The Women of 2012

So, we're one week into 2013, meaning we've had a week to decide on which of the wonderful women in the media made 2012 a year to remember for the LGBTQ community.

Whether they won our hearts on our television screens or through their alliance with our people, the following women deserve a mention.

Note: This is only the author's opinion. Let us know in the comments who you'd have put in this list!

Women in Television.

We think its only necessary to give a shout out to the little Canadian show that could, Lost Girl.

One of the most sex and sexuality positive shows on television, Lost Girl provided us with yet more LGBTQ action via the above to gorgeous ladies.

Anna Silk (right) and Zoie Palmer play Bo and Lauren, two of the few characters on television who are neither labelled nor defined by their sexual orientation.

In fact, what these two are is never discussed on the show - something we need to see more of. Silk and Palmer play these two women perfectly, portraying a relationship of love, without second thought to gender.

Right on, ladies.

Not only that, but there was something for the teen lesbian this year, too.

In the absence of Naomily (Skins) in 2012, Pretty Little Liars showed young, struggling teens everywhere that being a lesbian is no less normal than being heterosexual.

Shay Mitchell (left) and Lindsey Shaw play queer teens, Emily Fields and Paige McCullers in the smash hit teen drama.

What this show does is place this couple among three other straight couples (lovingly named Spoby, Ezria and Haleb by fans) and ensures that their relationship is treated no differently to that of Emily's heterosexual friends. What we're saying is, its the South of Nowhere of our time.

Shay and Lindsey, despite being straight in reality (as far as we know), conjure up some extreme chemistry and play a young lesbian couple rather expertly.

FYI: Pretty Little Liars is set to return to your screens TONIGHT, at 8/7c.

Basically, we want to say thanks, Lost Girl and Pretty Little Liars, for showing both adults and young people that gay is most definitely okay.

Other honorable mentions: Lauren German (Chicago Fire), Sara Ramirez and Jessica Capshaw (Grey's Anatomy) and the cast of The Real L Word.

Female LGBTQ Allies.

Its true: 2012 was a great year for women showing their allied support of our community.

Firstly, we'd like to mention Once Upon A Time's Evil Queen, Lana Parrilla. Mainly because if we didn't, you'd kill us.

Not only does Lana play one half of fan-favourite "Swan Queen" (the OUAT lesbian crackship), Parrilla often expresses her support for the community and even spoke at the Human Rights Gala in the summer.

She may appear evil on our screens, but in real life, what a sweetie she is!

Ladies in politics also succeeded in showing us their support and their demand for equal LGBTQ rights last year.

First lady Michelle Obama and Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, two of the most well-known women in politics today, expressed their undying support for the human rights campaign.

As you may very well know (which you should!) US President, Barack Obama became the first president to explicitly state his approval of gay marriage in America. However, we wonder how far he'd have come without Michelle at his side.

Her support provided a huge crutch for Obama to lean on during what was such a courageous speech in 2012 that we can only congratulate her just as much as we thank Mr. Obama for taking the time to broadcast such a speech.

Even before that, however, Hillary Clinton did the exact same thing. She traveled far and wide to spread the message about equal rights and marriage for gay people, making us only want her even more to run for President in 2013, despite her ill-health.

We wish you a speedy recovery, Ms. Clinton!

Other honorable mentions: Sally Field, who spoke openly about her love for her gay son and her support for LGBTQ rights, and the women (and men!) at corporations such as Starbucks, Intel and Oreo, for standing up against anti-gay businesses. *cough* Chick-Fil-A, we're looking at you.


We could go on to mention women in music, film, education and advocacy who stood up for the LGBTQ community in 2012, but we want to put the rest over to you.

Which women do you think deserve a place on the "Women of 2012" list? Which power females really made 2012 a good year for you?

Let us know below!

Top 20 Gorgeous Ladies 2012

You may or may not know that every year I post my favourite 20 Gorgeous Ladies to correspond with the AfterEllen Hot 100.

As I state every time I do this: this list is my own personal opinion and personal preference. In no way do I expect you to agree with me, this list is just for your enjoyment!

So here we go...

20) Kristen Stewart (New Entry).

Known For: Twilight, The Runaways, having little facial expression.


