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Monday 9 November 2015

Top 20 Gorgeous Women 2015

by Lauren W

So way back on September 1st, lesbian favourite AfterEllen.com posted their Hot 100 Women as chosen by the readers.

However, you only have to go as far as the comments at the bottom of the results page to realise that a lot of ladies felt as though Ruby Rose was given the number one spot unfairly. (I should let you know that the AE writers and editors insist that Ruby's position was given to her because she got the most votes.) Either way, I'm not a particularly massive fan of her's either, and I certainly did not vote for her, regardless of whether hundreds of other lesbians did.

As a matter of fact, I only voted for about 4 women because I hit the "enter" button prematurely in excitement and my vote was spoiled. (Sad face.)

Every year bar 2014, I have compiled a list of my personal favourite 20 women (10 votes just isn't enough), and have posed it to the readers of ATL for them to mull it over.

As always, I must reiterate that these ladies are my personal preferences. I am absolutely not going out of my way to discriminate on grounds of race, sexuality, gender identity, etc. What can I say? People are attracted to who they're attracted to.

So, without further rambling, here are my top 20 picks!

#20: Kerry Washington (AfterEllen Place: #100).



Known For: Scandal, Django Unchained, Ray.

Why She's On My List: Okay, so Kerry only barely made my list at number 20, but she slid in by the skin of her teeth on AfterEllen's list at #100! Anyway, I'm obsessed with her. She's gorgeous, for one thing, but she's also one of the most talented actresses on TV right now. Not only that, but she's a huge ally. If you missed her amazing Vanguard award acceptance speech about LGBT rights at the GLAAD awards this year, get yourself caught up by clicking HERE.

#19: Michelle Rodriguez (AE Place: Not on the list!)



Known For: Avatar, The Fast and The Furious, Machete.

Why She's On My List: I was kinda surprised that Rodriguez didn't make AE's list this year. I mean, she dated P.Y.T. Cara Delevigne for Christ's sake! Recently when on vacation in Egypt, an Arabic TV station was showing Machete, and I just couldn't help but re-watch it... And all my feelings for Michelle came rushing back. Man, I'm a sucker for a woman with a (fake) gun wearing jean shorts.

#18: Rochelle Aytes (AE Place: Not on the list!)



Known For: Mistresses, White Chicks, Criminal Minds.

Why She's On My List: When the US remake of Mistresses came to the fore, I watched it because I am a long-time Alyssa Milano fan girl. Clearly, I was happily surprised to find that the beautiful Rochelle was equally (if not more) crush-worthy. We've seen her co-stars (Yunjin Kim who plays Karen, and Jes Macallan who plays Joss) get into some girl-on-girl action, but I'm not gonna lie, I'm refusing to tune back into Mistresses until Aytes gets some of the female sugar.

#17: Famke Janssen (AE Place: Not on the list!)



Known For: X-Men, Hemlock Grove, Goldeneye.

Why She's On My List: She's been on my radar of smoking hot women ever since she played the trans character Ava on Ryan Murphy's medical drama Nip/Tuck. However, most recently, this Dutch beauty has been playing Viola Davis' lover in Shondaland show How To Get Away With Murder, and that made me remember why I've loved her for all these years. Oh, and she's super hot as Jean Grey in the X-Men movies, too.

#16: Portia de Rossi (AE Place: #66).



Known For: Scandal, Ally McBeal, Arrested Development.

Why She's On My List: Does Portia ever really age? I'll give you a clue: no. I've been a fan of Portia's ever since my pre-pubescent brain secretly stayed up way past her bedtime to watch Ally McBeal on VHS. I've recently been re-watching the entire series actually, and I still love Portia as Nelle Porter. More recently, I've been loving her in equal amounts as the perfectly-coiffed Elizabeth North in Scandal. She's an underrated dramatic and comedic actress and she's hot as hell. How could I not include her on here?

#15: Katie Lowes (AE Place: Not on the list!)



Known For: Scandal, Transformers, Wreck-It Ralph.

Why She's On My List: I promise that there are no more Scandal actresses on this list... Look, I don't know what it is about Lowes that makes me want to jump her bones. Maybe it's because she's hot as balls playing a spy/assassin on Scandal. Maybe it's because she's so often overshadowed by the likes of Kerry Washington and isn't given enough gritty material. Maybe it's just those thighs. I don't know. Whatever it is, I'm glad that Katie isn't only known for her voice acting these days.

