12 TV Stars Of The ’80s and ’90s Who Turned Out To Be Lesbian, Bisexual or Otherwise Totally Queer
This morning at the gym I was thinking about Tori from Saved By The Bell and how she reminded me of my babysitter and how I thought she was the all-time coolest and then I found out that the actress who played her was gay and my head exploded! So then I decided to make this list.
Some of the women on this list were out when they were on television, but most of them kept their sexual orientation on the down low until recently. Let’s look back at all the girls we lusted after who it turns out also enjoyed lusting after other girls!
1. Leanne Creel, Tori in Saved By The Bell
Greenberg/Creel Family Photo by Katie Hawkins
Suddenly Kelly Kapowski and Jessie Spano were nowhere to be seen and instead we were gifted with this smokin’ hot tough girl in a leather jacket. No explanation whatsoever! After acting in a bunch of shows about teenagers, Creel went to UCLA and got into film production. She now runs her own production company and married her partner Rinat Greenberg on June 17, 2008, during that brief window of legalized same-sex marriage in California before Prop 8 was passed. They have two sons.
2. Meredith Baxter, Elyse Keaton on Family Ties
Famous Family Ties actress Meredith Baxter came out to herself in 2002 (and to us in 2009), after three marriages and a brief lesbian affair in 1996 that she didn’t take seriously at the time. She began dating her now-wife, Nancy Locke, in 2005, and rumors began swirling about her sexuality after she appeared on a Sweet Cruise in November 2009. She told The Today Show that it was that same-sex relationship in 2002 that changed her everything: “It was that kind of awakening. I never fought it because it was like, oh, I understand why I had the issues I had early in life. I had a great deal of difficulty connecting with men in relationships.”
3. Raven-Symone, Olivia on The Cosby Show
The cutest little kid on The Cosby Show grew up into the cutest most crittery woman who enjoys the company of other women.
4. Margaret Cho, Margaret on All-American Girl
The short-lived 1994 sitcom All-American Girl became a legendary catastrophe and Margaret Cho‘s famous for much more than being on this show. (For example: stand-up!) But the sitcom was my introduction to Margaret Cho (I genuinely loved the show) and will always be remembered as the first American prime-time network sitcom about an Asian-American family. (The second, Fresh off the Boat, premiered this year.)
5. Sara Gilbert, Darlene Conner on Roseanne
Darlene didn’t have to be a lesbian to be a lesbian fashion icon, so Sara Gilbert coming out as an adult felt like a pretty natural next-step in her development as a public figure . She’s now a co-host on The Talk, has a recurring role on The Big Bang Theory, and is married to Linda Perry. She has two children with her ex, TV Producer Allison Adler, and is currently pregnant!
6. Kristy McNichol, “Buddy” on Family and Barbara Weston on Empty Nest
After starring in the hit movie Little Darlings and the TV show Family, Kristy McNichol landed what turned out to be a 200+ episode role on Empty Nest, eventually leaving the show in 1992. McNichol then vanished from the public eye for quite some time and re-emerged in 2012 as a bona-fide lesbian.
7. Iyari Limon, Kennedy on Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Technically, this would count as a TV star of the early ’00s, since Limon joined the cast of this ’90s show in the early ’00s. BUT WHATEVER.
Limon joined the Buffy cast late in the game, playing Willow’s new love interest, Kennedy. In a 2006 interview with AfterEllen, Limon revealed that she’d had “intimacy” with a female friend as a teenager but didn’t think she was gay or bi, even while doing research for her role on Buffy. Then she met DJ Sandra Edge, who she was dating at the time of the interview. “I loved how she was just in her own little world, and she was so cute,” she told AE. “I love androgyny, androgynous women. You know, short hair, really don’t have to wear a lot of make-up, pretty face, just cool and confident and know who they are.” She actually auditioned for the role of Carmen on The L Word, and during her audition, ad libbed “Quiero lamerte hasta que te vengas en mi boca mil veces” (“I want to lick you until you come in my mouth a thousand times”) into Kate Moennig’s ear. Although Limon didn’t get the part, The L Word kept the line. She married her husband Alejandro Soltero in 2007.
