Hot, hot, hot

Discovered this video via One More Lesbian and thought it was worth sharing. I adore the opening scene from the L Word. 

Her-story in the making

On January 11, 1997 television history was made. The first prime time lesbian kiss was aired on US TV in the series Relativity, and it got many tongues a-wagging. Some wagged for good reasons and some, the right wing or religious fanatics, wagged 'em tongues for all the wrong reasons. Regardless, it was a television milestone. According to afterellen.com, Relativity also made history for being the series that also offered the first recurring lesbian character who was a central part of the cast.

Sarah Warn of afterellen.com writes:

"Rhonda is played by Lisa Edelstein, who has starred or guest-starred in several television shows and movies, most recently Leap of Faith and Felicity and movies like Keeping the Faith and What Women Want. Rhonda's love interest is Suzanne, played by Kristin Dattilo who currently stars in Showtime's The Chris Isaak Show (and was Janie in the Aerosmith video for "Janie's Got a Gun").

The kiss didn't happen until the 13th episode, named "The Day the Earth Moved" because the theme of the episode revolves around earthquakes, sex, and life-changing decisions. The episode weaves several threads involving multiple characters in and out of each other in a humorous and thoughtful way, and a storyline which follows Rhonda and Suzanne's introduction, their first date (albeit an unusual one), and their first kiss. (For those who didn't see the episode, I've provided an episode recap below.)

Relativity was ground-breaking not only because of the kiss, but for the natural and almost casual way it portrayed the lesbian characters and their relationship with each other, as well as their relationships with other characters on the show. At the time, it was one of the first shows ever to treat its lesbian characters just like the other (heterosexual) characters on the show, with no attempt to sensationalize their relationship or the kiss. The lesbian characters are very likable, and they are treated with affection and supported by the other characters--for once, no one has any "issues" with their sexuality (besides Isabelle's initial surprise at her friend's sexual orientation, since Isabelle had only known her to date men previously).

Also unusual was the show's casual use of the words "lesbian" and "dyke" (in a positive way) in conversation among the characters--another television first (and unfortunately still not that common today).

This episode, like the series, was also a consistent mix of funny, sweet, and serious, with complex characters and an entertaining and realistic storyline.

The series only lasted a few more episodes after this one before being cancelled by ABC due to low ratings--despite considerable critical acclaim--bringing the final total to 17 episodes. None of the subsequent episodes featured the relationship between two women except the last one, in which Leo and Rhonda's grandfather has a heart-attack, and Suzanne accompanies Rhonda to the hospital, where she is introduced by Rhonda to the doctor as "my lover."

Conservative Christians and other critics were up in arms when this episode debuted. Tim Wildmon, Vice-President of the American Family Association (AFA) issued a press release at the time denouncing the kiss on Relativity and criticizing the series for taking television "where it has never gone before" by showing "caressing, nuzzling and passionate, open-mouthed kissing" between two women."

Like I said, tongues were a-wagging! :-)
So, to see that piece of gay history, load it up below and check it out.

Do you remember...?

A gay girl's first kiss is a memorable thing. It's especially memorable because it tends to happen when we're older than our straight counterparts. Some of us just take longer to figure out we actually want to kiss a girl more than we want to kiss a boy; others know early on but don't have the means to 'get connected' until later in life.
For me - as far as kissing was concerned - I had a little of both: boys and girls. Well, one girl to be precise.

She was my best friend. A cute little blonde with blue eyes. We were at senior primary together and we had a rather passionate love affair (for 11 or 12 year olds) back in the early 80s. Looking back, she was my first 'love' but in a very innocent way. We explored our sexuality together and kissed and had regular sleepovers. It was a wonderful friendship and lasted until she was wrenched away from me when her dad was transferred out of our home town.
I was distraught.

She is now married with kids. I am not. I often wonder if she remembers our 'love' and more importantly, how she remembers it.

After that, it seemed that the boy route was a logical one. After all, my one true love had left. For me, the boy-girl kissing was fairly easy. I remember stealing kisses with various boy classmates from about 12 years on. Std 5 (about 12 years going on 13) was when I had my first French kiss with a boy though. Prior to that evening, I remember a couple of us practising on our hands. Hmm, knowing me, I probably wanted to practise on my girl friends!
Anyway, that kiss was fairly average. A bit gross actually if you must know, as it was quite hard to coordinate the breathing and the kissing and the eyes closed all at the same time. Fortunately, this improves with practise!
My point is that in my day (and I say that because maybe things are different now) you were very unlikely to meet a girl and start dating. So, you went with the flow and met a boy.
As the teenage years wore on though, my yearning and need to be with a girl grew. It became no longer possible to go with the flow.
What angst and turmoil there was during those years. I remember feeling so alone and so misunderstood.
So, by the time I had my first real kiss - as an adult woman - with another woman, I was 18. She wasn't someone I knew very well. She was older than me and we never kept in contact after that night, but it was wonderful and special and felt so right nonetheless.
I finally felt as if I'd come home. Actually, we ended up doing a lot more than kissing, but that's another story entirely!

*** Why don't you share your first kiss story with me? Email me or post your comment here. ***