As important as it is to continue to fight to improve all that is wrong, we should celebrate all that is right. A win is a win. And two national magazine covers featuring three queer women of color – that’s a win-win-win, and then some. I couldn’t be happier to see Lena Waithe on the cover of Vanity Fair and Stephanie Beatriz and Natalie Morales on the cover of The Advocate. I couldn’t be happier to see them receive the mainstream accolades they all so deserve. And I couldn’t be happier to see these faces reflected back from magazine racks across the nation. Representation will always matter. The more people get to see themselves reflected back in their heroes, the more we will all know is possible. Happy weekend, all.
I forgot to post this photo of Greta Gerwig and Tilda Swington holding hands on the red carpet during award season. I rediscovered it in my “To Do” cache of saved photos the other day. And I felt it wrong, on a cellular level, to keep it from you now – even though it is terribly belated. Because a dapped Victoria lady and her swell Victorian lady companion are a treat to see anytime.
Hey, here’s a puzzler. Why would a movie that won overwhelming raves from critics and took home the prestigious grand jury prize at the Sundance Film Festival take two whole months to sell? Why wasn’t it snapped up immediately in the midst of a bidding war? Well, if you guessed, “because it has lesbians in it,” you just might be right.
Last week the film “The Miseducation of Cameron Post,” a movie I’ve been excited about since it was first announced way back in the fall of 2016, finally sold to FilmRise, an indie distributor whose most famous project so far was “Going Clear,” the Scientology documentary. It’s a great pick up for them, no doubt, but where were the other studios?
Look, not to bring up “Carol” again for the umpteenth time, but that “Carol” did not even get a best picture nomination and “Philadelphia,” “Brokeback Mountain,” “Moonlight,” and “Call Me By Your Name” all did is the way Hollywood sees LGBTQ films about men versus LGBTQ films about women, period.
Look, this movie may end up sucking. Maybe not. It’s hard to say. But, then, we know three things for sure. One, it stars Mila Kunis and Kate McKinnon. So, you know, that does not suck.
The other two things we know for 100 percent sure?
1) Kate McKinnon runs around in a tank top and suspenders
2) Kate McKinnon wears a suit and tie.
So, in conclusion, it doesn’t matter how good or bad this movie ultimately turns out to be. I will be seeing this movie. And, I am guessing, you might, too. I mentioned Kate McKinnon runs around in a tank top and suspenders, right?
I could watch this gif all day, I really could. There’s something so wonderfully subversive about these looping clip. While it really needs no set up, it shows a Chinese female TV presenter and her male counterpart face off in a cotton-candy eating contest. And she crushes it. And him. And social norms. All in the span of three seconds flat. The way she stuffs the candy in her mouth with both hands. Her please, serene look at completion as he chomps on obliviously. This, my friends, is art. I love it. Imma watch it a couple dozen more times. Seize the day with two hands ands stuff everything that stands in your way. Happy Monday, kittens.
You know how I feel about the scourge of gun violence in our gun crazy country. And you know how I feel about the young people leading the charge for sensible gun control. So this weekend, you know I’d love for you to support the March For Our Lives this Saturday. Young people, particularly young people of color, have been at the forefront of some of our greatest progressive movements throughout time. The Civil Rights Movement, the anti-war movement and so on. So if the adults in the room won’t act, the youth will grow up and do it for them. Happy marching weekend, all.
We see these lawmakers representing the NRA, and not their constituents. We see our “leaders” making excuses and refusing to act. On Saturday, they’ll see US. pic.twitter.com/7OGttnRSsz
Damn, I love it when weird things I like come together. Like, for instance, I love lesbians. And, also, I love me some Emily Dickinson. And some Molly Shannon. And definitely some of the director of “Codependent Lesbian Space Alien Seeks Same.” So, imagine my delight when all those divergent weird things find each other in one movie called “Wild Nights With Emily.” The film at SXSW now is from director Madeleine Olnek of “Codependent Lesbian Space Alien Seeks Same” fame and stars “Superstar” star Molly Shannon as the titular Emily Dickinson in a comedic – and Sapphic – look at her life. I know, you love every single part of that weird sentence.
Now if you know anything about Olnek’s work is it is a) very gay and b) very odd. But, you know, in a good way – for both. I really loved the quirky-to-the-extreme “Codependent Lesbian Space Alien Seeks Same.” It was a low-budget absurdist hoot. Her follow up “The Foxy Merkins” was also quite quirky and gay, though – at least for me – not as endearing. But her work isn’t bland, that’s for sure.
Reviews of “Wild Nights With Emily” have praised the film’s reframing of Dickinson’s public persona. Not the spinster recluse who didn’t want to publish her work, but a vibrant, warm and brilliant gay woman who had a lifelong romance with her childhood friend/future sister-in-law Susan Gilbert.