8. Sandra Bernhard, Nancy Bartlett on Roseanne
Stand-up comedian and actress Sandra Bernhard played Nancy Bartlett, one of the first openly lesbian recurring characters on American television, from 1991-1997. Bernhard has been openly bisexual for quite some time, including that time she gave Patricia Velasquez her big gay awakening. She has a daughter, is in a relationship with Sara Switzer and is currently on a stand-up tour.
9. Amanda Bearse, Marcy D’Arcy on Married… With Children
Bearse got her start in theater, eventually landing a recurring role on All My Children in the early ’80s. But she’s best known for playing Marcy D’Arcy on Married…with Children for ten years (1987-1997). She’s been an out lesbian since 1993, and married to her wife Carrie Schenken since 2010. Furthermore, she and Rosie O’Donnell are responsible for bringing The Big Gay Sketch Show to Logo in 2007.
10. Maia Brewton, Shelly Lewis on Parker Lewis Can’t Lose
You’re might recognize her from Adventures in Babysitting, but Brewton also starred as Shelly Lewis on Parker Lewis Can’t Lose for three years. She married her partner Laura Spots in 2008.
11. Geri Jewell, Cousin Geri on The Facts of Life
Jewell is best known for her 1980-1984 role on The Facts of Life, which made her the first person with a disability to have a regular role on a prime time TV series. The title of her 2011 autobiography, I’m Walking As Straight As I Can, was a nod towards her lesbianism. LGBTQ Nation reports that the book “talks about her struggles growing up with a disability and how she dealt with her sexuality as a child, and her struggles as an adult with tax problems and drug addiction.”
12. Ellen DeGeneres, Ellen on Ellen
DID YOU KNOW? DID YOU KNOW THAT ELLEN DEGENERES FROM THAT FUNNY SITCOM ELLEN IS GAY? SHE EVEN CAME OUT AS GAY ON HER SHOW!! IT WAS A REALLY BIG DEAL!
Rhymes with Witches: Drew Barrymore in 90’s Cult Classic, “Poison Ivy”
I have to be honest. I had never watched the 1992 cult classic Poison Ivy until last night. I know! And even stranger, I thought about watching it through the suggestion of my favorite sad crooner and self-proclaimed “gangsta Nancy Sinatra,” Lana Del Rey. And by suggestion I mean I was obsessively listening to her new album Ultraviolence where she mentions being called “poison ivy” in the title track. And before you start, no I don’t think she was referencing the comic book character, which I also wrote about. Even though I had never watched the movie, its presence and the namesake’s titular character has permeated pop culture, and some of my favorite blogs. When I heard Lana’s deep voice utter the name I instantly thought of the VHS cover with a bleach blonde wearing a red miniskirt in the rated R section of my local Blockbuster that I was never allowed to rent from. This lasting image made me realize of a perfect subject for RWW, and that I simply couldn’t go on another second without watching this movie.
We meet Ivy, played by 17-year-old Drew Barrymore, swinging at the edge of a quarry, her curly blonde hair trailing behind her, some scuffed cowboy boots and a leather jacket with drawing of a naked woman riding a tiger on the back. The title credits hadn’t finished rolling and I knew this was going to become a favorite movie of mine. And it’s not JUST because Lana Del Rey copies this exact scene in her music video for “Ride.” While the movie is named after Barrymore’s character, the movie is narrated by Sylvie Cooper (played by Sara Gilbert), a lonely outcast with a privileged background and an awesome hairdo of an eyeball shaved on the side of her head. Sylvie becomes instantly enamored with this mysterious girl and they become the best of friends. This is when the movie starts taking a turn for the strange.
Via rebloggy.com
First of all, Ivy isn’t really her name. It’s actually the name Sylvie gives her (it’s kinda complicated, so just watch the dang movie). So we never actually know her true identity. She tells Sylvie she’s living with an aunt because she had a negligent father and a mom was a junkie that died of an overdose. But as we notice throughout the film, Ivy is a bit of a pathological liar, a great characteristic for a HBIC but one that puts her entire past into question. By the end of the movie we virtually know absolutely nothing about “Ivy”.
