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Best. Lesbian. Week. Ever. (May 28, 2010)

TWEETS OF THE WEEK

Lesbian mullets, survival skills, and voters in Kentucky – all of these topics and more were Tweeted about by queer women in entertainment this week.

If you come across tweets that you think we should feature in “Tweets of the Week” or if you find (verified) Twitter accounts for out lesbian/bi women in entertainment who you think we should follow, please send us that info at [email protected].

 

THIS JUST IN: MUTUAL SUPPORT – LISTENING TO HOMOPHOBIC ARTISTS

I have a problem and his name is Usher.

Actually, Usher is only one part of the problem, but he’s the one that’s been bugging me the most lately. It’s because his songs are so damn catchy. I love “O.M.G” as much as I have loved his other singles throughout his career – “You Make Me Wanna,” “Nice and Slow,” “Yeah,” and all of the rest. So what’s my issue? I can’t shake the fact that I know he’s not so nice to lesbians – the exception being his hiring of Jessica Clark to star in the video for “Burn.”

Back in 2008, Usher told Vibe:

“It can never be bad to have a foundation as a man – a black man – in a time when women are dying for men. Women have started to become lovers of each other as a result of not having enough men.

I love non-gay people’s theories on why gay people are gay, especially theories like lesbianism being caused by there not being enough men in the world. That is an interesting theory, Usher, but I can assure you my being a lesbian has absolutely nothing to do with men.

Herein lies the question: How can I listen to, sing along with, celebrate the music and livelihood of Usher when he openly says things negative things about lesbians? The bigger issue, really, is supporting artists in general, and if their personal views (political, religious, etc.) should factor into fandom. Should their music or product be separate from their personal feelings?

Interestingly enough, many lesbian artists say they don’t want fans who listen to them just because they are gay. Still most of their fans are likely aware of their sexuality, and respect, if not enjoy, that fact about them. It’s inevitable that artists’ personal lives are going to affect them, once someone moves past being a passive listener and into the “fan” stage – fans don’t just buy your songs on iTunes, they buy your image.

Kanye West and Ray J have both given positive statements about gay fans and advocated against homophobia. I like their music, and I also respect them. Does it make me like them more? Probably, because I appreciate their coming out to embrace the LGBT community.

Is Usher as bad as his peers in the urban community like Beenie Man, Buju Banton, DMX and Elephant Man who write songs about killing “fags” and physically harming gays? It’s arguable – Usher has a huge presence in the music industry, especially in the urban world, and he is influential. He isn’t advocating against lesbians – he made a bizarre and eye-roll inducing statement, but he isn’t singing songs of hate speech – songs like “Burn out the Chi Chi” by reggaeton artist Capleton.

Then there’s the short quips about lesbians in songs like Young Money’s “Every Girl in the World” (“Are any of ya’ll into girls like I am? Lez be honest”) or Kanye’s “Stronger” (“Well I’d do anything for a blonde dyke.”) Offensive? Funny? What about Eminem’s “We Made You.” An excerpt:

Look at there are more women to torture / Walk up to the cutest girl and charleyhorse her / Sorry Portia, but what’s Ellen Degeneres have that I don’t?

And that is in addition to him asking Lindsay Lohan to come back to men earlier in the song.

The difference is that Kanye and Drake are using one-liners to be funny or sexy in a way that might glorify lesbians – or their idea of lesbians which, unlike with Usher, seems to mean “women willing to engage in threesomes.” But Eminem is using real life lesbian relationships and mocking them. And the fact that the content is longer than a three-second clip in his song and video gives me the idea he is using these ideas to sell his song, which isn’t any good in the first place. This puts him into the category of “Do Not Like.”

So should I feel bad for listening to Usher? Probably not – it appears he doesn’t understand lesbians, so he decided to make up his own idea of what one was, and he was incorrect. And since that was in 2008, I’d like to hope he can redeem himself in 2010.

