poussey and Soso 4EVA.


Other observations? I’m kind of thrilled Big Boo and Pennsatucky are still BFFs. Blair Brown’s Judy King/Martha Stewart could be interesting. Less interesting? But seriously, where is Nicky? And don’t worry, Alex, I heard you there at 0:55. And I can definitely keep a secret – at least until June 17.

p.s. In case you let your Netflix subscription lapse, or want to own a little bit of Ruby Rose, Season 3 is out on DVD May 17. I highly recommend it.

Tuesday, May 10, 2016

Singing Bones

This song has been stuck in my head for more than a week now. Every since I (finally) did my “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” Season 2 binge, this song has become the most delightfully weird earworm. If you haven’t watched the second season of Kimmy Schmidt, good God, what are you waiting for? It’s the only show I put the captions on so I can be sure to catch all the jokes. Because there isn’t a dense joke per scene show on TV right now, and that’s the truth. So, please enjoy. May “Outside Bones” get gloriously stuck in your head as well. Never forget, kittens, never forget.

p.s. Also, please note, the great deadpan cameo by out comic Judy Gold.
p.p.s. If you have not made it to the end of season 2 yet, you can also look forward to a fantastic recurring role featuring my Fake TV Wife (and series creator) Tina Fey.

Monday, May 09, 2016

So Good

Goodness, this is lovely. I won’t even write more. Please just enjoy Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel reuniting “For Good.” Happy Monday, all.

Friday, May 06, 2016

My Weekend Crush

Two things. 1) These image should be pertinent to your lesbian interests. And 2) How the fuck did Jodie Foster not have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame until now? On Wednesday Kristen Stewart feted her fake movie mom Jodie Foster at the latter’s long-time-coming Walk of Fame ceremony. It was by all accounts very nice and the two seem to genuinely care for and respect one another. For gay ladies, the event was a cross-generational smorgasbord of delights. Though, can I confess something to you? I’ve never seen “Panic Room.” And now I feel weird about going back to watch it because K-Stew is like 10 in it. Whatever, please enjoy these images of two of the super famous gay ladies enjoying each other’s company. Happy weekend, all.



p.s. Here is the video of them being genuinely lovely to each other. To avoid boring men talking, fast forward to 5:40 for K-Stew and 8:05 for J-Fo. You’re welcome.


Thursday, May 05, 2016

Now Leaving the Gun Show

Yep, this skit is one of those “funny because it’s true” situations. Wait, did I say funny? I meant infuriating. But I guess we laugh to keep from crying. Welcome to America, where we’ve become almost immune to headlines about school children being gunned down in the classroom and toddlers shooting their moms from the backseats of cars. Well fuck that. The merchants of death, because what is the point of a gun if not death, will not bully our entire nation into silent submission anymore. We can’t let them anymore. We won’t.

Wednesday, May 04, 2016

United States of Nope

America, here we go. Yesterday Indiana – oh dear, my poor Indiana – essentially clinched the Republican nomination for Donald Fucking Trump. Which means the only person left to stop Donald Fucking Trump from becoming the President of the United States is a Democrat. And that Democrat, based on math and 3 million more votes, is going to be Hillary Clinton. The numbers are pretty much insurmountable – even if you give the super-delegates to Bernie for all the states he has won he doesn’t have enough. And on top of that he would have to win some 65 percent of the remaining pledged delegates to overtake Hillary. In Indiana he earned only six more delegates than Hillary. Math and such.

Look, even if Bernie Sanders decides to fight on, which is totally his right, one thing is crystal clear. We’re reached the point of no return for the Democratic candidates in terms of the general election. We know who we will be up against. Ted Cruz dropped out. Kasich is a ball of lint running for office also out. So that leaves Donald Fucking Trump. Regardless of which candidate you support, neither Democratic candidate can afford to attack the other anymore. Period. The Democrats have two good candidates. These are two people who would be infinitely better than Donald Fucking Trump. One of these two good people will face Donald Fucking Trump in November. To weaken either’s ability to do that would be beyond reckless. It would be putting the future of our country in the hands of Donald Fucking Trump. The harm he would do to people of color in this country, to LGBT people in this country, to female people in this country, to any people with even an ounce of reasonableness in this country is immeasurable. We cannot afford that. We cannot risk that.

Both Democratic candidates need to run their campaigns to defeat one man, and one man alone from now on: Donald Fucking Trump. So let’s get busy doing that. Immediately.

Tuesday, May 03, 2016

Well Shoot

Here is a story about expectations, hope and crushing anxiety. No, don’t worry, it’s not about our presidential election cycle – this time. It’s about the return of “Person of Interest” for its final season. As I’ve mentioned before, I do not follow the show closely. I’ve watched on and off. But I care, unusually deeply, about how the series will ultimately handle Root and Shaw. Given the insane death toll for queer female characters this year and the ensuing LGBT Fans Deserve Better campaign, Root and Shaw (it’s Shoot, right, we’ve all decided on Shoot?) will have heightened attention on them when they return to our television tonight.

