So many closed minded people believe the following statements. ”We are lesbians because we have not found the right man.” ”Anyone who is a lesbian can change and become straight.” ”Lesbians cannot be like heterosexual couples because lesbians lack the ability to be in a committed monogamous relationship.” ”Lesbians are just experimenting.” Or my person favorite, “it is just a phase.” How is Prime time television helping to disprove these statements? Frankly, they are not helping. They are actually really hurting us. They continue to help prove the thoughts of closed minded people everywhere correct.

I will take a recent television lesbian relationship from 90210. The relationship of Adriana and Gia. Their relationship lasted a couple of episodes and big surprise it ended. Their relationship ended because Gia cheated. Proving that lesbians cannot be in committed and monogamous relationships. After the relationship ended Adriana (who was straight before Gia) went back to boys. Proving the rest of the above statements correct. This is just one example among many. There is Ella from Melrose Place, she is bisexual and is never even in a lesbian relationship. To closed minded people Ella looks like she is just experimenting with women until she found the right man for her in Jonah. There are also, Marissa and Alex fromThe O.C. or Alex and Paige from Degrassi: the Next Generation. I have only named a few. I know Degrassi is from Canada but America has made that show our own since it airs on The N. Since I am a lesbian I know all of the above statements are incorrect. However, there are several closed minded homophobes that think otherwise. Television shows are constantly conveying a negative message regarding lesbian relationships. I know there are a select few shows that do display a nice positive lesbian relationship. But, even when a positive relationship does happen one of the people in the couple usually gets killed off. Like, Dr. Weaver’s girlfriend Sandy in E.R. or Willow’s girlfriend Tara in Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

I am not saying that lesbians are saints. Yes we have our share of problems hence the saying “dyke drama”. But, we are still no different than are heterosexual counterparts. The only difference is our representation in television. Straight couples on television fight and yes sometimes they break up, but a lot of the time they prevail. When a lesbian relationship ends the lesbian guest star disappears and we never see anymore of the relationship that was once there. The star of the show then usually goes back to being a straight lady and in essence she is a disappearing lesbian as well.

The only way a lesbian gets to stick around is if it is a show entirely dedicated to lesbians. Like, The L Word or South of Nowhere. There is the rare exception like Buffy the Vampire Slayer. But, I would just once like to see a true lesbian, one that is not experimenting, one who is a gold star (I might be willing to settle), one who stays a lesbian even after her relationship ends or one where a lesbian does not get killed off. Or one where the successful lesbian relationship does not get written off the show, i.e. All My Children with Bianca and Reese.

Thank you England for Naomi and Emily on Skins. Maybe American television can take a lesson from you. Your country did not implode when you aired material with lesbians. I am begging you television executives please remember your lesbian viewers, we watch television just like the straight people. Please quit toying with our emotions and teasing us with a possible lesbian storyline. We are not here to improve your ratings during sweeps week! Maybe stop showing so much violence towards women and start showing some true lesbians and lesbian relationships. I do not think it is too much to ask!

3 stalks celery, slice (1 ½ cups)

2 medium carrots, chopped (1 cup)

1 large onion, chopped (1 cup)

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 Tbsp. margarine or butter

3 cups water

1 medium potato, diced (1 cup)

1 medium zucchini, sliced (1 cup)

4 tsp. instant vegetable or chicken bouillon granules

½ tsp. pepper

1 can of tomatoes, cut up (16 oz. can)

2 Tbsp. snipped parsley

½ cup peanut butter

Instructions

In a large saucepan or Dutch oven cook celery, carrots, onion, and garlic in hot margarine or butter, covered about 5 minutes or until onion is tender.  Stir in water, potato, zucchini, bouillon granules and pepper.  Bring to a boil and then reduce heat.  Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.  Stir in undrained tomatoes and parsley.  In a small bowl, gradually about 1 cup broth from soup into peanut butter until smooth.  Return mixture to saucepan.  Cook and stir until heated through.  Serve

Serves 4-6

Prep 40 minutes and Cooking 20 minutes total time 1 hour

I told her to use a small amount and avoid the top of my hair.   She said my whole head needed to be conditioned.  Since my back is to her I cannot see what she is doing.  I had a feeling though that she had a large amount of conditioner in her hand.  I decided to give up my usual routine and let her condition my whole head.  Whenever Crispy does something mischievous she starts to laugh.  But an interesting things always happens.  Some would call it karma.  She starts to laugh and then she gets uncontrollable hiccups.  The hiccups only occur when she is laughing because of something she shouldn’t be doing.  When she just normally laughs she does not get the hiccups.  There I am in the bathtub with enough conditioner in my head to make my hair soft for a month and she has the hiccups.  I always start to laugh because she shouldn’t be so mischievous.  I usually say something like, ”serves you right.”   But the thing is she is so cute when she gets that laugh followed by hiccups.   Not only did I have a great bath time, but now my hair is silky smooth.

The results of Semenya’s gender verification tests are in now, and will remain confidential. Semenya will retain her gold medal, title and prize money for her August victory. This is great because it’s a shame to think that anyone would have to go through something so inhumane. Who cares whether Semenya is male, female or both? What difference does gender make? Let’s hope the controversy will subside and Semenya will continue to compete in future athletic competitions.