The only thing we do know is that Ivy longs for everything Sylvie has (wealth, family, a red Mustang) and plans to take it in the most insidious way possible. What starts as a harmless sleepover turns into Ivy moving permanently into Sylvie’s mansion with her sickly yet beautiful mother and creepy dad (the true villain of this movie as I see it).
Via agentlover.com
Though Ivy’s trashy appearance turns off Sylvie and her parents, Ivy’s charm and seemingly vulnerable nature not only fascinates them, but also makes them want to take care of her. However well intentioned this might be, it all comes off a bit arrogant, like they pity Ivy more than anything for her lower class status. I have to give props to Ivy for acknowledging this and using it to her advantage. Sylvie’s mother feels bad that Ivy doesn’t have any “proper” clothing so she lends her designer clothes which is where Ivy gets her signature red miniskirt and jacket from. Suddenly Sylvie notices not just how much Ivy is starting to look like her mom, but how her parents appear to act more affectionate to her than their own daughter. Even her dog Fred likes Ivy more.
She just wanted all these beautiful things and didn’t see any possible way of getting them that didn’t involve single white female-ing her best friend. I don’t want to give any spoilers but needless to say after all the terrible things that she does, Sylvie can’t help but miss her. And I totally get it. For all of her diabolical plans to take over Sylvie’s life, Ivy made any person she was with feel like they were the most important and interesting person in the world. She could make you despise her but could just as easily win you back with a comforting smile and the feeling that she was the only person that could understand you and knew how to make you better. And that’s what makes her so lethal. She slithers her way into your heart, then smothers it and doesn’t let go.
Style Thief: Couples Formal Attire Part Two – Celebrity Couples
Welcome back to Style Thief, where I steal the clothes off queer style icons’ backs. Metaphorically, that is. I’ll try figure out just exactly what makes queer style icons tick by breaking down their look into itty bitty bite size pieces. I get a lot of questions about how to look like different celebrities/characters, so I’m finally tackling the question “How the hell do I dress like that?”
Header by Rory Midhani
This week on Style Thief we’re continuing our dive into the fabulous world of formal couples styles! Instead of looking at individual looks, we’re stripping down dynamic duos.
It’s wedding season and DOMA just got struck down so you know you’re about to attend a dozen engagement parties and weddings. If you’re fortunate enough to have made your way out of the singles table, then you might just be trying to coordinate outfits with your lady friend. While it’s, of course, totally okay to each wear whatever the heck you want, sometimes it’s fun and refreshing to coordinate your outfits. I mean, just think of the pictures!
It’s hard enough to put together cohesive outfit alone, let alone with with your significant other. There are no rules for lesbians the way there are for straight couples. You can’t just say, “hints of the color scheme of her dress in his tie.” Well, you can if you’re rocking a traditional butch-femme look, but for many couples that’s not their personal style. You have to find a balance where you like the way your outfits look together, but you avoid twinning out or looking like cheesy prom dates.
Last edition of Style Thief we took a look at the perfectly coordinated outfits of lezzie TV couples. This week we pop back into the real world and examine real life girl-girl couples. Without a costuming department (but surely with the help of a stylist) these women don’t have the luxury of a perfectly framed scene showing off their coordinating shoes, but they do have genuine love! Love, my friends, is what really ties these outfits together.
Sara Gilbert and Linda Perry
Via zimbo.com
One thing couples often lose sight of is that it really is okay for both partners to wear pants. Sara Gilbert and Linda Perry do to nearly every red carpet they attend! I know we’re the reckless queers taking down the patriarchy, but even we can occasionally find ourselves stuck in a butch-femme/pants-skirt dichotomy. This can be especially frustrating if you and your partner are both center of center.
Some people might try to tell you that for a formal event you should wear a dress regardless of your preferences. While this is a particularly difficult situation if you are genderqueer or butch, this pressure is also extreme for very femme women. The assumption can be that because you wear dresses sometimes you’ll want to wear a dress for the event. That is total BS. Many women, regardless of their gender presentation or sexual orientation, wear pants for formal events and you shouldn’t let anyone make you think this makes you less femme. On the contrary, there are many extremely femme and center of center ways to wear pants.
