Gender Fuck Thursday

Well, we made it to December. So now 2016 has one precious month left to redeem itself. So why not start off on a smart and stylish foot. Here are some smart, stylish women looking – well, smart and stylish. Plus they’re all in black in white, which makes them so much more stylish and smart-looking. Yes, I know other adjectives. But November was a doozy so smart and stylish is all my brain can muster right now. But, hey, “smart” and “stylish” suit these suits. Right, as I was saying – good luck, December. Please, at the very least, be so much smarter than the rest of 2016 was. More stylish would just be icing.

Amy Acker

Remember when she was sweet, mousy Fred? And now she’s like gay lady catnip? See, evolution is real.

Janelle Monae

I would like to look this cool for even one second doing anything.

Natalie Dormer

I’m not sure why Natalie isn’t a much, much, much bigger star already. But that’s ok – more for us early-adopters.

Alycia Debnam-Carey

You should probably consider us gay ladies the early adopters of all celebrity it girls. Just call us the original girl crush hipsters. We loved Alycia before she was cool – and on that show with zombies.

Penelope Cruz

Is there an opposite of early adopter? Because that seems to have happened to Penelope. She was everywhere and then – poof. When all else fails, I blame Tom Cruise.

Rooney Mara

I’m really sorry if you didn’t like “Carol.” I really am. Because, to me, it was perhaps the most beautiful ache you could experience in a movie theater with your clothes on. Hell, possibly even with them off.

Birthday Wishes

Hey! It’s my birthday! And what I want most for my birthday – besides that we elect our first female president in exactly one week – is for all of you to have as wonderful a day as Doccubus, Shoot, Clexa and WayHaught seem to be having in this video. What can you say, I love giving presents almost as much as I love receiving them. Enjoy, kittens.

Our Fight Is Not Over

I’m about to say something that seemed practically sacrilegious as of two weeks ago: I never really loved “The 100” all that much. Based on everyone’s enthusiastic recommendations, I sat down and dutifully binge-watched the first two seasons last year. Certainly I enjoyed parts of it, including its powerful female characterizations, and was interested to see the Clexa storyline develop. But, to be honest, I was just there for what turned out to be the super-duper, oh-so slow burn that was Clexa in the first place. I commend both Alycia Debnam-Carey and Eliza Taylor on their nuanced portrayals. But because of the way they ended things between those two at the end of the season two – with Lexa and her Grounder’s abandonment of their however tenuous alliance with Clarke and her Sky People over Mount Weather – I felt a little cheated. Yes, we got that one glorious, oh-so thirsty kiss. But then larger politics of loyalty and power took over and that was that.

So when folks started watching again in Season 3, I was encouraged by what I heard – but not enough to catch up right away. And now, I’ll confess, I’m so glad I didn’t bother. I tend to not get too involved in the spoilery, behind-the-scenes gossip associated with shows. Before all of this happened I really wasn’t aware of how show creator Jason Rothenberg has been interacting with fans. But now that I’ve read up on it I take particular umbrage to is how he appears to have actively courted LGBT fans only to saddle them once again with a disappointing, repetitive and frankly tired-ass trope. So here we have a moment of true happiness followed by sudden and random death. Lexa is yet another dead LGBT character. Oh, geez, your shirt – AGAIN.

One might have been able to argue that in the Tara Maclay days some 14 years ago that the writers innocently were unaware of the Bury Your Gays trope (and, again, I’m not saying they were, but they could). But it’s clear that is not the case now. The series creator actively engaged and encouraged its LGBT fans and seemed to make promises that he obviously had no intentions of keeping. You can’t hold yourself up as a model example of representation and then offer us the very same sorry representations we’ve too often been force fed That’s not how this works. That’s now how any of this works.

What is most clear from this debacle is that LGBT audiences crave to see their own happy endings reflected back to them. And, just as clear, is that we will no longer sit passively by when we are disappointed and deceived by the stories we’re told.

The LGBT fandom’s reaction to this latest, tragic TV development is to stand up and demand accountability. To stand up and demand better stories. To stand up and demand we not be taken for granted as fans. If you’re a true ally, show us – don’t keep telling us you are. (And, conversely, don’t be sending out death threats or malicious messages to people who write make believe for a living – that helps no one.)

Look, tons of wonderful and eloquent fans have written on this topic already. Like here and here. You got LGBT FANS DESERVE better to trend for hours last week. And you’ve even inspired mainstream media like Variety and the GLAAD president to weight in on the situation. When you have 142 dead lesbian and bisexual characters on TV and only 16 or so TV shows where they have been given happy endings, the math is clearly off. That’s especially true when you consider there are currently more than 400 scripted shows on television. Our stories are few-and-far-between as is, and when they’re told they are disproportionately tragic.

