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noreply@blogger.com (ONLY TRUE LESBIANS) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 09:19:12 PST

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Facebook Adds New Relationship Status For Homosexuals

noreply@blogger.com (ONLY TRUE LESBIANS) — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 14:18:01 PST

Social networking platform Facebook has added new options to its 'relationship status' drop down box that allow the LGBT community to indicate the form of relationship they are in.
The changes, which are effective immediately, will only appear in countries where same-sex marriages are yet to be legalised and other official terms are used, like the United States and the UK.

LGBT Facebook users will be able to declare their relationship status by selecting options 'In a domestic partnership' and 'In a civil union'. In the US, the options vary from state to state while in the UK, LGBT members can select 'In a civil partnership'.

GLAAD President Jarrett Barrios said in a statement “By acknowledging the relationships of countless loving and committed same-sex couples in the U.S. and abroad, Facebook has set a new standard of inclusion for social media.”
Others from the LGBT community are not so positive about the move by the internet giant, saying that it gives validity to terms such as 'civil partnership' and thereby further cementing the idea that 'marriage' is only for heterosexual couples.

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Straight actors steal lesbian sex scenes as Hollywood embraces gay romance

noreply@blogger.com (ONLY TRUE LESBIANS) — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 14:08:32 PST

With Black Swan and The Kids Are All Right vying for Oscars, it seems Hollywood is growing up ... but the best roles still go to straight women

The two favourites for the 83rd Oscar for best actress are Natalie Portman and Annette Bening and, if either of them wins, the ceremony will also mark a momentous night for many more women: it will be the night when lesbian sex scenes became part of the cultural mainstream.
Bening's role as the strong matriarchal figure in a gay family in The Kids Are All Right naturally involves showing the daily intimacies of life with her on-screen partner, played by Julianne Moore. In contrast, Portman's brittle portrayal of the prima ballerina at the centre of Black Swan, a part that has already earned her both a Golden Globe and a Bafta, draws her into a lesbian encounter with a rival ballet dancer that is far from domestic. In both these very different films the gay content is presented as merely incidental to the plot. In fact, of course, it is key to what makes both screenplays feel like fresh, modern stories.
In director Darren Aronofsky's Black Swan, the sexualised rivalry between female leading characters is no longer used as a background note, as it has been in popular thrillers since the heyday of film noir, right up to Nicolas Roeg's Black Widow in 1987 or Barbet Schroeder's Single White Female in 1992. Instead, it takes centre stage. Lisa Cholodenko's The Kids Are All Right can claim to be groundbreaking, too. It is the first mainstream hit to herald an age when legalised marriage between women might be accepted across the US.
As Colin Firth demonstrated last year with his Oscar nomination for A Single Man, playing a gay character can be a rewarding challenge for a straight leading actor – and one that often brings critical plaudits.
But this year the lesbian sex scenes on screen have become more explicit and more frequent, particularly when compared to the scarcity of Hollywood sex scenes between gay men.
At the Sundance film festival in Utah this year, several new films also put lesbianism in the spotlight. Industry excitement concentrated especially on Pariah, a coming-of-age film from director Dee Rees that told the story of Alike, a gay African-American teenager in New York. The premiere met with a standing ovation and Focus Features has snapped up the worldwide rights to distribute the film ahead of interest from the Weinstein Company and Sony Pictures Classics. Another hit at the festival was a camp, comic treatment of lesbian love. Codependent Lesbian Space Alien Seeks Same tells the story of a reticent, greetings card shop worker whounwittingly falls in love with a lesbian alien called Zoinx.
Before the mid-1930s the restraints of the Hays Production Code in Hollywood meant that depictions of homosexuality were specifically forbidden. Even in the more liberated decades that followed, the physical passion of one woman for another was only ever hinted at on screen, as in the 1961 film version of Lillian Hellman's play The Children's Hour, or else confined within the walls of arthouse cinemas, as with modern gay classics such as 1985's Desert Hearts.
Axel Madsen's 231-page study of Hollywood's secret lesbian group, The Sewing Circle, caused uproar when it was published in 1996. It focused on close friendships between Greta Garbo, Marlene Dietrich, Judy Garland and Joan Crawford, and claimed that Myrna Loy, Tallulah Bankhead, Elsa Lanchester, Barbara Stanwyck and Fred Astaire's sister Adele were all involved in a thriving lesbian scene. Madsen's clear implication was that a network of covert homosexual activity still dominated Hollywood. Now many actresses, such as Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi, are openly gay.
The casting of Portman, Moore and Bening, all straight actresses, in the roles of women who are bisexual or lesbian has provoked acrimony in Hollywood's gay community. Some argued that only well-known heterosexual stars were happy to take gay parts because they could be confident their career would not suffer. This view was drily echoed by gay British novelist Stella Duffy this weekend. "It seems it is always fine for straight women to play lesbians – in fact, they quite often get Oscars for it," she said.
Casting gay women in straight female roles is more of a problem. Several well-known Hollywood leading ladies are thought to be lesbian, but have decided to keep it quiet. Just as gay actor Rupert Everett recently admitted to the Observer that he "would not advise any actor necessarily, if he was really thinking of his career, to come out", so female starlets who want a shot at the A-list must still lead a double life.
Last month lesbian actress Jane Lynch, who plays bitchy cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester in Glee, showed some sympathy for the problems facing casting directors. "This is a business of projection and desiring people from afar," she said. "And watching people go through trials and tribulations, so there has got to be some truth to it, in terms of, 'I could see myself with that person'. Because the leading man and lady are the people we want them to fall in love with, and most of the audience is straight. So, for right now, we can only use straight actors."
While the era in which Rock Hudson was forced to marry his agent's secretary to keep up appearances is behind us, Neil Giuliano, president of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (Glaad), points out that it is still legal to be fired from a job in 30 of the American states for being gay and there is no federal hate-crime legislation. Coming out can still be dangerous for anyone, let alone a public figure. Duffy recalls talking to a rising British stage star who told her she had been advised to stay "in the closet".
"I was shocked to speak to a young actress who had been told by an older gay actress that she should definitely not come out if she wanted to get a range of roles. And this was an actress who had just done a film and a three-month stint in a regional theatre!" said Duffy. "I was really surprised because I knew she was gay and she was successful and she did not know whether to be out or not."
Duffy suspects the difficulty lies in the fact that there are still few high-profile lesbians in the entertainment industry. "It has been easier for women to stay invisible; not right, but easier. We didn't ever have the law against us. Men have had to come out and fight."
Several leading Hollywood actresses have come out in recent years, from Amber Heard, star of Pineapple Express, to Lindsay Lohan and Sex and the City's Cynthia Nixon, but their decision still often coincides with a tacit acceptance they may no longer be leading-lady material. Meredith Baxter, the star of the sitcom Family Ties, announced she was gay live on television, while Kelly McGillis, the leading lady in Witness and Top Gun, came out on SheWired.com, one of the largest lesbian-oriented websites in America. "I am done with the man thing," McGillis said. "I did that and need to move on in life."
The actress, who had married twice, said that coming out was a hard process that had started when she was a girl. "It was a long, arduous journey for me," McGillis said. "I had a lot of things happen that convinced me that God was punishing me because I was gay, so that was a hard process for me."
Historically, lesbian characters in film are often portrayed as threatening. Just as homosexual or effeminate men are viewed with suspicion in many screenplays, so gay women are associated with predatory obsession.
From the Beryl Reid character in The Killing of Sister George, to the malevolent and deluded teacher who is played by Judi Dench in Richard Eyre's film of Notes on a Scandal, cinema's crop-haired lesbians are clearly to be avoided. Beautiful young ballet dancers, however, can at least expect to be granted a sex scene.
This sort of unbalanced representation of gay women in mainstream show business is inevitable, Stella Duffy is convinced, as long as Hollywood is controlled by male bosses.
"The reason we see a lot of gay female sex on screen now is because straight men tend to get off on seeing gay women on screen and they don't get off on seeing gay men. And men are in charge. It is as simple as that," she said.