Why She's On My List: I've actually only recently started to find Kristen attractive... But I think that's because she did those ELLE photoshoots in which she looked gorgeously androgynous.


19) Audra McDonald (New Entry).

Known For: Private Practice, Broadway's Porgy & Bess, that magnificent soprano voice.

Why She's On My List: She's mostly my talent crush. She's amazing and perfect in every way and if you don't know her work, at least YouTube it. (She's gorgeous as well, don't get me wrong!)


18) Anna Silk (New Entry).

Known For: Lost Girl, Earthstorm, being the hottest Succubus in Canada.

Why She's On My List: Hot damn, just look at her. You want more explanation? Also, if you watch Lost Girl I'm sure you'll have taken note of that splendid rack of her's.


17) Camila Grey (New Entry).

Known For: Being part of the bands Uh Huh Her, Mellowdrone and being Leisha Hailey's girlfriend.

Why She's On My List: Not gonna lie, I didn't find Cam that hot until recently. Then I saw Uh Huh Her live, drooled everywhere and fell in love with how awesomely cool Cam was.

16) Caterina Scorsone (Last Year: 12).

Known For: Private Practice, Alice, being such an underrated actress.


Why She's On My List: This year saw Caterina's character, Amelia, on Private Practice become a crack addict and then give birth to a baby born without a brain. Stellar acting with a pretty face to go alongside it. What's not to like?


15) Shay Mitchell (New Entry).

Known For: Pretty Little Liars, Degrassi, playing an adorable and believable lesbian on-screen.


Why She's On My List: She's smoking hot. Just look at her! Her face is flawless. Oh and her character, Emily, in Pretty Little Liars is a lesbian, meaning we get to see her kiss girls on a regular basis. Wonderful.


14) Leisha Hailey (New Entry).

Known For: The L Word, being the other half of band Uh Huh Her, being multi-talented and therefore fabulous.


Why She's On My List: Who hasn't had a crush on Leisha since The L Word? Oh, you haven't? Yeah, didn't think so. She's adorable, quirky and seeing her live in concert this year made me want to squeeze her. So cute.


13) Natasha O'Keeffe (New Entry).

Known For: Playing the ever perfect Sadie in BBC lesbian drama, Lip Service.

Why She's On My List: Uh, hello?! Have you seen her in Lip Service? I mean, I know those sex scenes are only acting, but man, does she look like she knows what she's doing...



12) Lea Michele (Last Year: 7).

Known For: Glee, Broadway's Les Miserables, her astounding vocal chords.

Why She's On My List: When people think of Lea, they often just think of Rachel Berry. But she is so damn hot in real life, I'm not even sure how to complete this sentence...


11) Eliza Dushku (Last Year: 6).

Known For: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Dollhouse, that ever so sexy, raspy voice.

Why She's On My List: There's never a minute where Dushku is not hot. Her lips, her voice, her flowing hair... Sigh. She's gorgeous and a pretty good actress, if I say so myself.


10) Zoie Palmer (New Entry).

Known For: Lost Girl, Devil, being an impossibly hot doctor.

Why She's On My List: I like to thank Zoie for some of the hottest lesbian scenes in the history of television, while at the same time she's adorable. However, if you look up any behind the scenes interviews of Zoie, you'll see that she's hilarious. Nothing hotter than wit.


9) Drew Barrymore (New Entry).

Known For: E.T., Scream, a shit load of other A list films.

Why She's On My List: I've always been a huge, huge fan of Drew. She could probably be my definition of the perfect woman: funny, sexy, intelligent... So I felt it was about time to include her on my list.


8) Lady Gaga (Last Year: 5).

Known For: Being Lady freakin' Gaga, don't ask such stupid questions.

Why She's On My List: There's something so incredibly sexy about pop music's "weirdest" star. Maybe its her risque clothes, maybe its her voice, maybe its that ass. I don't care what it is, all I know is she's damn fine.


7) Kate Winslet (New Entry).

Known For: Titanic, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Revolutionary Road, The Reader... Should I go on?

Why She's On My List: She is the main British actress of our time. She's incredibly sexy and yet still retains this sense of innocence. Also, I'm insanely attracted to her in Eternal Sunshine when she has red hair, I can't help it.