You can do like Sara and opt for heels or metallic pants. While her skinny pants are undoubtedly a more femme cut, the gold color and shine make them feel more formal. If heels aren’t your thing, many traditional women’s dress pants, such as Linda’s, are a great option too. You can make pants more femme by pairing them with a flowy shirt like Sara, or more androgynous by going for a boxier blazer like Linda.
Ellen Degeneres and Portia de Rossi
via justjared.com
Is there any more classic a couple than Ellen and Portia? For some couples, a suit for one partner and a dress for the other is what makes you both most comfortable. This is totally awesome and there are still so many ways to coordinate adorable couples looks. I love Ellen and Portia’s look because while their colors and shapes differ, they bring their outfit together by combining similar textures. The sheen of Ellen’s silk-blend suit and even the gloss of the leather lapels compliments Portia’s satin dress. Additionally, Ellen opts for a suit color in almost a navy shade of black that looks nice next to Portia without being too matchy-matchy.
Lindsay Lohan and Sam Ronson
via eonline.com, icydk.com
Some nights I wake up around 3am in a cold sweat still upset that Lindsay Lohan and Sam Ronson broke up. They had some seriously good couples looks. One look they regularly shared was a black and tan or black and gold style. The couple may have fallen into this pattern as the black and gold accentuate both Lindsay’s natural red roots and Sam’s light skin, however, they’re an excellent combination for anyone.
Black and gold are a great combination because, besides looking completely excellent together, they look classy year-round. You might opt for more golden-orange shades in the fall, but swap those out for light beige or tan shades in the spring and summer.
Additionally, the variety of shades and shine of gold and tan clothing allows for flexibility for an ambiguously formal event. You’ll notice that individually Lindsay’s outfits are dressier than Sam’s. Still, side by side, they present an overall look that it somewhere in the middle. A gold dress can dress up your partner’s plain black sweater, or her tan sweater can dress down your black cocktail dress. Gold and black are a great option when you’re not exactly sure how formal you need to be dressed or where the night might take you.
Wanda and Alex Sykes
Wanda Sykes and her wife Alex walk a whole lot of red carpets together. What I like about the two of them is that they aren’t bound by “You wear the suit and I wear the dress” kinds of rules. Often these sorts of roles are natural, but other times they can start to feel restrictive. That’s why I love Wanda and Alex’s looks so much. While both tend to the femme of center, they alternate wearing dresses, suits and everything between.
I also like how Wanda and Alex are so openly committed to sequin. I feel like this means they understand me on some deep level.
Beth Ditto and Kristen Ogata
You also don’t need to feel like every set of outfits you wear together needs to be something to stress over. Beth Ditto and Kristen Ogata keep things classic and simple, pairing Kristen’s suit with Beth’s cocktail dress. While Beth’s shoes do bring out the grey in Kristen’s jacket, the two bring many solo elements to the table as well. Beth’s bright orange pop-of-color clutch is not overtly tied in with Kristen’s outfit, she’s merely holding it because it accents her belt and hair (and probably to hold her cell phone). Similarly, Kristen’s blue tie adds character to the outfit, but there is no element within Beth’s look that picks up on those cool colors. Regardless, it totally still works.
One thing worth noting is that Beth and Kristen do a great job of wearing similar toned blacks. One of the easiest ways to look haphazard is by wearing blacks that clash with each other. Sometimes this might just mean getting ready in the same room and choosing which black pants to wear carefully. Other time this might mean a trek out to the mall together. That might seem like an awful lot of effort, but keep in mind that because wearing black gives you so much freedom in your accessories, it might be worth the effort. A little bit of thoughtful coordination goes a long way.
The takeaway here is that if there’s a bow tie you desperately want to wear, or even a crazy jacket, there’s no reason you can’t wear whatever you want and still look wonderful standing with your beau.
