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2012 Visibility Awards: Results!

With more than 750,000 votes cast in this year’s AfterEllen Visibility Awards, we see that you have opinions – lots of them. Strong ones. And the best thing about it was how many choices you had. Originally we thought we’d limit ourselves to five nominees per category, but decided to open it up to six as each category had at least that many contenders. We’d call it an embarrassment of riches, but in all actuality, we deserve at least that amount of visibility in a year, if not much more. (Definitely much more.)

Alongside your votes in each category we also picked a staff winner, and we differed in 14 categories, meaning we could all come to an agreement on five. It’s just further proof that we had a ton of great lesbian/bi visibility in 2012, and that’s something to be happy about, even if your favorite didn’t win. It’s almost like we need more specific categories to praise all of the shows and women we loved, such as “Best Lesbian Character Played By An Actual Lesbian” or “Best Show With a Lesbian in Uniform.” But we’re sure for everyone included, it’s an honor just to be nominated.

Without further ado, here are the 2012 Visibility Award Winners! Best Web Series: Venice Staff Pick: The Slope

Venice: The Series continues to be every lesbian fangirl’s dream come true. Unsatisfied with the amount of time and physical affection she was able to share with her on-screen partner during the Otalia storyline on Guiding Light, Crystal Chappell teamed up with co-star Jessica Leccia to make make an authentic, lesbian-centric web series. Now in its third season, the show is more popular than ever. (Fun fact: co-writer and co-producer Kim Turrisi also co-wrote this year’s Pretty Little Liars web series!)

While it wasn’t quite as popular with our readers, The Slope wowed our staff this year with its true-to-life look at the power struggles and ensuing hilarity of long term lesbian couples. Lucky for us, a sequel to the series is in the works. Favorite Out Musician: Heather Peace Staff Pick: Brandi Carlile

When Heather Peace swaggered onto our TVs as DS Sam Murray on BBC3’s Lip Service, we had no idea that she’d end up taking over our hearts and our iPods. Her first studio album, Fairytales, rocketed up the UK’s indie charts in 2012, landing her a firm spot in the top 40 in its first week. Peace wrote most of the songs on the album herself. The raw, candid lyrics don’t pull any punches when they speak of heartbreak and darkness, but the album itself is an ultimately triumphant narrative about the magic of hope.

Our staff was also moved by Brandi Carlile’s Bear Creek in 2012. Carlile was as open as ever in her new album, singing of loss and new love. A new love, in fact, that would turn into a legal same-sex marriage. Best Music Video: Macklemore’s “One Love”  

Staff Pick: Tegan and Sara’s “Closer”

It was a wild ride in the world of hip-hop in 2012. First, Frank Ocean came out. And then rapper Macklemore released an unapologetically pro-gay music video for his song “Same Love.” The moving video follows two men who grow up, come of age, fall in love, get married, and grow old together. Their narrative is interspersed with scenes of Civil Rights demonstrations from the ’60s. The official YouTube video was viewed nearly 11 million times in 2012, which means at least a billion tears were shed while watching.

Our staff also really enjoyed Tegan and Sara’s “Closer” video. The Isaac Rentz-directed look inside a throwback teenage rager made us love the Quin twins even more. Best Book: The Miseducation of Cameron Post

Staff Pick: The Miseducation of Cameron Post

We haven’t heard a single lesbian say a single bad thing about Emily Danforth‘s young adult novel, The Miseducation of Cameron Post. (And if you do want to say something bad about it, we don’t think we want to be your friend anymore.) Growing up gay in a two-stoplight town spoke volumes to so many of us, as did the sentiments that landed Cam in a de-gaying camp. Danforth’s story is heartbreaking and healing in equal measure. And it made us laugh out loud more than once. We’ll be reaching for this book for years to come.

Best Ally: Lana Parrilla Staff Pick: Hillary Clinton

Lana Parrilla might play an Evil Queen on TV (Once Upon a Time), but in real life, she’s one of the good guys. The actress has become a vocal supporter of LGBT rights, even speaking at a Human Rights Campaign gala last summer where she said, “I’ve always loved fairy tales because they often feature characters who triumph over adversity. I want to continue to make a difference. I support equal rights, and marriage equality.” She has also embraced her lesbian fan base with a wide smile and open arms.

And, of course, our staff was as moony eyed as ever over Hillary Clinton this year, because before President Obama spoke out in favor of same-sex marriage, and before Vice-President Biden spoke out in favor of same-sex marriage, Madam Secretary Clinton was traveling the globe and demanding equal treatment for gay people. Clinton 2016! Favorite TV Drama: Lost Girl Staff Pick: Pretty Little Liars

When American cable network Syfy imported Lost Girl from Canada, it was only a matter of time before every lesbian on earth began seeking out a portal to the fae world. Sure, there’s darkness and danger and demons galore, but there’s also a bisexual, leather-clad succubus to keep you safe and a lesbian doctor called Hot Pants to heal your weary soul. Not only is Lost Girl one of the only female-fronted superhero shows since Buffy the Vampire Slayer, it is also a show that doesn’t make an issue out of sexuality. Folks are folks and fae are fae and love is love is love.