Is "Born this Way" our New Anthem?

noreply@blogger.com (ONLY TRUE LESBIANS) — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 07:30:53 PST

After much anticipation, Lady Gaga debuted her new song "Born this Way"

She performed it last night at the Grammys. Some say it sounds just like Madonna. (That way my first impression when I heard the song.) But the more I listen, the more it grows on me. I like it. When have you ever heard a pop song with the words lesbian and transgendered in them?

No matter gay, straight or bi

Lesbian, transgendered life
I'm on the right track, baby
I was born to survive
No matter black, white or beige
Chola or orient made
I'm on the right track, baby
I was born to be brave

What do you think? Do you like it? Is "Born this Way" the new LGBT anthem?

Kim Stolz

noreply@blogger.com (ONLY TRUE LESBIANS) — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 09:26:59 PST

Kimberly Lynn "Kim" Stolz
Born June 8, 1983

Openly gay model Kim Stolz was raised in New York City, New York. She is a graduate of The Brearley School and the Wesleyan University, where she finished as an honor student and with a degree in government and international relations. Taking after her mother, who was a model during the 1960's and 1970's, Kim got her first modeling job at the age of 5. It was for Bride Magazine. Before she joined America's Next Top Model, Cycle 5, she was an intern at the office of openly gay New York City Council member Christine Quinn.

As a Finalist on America's Next Top Model, Cycle 5, she often had a hard time posing with more femininity. Although the judges loved Kim's unique look, she was frequently criticized for her masculine stance and walk. Even though she became close to her fellow Top Model Finalists Sarah, with whom she shared a kiss, and Kyle, some of the other girls felt uncomfortable around Kim because she had a tendency to talk behind people's backs. One of Kim's greater achievements from the show is winning an acting challenge, which gave her a small role in an episode of CW's hit series, Veronica Mars. Kim made it all the way to the Top 5, but was eliminated after the ninth photo shoot when the judges could no longer bear with her inconsistent performance.

After appearing on the show, Kim was able to get a contract with Elite Model Management and has been placed on the covers of Women's Wear Daily and GoNYC Magazine. She also took on modeling jobs for Brooklyn Industries, Knit 1 Magazine, Seventeen Magazine, Nordstrom, American Eagle Outfitters, Soho Publishing, Inc., Ruehl, Chris Benz and Kohl's. Kim has also done runway shows for Alice and Olivia Fall 2006, the Sprite Street Couture Show 2006, and Reyes Spring '07. In 2006, she became a VJ at mtvU, where she hosts shows like The Freshmen.

LIP SERVICE , SEASON 1 EPISODE 2

noreply@blogger.com (ONLY TRUE LESBIANS) — Sat, 23 Oct 2010 08:30:11 PDT

DON'T FORGET.....STAY TUNED & FOLLOW US TO KEEP UP WITH THE NEXT EPISODES ;)

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Lip Service....Season1- Episode 1

noreply@blogger.com (ONLY TRUE LESBIANS) — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 14:05:20 PDT

♥) LIP SERVICE....SEASON 1 -EPISODE 1 :

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GLOBAL to celebrate national event

noreply@blogger.com (ONLY TRUE LESBIANS) — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 10:59:31 PDT

The Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Resource Center will be celebrating National Coming Out Day today by hosting a Cougar Ally Mixer.