#14: Kate Winslet (AE Place: #77).



Known For: Titanic, Eternal Sunshine of The Spotless Mind, Revolutionary Road.

Why She's On My List: Move over, Cara Delevigne, these are the original eyebrows. If you look up the definition of "English Rose" you'll find a picture of Kate Winslet. Sometimes crushes come and go, but Kate seems to be the one constant in my life. She's so damn attractive, and she just happens to be in one of my favourite movies of all time (Eternal Sunshine). There will never be a list that from me in which she doesn't make an appearance.

#13: Anna Silk (AE Place: #18).



Known For: Lost Girl, Being Erica, Assassins Tale.

Why She's On My List: Do. I. Even. Need. To. Explain. This. One. To. You? Seriously? No. It'd be like preaching to the choir. I mean, can you even imagine anyone else being cast as a drop dead gorgeous bisexual succubus? Yeah, that's what I thought.

#12: Laura Prepon (AE Place: #6).



Known For: Orange Is The New Black, That 70s Show, Karla.

Why She's On My List: So this is the only entry in my list that placed lower than it did on AfterEllen's Hot 100. Why? I have a love/hate relationship with Laura Prepon. I can't decide if I'm attracted to her or her character, Alex Vause, in Orange Is The New Black. Sometimes I see her in interviews and I'm just all "oh, be quiet", and then I see her face on Instagram and I think "actually, you seem pretty cool". No one on this list causes such ~real~ dilemmas in my head. Maybe I'm just attracted to Alex. Whatever, Laura Prepon looks like Alex Vause, so that's good enough for me.

#11: Emilia Clarke (AE Place: #53).



Known For: Game of Thrones, Terminator Genisys, Dom Hemingway.

Why She's On My List: I just. I can't. *Mean Girls voice* How do I even begin to describe Emilia Clarke? She's just. Sigh. She has such a great face. How can one woman have such a perfect face? Oh, and of course I'm a huge GoT fan girl. If I didn't include my Khaleesi on this list then she'd probably feed me to the dragons. #AllHailMhysa

#10: Caterina Scorsone (AE Place: Not on the list!)



Known For:
Private Practice, Grey's Anatomy, Missing.

Why She's On My List: Like Katie Lowes, Caterina is another Shondaland lady I can't figure out why I like so much. I've watched her grow into an amazing actress since her Private Practice days, so it could be that. She's also a Torontonian, and I'm a sucker for the Canadians, so it could be that. She's also half Italian, which is my downfall, so it could be that. Whatever it is, she's far too often overlooked by the lesbians, and she's fine as hell.

#9: Taraji P. Henson (AE Place: Not on the list!)



Known For: Empire, Person of Interest, The Karate Kid.

Why She's On My List: Out of all of the ladies who didn't make the AfterEllen Hot 100 this year, this one surprised me the most. With the year Taraji has had (with the success of Empire and being nominated for a Golden Globe alongside the great Viola Davis), I couldn't believe that Taraji didn't get enough votes to make the top 100. Since I started watching Person of Interest, I knew that this lady was phenomenal. And my God, she's gorgeous too.

#8: Troian Bellisario (AE Place: #48).



Known For: Pretty Little Liars, NCIS, Lauren.

Why She's On My List: The majority of lesbians will be surprised that I've picked this little liar over Shay Mitchell (Mitchell ended up in the top 5 on AfterEllen's list). And don't get me wrong; Shay is beautiful. There's just something about Troian that makes me more attracted to her. It's probably because she's a little more alternative, a little more complex, and an amazing actress in her own right. Not to mention that she played gay this year in Still a Rose; a queer adaptation of the classic Romeo & Juliet. (Click HERE for the trailer, by the way. You're welcome.)

#7: Rachel Skarsten (AE Place: #43).



Known For: Lost Girl, Reign, Fifty Shades of Grey.

Why She's On My List: Are you kidding me? The woman looks like a real life angel! And she is a real life angel, damn it. I have to admit, I don't usually go for the whole blonde hair/blue eyes thing, but Skarsten is too hard to resist. When she's not sucking Anna Silk's face off in the late, great Lost Girl, she's playing British royalty as a redhead Queen Elizabeth I in the CW's Reign. Strong women, hear them roar!

#6: Margot Robbie (AE Place: Not on the list!)



Known For: The Wolf of Wall Street, Neighbours, Focus.