6) Ksenia Solo (New Entry).

Known For: Lost Girl, Black Swan, having some of the best lines on Lost Girl.

Why She's On My List: She's stunning. And not in that big-breasted, Kim Kardashian kind of way. She's a classic beauty and she's miraculous. Also, she's trained in ballet, which gives anyone an advantage in my book.


5) Sasha Alexander (Last Year: 20).

Known For: Rizzoli & Isles, NCIS, being one half of the gayest-straight pairing on television.

Why She's On My List: She's adorable, funny, quirky, cute, talented... I could go on for a while. All in all, she deserves a spot this high on the list, mainly because of the hair porn she provides on Rizzoli & Isles, while creating all that chemistry between herself and Angie Harmon.


4) Jessica Capshaw (Last Year: 2).

Known For: Grey's Anatomy, The L Word, being Steven Spielberg's step-daughter.

Why She's On My List: Those blue eyes, her perfect hair, her smile, perhaps? And she maintains all of this while having 3 children. Not sure how she does it but damn, I love her.


3) Jessie J (New Entry).

Known For: Being the 'voice' of the year, in the USA, the UK and pretty much everywhere else.

Why She's On My List: She's sassy, she says what she thinks... Oh yeah, she's bisexual. Jessie is the highest Brit on my list, and her voice is phenomenal. I have a love-hate relationship with her, but I'm sure if she was my girlfriend I could get over the hate part...


2) Sara Ramirez (Last Year: 1).

Known For: Grey's Anatomy, Broadways' Spamalot, being overly sexy without even trying.

Why She's On My List: Last year, Ramirez was my number one. It took a lot not to put her first again this year because it seems that as the years go on, the hotter she gets. Also, she can sing so well I get goosebumps every time I listen so... Yeah, that's why she's on this list.

So, who's number 1? A new entry? An actress? A singer? Check it out...



1) Troian Bellisario (New Entry).

Known For: Pretty Little Liars, NCIS, oh and her Father's the creator of NCIS too. No biggie.

Why She's On My List: As Spencer Hastings on Pretty Little Liars, Troian is absolutely perfect. She's witty, gorgeous, incredibly smart... So of course I had to google her. Then I found out that Troian loves tumblr, she loves to sing and she's a fan of Arcade Fire. She's my perfect woman in every way. Don't even try and stand between us.

So what did you think of my list? Who would you add? Who would you remove?

Comment below so I know what you have to say!

Brittana & Calzona Return!

No, I'm not talking about folded up pizza and I'm not singing "Rule Brittania" to you in honour of my British heritage.

You probably already know, but this week we saw the return of two of our favourite "couples"* to the screen.

First up, we had Glee on Tuesday, which saw the return of Brittany (Heather Morris) and Santana (Naya Rivera).

Now there wasn't much in the way of obvious lesbianism during the season 3 premiere of Glee this week, but we have been promised many a time by the creators, including top dog, Ryan Murphy, that this season we will see Santana accepting herself.

Whether or not Brittany will be by her side is another matter completely, but it'll be interesting to see how the writers handle a lesbian couple on the show. And if the gay couple, Kurt & Blaine, are anything to go by, they'll execute it with class and dignity.

And in Grey's Anatomy this Thursday, we saw the return of Callie (Sara Ramirez), Arizona (Jessica Capshaw) and their daughter Sofia.

Last season was a roller coaster ride for Calzona - they moved in together, Arizona moved to Africa, they broke up, Callie got pregnant with Mark's (Eric Dane) baby, they fought, they got back together, they got caught in a car crash, Callie gave birth and they got married.

Did you get all that? I told you it was a roller coaster.

Anyway, this week's double season opener saw Calzona pretty much as a happy couple with a few adorable scenes of the two of them with baby Sofia.

Jessica Capshaw, who plays Arizona, has recently said that Calzona are currently just enjoying married life, but expect something to go wrong for them any time soon.

I mean, it wouldn't be Grey's without drama, right?

Do you lesbos watch either of these shows? What are you hoping will happen next for these couples?

You can catch Glee on FOX, Tuesdays 8/7c and Grey's Anatomy on ABC, Thursdays 9/8c if you live in the States.