Indiewire said the film the “Best Lesbian Comedy in Years” that is “anchored by a surprisingly touching love story” between the two women. Olnek brings also some of her favorite regulars for the film, both Susan Ziegler (as Susan Gilbert) and Lisa Haas – who were in her previous two films as well – return here. While Olnek’s work may not be for everyone, I am excited to fully embrace the weirdness and queerness of it all. Plus, I’ve always thought Molly Shannon had unplumbed depths. And, you know, she’s freaking hilarious. So there’s that.
So, what do you think? A good lesbian film to get excited about? Well, “Hope” is the thing with feathers.
Sometimes it’s good to stop and realize our progress – especially in times like these. Certainly, our political progress is imperative. And we should fight with everything we have to become a more just, more fair, more equal and more kind world.
But how far we come in our entertainment and our fiction, that matters too. Because representation always matters. Just think, only 10 months ago none of this existed. We didn’t have the Amazons of “Wonder Woman” or the Valkyrie of “Thor Ragnarok” or Wakandan warriors of “Black Panther.” But now, now we do. And little girls, and boys and kids who identify as whatever they want, can look up at them and say, “Hot damn, I’m going to be that badass one day, too.”
Well, now isn’t this interesting. Cynthia Nixon, actress, activist, and the “Sex and the City” character we all secretly aspired to be in retrospect, is running for governor of New York. She announced yesterday via Twitter. Now, I don’t live in New York. My father’s side of the family are all from there and most still live there. And I have good friends living there now. I know there’s a lot amiss in the state – like, oh I dunno, the subway. And I know it needs serious people with good ideas to fix them. I am not, on the surface, against the concept of a celebrity candidate. I am, however, against unqualified celebrity candidates. Luckily, Cynthia does not appear to be one of those.
While she may be a first-time candidate she is an outspoken feminist and long-time education and LGBTQ rights advocate. An out bisexual woman, Cynthia is married to longtime education organizer Christine Marinoni and mother of three children. She will be running as a Democrat in the primary against incumbent Governor Andrew Cuomo this September.
Now, New York has never had a female governor, let alone an out LGBTQ governor. If Cynthia wins she would join Oregon's Kate Brown (who is also bisexual), as the nation’s only out LGBT governors elected to office.
Look, win or lose I respect her decision. People should put their activism, their energy and their expertise where it can do the most good. We need all the help in this fight we can get.
p.s. People who shit all over “Sex and the City” as superficial and vapid tend to be the kind of people who shit on women in general for being superficial and vapid. Sure, it wasn’t all Shakespeare and certainly could have been more diverse. But its depiction of unapologetic female friendship and unabashed female sexuality was – and continues to be – radical.
Last Thursday was International Womens Day. But we make up 51 percent of the global population so why limit us to one small day. Instead, celebrate our successes and struggles, our heart and our determination all year round. And if we’re highlighting impressive women, it doesn’t get more impressive than the Notorious RBG. Ruth Bader Ginsburg is more than an icon. The trailer for her new documentary is almost as wonderful as she is. Our work is far from done. May RBG - who turned 85 last week - live forever, leading the fight.
p.s. I’m not kidding, I want RBG to live forever. Can we form a protective circle around her or something? I mean it. She must be protected at all costs.
There were so many things to love about “Star Wars: The Last Jedi.” Strong female characters. Diverse class. The last time we’ll see Carrie Fisher on the big screen. But one of the things I didn’t notice the first time I saw it was the adorableness of Laura Dern. Sure, Vice Admiral Holdo was a badass, lavender hair hero. We all know that. But only those who look very closely know what Holdo also say “Pew! Pew!” when firing her blaster. “Star Wars: TLJ” director Rian Johnson revealed in the special features commentary that Laura kept saying, “Pew!” when she fired her gun. It’s something she confessed to while on Stephen Colbert as well.
Look, I loved me some Laura Dern before. But “Pew! Pew!”-ing her way through an actual “Star Wars” movie has me loving her to a galaxy far, far away and back. Happy pew-pew weekend, all.
p.s. Laura isn’t alone, Hayden Christensen and Ewan McGregor both confessed to making lightsaber sounds like filming their Jedi fight scenes.
Teenagers are good now, pass it on. Look, it’s easy to get depressed and cynical about our current state of politics. It’s easy in a different way to ignore it all and say nothing that happens in Washington D.C. has an impact on your life. But, the truth is, things are hard and if you care about he welfare of other human beings – especially those who look differently from you or have less advantages than you – they’re only getting harder.
But, here’s the good thing. The children, they’re listening. And they’re not listening to the naysayers and they’re not listening to the head-in-the-sand crowd. They’re listening to themselves and deciding for themselves what they will accept in their country. And what they refuse to accept is that being shot in their classroom while they are trying to learn is just a fact of life.