At the mixer, which takes place from 4-5 p.m. in the University Center, participants can meet allies, people who aim to learn about LGBT issues, speak with members and share their personal experiences.

“This is the 22nd annual National Coming Out Day,” LGBT Resource Center Director Lorraine Schroeder said. “GLOBAL, the LGBT student organization on campus, has celebrated it in various ways over that last few years. UH Wellness has also held events for the occasion in the past. This event is celebrated all over the country.”

On her experience as the LGBT Resource Center Director, Schroeder said that her position has been worthwhile.

“My experience as the director has been very rewarding,” she said. “From the beginning students, staff, faculty and people from the community have reached out to the Center.”

Schroeder said that she feels the most rewarding part of being the director is the mentoring program.

“I just paired up mentors with mentees last week and I can already see the positive impact it is having,” she said. “The mentees are becoming more confident and comfortable with who they are and my mentors are learning valuable skills. It’s amazing how far a little support can go.”

The LGBT Resource Center has many more events planned throughout the fall semester. The LGBT will also host a movie night at 6 p.m. Tuesday in the Calhoun Lofts.

“(The) Amuse Bouche Entertainment, which shows a LGBT movie screening once per month, usually focuses on African American lesbians, but not always,” Schroeder said. “They are wonderful films. The organizer, Jackson, researches and chooses the best films out there.”

They are also collaborating with Houston Transgender Unity Committee to raise attention to hate crimes against the LGBT community. The Transgender Day of Rememberance, which is a memorial for those who have lost their lives, will take place from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on Nov. 20 in the A.D. Bruce Religion Center.

“Some people need resources and support, and (others) want to volunteer and get involved,” Schroeder said. “The volume of people who have contacted the Center for various reasons speaks of the tremendous need for a resource center like this.”

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Gay roles on television need to be real

noreply@blogger.com (ONLY TRUE LESBIANS) — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 12:50:39 PDT

When it comes to the portrayal of gay and lesbian people on TV, it's still the same old issues and cliches

Last week saw the publication of the Corporation's "Portrayal of Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual People on the BBC", a document only marginally more anticipated than the local phone directory. It runs at a mammoth 226 pages and, having read all of it, I can say with certainty that this is one dossier no one could be accused of "sexing up".
Let me begin by saying that whatever conclusions I draw, they will be incorrect. I will have said the wrong thing, sold out, screwed over the sisterhood or dissed my brothers. I'm simply not capable of representing the diverse and dizzyingly rich panorama of gay existence, and neither, it transpires, is television.

Although the BBC and Channel 4 fare well in this report, there is much left to do. The responsibility must fall on the biggest hitters – soap operas. Watched by millions of middle Englanders week after week, they could change the perception of gay people where it matters most. In 1987, EastEnders' Barry and Colin shared a chaste mouth-graze. In 1994, Brookside's Beth and Margaret locked lips. Coronation Street discovered lesbians this year. If gay history had evolved as slowly and timidly as television portrayed it, then the first drag queen would be tiptoeing out of the primordial ooze around about now.
What saddens me is that the same issues keep arising. For gay men, it's the predominance of the camp cliche. For lesbians, despair at the outdated butch-femme stereotypes. Gay women generally are under-represented, unless you count the number of times the word "lesbian" or "dyke" features as a lazy comic's punchline.

As compensation we have gay-centric dramas; the excellent Sugar Rush and the groundbreaking Queer as Folk. Maybe the up-and-coming Lip Service on BBC3 will join those ranks. But surely, in order for true ground to break, there has to be a middle way – something between the tepid sexlessness of the soaps' queer couplings and the separatist universe of the US show The L Word, in which the characters are like something out of the Barbie Lesbian Range: the tennis pro with detachable miniskirt, the hairdresser with blow-drier.
For me the solution is less "L" word than "I" word. Issues. Gay characters are a gift because they can deliver the shock value that soap operas are hardwired to. But surely, by normalising rather than pathologising gay culture you please not only gay respondents, but the 19% of heterosexual viewers that the report reveals are still squeamish about our presence on their screens.
When gay characters stop cat-hoarding, scatter-cushion throwing and compulsively shagging — when we're just sitting around paying bills like Average Jos – then middle England, and the Queer Nation, will be happy
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Anna Nolan: Why the world should welcome lesbian couple's quintuplets

noreply@blogger.com (ONLY TRUE LESBIANS) — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 12:39:14 PDT