*Brittana are not officially a couple, I know, but you just wait.

Super Lesbian Photos

Okay, I can't be the only one who sees a an old photograph they've never come across before and gets excited about the profound lesbianity involved in the picture.

Right?

My reason for saying this is as follows:

Most people have probably already seen this, but being an idiot like I am, I hadn't before now.

Yep, that's previously married lesbian couple Melissa Etheridge (left) and her ex-wife Tammy Lynn Michaels (right). And if you don't know who the one in the middle is, well, get out of my sight. That's obviously Jessica Capshaw of Grey's Anatomy and The L Word fame.

I know Capshaw isn't a lesbian, she's married to a man and has two children, but she plays lesbians. And apparently, she associates with them too!

So, I just wanted to tell you that it made me, in teenage internet terms, 'squee'. (And I will never, ever use that word again, I promise).

What are your favourite lesbian-packed photographs?

Send me some links in the comments so I can s**e to them too!

A TV Lesbian Wedding?!

Yep, that's right.

If you're a fan of lesbian pop culture on the silver screen, you'll know that tonight is the night that Callie and Arizona get married! ARGHHHHHHH!

If you don't understand what I mean, I'm obviously referring to the lesbian couple on ABC's Grey's Anatomy, played by Sara Ramirez and Jessica Capshaw, who are tying the knot tonight.

I suggest, if you have no idea what I'm talking about, that you get yourself on YouTube and educate yourself about Calzona. Or Callizona. Or CapMirez. Whatever you want to call it.

There have already been a TON of spoilers, pictures and behind the scenes clips from the wedding, so if you've seen them you'll probably know what to expect.

But remember, this is Grey's, and they always have some surprises up their sleeves.

I think it is about time, in related news, that they showed a real, feminine lesbian wedding on television. And I'm hoping that this one is better than Carol's wedding to her female lover on Friends, which starred an ugly hat or ten.

Call me vain, but I want to see something realistic and lesbian on television, not something weird and 90s.

Another Struggle For Calzona?

Yep, you must know who I mean when I say 'Calzona' by now.

Obviously I mean gay surgeons from Grey's Anatomy, Callie Torres and Arizona Robbins, played by Sara Ramirez and Jessica Capshaw.

Well, if you don't want to hear a sneak peek of Ramirez singing in the upcoming musical and you're avoiding spoilers, DO NOT WATCH THE VIDEO BELOW.

So what do you lesbians think?

Is the person in the bed who you think it is? Where is Arizona at this time?

I for one am super excited about the musical. I was a bit cautious at first because I thought it'd suck, but this actually looks intense and pretty much what Grey's used to be.

Although Grey's Anatomy is currently on hiatus, you can watch new episodes starting March 24th on ABC.

Calzona Bombshell?

If you're a fan of Grey's Anatomy, (or not a fan, but spend the majority of your day googling 'Calzona' or 'Canzona fanfic',) you'll know that the show is home to one of the best lesbian couples of all time.

Callie Torres and Arizona Robbins make up this dynamic duo, but gossip tells us that something baaaad is going to happen this Thursday evening when Grey's airs.

Previews have been issued to a select few, with one viewer saying:

There’s a giant bombshell dropped in the middle of Callie and Arizona’s relationship. I literally gasped and then yelled at my screen when I found out what it was. OK, make that TWICE. I yelled at my screen TWICE. If there’s one reason to watch this episode, this is it.

EEK! Sounds exciting, right? WRONG! It sounds f*cking awful! I'm thinking of all the worst situations it could be and I am not happy with it. They can't break up again, surely?!

So what do you think this 'bombshell' will be? Will they overcome it? And are you excited to see what it is!?

Blondes I would...

Up until recently, I was never a fan of blondes. I mean, I've only ever dated 1 and that was a long time ago.

But now, I just can't help but notice some of our fair-haired friends and in their honour, I've decided to come up with a list of 'Blondes I would...' - Well, you know.

In no particular order...

Jessica Capshaw. (Actress. Grey's Anatomy, The L Word.)

Aside from playing Arizona Robbins, the most perfect fictional character ever, and having the coolest Step-dad in Steven Spielberg (and her real father Bob Capshaw, let's not forget him), Jessica is pretty much the cutest thing on earth.