You can’t always expect that you and your date are going to be a perfectly matched pair of fashion royalty. People are busy, colors clash, accessories are lost or loose or hated. You might, plain and simple, have completely different styles. But special occasions are special because they come just once and a while. Picking outfits together doesn’t mean you have to turn into the dreaded twin lesbians or even siblings in a family portrait. It just means you get to think about each other more. Which is probably what you want to do anyways.
If there’s a queer style icon you’d like to see stripped down in Style Thief, send me an ASS message, ask on my tumblr, or tweet me @Ohheyitslizz
Adam Lambert Trespasses, Glee Casts, Sara and Cat React and Erin Daniels Stars
ADAM LAMBERT:
The Trespassing album cover has been revealed along with Adam’s announcement that “in addition to serving as Executive Producer of Trespassing, I’m also Creative Director.”
He describes the evolution from For Your Entertainment to Trespassing:
“The last album — I’m very proud of it. It was a very theatrical album. It was really over the top and it was kind of a spectacle — like an audio spectacle. And it was very stylized and kind of campy. It was kind of a caricature of this rock star that I always wanted to be. You know, lots of glitter and feathers and makeup and I had a great time with that. And I think I kind of got a lot of that out of my system in a way and now I’m able to make music that is for my fans that I’ve gotten to know over the last year. I know who I am now more, so I think, as an artist, I’ve evolved and as a person I’ve evolved and I think the music will open that door wide open for people.
[The new album] is kind of like a pass for a listener to trespass in my life, into my reality. I wrote songs on the album that are really fun and crazy and party songs, and then I wrote songs on the album that are dark and deal with anxiety and stress and low self-esteem and acceptance. There’s two halves of the album and hopefully the listener will get a better idea of who I am — who I really, really am.”
He also spoke to Ellen about his drunken brawl with his boyfriend in Finland:
GLEE / A NORMAL HEART:
Well isn’t this exciting! Matt Bomer (White Collar) has been cast as Blaine‘s brother on Glee! Matt is pretty much totally out (he is married and has three children with his partner Simon Halls) and will sing and dance as Blaine’s hot older brother. The question really is whether Matt will wear a bow tie in every scene as well.
Ryan Murphy appears to be a fan of Mr. Bomer as he has just cast him in his film adaptation of the Broadway play A Normal Heart, about the rise of HIV/AIDS in New York’s gay community in the 1980s. The cast includes Matt as Mark Ruffalo‘s fashion stylist boyfriend, Julia Roberts as wheel chair bound doctor Emma Brookner, Alec Baldwin as a lawyer who struggling to accept his sexuality, and Jim Parsons as a Southern gay activist.
INGRID MICHAELSON:
Her fourth album, Human Again, was released this week and she’s currently touring the US in support. She talks to Billboard about striving for a more mature take on her sound rather than commercial ready pop songs (like her Old Navy commercial):
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CYNTHIA NIXON / THE TALK:
Cynthia Nixon‘s words continue to haunt her with celesbians Sara Gilbert and Cat Cora chiming in on the whole “for me being gay is a choice” thing. PS: she actually did attempt to clarify her words in an interview with The Daily Beast:
“I think for gay people who feel 100 percent gay, it doesn’t make any sense. And for straight people who feel 100 percent straight, it doesn’t make any sense. I don’t pull out the “bisexual” word because nobody likes the bisexuals. Everybody likes to dump on the bisexuals.”
Sara and Cat react to her statement on The Talk:
NEW GAY DRAMA SERIES FROM L WORD PRODUCER:
A new drama series titled Downtown Los Angeles (DTLA) will begin airing on Canada’s OUTtv beginning late Spring and follows a group of friends in Downtown Los Angeles as they deal with the breakup of boyfriends Lenny (Darryl Stephens) and Bryan (Matthew Stephen Herrick). The show promises Showtime-esque sex and nudity co-stars our very own Erin Daniels, Danny Roberts (The Real World: New Orleans), Leslie Jordan (Will & Grace) and a guest appearance by freakin’ Julie Goldman. Interestingly, the show is mostly improvised, based on stories from the creators’ (L Word executive producer Larry Kennar) lives.