Why She's On My List: Isn't it obvious? Look at the woman. Once again, I was super surprised when she didn't make the AfterEllen list, especially since everyone is going bat shit crazy over her upcoming role as Harley Quinn in Suicide Squad. She started off in mediocre Australian soap opera, Neighbours, and then won a break-out role in Hollywood as Leonardo DiCaprio's girlfriend in The Wolf of Wall Street. Seems like no one can get enough of her... Me included.

#5: Amy Acker (AE Place: #26).



Known For: Angel, Person of Interest, Much Ado About Nothing.

Why She's On My List: Anyone who knows me will also know that I am obsessed with Person of Interest and the Whedonverse. So there's no surprise that Acker is on this list, considering Sarah Shahi just planted a kiss right on her mouth on CBS. I loved her in Dollhouse, I loved her in Cabin in the Woods, I loved her in everything I've ever seen her in. Not to mention, if you watch any interview with Acker (I recommend THIS fan video, which is pretty much a compilation of some recent PoI interviews), you'll know - to steal the internet's phrase - Amy Acker is literally too good for this world. She's precious. And when she carries two guns, she's also kinda hot.

#4: Aubrey Plaza (AE Place: Not on the list!)



Known For: Parks and Recreation, Addicted to Fresno, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World.

Why She's On My List: Okay, not only do I have a comedy crush on Aubrey, I also have a general "good God, you're attractive" crush on her. Obviously she was often overlooked when she starred in Parks and Rec, as the lesser known actress on the cast list. However, she made a lasting impression on me. This year also saw her star in Addicted to Fresno, (or as I call it, "a sight for sore eyes"), in which she plays Natasha Lyonne's girlfriend. The fact that she's a bit of a weirdo probably contributes to what makes her so attractive to me, and I'm sure you'll agree... If you're into that sort of thing.

#3: Demi Lovato (AE Place: #58).



Known For: Glee, Sonny with a Chance, The X Factor.

Why She's On My List: Demi came under a lot of scrutiny by the bisexual community this year for saying something like "there's nothing wrong with experimentation" in regards to the girl-on-girl nature of her Cool For The Summer video. At the same time, though, she also hinted that her bisexuality "didn't not stick", so I'm cool with that. Honestly, I've always gotten a gay vibe from her, and now I've seen her kicking some ass in her music video for Confident alongside Michelle Rodriguez, I feel like I'm gonna be crushing on her forever more. And, as I've said before, thick thighs save lives.

#2: Sara Ramirez (AE Place: #40).



Known For: Grey's Anatomy, Spamalot, Sofia the First.

Why She's On My List: Latinas, latinas, everywhere... I guess you could say I have a type. Ever since Ramirez joined the cast of Grey's waaaaaaay back in 2006, I've been a huge fan. And then they gave her a lesbian storyline and had her make out with Jessica Capshaw and I've never looked back. Plus, she can sing. Very well. PLUS, she can act. Very well. A woman with talent and legs like that? You should be noticing a trend in my choices by now...

#1: Sarah Shahi (AE Place: #11).



Known For: The L Word, Person of Interest, Fairly Legal.

Why She's On My List: You have no idea how long it took me to choose a photo for my number 1 spot. Seriously, Shahi looks flawless in every damn photo. You also have no idea how obsessed with her I am. Not only is she a great actress, supportive of the LGBT community, and playing the most badass super-assassin/superhero on TV in Sameen Shaw, she's real. Watch an interview with Shahi and you'll realise almost immediately that she says what she thinks, not what she's been made to think. She's been known to drop the F bomb in the middle of serious conversations. She has no filter. In short, she's not been groomed by her agents and media pressue, and she will do as she pleases, when she pleases. Now that is my kinda woman. I could go on about her for hours. This Iranian-Spanish-American beauty is absolutely my number 1 gorgeous woman this year for a multitude of reasons. And if you haven't watch Person of Interest yet, I am urging you to do so. It started off as a bit of a sausage-fest (minus Taraji P. Henson), and has inadvertently become one of the most feminist, forward-thinking shows of all time. Plus, you get to see Sarah wielding a gun and kicking some serious ass... Oh, and she also kisses Amy Acker. Did I already mention that?


So that's it! I hope you enjoyed reading/browsing this as much as I enjoyed putting it together.

I'd love to hear some of your top 20 picks in the comments! You can also tweet your choices to me at http://twitter.com/allthingsles. Can't wait to hear your thoughts!