She can also be really sexy when she wants to be... (Click here.)

Lily Loveless. (Actress. Skins.)

I know, I know, most people are in love with Emily (played by Kathryn Prescott), but I'm in love with Naomi. She's not a natural blonde, but she's always had that look of Debbie Harry about her with her bleached blonde hair.

Oh and Lily, that red lipstick... Miaow.

Laurel Holloman. (Actress. The L Word. The Incredibly True Adventure of Two Girls in Love.)

Yeah, yeah, she's old enough to be my Mother. What's your point? Laurel is the definition of MILF and you know it! Apparently she's also bisexual, making her the only out bisexual on my list.

Did I mention her sex scenes with Jennifer Beals in the L Word?

Kimberly Wyatt. (Singer/Dancer. The Pussycat Dolls.)

Yes, I understand that she's a brunette now. But seriously, when she was blonde, Wyatt was smokin' hot. Do I really need to explain this one? She can dance, she's gorgeous, she has the cutest laugh...

Oh, and we all know how bendy she is...

Leisha Hailey. (Actress. The L Word. All Over Me.)

Again, not a natural blonde, but she's still super hot. Leisha is actually the only out lesbian on this list, making her that little bit hotter. She can sing, act, play various instruments... Is there anything she can't do?

I'm sure I could put her to the test...

And then there are the obvious ones like Charlize Theron and P!nk.

Who else would be on your list?

First Celesbian Outing of the Year...

As far as I know, British singer Lady Sovereign is the first Celesbian to come out of the closet this year.

For the record Sov, when you look like that, we already know you're gay. ;)

Anyway, just last week, pint-sized Sov came out on the British version of Celebrity Big Brother.

As soon as she entered the house, the show's presenter, Davina McCall, began rumours claiming that little Sov was a great dyke.

And guess what?

She was right!

Last year was a great year for lesbian and bisexual celebrities coming out of the closet, gaining more visibility for 'our kind'.

I'm sure we all have a list of starlets who we wish were gay and also a list of who we know are gay but just haven't confirmed it yet. (Think Jodie Foster.)

But who will be next?

I have my fingers crossed for Jessica Capshaw. (Yes, I know she's married. To a man. Just let me dream, dammit!)

Top Lesbian News of 2009.

Yep, we're back for a second year with the top lesbian news of the year. With one difference: this year we'll be talking about 2009. Duh.

So what makes your top 5?

As it often features in the blog, I'd like to point out the arrival of Jessica Capshaw as the only lesbian character on television.

Grey's Anatomy got rid of one lesbian character last year and faced a lot of backlash from the gay community. But when Arizona came along, no one was complaining. Will we see the arrival of any more lesbians on TV in 2010?

In other television news, it seems that beloved(?) cable network show The L Word went off air this year.

The L Word paved the way for lesbian visibility way back in 2004, being the first show star an all female, mostly lesbian cast. However this year, the L Word showcased its final season. And boy, did it go out with a bang. For all the wrong reasons, of course.

We all saw a whole host of celebrities come out this year, too. From Brandi Carlile to Kelly McGillis, Clementine Ford to Megan Fox, 2009 was very good for the visibility of out, famous females.

Teens will obviously be very grateful for the lesbian romance portrayed on TV drama Skins between Naomi (Lily Loveless) and Emily (Kathryn Prescott).

Good news for 2010 too: they're back! And it looks all very dramatic too. Check out the E4 Website if you want to know more.

Of course, we also saw the re-administration of Proposition 8 in California this year. Bad news for all the gay and lesbian couples who were hoping to get married. Good news for the ones who took advantage of the law being overturned previously - they were allowed to stay married legally.

So what was the best (or worst) lesbian news for you this year? And what are you hoping happens next year?

Lesbian Love On Grey's!

Pretty much all lesbians only watch Grey's Anatomy for the resident gay couple, Arizona (Jessica Capshaw) and Callie (Sara Ramirez).

I know, adorable.

So you won't be surprised that I cried this week after Arizona told Callie that she loved her. Finally, we have a lesbian couple who don't tell each other they're in love within the first week. We finally have a lesbian couple who haven't moved in together within three months. And we definitely don't have a lesbian couple who are going to 'make a baby' any time soon.