It’s also no surprise that our staff continued to go gaga over ABC Family’s Pretty Little Liars, especially since our little lesbian sleuth Emily Fields (and her coconut cupcake-seeking girlfriend Paige McCullers) were at the center of the drama during season three. Favorite TV Comedy: Modern Family Staff Pick: Underemployed

There’s a lot to love about ABC’s Modern Family, as proven year after year when the sitcom racks up Emmy and Golden Globe and Critics Choice Award nominations. Sure, we’re crazy about gay couple Cam and Mitch. But we’re also smitten with the hijinks and pathos of the rest of the Pritchard/Dunphy clan. The show makes us laugh. It makes us cry. It also sometimes gives us clown-shaped nightmares. (Thanks a lot, Fizbo.)

MTV’s Underemployed was universally beloved by our staff in 2012. At the center of the post-college story is disgruntled wannabe writer Sophia, who, in addition to sharing her friends’ stories with the audience, also found time to fall in love with a woman and come out as a lesbian in season one. Favorite TV Actress: Anna Silk Staff Pick: Lindsey Shaw

Sure, we love Lost Girl‘s resident badass fae, Bo Dennis. And yeah, we appreciate the way her outfits accentuate her assets. But we’re also pretty crazy about the woman who makes the character (and the leather) come to life. Anna Silk is a warm, articulate, hilarious actress who is as beloved for real-life wit and charm as she is for the character she plays. (Just ask anyone who’s ever seen her at a comics convention.) Best of all, Silk is an outspoken advocate of equality.

Pretty Little Liars‘ Lindsey Shaw captured our staff’s heart in 2012. When she wasn’t name-dropping Paily on red carpets or reaching out to lesbian and bisexual fans on Twitter or attending LGBT charity events or posing for Noh8 photos or inhabiting Paige McCullers, she was – actually, we have no idea what she was doing with the rest of her time. That seems like a pretty full year to us.

Favorite Reality Star: Lauren (The Real L Word) Staff Pick: De’Borah (The Voice)

There’s something special about a reality TV personality who doesn’t come off looking like an an attention seeking brat, but somehow Lauren Russell managed to do just that on the third season of The Real L Word. We identified with her struggle to define and deal with her non-relationship relationship with her BFF-with-benefits. And we kind of coveted her style. We were even interested in her career: She’s a high-end jewelry designer who created a product line to help promote LGBT equality.

Our staff also really loved androgynous The Voice contestant De’Borah. She is the lesbian daughter of two pastors and she has managed to reconcile her faith and her sexuality. She also knows how to rock a suit and tie. Favorite Reality Series: The Real L Word Staff Pick: The Real L Word

Say what you want about The Real L Word (and we have), but no other reality show on TV gives us as much to talk about as the lesbian ladies of the Showtime series. We actually found ourselves actively rooting for the show’s stars this year. TRLW might not capture the queer experience for every lesbian viewer (or even most lesbian viewers), but we just cannot look away from the talking, laughing, loving, breathing, fighting, fucking, crying, and drinking of the women of West Hollywood. (And NYC!) Favorite Lesbian/Bi TV Character: Paige McCullers (Pretty Little Liars) Staff Pick: Lana Winters (American Horror Story: Asylum)

In vain, we struggled against our affections for Pretty Little Liars‘ Paige McCullers. The anger we felt when she shoved Emily’s head underwater, the shock we experienced when she sneaked into Emily’s car to kiss her that first time, the sadness we shouldered when she couldn’t come out of the closet to stand by Emily’s side: all of the negative emotions were washed away like we were riding our bikes in the rain when Paige returned to Rosewood at the end of season two. This year we learned how Ali bullied her into self-loathing homophobia, we learned how she would lay down her life for the woman she loves, we learned how she really likes coconut cupcakes. We felt her wounds and we watched her heal and we saw ourselves in her hopes and fears.

Though the terrifying and grotesque imagery in American Horror Story: Asylum has been, at times, just a bit too much, our staff hasn’t stopped watching because we want to see the (self-described) plucky heroine, Lana Winters, survive and win! Actress Sarah Paulson has imbued the character of Lana with just the right combination of fortitude and vulnerability as she’s gone through literal hell. Yes, we admit that we have a collective weakness for relentless lady journalists battling corrupt institutions (and 1960s homophobia), but can you blame us? Hottest Hookup: Bo and Lauren (Lost Girl) Staff Pick: Lana and Kalinda (The Good Wife)

Oh, Canada! Thank you for letting lesbian couples have sex with the lights on! Otherwise, how would we have known how scorching hot the hookup was between Bo and Lauren when their long-simmering chemistry gave way to an explosion of passion and pants pulling and lip biting and abs and bras and writhing and panting and perfection.