One of the wonderful things about youth is you don’t realize what you can’t do. The limitations we all accept, they don’t. Sure, it works against them sometimes – with risky behavior and false confidence. Just ask adult who has ever buckled in and let their teen drive them around. But, in other ways it’s a gift. They don’t know how intractable an issue guns are supposed to be in America. They don’t know we’re supposed to be hopelessly deadlocked. They don’t know the supposed iron grip the NRA is has on the GOP. Or, better yet, they do and they don’t care.
National Walkout Day should be an inspiration for all of us, the young and the old and the anywhere in between. Thousands of students at schools across this vast country refused to accept the norm of “thoughts and prayers” with no action in response to senseless gun violence. They refused to be target practice for the next angry man who should never have had access to guns in the first place. They refused to fear for their lives in a place that should be a safe haven.
Regular, horrific mass murder is something we should never become numb to. Thank these young people for reminding us what we can and can’t accept as a society. Gun control is something most Americans want. Yet here we are. So, to everyone 18 and over, vote in every.single.election. If they won’t protect the next generation of voters, we will all vote them out together.
Holy Hotpants! Emily Andras is the Gay Gal Whisperer. She knows exactly what we want on our televisions. 1) Girls kissing? (Check!), 2) Anne of Green Gables? (Check!), and 3) Zoie freaking Palmer? (That’s Doctor Check to you). “Wynonna Earp” Season 3 is gonna be lezzy lit. I know, that’s lame. But the excitement is real and it’s spectacular.
First Megan Follows Anne Shirley is cast as Momma Earp. Now Zoie Palmer (aka Dr. Lauren Lewis aka Hot Pants aka the Doc in Doccubus) is cast as fun-loving, karaoke-singing friend of Earps, Jolene. She is described as someone who loves to bake and create mayhem who is also “smart, knows a secret or two and if you don’t watch out, she’ll either steal your partner or your heart.”
Please, please, please, (please, please, please) let Zoie flirt with Wynonna and/or Waverly and/or Officer Haught. Please. I mean, how could they resist, really?
Culture doesn’t always have to be disposable. Culture, art, poetry can be eternal. Here is a little reminder of its power. Please take the time to enjoy two minutes of the inimitable Dame Helen Mirren reading lines from Alfred, Lord Tennyson’s “Ulysses.” You’re welcome.
Guys, I’m in love. Like serious, dreamy, sepia-toned love. I don’t think I’ve been this into a song – or a performer – after the first listen in a long, long, long time. But here I am, head over heels for King Princess. First of all, her name is King Princess which is amazing. And second her debut song off her new album “1950” is amazing, amazing. And third she and the song are queer as fuck. But don’t take my word for it, fall in love yourself.
See, I also hate it when dudes try to chase me. I listened to it about half a dozen times in a row when I first found it last week. And strangely I have Harry Styles, of all people to thank. The Brooklyn-born singer-songwriter is the first artist signed to Mark Ronson’s new label. Do you think King Princess knows his sister Samantha? Yeah, I think she knows her.
King Princess herself is so new I couldn’t even find her on Wikipedia late last week. But on her Twitter page she shared her taste in women, and that has me swooning all over again.
Well now, isn’t this some wonderful news in a world that could use much more of it. Remember “Take My Wife,” the wonderful series by married out comedians Cameron Esposito and Rhea Butcher that debuted in August 2016? Well, after Seeso the streaming service it was announced it was shuttering last August, it seemed like we’d seen the last of their delightful series too. And this after they’d shot their entire second season already. But now, finally, we can watch as the sophomore season has found a home on iTunes, where you can buy it now (Also Amazon and GooglePlay), and Starz, where you can stream it on their app starting May 1.
And, as if that wasn’t good enough news, it was No. 1 and No. 2 on the iTunes charts for purchased TV seasons for several days. That’s ahead of shows like “The Walking Dead” and “RuPaul’s Drag Race.”
This is good for so many reasons. First, this proves LGBTQ entertainment can be popular and profitable. Second, Cameron and Rhea were doing what “inclusion riders” are meant to do before Frances McDormand made us all Google the term at the Oscars – they hired a cast and crew brimming over with women, POC and LGBTQ people. And finally, they’re just really funny and their show is a lovely exploration of what TV can be if we try harder to let people who don’t usually get to tell their stories do so both in front of and behind the camera.
So, like I was saying, wonderful news. Have a happy weekend and happy watching, all.