Amy Winehouse’s Final Album Hits The Internets (Plus Gaga, Glambert, Shane)
AMY WINEHOUSE:
Well, her one and (presumably) only posthoumous album, Lioness: Hidden Treasures, has officially leaked on YouTube a few days ahead of it’s release next week. The 12-track collection features previously unreleased tracks, alternate versions of existing classics as well as a couple of brand new songs she was working on at the time of her death.
The full track listing is as follows:
“Between The Cheats” (produced by Salaam Remi. May 2008)
“Tears Dry” (produced by Salaam Remi. November 2005)
“Wake Up Alone” (produced by Paul O’Duffy. March 2006)
“Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow” (Shirelles original. produced by Mark Ronson, featuring Dap Kings. September 2004)
“Valerie” (produced by Mark Ronson. December 2006)
“Like Smoke” featuring Nas (produced by Salaam Remi. May 2008)
“The Girl From Ipanema” (produced by Salaam Remi. May 2002)
“Halftime” (produced by Salaam Remi. August 2002)
“Best Friends” (produced by Salaam Remi. February 2003)
“Body & Soul” with Tony Bennett (produced by Phil Ramone. March 2011. Amy’s final recording)
“A Song For You” (Leon Russell original. produced by Salaam Remi. Spring 2009)
GAGA:
Gaga is in full promo mode for “Marry the Night” these days, leading up the video premiere tonight on E!. She performed the fully produced dance version on the Grammy Nominations special last night…
[yframe url=’https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Czk204rQ6c’]
…as well as a sublime acoustic version on some homosexual talk show program I am not familiar with but enjoyed nonetheless.
[yframe url=’https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Emrc5M_I34c&hd=1′]
PS: She received three nominations including Album of the Year, Best Pop Solo Performance and Best Pop Vocal Album. Clearly Adele is winning everything (as she should).
ADAM LAMBERT:
Glambert has christened his upcoming musical masterpiece “Trespassing” and provided these new quotations to Rolling Stone regarding it’s sound and scope:
“At first I was trying to figure out how to please my fans – but then I started trusting my instincts. It’s the same as what I learned on Idol. You have to fight for this shit. There’s party music, sex music, fucked-up-relationship S&M music….But every song explores something real.”
SHANE:
Kate Moennig has a lengthy new interview with focusonfilm.com, providing some new insights on loving Jersey Shore, wearing men’s clothes and why she wants to remove half her tattoos.
On The Real L Word:
“I think its smart. I mean she (Ilene Chaiken) created a brand from that show and she ran with it. I don’t feel like I have anything to do with it. It’s separate entities. The title is what it is. It’s entirely different. I don’t put them together, and I haven’t seen the reality show so I can’t comment on it. And again, it has nothing to do with me, not in a good way or bad way.”
On Jersey Shore:
“Hell yeah, I mean I grew up with girls like that. People say how can I? But I get their culture. I get it. I’m not a part of it, but I know it like the back of my hand. I grew up in the Jersey Shore, not with them, but people like them. I knew Paulies, Snookies and J-Wows. J-Wow was the tough girl in school. She was really smart with an acidic tongue and the perfect remark to shut someone up in that moment, that nobody fucks with and that’s why I love it.”
On girls rocking the Shane haircut today:
“What people don’t realize is that there’s an amalgamation of four bad haircuts that were growing out into one over a couple of years.”
On Boys Don’t Cry:
“On I went in prior to getting the Young Americans role, and it was great. I was really flattered and happy about how far I got. I didn’t have an agent and a friend in the film recommended me to the director. I went in a few times. I’m happy for the way the movie came out though. It was my first audition.“
THE TALK:
Darlene actually addressed the lezzie paparazzi shot heard round the Lesbian Internet! Also, Howard Stern mentioned Sara Gilbert would be on his show next week, so that should be pretty terrible/awesome for everyone involved.
GLEE:
Gloria Estefan will likely play Santana’s mother. Other stunt casting includes Ricky Martin who will play a McKinley High Spanish teacher in an upcoming January episode. I wish the grown ups on Glee didn’t bore the shit out of me (except Gwyneth, ILY).