While I’ve touched on this whole “The 100” situation in the last couple of weeks, I haven’t written too explicitly about the show on purpose because, again, I wasn’t watching. Like I said, it just wasn’t and isn’t my favorite. But the din of this controversy has risen above just one series and is now about what LGBT fans want, and demand, from their storytellers. It’s not just about the death of one beloved character. And that’s fantastic.

Even more fantastic, fans are turning their anger into positive action. Fans have come together to raise money for the Trevor Project. That campaign has so far raised more than $45,000. That’s a lot of money to help struggling LGBT youth. That’s a lot of good out of something bad. May it carry through to a continuous battle cry for more and better representations across all of entertainment, period. I’ve been writing about this stuff for a long time (10 years in April, folks). And I will always be on the side that advocates for more and better LGBT representations. It matters, it always had.

We will meet again, because this fight is not over.

Tank Top Tuesday

I still need to catch up and watch “Clouds of Sils Maria.” I mean, K-Stew and Juliette Binoche, come on. Though, lezbihonest, I think there might be less subtext than initially hoped. Though I could be wrong, like I said, I haven’t seen it yet. While I’ve done a bunch of atonement binge watching so far this year, there are still plenty of things I’m plenty behind on. What follows is just a partially tank-topped list.

Kristen Stewart

Also, was “Camp X-Ray” any good?

Alycia Debnam-Carey

I haven’t had a chance to watch any of Season 3 of “The 100” yet. Talk to me about all the Clexa I’m missing.

Sherri Saum

As much as I truly appreciate the show, “The Fosters” is a show I’ve respectfully decided to drop. But I still love Sherri and Teri, naturally.

Brie Larson

I am going to see “Room” at some point, but I just never seem to be in the mood to watch a movie about a mom and son held in forced captivity for years.

Tina Fey & Amy Poehler

*whispers* I haven’t seen “Sisters” yet. I KNOW, it’s TINA AND AMY. Don’t worry, I’ve already given myself 50 lashes in penance.

Viola Davis

Now, I have caught up on “How to Get Away with Murder” and I can say it is rodiculously entertaining. Much more entertaining than a show as ridiculous and as this show is should be. Like, everything that happens is preposterous, but I love it. And, of course, I love Viola. Those arms alone ... *low whistle*

Tank Top Tuesday: Technically Edition

Right, fine, so technically they aren’t all wearing tank tops in the above image. But I think, deep down, in spirit they are. Goodness, I had forgotten how much I loved seeing the ladies of the United States Women’s National Team all over the place. So consider this a little refresher for everyone. Plus, you know, who can resist a good tank top – even if only in spirit.

Beyoncé

Technically, this is a swimsuit. But, as I always say, a swimsuit is just a tank top that doesn’t know when to stop.

Alycia Debnam-Carey

Technically, this is a muscle shirt. But, girl, the boots more than make up for that.

Zoe Kravitz

Technically, this is a camisole. But, we all know, a camisole is just a tank top that wants to Netflix and chill.

Brandi Carlile

Technically, this is a vest. But, duh, that makes it even gayer.

Pink

Technically, this is just netting. But, please, like you’re complaining.

Winona Ryder

Technically, this is overalls. But, yeah, overalls.

Christine and the Queens

Technically, this is really a tank top. But, I told you, I am just really into her music right now.

Tank Top Tuesday

So it has been undeniably strange watching “The 100” warrior leader play the “Fear the Walking Dead” sullen teen. But Alycia Debnam-Carey has done admirably in both. Though I can’t help but think with a little more eye paint Lexa could kick all those zombies’ butts no problem. So in honor of some other great transformations, here are some more great ladies in tank tops.

Alycia Debnam-Carey

Still needs more eyeliner – and weaponry.

Shannyn Sossamon

You may only remember her as the asymmetrical chunky pixie cut girl from all those early 2000s movie. But I, for one, am super excited to see her as the big bad on this season of “Sleepy Hollow.”

Angela Bassett

She is supposed to hook-up with Lady Gaga on “American Horror Story: Hotel” this season. Like you aren’t watching just for that, too.

Ashlyn Harris

To most of America she is Hope Solo’s back-up. To lesbians she is half of Krashlyn.

Michelle Rodriguez

I would have never guessed she would become the girl who loves to post Instagram pictures of herself in sparkly ball gowns and on fancy yachts in Ibiza. But, hey, at least she still also looks great in a tank top.

Rachel Skarsten

Turning Tamsin into a lovesick teenager AND a sexual assault victim in one season? Wow, show, wow.

p.s. Full recap of Lost Girl episode 5.13 up today at AfterEllen.