But the 'I love yous' were perfectly timed this week. Facial expression and timing was just astonishing between the two actresses: it was like you could tell what they were thinking.

Again, I can't do it justice with my words, the only way to really understand is watching the episode for yourself.

Keep it up, Shonda Rhimes.

If I could visit any state, it'd have to be Arizona...

Can I just take a moment out to appreciate the genius behinds Grey's Anatomy newcomer Jessica Capshaw?

You eagle-eyed L Word fans might have noticed that Capshaw also played schoolgirl Nadia in season five of the show. (She was also awesome in that role too, by the way.)

Anyway yeah, Capshaw equals pure genius. And I'm not just talking about her looks!

As Dr. Arizona Robbins in Grey's, the lovely Jessica brings a level head to the surgery: every week without fail she seems to deliver a speech to a troubled patient or Doctor or some other poor soul, making you instantly fall in love with her.

Last night's episode (October 15th, 2009) saw Capshaw convincing her girlfriend's worried Father that being gay really is okay. Of course I know that the show's chief writer Shonda Rhimes has something to do with the perfection of Arizona, but the way in which Jessica plays her with such conviction brings a tear to my drama-loving eye.

Speaking of conviction, major kudos to Sara Ramirez (who plays Calliope Torres) this week.

Ramirez plays Arizona's girlfriend, who's Father (previously mentioned) is particularly hostile to his daughter's lifestyle choice. What I'm mentioning her for though is that she fought back at her Dad in the most kick ass way this week, it made me actually believe her.

My point is, these two straight (as far as I know!) women are absolutely flawless in their acting, and really do us gay ladies some justice.

What a pair of amazing women.

Oh my goddess.

In regards to my ‘top 20 women’ blog, I have to say I have recently realized that I missed out a very important lady! (Who I’m pretty much certain is an actual goddess.)

Yeah I know, it’s not like me to make mistakes, but I haven’t realized the beauty of this woman until just recently. That woman is… Cheryl Cole.

I’d say it was quite probable that if you live in the States, you’ve never heard of Ms. Cole. She is, for your information, in a relatively new girl band from England named Girls Aloud.

Cheryl and her other four bandmates have been extremely successful in the UK – they have had 19 consecutive top 10 singles, with 4 of them topping the charts at number 1. Their single ‘The Promise’ (which is, by the way, one of my favorites) sold 77,100 copies in its first week, making it the fastest selling single in UK chart history.

Now, Ms. Cole is on the judging panel in the UK’s parallel to American Idol: a show called The X Factor. Aside from being the only reason I watch the show, I also approve of her accent (which is what Brits call ‘Geordie’ – Cheryl comes from the North-East city of Newcastle) and the fashion and glamour she brings to Saturday night television makes me love her even more.

So yeah, I suppose I’d just like to say that on my top 20 list now, my top three would be Eliza Dushku, Sara Ramirez and then Cheryl. (With just a little pinch of Jessica Capshaw, if you will.)

Do you approve? Or do you think Cheryl doesn't deserve a place on my list? (Say no, and you die.)

Regaining faith in 'Grey's Anatomy'

Like most gay ladies, I lost a lot of respect and interest in abc's Grey's Anatomy after they fired one of only two bisexual characters last year.

Erica Hahn (played by Brooke Smith) and Callie Torres (Sara Ramirez) were enjoying an incredibly sweet relationship on Grey's, until they decided that they would just dump Hahn in the parking lot of no return.

However, the most recent few episodes have restored my hope for their representation of gay and bisexual people.

Callie has been introduced to the lovely Arizona Robbins, played by Jessica Capshaw, who you may know as Nadia from season 5 of The L Word, in which she seduced the jaw-dropping Bette Porter (Jennifer Beals).

In the newest episode (which aired February 19th), Callie ended up asking Arizona on a date. To my surprise, she actually said no! I mean, I for one would never say no to this foxy lady:

Capshaw is a bit of alright too...

So listen up, writers and producers of Grey's Anatomy! If you ensure that these two get together for real, I will come down there and be your personal slave. Thanks.