Kittens, here is some good news. If seemingly casual and since deleted Instagram posts are to be believed, fans are in for some major wish fulfillment as Gina Rodriguez of “Jane the Virgin” appears poised to guest as Stephanie Beatriz’s girlfriend on “Brooklyn Nine-Nine.” The friends have been lobbying for this to happen since Stephanie’s character, Det. Rosa Diaz, came out as bisexual and in a relationship with a women last December. Stephanie, who came out as bisexual in real life last year as well, has campaigned for Gina or Kate McKinnon to play her girlfriend. Gina has even applied her lip gloss and puckered her lips in anticipation of the role. And now, thanks to this hastily taken down photo by “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” castmate Terry Crews it looks like this is happening. EW also confirmed that Gina will guest next season, so way to go fandom – you made this happen.
Kittens, I thought I was done posting about the Oscars. But then Vanity Fair went and posted this image. And now we have to talk about this look between Holland Taylor and Sarah Paulson. This is some modern-day “Carol” right here. Yeah, I’ll be in my bunk having a gloved lunch.
I told you it was coming. Though, considering all the LGBTQ moments this year, it seems the Gay Gals are getting jealous of all the Straight Gals acting like them. Sunday’s ceremony showcased the wonderful talent of the out queer female nominees, attendees and winners. Like Daniela Vega who became the first openly transgender person to ever present at the Oscars. And we haven’t even touched on Olympic skater Adam Rippon’s tuxedo harness. Besides all the really, really gay, the awards had a lot of straight women holding hands because they love throwing off our collective gaydar. Like I feel like they’re trying to make SGALGG now; how else can you explain the huge cuddle puddle that all the losing best actress nominees made together? Exactly. Also, I’m pretty sure one of the winners thanked his cats. I even rewound to make sure my ears hadn’t translated it to lesbian.
So here are some of the rest of the great SGALGG & GGALGG moments of the night.
Jane Fonda & Helen Mirren
I would watch this rom-com about two ladies who find love later in life.
Emily Blunt & Guest
News Flash: Mary Poppins is practically gay in every way.
Gal Gadot & Lupita Nyong'o
Themyscira meets Wakanda.
Gal Gadot & Margot Robbie
Fine, Wonder Woman has a thing for disgraced figure skaters too.
Laura Dern & Greta Gerwig
Look, I told you I wasn’t kidding about the hand holding.
Rachel Morrison & Rachel Garza
The first woman ever to be nominated for best cinematography and her wife on the red carpet. Yeah, that sounds nice.
Dee Rees & Sarah M. Broom
And out filmmaker Dee, who hired Rachel in the first place, brought her wife with her on the red carpet. Also sounds so nice.
Darla K. Anderson
The out Coco producer thanked her wife, and her producing partner thanked his husband.
Kimberly Peirce, Evren Savci & Emily Blunt
I mean, hitting on Emily in front to your wife is bold. But, perhaps she’s on her “list.” And she saw all her hand holding business from before, so gave it a shot.
Well, the Oscars happened. The winners were utterly predictable (like, seriously, every favorite won). Yet there were flashes of the great show it could have been. Like with the Time’s Up moment and inclusion montage. And like all the out queer female filmmakers who were present, and even shouted out their wives while winning. And like 86-year-old Rita Moreno slaying in the same gown she wore to the Oscars in 1962. And, of course, Jordan Peele’s great win for “Get Out.”
While I was rooting for “Get Out” over “The Shape of Water,” I appreciate that it was the first female-fronted film to win best picture since “Million Dollar Baby” in 2004. Also, Guillermo del Toro’s acceptance speeches were lovely.
Some more on the highlights.
1) Tiffany Haddish and Maya Rudolph should co-host the Oscars next year. Full-stop.
2) Rita, girl, I can’t wear some of the same clothes from a year ago, let alone 56 years ago.
3) I didn’t totally hate the jet ski bit, but probably only because Helen Mirren was the celebrity model.
4) Lupita Nyong’o should put it in her contract she always has to wear these adorable glasses.
5) Damn, it was nice to see Annabella Sciorra again.
6) Jordan Peele, here getting his Oscar engraved, is the first black writer to win for best screenplay, and only the fourth nominated in the Academy Aaward’s 90-year history. So, yeah, representation matters.
7) Frances McDormand having all the female nominees this year stand up. Powerful, both because of the talent of these women and how few women there were standing up.
Frances McDormand has all the female nominees in every category stand up. "Look around, everybody...because we all have stories to tell and projects we need financed." https://t.co/lJd891ISOk#Oscarspic.twitter.com/rNfg08xQJP
8) The ads were…good. Well, some of the ads. Out filmmaker Dee Rees had the best commercial of the night, hands down. Two moms. Mary J. Blige. Space monsters. Black girl magic. Fuck yeah, though I’m still not gonna shop at Walmart.
9) Twitter ad was also quite good, especially lesbian poet Denice Frohman’s words. Too bad about all the Nazis, Russian bots and men threatening to rape women on the site. Ahem.
