Lesbian Night Live

Out Golden Globe winner and Tony nominated star Ariana DeBose came onto “Saturday Night Live” this weekend and queered up the place. Like her and out SNL star Kate McKinnon truly gayed up the joint. I haven’t seen “West Side Story” yet (which recently won her the Globe for portraying Anita). But I did see her as one half of the lesbian couple in the film adaptation of “The Prom.” So, you know, lesbo street cred signed and notarized.

But, I realized while watching her queer things up with Kate in the monologue and later a “Sappho” sketch, how rare it still is to see two actually lesbian or queer actresses play lesbian or queer characters together. Another more recent welcome exception to the rule is watching Cynthia Nixon and Sara Ramirez gay it up together on “And Just Like That…”

Something about that little, seemingly improvised fist-pump that these two out queer women shared as Ariana sang “Pretty and witty and gayyyy,” felt like a joyful celebration of our queer lady selves. And then, later in the show, the “Sappho” sketch hit on so many community specific in-jokes. Indeed, what made it so funny is it wasn’t that lesbians were the butt of the joke, but that the relatable relationship foibles of lesbian relationships were universally funny. It’s that whole laughing at or with you thing, and we were all definitely laughing together.