HOW the world has changed. We learned this week that a lesbian couple, one of whom is Irish, are due quintuplets. Rosemary Nolan and Melissa Keevers, who now live in Australia, are due five babies at the end of the year.
The world has changed because this phenomenon has been reported so positively, with such celebration. And so it should be. These five little beings will no doubt have all the love they can get from two committed parents, who already have a young child together.
The donor, it seems, is some dark-haired law student in Australia who is to remain anonymous. But there will no doubt be 30 men who donated to that particular fertility service, all thanking their lucky stars that they don't have to pay maintenance to this brood!
That said, because news of the multiple pregnancy - unusual not just because the parents are lesbians but because the five babies were conceived without IVF - travelled like an Aussie bushfire, those same 30 men will no doubt wonder, 'Are they mine?'
Most sperm donors never become aware of who has their children, or indeed any further details whatsoever. But in this case, one wonders, when the 30 men see the pictures - as no doubt they will - of the babies when they're born, will one donor see himself in their eyes and say: "Definitely mine alright."
The notion that two lesbians are having babies without the influence of a father will be a difficult thing for some people to get their heads around.
You'll probably hear the usual high-pitched objections being dusted off and wheeled out about the impact of gay parents on children or the negative effect of children without fathers.
But I have yet to meet a child of a gay couple who is troubled or damaged as a result of this particular type of upbringing.
Several years ago I made a documentary, as part of the Would You Believe series, that told the story of two women who had two sons. They also conceived their boys through donors. This happened in London in the late 80s, early 90s.
They moved to Ireland and set up home just outside Dublin.
I was fascinated with the two young men these lesbian mums produced and I had the same questions as anyone else: What's it like having two mothers? Was it difficult growing up? Did either of them become gay themselves? (Answers: Great. No and NO!).
They had an unshakeable sense of self, these lads - and because of their "colourful" upbringing, were aware of a much broader world than many of their peers.
They were smart, warm, funny and very much like any Irish boys you may know.
But the biggest question for me was, "What about your fathers? Do you want to find them, to get to know them?"
I was sure that one day a little voice would tell them to seek him out. I felt strongly that as one gets older, one needs to know one's history, one's identity.
Both boys answered the same. They had no desire to meet their biological fathers. They were happy with their life. Nothing was missing.
Rosemary and Melissa may also have to deal with some of these questions when their five little ones are old enough. But it should be no different or no more a problem just because their mothers are lesbians, than if they were adopted, if there was a stepfather involved or a hundred and one other family issues ordinary people deal with every day.
Until then, there will be 40 nappy changes a day, 30 bottle feeds; and many arms needed to rock them to sleep.
May the five little babies be healthy and happy, because that's all that really matters.

- Anna Nolan

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FBI investigating lesbians' house fire as hate crime

noreply@blogger.com (ONLY TRUE LESBIANS) — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 15:08:52 PDT

The FBI confirms it is now investigating the Labor Day weekend house fire of a lesbian couple in Tennessee as a possible hate crime.

Laura Stutte says "it has shaken me to the core."

Carol Ann Stutte says "this is our first time from the safe house and she did great."

Laura and Carol Ann Stutte say years of threats from a particular neighbor had escalated. They installed a gate, security lights, and barbed fencing around their home near Vonore in Monroe County.

Carol Ann says "the final threats near the end were we were going to be killed and our house burned down. And we were told what's better than one dead queer is two dead queers to our face. That's when we finally started filing police reports."

They came home from a Labor Day weekend trip to find a slur painted on their garage next to where their house used to stand.

Laura says "everything we worked for for the last 5 years just burned down to the ground."

Carol Ann says "I was just sitting out on the land, no home, and these wonderful people like angels came and got us and said you're coming with us. You will be safe and that's where we've been staying."

They don't plan to rebuild here. But do want to stay in east Tennessee.

Carol Ann says "so many many people have come out and are sending their love and prayers."

As for the person who did this, Carol Ann says "I want to see them get help. I do not want them to be able to do this to anyone else."

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New lesbian drama on the way for UK

noreply@blogger.com (ONLY TRUE LESBIANS) — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 04:29:01 PDT

A BBC lesbian drama is causing a stir in the UK before it has even aired.

Lip Service follows the lives of a group of lesbians in their 20s. Although it is set in Glasgow rather than West Hollywood, there are clear parallels with The L Word – it's based around friendships, relationships, general life struggles and sex.
The show's apparently 'saucy' content has already grabbed British tabloid headlines, with News of the World reporting a show insider as saying: "Lip Service has the same buzz as Queer As Folk but might prove too edgy. There are a lot of naked sex scenes between women. Bosses think it's too explicit for BBC1 - so they're starting it on (BBC) Three."
Another 'insider' questions whether it's an attempt by BBC bosses to gain ratings.
However a reviewer from Beehive City says "Lip Service is far more than glossy lesbo-porn (although it does have quite a lot of that in it), the show has a solid script and multi-dimensional characters that have been well crafted ... It is such a pleasure, and somewhat of a shock by recent standards to see BBC Three commission a genuinely interesting, engaging and provocative drama that young people will enjoy."
Lip Service premieres on October 12 on BBC Three.

Watch a brief clip from the show below:

Corrie Lesbians Steal The Show!!

noreply@blogger.com (ONLY TRUE LESBIANS) — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 08:57:55 PDT

CORRIE lesbians Sacha Parkinson and Brooke Vincent upped the glamour stakes at a bash last night - but their co-star Jennie McAlpine couldn't quite keep up.

The actresses attended the Manchester Pride Gala Dinner along with Vicky Binns, who plays Weatherfield's Molly Dobbs.

Sacha and Brooke, who play on-screen lovers Sian Powers and Sophie Webster, stole the show as they flaunted their trim figures in short frocks.

But Jennie decided not to don a trendy dress like her fellow stars - and opted for a shiny pink jumpsuit instead, teamed up with a white belt.

Her character Fiz Stape isn't exactly known for having a great dress sense.

But it looks like Jennie should take more inspiration from her co-stars in real life.

Local bakery refuses to make rainbow cupcakes for gay customer

noreply@blogger.com (ONLY TRUE LESBIANS) — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 14:13:29 PDT

An Indianapolis bakery is under fire from the gay and lesbian community over a choice not to serve a diversity group.