Misogyny is a different topic in hip-hop altogether, so I’ll say there might be some selective listening when it comes to Usher and his peers. Ray J may embrace his gay fans, but he still sings songs about “visiting [girls] at work / when [they’re] sliding down the pole / no panties, no shirt.” As long as he is willing to go on the record with supportive LGBT comments, I’m cool with singing along to “Never Gonna Tie Me Down.”

– by Trish Bendix

 

WORKING THE POLL: PSYCHED ON SUMMER TELEVISION

We want to know what new series you can’t wait to see. The good news: So many of them have gay women! The bad news: You’ll have to invest in a DVR if you don’t already have one.

Here’s the line-up: A teen lesbian, Emily, in Pretty Little Liars; Jillian Michaels‘ new reality show, Losing it with Jillian; Police Women of Memphis with out cop Virginia Awkard; Boston Med which follows a lesbian OB-GYN; and, last but not necessarily least, The Real L Word.

What summer TV show are you most excited to watch?online survey

In our poll last week, we asked you to weigh in on your favorite woman in a tuxedo. The winner was Shane by a (crazy tousled) hair.

Who best rocks a tuxedo?survey software

LESBIAN VIDEO CLIP OF THE WEEK

Singer Chely Wright paid Ellen DeGeneres a visit this week and talked about coming out to her dad, who is “walking in the footsteps of Betty DeGeneres.” Aww.

BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE!

On this week’s season finale of The Good Wife, Kalinda and FBI agent Lana (Jill Flint) finally kissed. Unfortunately, the scene was shot in such a way that you could only see it from their legs down. The Chicago Tribune‘s Maureen Ryan talked with producers Robert and Michelle King and asked why the Lana-Kalinda scene wasn’t fully shown. “Mystery was what it was about,” the Kings wrote in an email. “Kalinda’s character, for us, requires keeping a lot of doors closed: showing viewers the door, but toying with opening it later. In this case, we wanted to tee up – mixing metaphors with true abandon now – later story turns. Withholding the visual for the moment helped us. Anyway, we’re not trying to limit the extent of our gay PDA. Just trying to keep something for later.” Promise?

Did you see check out the trailer for The Secret Diaries of Miss Anne Lister? The acclaimed series premieres on BBC2 on Monday, May 31, but Americans can catch the film at select LGBT film festivals this summer, including its debut at Outfest.. Our Great LezBritain columnists Sarah and Lee recently chatted with Lister writer Jane English about what you won’t be seeing in the series and also about her stint as a writer on Sugar Rush.

In the aftermath of the American Idol finale this week, Kristen Henderson of Antigone Rising has an interesting blog post debunking the Idol runner-up myth.

The Skins movie! It’s happening! The Guardian has confirmed that Jack Thorne (of Naomi’s episode fame) and Bryan Elsley (of “I’m not the half that killed Freddie” fame) are teaming up to bring a Skins film to the cinema next summer. We’re working to confirm that Naomi and Emily will be in this heaven-sent production. Lily Loveless and Kathryn Prescott have both said they’d love to be a part of it, and with the Naomily Army being what it is, we can’t imagine they’d try to make a movie without the nation’s favorite lesbian couple. Right, Merveille Lukeba?

Ireland is hosting an LGBT music festival called MILK and several artists are already confirmed. The line-up includes Samantha Fox, Sophie Ellis Bextor, Bananarama and Right Said Fred. It sounds like the best of the ’80s and early ’90s!

Queer musician turned ping pong pro Kaia Wilson is hosting a fundraiser for her trip to compete in the 2010 Gay Games, which is being held in Cologne. Her Portland Celebrity Ping Pong Death Match will be held Thursday, June 10, featuring matches played by including Janet Weiss and Carrie Brownstein, Jenny Hoyston (Erase Errata) and Donna Dresch (Team Dresch). If only this were at traveling event. Take it on tour!

The women from The Real Girls Guide to Everything Else were guests on NPR’s “Tell Me More” this week. Listen to the interview or read the transcript here.

Lesbian Apparel and Accessories Gay All Day sweatshirt -- AE exclusive

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