Our staff would also like to thank CBS for letting Lana and Kalinda give in to their feelings. We needed that visual to carry us through the long, cold nights of wondering what the hell Kalinda was doing with that ex-husband of hers.

Favorite Fictional Couple: Bo and Lauren (Lost Girl) Staff Pick: Paige and Emily (Pretty Little Liars)

We love almost everything about the way Lost Girl has treated the relationship between Bo and Lauren so far. It started out as one-sided attraction, blossomed into unbreakable friendship, exploded into unstoppable passion, and sealed itself with an “I love you” from the succubus herself. Lost Girl is almost post-sexual in the way it handles Bo and Lauren. They’re not a lesbian couple; they’re just a couple couple. Here’s hoping they make it official in season three!

Our staff was crazy about Paige and Emily this year, too. When Emily grabbed Paige’s neck by the pool and told her not to look away from her, we were as close to hyperventilating as Paige was. Best Movie: Kiss Me Staff Pick: Kiss Me

There’s no doubt about it: Kiss Me secured itself a place in the feel-good lesbian movie canon forever in 2012. The love story was sweet and sexy and oh so organic. No death, no stalkers, no teacher-student relationships, no hallucinations, no cheating with dudes, no accidental adultery pregnancies. Just beautifully filmed lesbian love. We’re still swooning just thinking about it. Favorite Movie Actress: Sheetal Sheth Staff Pick: Jennifer Lawrence

It’s been five years since Sheetal Sheth took our breath away in I Can’t Think Straight, and we can’t think about much else when it’s time to name our favorite movie actresses. Sheth wowed us again in 2011 with Three Veils. Wherever her career leads her, we’ll follow.

Of course, the odds were also ever in Jennifer Lawrence‘s favor last year, especially with our staff. (We love The Hunger Games.) In addition to playing The Girl on Fire, Lawrence also pulled down a Golden Globe nomination for Silver Linings Playbook. Best Tweeter: Lindsey Shaw Staff Pick: Evan Rachel Wood

If there’s one thing we love, it’s a star who loves us back, and Lindsey Shaw proved her affection to AfterEllen readers time and time again in 2012, tweeting links to our recaps and posting Paily pictures on Instagram and interacting with all her Shawsters Army fans. It doesn’t hurt that her dog has a Twitter account too, and that she interacts with him on a regular basis. (And yes, Lindsey, we would still love you with a moustache.)

Evan Rachel Wood was our staff favorite Tweeter in 2012, navigating the tempestuous social media waters with charm and grace. It’s not just anyone who can shift easily from biting social commentary to hilarious entertainment insight, but Wood does it with uncommon ease.

Favorite Real Life Lesbian Couple: Ellen and Portia Staff Pick: Ellen and Portia

We’ve never stopped being awestruck about the fact that the most beloved couple in the world plays for our team. They’re sweet, they’re funny, they’re gorgeous, and they’re gay, gay, gay. Everyone loves them, but they’re ours, ours, ours. Best Coming Out Story: Megan Rapinoe Staff Pick: Megan Rapinoe

The Team USA soccer star came out on her own terms before the London Olympics last summer and she never looked back. She celebrated her victories with her girlfriend, she kissed her on camera while wearing her gold medal, and she did it all while being adored by generations of women, from little girls with tiny cleats to women who remember life long before Title IX. Best Lesbian/Bi Moment: President Obama announces support of same-sex marriage Staff Pick: President Obama announces support of same-sex marriage

No one will ever really know why President Obama sat down with Robin Roberts to profess his belief in marriage equality during the 2012 election. Was it simply altruism? The desire to speak up against oppression? Or was it a politically motivated strategy to ensure the financial and vocal support of the LGBT community? The answer is probably both, which, itself, is pretty amazing. Gay marriage is now so popular it’s impossible to win a national election without supporting it. The moment President Obama acknowledged that truth was a revolutionary moment for gay rights. Out Lesbian/Bi Woman of the Year: Ellen DeGeneres Staff Pick: Rachel Maddow

There doesn’t seem to be an end to the way Ellen DeGeneres makes the world a better place for lesbian and bisexual women. Her talk show continues to be the most-watched program on daytime TV. Simply by virtue of landing in living rooms around the country every day for a decade, she has normalized lesbianism. But that’s not all. In 2012, she became the spokesperson for JC Penny, and when the Million Moms organization protested, the department store responded by including gay and lesbian couples in their advertising. Because that’s just how popular Ellen is with regular Americans. She also won the Mark Twain Prize for Humor in 2012. And she got her own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. And she was back on the big screen in Pixar’s re-release of Finding Nemo. The most famous lesbian in the world is also one of the most universally adored people in the world. How lucky are we that we came after Ellen?

Our staff also wanted to shout out Rachel Maddow who ruled the 2012 election with her clever, savvy brain supremacy. She anchored MSNBC’s election coverage, she released a book, and she even found time to teach us more about making cocktails.

What do you think of the results?

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