First national survey finds 1.5 per cent of adults say they are gay, lesbian or bisexual

noreply@blogger.com (ONLY TRUE LESBIANS) — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 10:12:58 PDT

A survey of 450,000 UK adults has found that 1.5 per cent were willing to identify themselves as lesbian, gay or bisexual. The Integrated Household Survey, carried out by the Office for National Statistics, is the second largest after the census.
This is the first time the survey has asked about sexual identity and the ONS stressed that the question was "experimental".
Nearly four per cent of those asked refused to answer, said they did not know or described themselves as "other".
Of the five per cent who did not say they were heterosexual, one per cent said they were gay or lesbian, 0.5 per cent said they were bisexual and 3.5 per cent refused to answer the question, described themselves as "other" or said they did not know.
Gay rights charity Stonewall and the government both use a figure of six per cent of the population being lesbian, gay or bisexual, which works out at 3.6 million people.
This figure comes from 2005 research by the Department for Trade and Industry.
Other studies on sexual orientation have found that the figure varies between six and ten per cent.
In this study, the ONS used the phrase 'sexual identity' rather than 'sexual orientation'. No responses were collected by proxy (allowing, for example, another member of a household to answer).
Stonewall welcomed today's figures but said they must be treated with "caution".
Ruth Hunt, deputy director of public affairs at Stonewall, said the charity was pleased the research had been carried out but said it was a "shame it took so long".
She told PinkNews.co.uk: "Six per cent is the Treasury actuary figure. Based on this, the figure is still about right.
"We have to view these results with caution. It's the first time people have been asked and we expect the figures to rise in a few years."
Ms Hunt added that such data should be collected as a matter of course, including in the census, and said Stonewall had urged GPs' surgeries to ask patients about their sexual orientation.
On the danger of the 1.5 per cent figure being used to argue against gay equality, she said: "We know other equality strands such as faith have this problem [of surveys not being representative]. Even the figures for faith do not reflect the lived experience of those on the ground."
The largest numbers of gay, lesbian and bisexual people were found in London, while the lowest numbers were in Northern Ireland.
Men were twice as likely as women to describe themselves as gay/lesbian.
The research also asked about religion, with 71 per cent of people describing themselves as Christian and 21 per cent saying they had no religion.
The research carried out between April 2009 and March 2010 and comprises the results of six ONS surveys.
Participants were telephoned or presented with cards asking which of the following options best described how they see themselves: heterosexual/straight, gay/lesbian, bisexual or other.
Ninety-five per cent said they were heterosexual, one per cent said they were gay or lesbian and 0.5 per cent said they were bisexual.
Just under three per cent stated "don’t know" or refused the question, one per cent did not provide a response and 0.5 per cent defined themselves as "other".

Florida ends ban on gays and lesbians adopting

noreply@blogger.com (ONLY TRUE LESBIANS) — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 10:08:47 PDT

The US state of Florida has overturned its ban on gays and lesbians adopting children.

Governor Charlie Crist announced the 3rd District Court of Appeal ruling yesterday and said the ban would end immediately, although the decision can be appealed.

The 1977 law made Florida the only US state to ban gay adoption, despite permitting gays and lesbians to foster children.

Yesterday, the court upheld a 2008 ruling by a Miami-Dade judge who approved the adoption of two young brothers by Martin Gill and his male partner.

The boys were neglected by their biological parents and were placed with Mr Gill and his partner in 2004.

Writing on behalf of the three judges on the appeal court panel, Judge Gerald Cope pointed out the disparity of allowing gays and lesbians to foster but not adopt children.

"It is difficult to see any rational basis in utilising homosexual persons as foster parents or guardians on a temporary or permanent basis, while imposing a blanket prohibition on those same persons," he wrote.

"All other persons are eligible to be considered case-by-case to be adoptive parents."

Gay rights campaigners in Florida have warned that gay adoption opponents may seek to place a measure in the state constitution barring gay people from adopting.

Speaking after the ruling, Mr Gill said: “This is just the news that we have been waiting so anxiously for here.

“This is a giant step toward being able to give our sons the stability and permanency that they are being denied.”

Leslie Cooper, a senior staff attorney from the American Civil Liberties Union, which supported Mr Gill, said: “Florida’s law unconstitutionally singles out gay people and the children in their care for unequal treatment, denying many children the long-term security that comes with adoption.

"We are grateful that the court saw the cruel consequences this law has on children, especially those in foster care who may never know the security of a permanent home.”

Lip Service – Lesbian drama coming to BBC Three

noreply@blogger.com (ONLY TRUE LESBIANS) — Sun, 19 Sep 2010 13:33:56 PDT

Sex, lies and true love in modern Scotland feature in BBC Three’s seductive new relationship drama Lip Service, which follows the lives of a group of twenty-something lesbians.
Starring Laura Fraser, Ruta Gedmintas and Fiona Button, Lip Service is a compelling and sexy six-part series filmed on location in Glasgow, written by Harriet Braun (Mistresses, Attachments) and produced by Kudos Film And Television through BBC Scotland.

Cat (Laura Fraser) is a self-assured architect, unnerved by the return of her former lover, Frankie (Ruta Gedmintas), a talented but emotionally reckless photographer who arrives back in Glasgow unannounced, bringing havoc in her wake.
Fiona Button plays struggling actress Tess, Cat’s best friend and flatmate, who has an uncanny knack of falling for the wrong sorts of women.

Here, writer and creator Harriet explains her inspirations and motivations behind Lip Service.
“The idea initially came about because I was approached by Derek Wax at Kudos (executive producer of Lip Service) who wanted to work on an original project with me. I’d seen Queer As Folk and Go Fish years ago and thought I’d love to do something like that.
“Then The L Word came along, but I figured there was definitely room for another lesbian drama. In my view, lesbians are under-represented on British television – so I thought it was high time we had a series in the UK. And anyway, The L Word was set in California and the weather was much better – it’ll rain a lot more in Lip Service!
“The BBC were extremely receptive to the idea of Lip Service. We didn’t meet any resistance at all – in fact, quite the opposite.