Look, like any red-blooded lesbian, I want them to hook up and live happily ever after. But what I’m most concerned about his how another fandom and queer women in general are pinning their hopes, dreams and then some on this couple.

Show co-producer Jonathan Nolan spoke about “The 100”/Bury Your Gays backlash to the site iO9:

“We’ve never shied from killing off our characters, and this season is no different. Our team does not make it out intact... We’re equal-opportunity killers… It’s a bloodbath.

There have been plans in place for where these characters’ stories would go for many seasons. And we’ve stuck with that plan… So [Root and Show is] a very cool relationship, and it’s one we’ve had a lot of fun writing to. But ultimately, the plan is the plan.”
Ruh-roh.

He goes on to say that “there are some unfortunate tropes that play themselves out.”

So, yeah. Unless he is just trying to throw us all off, that sure sounds like Root or Shaw or both are goners. Damn. Just damn.

They go on to say things about respect and heroism and all that jazz. Stray bullets be damned. But, with all due respect to “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” that show is not in fact the originator of the Dead Lesbian Syndrome. You’d have to go back, way back, to pulp novels and the like. But on TV you’d have to go back to 1976. And tropes, no matter how they play out, aren’t “exciting,” They’re actually the exact opposite.

Look, I know this final season of POI was filmed a year before the LGBT Fans Deserve Better campaign was born. But may it be the very last show to claim ignorance – partial, full or otherwise – of the Bury Your Gays trope.

p.s. Yeah, I know I should be fuming. But those 1.5 seconds of Root and Shaw apparently tearing each other’s clothes have me, uh, distracted.


Monday, May 02, 2016

Pledge to Do Better

Granted, this video is jokey. That tends to happen when you get a bunch of funny a bunch of professionally funny lesbian ladies together. But the sentiment behind the humor, that there are literally a zillion other things to do with lesbian characters rather than kill them, is of course spot on.

Also spot on is the new Lexa Pledge, which was created by writers and producers of the Canadian series “Saving Hope” in support of the thriving LGBT Fans Deserve Better campaign. And what is says, in seven rather succinct points, that it strives to provide better, more representative, non-stereotypical portrayals of LGBTQ characters. And it also promises to not kill off LGBTQ characters “solely to further the plot of a straight one.” I’ve said it before, but not every show that kills an LGBT character is irredeemably bad. Characters die all the time on TV. Hell, two more queer female characters died last week. But the overall effect of this mass of killings is a cultural narrative that tells an already underrepresented group its life story is overwhelmingly tragic. And that is bad.

The pledge has collected more than a dozen signatures so far from producers and writers on shows like “Saving Hope” and “Rookie Blue” and “The Catch.” But what it really is is provide further confirmation that LGBT Fans Deserve Better is a real and powerful campaign that is helping to change the way the entertainment industry respects its LGBT characters and fans.

I’d also like to address the predictable knee-jerk reaction by some in Hollywood to the campaign. When faced with criticism, your first instinct shouldn’t be to throw up your hands and say, “Fine, I’m taking my toys and going home.” Yet there are some who counter reasonable concern about the Bury Your Gays trope with the claim that people will be too afraid to write LGBT characters at all now. The answer to poor representation is not less representation. When we say we’re sick of the Dead Lesbian Syndrome, the response shouldn’t be to say well then we’ll just stop writing lesbian characters. The point, you seem to be missing it.

The point is to write realistic, representative and non-reductive LGBT characters. Which, really, should be the point of writing any character. Why write a whole character simply to prove a tired point? Unless you’re writing a modern version of “Aesop’s Fables,” the goal of character development should be a fully realized person with agency – not matter the person’s gender, race, sexual orientation, whathaveyou. You need a way to give your straight white (usually male) lead more motivation. Buy him a poster with a kitten hanging from a tree limb that says, “Hang In There!” It’s not less original as it is to kill off the woman or minority or gay character.

The funny thing about the whole LGBT Fans Deserve Better campaign is that, in the end, what we’re really asking for is better TV, period. If producer and writers start treating LGBT characters with more respect and representation, it will actually make their shows better. Because who starts writing a TV shows and says, you know what, I’d really love to write a character that is stereotypical, hackneyed and falls into a predictable trope that is harmful to a vulnerable community of people who look to it for hope of a better future? Yeah, I didn’t think so.

p.s. I did hear about The Catch killing off a gay lady. But since I have not watched I will reserve judgment on it for the time being.