Friday 6 November 2015

New LGBTQ Music: Kerchief

(Brooklyn, NY) While Kerchief's LP Machines and Animals bears no title track, the sophomore single "Jack London" lends a fitting summary of the entire 11-song debut.

Formerly of the indie band Vanity Theft, Britt Hill cuts through with the poetically relatable and compelling edge that has grabbed the attention of critics and fans alike since the album's mid-summer release.

A dynamic composition tensely contained by its recurrent low-end hypnosis with a cumulating burst from a boundless wall of sound set the perfect tone, tying an underlying story of a creative person's journey from angst to ease.

Distinguished drum patterns contributed by producer Matty Amendola, alongside Hill's experimental melodic guitar arrangements, will have audiophiles hitting the repeat button while satisfying the first-time listener with its engaging hook.



The single, joined by its accompanying music video directed by Andy Strohl, premiered on OUT Magazine’s website, with a broadcast debut on THECOOLTV network to follow. Kerchief's sound, previously characterized as "fortified by straightforward lyrics that still leave spaces for a listener’s imagination" (by June Tunes Digest), intuited the intention behind the cinematically produced video.

Unexpected twists and turns with unprecedented artful attention won't be allowed to go unnoticed. "Jack London", slated as a firm follow-up to Kerchief’s 20 city summer tour, is sure to serve the indie rock culture of discovery and whet the appetite of any true music connoisseur.

Tuesday 3 November 2015

ANTIGONE RISING Launches GIRL BANDS ROCK Foundation

ANTIGONE RISING 
LAUNCHES GIRL BANDS ROCK FOUNDATION
TO HELP EDUCATE & INSPIRE YOUNG GIRLS AROUND  THE WORLD ACCOMPLISH THEIR GOALS


New York, NY - Antigone Rising has announced the launch of their foundation dubbed Girl Bands Rock (www.GirlBandsRock.org)

The official kick off, which took place during the band’s 2nd Annual Antigone Rising BeachFest  in Sea Cliff, NY on September 19th, comes on the heels of a two-week-long trip as Cultural Ambassadors of the United States to Vietnam performing outreach programs, master classes and public concerts.

Since stepping onto the music scene, AR fused their success with helping educate youths around the world on accomplishing goals as Cultural Ambassadors to the United States Government. 

Girl Bands Rock is a not for profit foundation set to inspire and educate kids, especially young girls, to pursue careers in the music industry. 
Antigone Rising partners with school districts and youth centers to create innovative programming dedicated to building confidence in youth by developing leadership and creative skills through musical workshops, outreach programs and performances. 

Realizing that the music industry does not provide enough worthy female role models, especially women in self contained rock bands, the Girl Bands Rock program provides kids the opportunity to see women excel in a male dominated profession and offers them strong female role models to emulate. 




As Cultural Ambassadors to the U.S. Government, the band has done outreach programs in Israel and Palestine and has recently returned from an inspiring trip to Vietnam this past July, 2015

The ladies of Antigone Rising have also played a part in LGBTQ advocacy, making news when Kristin Ellis-Henderson appeared on the cover of Time Magazine with wife Sarah Kate Ellis-Henderson, the president/CEO of GLAAD, for a feature on marriage equality.  

This past June, the band also came together along with other artists to support LGBT acceptance at the inaugural Concert for Love and Acceptance, presented by Grammy-nominated and Dove Award-winning artist Ty Herndon and GLAAD, and co-hosted by political commentator and author Meghan McCain.

Best known for relentless touring and masterful musicianship, Antigone Rising played upwards of 280 shows a year in their early days. Whether it was an open mic on a Monday night or a jam packed New York City hometown show, the ladies and their infamous Vanna White (the band's beloved 15 passenger van) eventually blazed a trail straight to arenas alongside some of the biggest names in rock history including The Rolling Stones, Aerosmith, The Allman Brothers Band, The Bangles and Rob Thomas.

Founding sisters Cathy and Kristen Henderson have always had the same philosophy- play better than the boys and make sure the fans feel like part of the family! That philosophy--along with writing undeniably catchy songs--has allowed this self sustained group to maintain their independence and leave an indelible mark on an industry best known for leaving girl (bands) behind.

For the all-female-boot-stompin'-alt-country-rock band ANTIGONE RISING, helping aspiring young artists while giving back to their community is something that comes second nature to a group that is helping to create music and history.


FOR MORE INFORMATION: www.girlbandsrock.org ; www.AntigoneRising.com