“I wanted to create believable, multi-faceted characters that people can really identify with and also to mix comedy and drama. I wanted it to feel very real and often our most embarrassing moments can end up being very funny in retrospect. There’s also a mystery element to Lip Service that keeps you guessing.
“It was very important to me to that the lesbian characters in this story feel authentic to a lesbian audience. But I don’t think anyone could attempt to portray every member of a community in a drama – if they tried, they’d fail.
“Lip Service follows characters at a pivotal point in their lives – they’re either in their late-twenties or early-thirties. It’s a time when people are often frustrated about where they are in life and wonder if they’ll ever be the person they want to be. Or they’re aware they’ve made mistakes and don’t want to make the same mistakes again. You start to take stock and realise life isn’t a dress rehearsal.

“As a writer, I’m always most interested in what’s going on under the surface. So, it’s also about secrets. I think most of the characters, in one way or another, are hiding their emotions or fears and desires and it’s about the consequences of playing emotional games or not being honest with yourself or others.
“At the heart of this drama are a group of friends and their lives and loves. The relationship between Frankie and Cat is complicated and a catalyst for drama in the series.
“I think, in some ways, Cat and Frankie are two sides of the same coin. They seem very different because Frankie is irreverent, impulsive and boundary-less, whereas Cat’s fairly uptight, a control freak and responsible. But I think, underneath all of that, they are both quite troubled and insecure and are drawn to that in each other. They would also like a bit of what the other one has – Cat would like to be more impulsive and Frankie would like to be more responsible.
“And, of course, the back story is that they were teenage friends who fell for each other. Frankie was Cat’s first love and then they got into a relationship in their twenties, but never got a chance to see it through because Frankie got cold feet and ran off to America. So, for Cat, it’s unfinished business – it’s someone that you loved and can’t let go of and have never really been able to forget.
“At the point Frankie returns, Cat’s trying to move on and then her ex-lover arrives home and it just brings everything back up to the surface again.”
“I can certainly relate to the great love Frankie and Cat have. I was interested in exploring the terrain of people who have been friends and looking at what happens when it turns into love – those situations can be very complicated and drawn out. And I think you see it again and again, people who repeatedly go back to the same person, people who can’t leave an ex alone – even if they are not particularly good for each other.
“Glasgow’s a fantastic city and I loved filming there – although we were outside working on location a lot and I didn’t think it was possible for feet to be that cold!
“I remember once we were filming on the roof terrace of an office block. It was meant to be a mild evening where two characters had gone up there to have a romantic moment. But, when we actually filmed the scene, there was a blizzard so, for continuity’s sake, the crew had to stand over the actors with umbrellas to keep the snow off them, while they were shivering away in light autumn clothing!
“If you’re a fan of character-led drama with a lot of comedy and suspense, then you should have fun watching Lip Service.
“You don’t need to be part of a particular ‘group’ to understand the emotions portrayed, be it heartbreak or fear of failure or love. After all, I really enjoyed Six Feet Under and I’m not an undertaker!”

Derek Wax, award-winning executive producer (Sex Traffic, Occupation), Kudos Film & Television, adds: “So many of the best dramas derive in some way from a writer’s personal passion and experience – as a producer, I’m interested in finding and exploring worlds that haven’t been portrayed before. Harriet wanted to write about characters grounded in a reality which we rarely see on television, to portray an under-represented group and culture.
“In Lip Service, Harriet has created a funny and emotionally-layered relationship drama. She has the ability to combine tragedy and comedy from moment to moment so that one minute you’re laughing and the next you’re deeply affected, as the characters are being torn apart by the emotional pressures of their lives. They are very real, warm and human, but Lip Service doesn’t shy away from exploring the darker side of human relationships.
“Also, what we have created is a drama that is not issue-driven. The characters don’t live in a bubble, it’s about the everyday reality of being gay and being young and it avoids clichés.
“The cultural climate is more accepting towards a drama like Lip Service. It’s hard to think of this series being made 10 or 20 years ago, but lesbian culture is much more visible and confident now. It feels like the time is right for it.”
Matthew Read, executive producer, BBC Scotland, adds: “Lip Service is a truthful, funny and engaging drama which shows an alternative side of Glasgow that’s seen rarely on our screens. Harriet Braun has created a brilliant set of characters that have been brought to life by an incredibly charismatic cast. BBC Scotland are extremely excited to have been involved in the production alongside Kudos Film and Television.”

Study: Children of Lesbians May Do Better Than Their Peers

noreply@blogger.com (ONLY TRUE LESBIANS) — Sat, 18 Sep 2010 14:05:47 PDT

The teen years are never the easiest for any family to navigate. But could they be even more challenging for children and parents in households headed by gay parents?
That is the question researchers explored in the first study ever to track children raised by lesbian parents, from birth to adolescence. Although previous studies have indicated that children with same-sex parents show no significant differences compared with children in heterosexual homes when it comes to social development and adjustment, many of those investigations involved children who were born to women in heterosexual marriages, who later divorced and came out as lesbians

For their new study, published on Monday in the journal Pediatrics, researchers Nanette Gartrell, a professor of psychiatry at the University of California at San Francisco (and a law professor at the University of California, Los Angeles), and Henry Bos, a behavioral scientist at the University of Amsterdam, focused on what they call planned lesbian families — households in which the mothers identified themselves as lesbian at the time of artificial insemination.
Data on such families are sparse, but they are important for establishing whether a child's environment in a home with same-sex parents would be any more or less nurturing than one with a heterosexual couple.

The authors found that children raised by lesbian mothers — whether the mother was partnered or single — scored very similarly to children raised by heterosexual parents on measures of development and social behavior. These findings were expected, the authors said; however, they were surprised to discover that children in lesbian homes scored higher than kids in straight families on some psychological measures of self-esteem and confidence, did better academically and were less likely to have behavioral problems, such as rule-breaking and aggression.
"We simply expected to find no difference in psychological adjustment between adolescents reared in lesbian families and the normative sample of age-matched controls," says Gartrell. "I was surprised to find that on some measures we found higher levels of [psychological] competency and lower levels of behavioral problems. It wasn't something I anticipated."
In addition, children in same-sex-parent families whose mothers ended up separating did as well as children in lesbian families in which the moms stayed together.
The data that Gartrell and Bos analyzed came from the U.S. National Longitudinal Lesbian Family Study (NLLFS), begun in 1986. The authors included 154 women in 84 families who underwent artificial insemination to start a family; the parents agreed to answer questions about their children's social skills, academic performance and behavior at five follow-up times over the 17-year study period. Children in the families were interviewed by researchers at age 10 and were then asked at age 17 to complete an online questionnaire, which included queries about the teens' activities, social lives, feelings of anxiety or depression, and behavior.
Not surprisingly, the researchers found that 41% of children reported having endured some teasing, ostracism or discrimination related to their being raised by same-sex parents. But Gartrell and Bos could find no differences on psychological adjustment tests between the children and those in a group of matched controls. At age 10, children reporting discrimination did exhibit more signs of psychological stress than their peers, but by age 17, the feelings had dissipated. "Obviously there are some factors that may include family support and changes in education about appreciation for diversity that may be helping young people to come to a better place despite these experiences," says Gartrell.
It's not clear exactly why children of lesbian mothers tend to do better than those in heterosexual families on certain measures. But after studying gay and lesbian families for 24 years, Gartrell has some theories. "They are very involved in their children's lives," she says of the lesbian parents. "And that is a great recipe for healthy outcomes for children. Being present, having good communication, being there in their schools, finding out what is going on in their schools and various aspects of the children's lives is very, very important."
Although active involvement isn't unique to lesbian households, Gartrell notes that same-sex mothers tend to make that kind of parenting more of a priority. Because their children are more likely to experience discrimination and stigmatization as a result of their family circumstances, these mothers can be more likely to broach complicated topics, such as sexuality and diversity and tolerance, with their children early on. Having such a foundation may help to give these children more confidence and maturity in dealing with social differences and prejudices as they get older.
Because the research is ongoing, Gartrell hopes to test some of these theories with additional studies. She is also hoping to collect more data on gay-father households; gay fatherhood is less common than lesbian motherhood because of the high costs of surrogacy or adoption that gay couples face in order to start a family.

Katy Perry wants to sleep with X Factor's Cheryl Cole

noreply@blogger.com (ONLY TRUE LESBIANS) — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 08:43:54 PDT

American singer Katy Perry has sensationally revealed that she wants to sleep with X Factor judge Cheryl Cole.

The I kissed A Girl star, who was recently a guest judge on the show in Dannii Minogue's temporary absence, said: "I adore Cheryl, she's amazing."

She also added that if she weren't with British comedian Russell Brand, she'd want to be in a relationship with the Girls Aloud star.

"I'm very happy with my own English stud but if I wasn't with him I'd be trying to date Cheryl," she added.

"Nobody should be as beautiful as she is. I know people get turned on by Simon's power but if I was single I'd rather sleep with Cheryl than Simon."

Perry's debut single, I Kissed A Girl, topped the charts in more than 30 countries, including America, Australia, Canada, Ireland and the UK.

Lesbians excluded from Google's new feature

noreply@blogger.com (ONLY TRUE LESBIANS) — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 08:59:45 PDT

Google’s brand-new feature which starts searching for your items before you’ve even pressed ‘Search’, is fine unless you’re looking for ‘lesbian’ or ‘bisexual’ things.

Google Instant “excludes certain terms related to pornography, violence and hate speech,” says the net giant. Unfortunately, ‘lesbian’ and ‘bisexual’ – reasonable terms used to refer to someone’s sexual orientation – are included on that list.

Meanwhile, the words ‘homosexual’, ‘gay’, ‘queer’, ‘dyke’, ‘transvestite’, and ‘transgender’ are OK to be used, while the word ‘faggot’ is not – wisely, as the word often regarded as ‘hate speech’.

”’Lesbian’ and ‘bisexual’ are not pornography, violence, or hate speech,” notes US-based lobby website Change.org. “It seems discriminatory for Google to place lesbian and bisexual in the porn category. They are valid identities, and they should be accepted by Google as appropriate and allowable search terms.”

Change.org is encouraging people to petition Google to OK ‘lesbian’ and ‘bisexual’ for its Instant search function.

SEE MORE HERE!!

Miley Cyrus' LOL: Drinking, Drugs, Lesbian Kisses and More [Video]

noreply@blogger.com (ONLY TRUE LESBIANS) — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 15:32:22 PDT

We all get that Miley is no longer a Disney darling, but it seems things have intensified in a bad way. LOL is the name of Miley's movie where she stars with Demi Moore as a rebellious teen named Lola.

What can be so bad about a rebellious teen? Well, nothing and everything depending on how rebellious that teen is. In Lola's case, this is clearly not a film you will want to take your child to if they are under the age of 16, and even then you might want to hold off a year or two until they can decide on their own to see it.
According to Hollywood Life, in the movie Lola looses her virginity, talks about sex incessantly, smokes pot, drinks heavily, and also accidentally shows her mom - played by Demi - her Brazilian wax. If all that wasn't bad enough, Lola also makes out with not one, but two female friends. We get it, Miley. You aren't a kid anymore.
"You're my daughter," Demi tells Miley at one point, "And I won't let you turn into a porn star!" Good for Lola's mom. Now why won't Miley's parents tell her the same thing? It doesn't matter if it's in film and fake. This is the image she's presenting to her fans, and her parents should be ashamed of themselves for allowing Miley to take this kind of role. Now more than ever, Miley's young fans that were instrumental in her rise to fame are being alienated by her adult career choices.

Demi also said that Miley is grounded and nothing like her character. Yet, Demi, yet. Give her time, she's working on it.

Demi also said that "[Miley] is a true professional, and she truly has a wonderful family," she said. "It really shows." Not sure this is something that others would agree with based on what this film includes, but glad Demi thinks that.

Assuming that LOL stands for the Internet acronym for laughing out loud, it's pretty much a given that parents will not find anything here worth loling over. It's doubtful that teens would, either.

There's currently no release date for LOL, but it's reportedly due out in 2011.

Will you line up to see LOL? Will you allow your children to see it?
You can view a video about LOL below.

Portia de Rossi becomes a DeGeneres

noreply@blogger.com (ONLY TRUE LESBIANS) — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 10:34:04 PDT

After two years of marriage, Portia de Rossi has decided she will take her wife’s last name becoming Portia DeGeneres.

Portia filed papers in Los Angeles court on Friday to accept the wife of her Ellen DeGeneres.

The papers read that “Petitioner is taking the last name of her spouse.” This is a monumental move the California Supreme Court overturned Proposition 8, California’s ban on gay marriage, earlier this month.

True Lesbians

Middle-aged lesbians can’t get men: ‘The View’ co-host Elisabeth Hasselbeck

noreply@blogger.com (ONLY TRUE LESBIANS) — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 15:13:45 PDT

The View’s arch-Republican Elisabeth Hasselbeck has an interesting hypothesis about middle-aged lesbians: older women enter into same-sex relationships because men their age chase after pretty-young-things, she said.

“All the older men are going for younger women, leaving the women with no one,” she said.

Joy Behar, another View co-host, immediately retorted that Ms. Hasselbeck’s claims were “ridiculous” and that women do not suddenly choose lesbianism later in life.

“Being gay is not just holding hands and walking through the tulips,” Ms. Behar said. “I don’t think that you suddenly wake up and say, ‘You know, I think I want to do that.’ You wanted to do it; you were just trapped in a system that said ‘get married.’

Tune into our live blog starting at 11 a.m. ET as we cover U.S. President Barack Obama’s visit to the show. With any luck, Ms. Hasselbeck will enlighten us with her theories about the real cause of BP oil spill and why so many Americans are unemployed.

Lindsay Lohan out of jail, rehab bound for meth addiction and bi-polar

noreply@blogger.com (ONLY TRUE LESBIANS) — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 15:06:30 PDT

Everyone’s favorite part-time lesbian, Lindsay Lohan, has been released from jail and will serve the next month or so in rehab.

Lohan served 13 days of a 90 day sentence at Lynwood jail in California stemming from a DUI arrest several years ago. From here, Lindsay will serve a court ordered stint in rehab.

The judge got to pick Lindsay’s rehah destination, and Marsha Revel sent the “Mean Girls” actress to Morningside Recovery Center at UCLA.

“The judge’s order will dictate the manner in which she will be released and to whom, and I have not seen that,” attorney Shawn Chapman Holley said earlier Sunday after paying Lohan a visit in jail. “She is doing fine…She is ready.”
Lindsay evidently has a problem with Crystal Meth (an addiction more typical to men that part-time lesbians) and suffers from bi-polar disorder.

The Kids Are All Right is not just a lesbian film

noreply@blogger.com (ONLY TRUE LESBIANS) — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 08:24:51 PDT

Annette Bening and Julianne Moore in The Kids Are All Right. Photograph: c.Focus/Everett / Rex Features

Talking animals, phoned-in sequels and rom-coms written by someone who apparently learned about human behaviour from hen parties and stag weekends are the usual summertime multiplex fare. Yet this year the decreed Movie of the Summer, which was completely sold out the night I went to see it three days after its release in the US, features a middle-aged lesbian couple and dialogue that one can't imagine ever coming out of Jennifer Aniston's mouth.

The Kids Are All Right, starring Annette Bening (particularly great in this) and Julianne Moore, has rendered the most cynical critics on the driest American papers near hysterical. "Just about everyone who has been a parent, child or partner will find resonance in its bittersweet depiction of the joys and trials of lifelong intimacy," sighed the Washington Post. The New York Times's critic, A O Scott, was so overcome he fell into a state of ellipses. He longed to describe The Kids Are All Right as "the best comedy since . . ." yet "grounds for comparison seem to be lacking so I may have to let the superlative stand unqualified for now".

The plot, admittedly, sounds like a bad sitcom: the teenage kids of a lesbian couple track down their feckless biological father (Mark Ruffalo, basically reprising the role he played in You Can Count On Me, which The Kids Are All Right resembles in pace and tone). Yet director/writer Lisa Cholodenko is too good to churn out a sapphic My Two Dads. Her movie is smart, hilarious and will do for heirloom tomatoes what When Harry Met Sally did for people who order things "on the side".

But the plaudits have not precluded debate. Predictably the most attention-grabbing issue has been whether, as happens in the movie, lesbians watch gay male porn and, if so, why. This has resulted in articles on websites such as The Daily Beast, filled with explanations that one doesn't usually see on websites that don't have a triple x in their domain name.

Cholodenko has not just made a film about lesbians feel mainstream, or a good movie about lesbians, or even a smart summer movie: she has made a great film.