TV's Top Female Bisexual Characters

by Lauren W

Let's face it: there is still a huge amount of biphobia in the world, even within the LGBT community.

What should we do to combat it? Celebrate bisexuality in all it's glory, of course!

I've taken it upon myself to come up with a list of who I think are the best bisexual ladies that have ever appeared on television.* Of course, I haven't seen every show in the world so feel free to leave a comment below with anyone you think I may have missed!

*Please note that this is completely my own opinion and I mean no disrespect to anyone not on this list.

Ilana Wexler (Ilana Glazer, Broad City)

Why she deserves a place on this list: Okay, so Broad City have never explicitly labelled Ilana as bisexual, but it's definitely something we can infer. We've seen her have sexual relationships with both guys and gals, and she has a not so secret crush on her best friend, Abbi. She's the woman who brought the phrase "YASSS KWEEN" to our attention and her antics are ridiculous; she has just as much fun - if not more - than most men we see on our screens. Stay bisexual, kween.

Clarke Griffin (Eliza Taylor, The 100)

Why she deserves a place on this list: Completely opposite to Ilana, there's this badass. She's from a little show called The 100, perhaps you've heard of it? Clarke was the first female lead of a US TV show who happens to be bisexual and absolutely every lesbian leapt for joy when it was finally revealed that she'd have a WLW relationship with our late Heda, Lexa (Alycia Debnam-Carey). Not only is she gorgeous, she saves her people constantly. A bisexual who knows how to make us proud.

Annalise Keating (Viola Davis, How To Get Away With Murder)

From one female lead to another, Annalise Keating knows how to get shit done. As far I'm aware, she's the first African American female lead of a show to hold the bisexual torch. Not only does she cover up murders for a living, but she also intermittently dates Eve Rothlo (played by bombshell Famke Janssen). Her morals are often questionable but who cares? The layers and complexity Davis brings to Annalise is groundbreaking.

Callie Torres (Sara Ramirez, Grey's Anatomy)

As a lifelong Grey's fan, I couldn't leave the world's most loved ortho surgeon off this list. Callie discovered her bisexuality in season 4 of the show and was married to a woman by season 7. Talk about moving fast! What's more is Sara Ramirez is insanely talented and has been one of the show's MVPs for years now. Although she's taken a leave of absence (not for long, we hope!) she'll always be in our hearts.

Kalinda Sharma (Archie Panjabi, The Good Wife)

Oh Kalinda. Kalinda, Kalinda, Kalinda. I can't help but sigh a big gay sigh every time I think about you. As one of my personal favourite TV bisexuals, I can't even begin to describe her well enough to do her justice. I just adore her. She's multi-faceted and smart and hot as hell. Side note: Why are so many bisexuals played by women of colour?! Gotta say, I love it!

Bo Dennis (Anna Silk, Lost Girl)

Phew, don't look at that GIF for too long, you might need to take a cold shower. Lost Girl is probably the queerest show of all time, if you ask me. It's more gay than RuPaul's Drag Race. Throughout the show's run, pretty much every cast member made out with, well... Pretty much every cast member. Bo was the hero Canada (and the rest of the world) needed, and damn did she look good saving the planet. Special shout out is due to the world's most famous Valkyrie, Tamsin (Rachel Skarsten) who was also bisexual in the show. We miss you, Lost Girl.

Sameen Shaw (Sarah Shahi, Person of Interest)

Sameen. Shaw. My number 1 gal. I wanna be her best friend and I wanna be her girlfriend. This list was in no particular order, but I feel like I saved the best for last. Sarah Shahi (whom you probably remember playing lesbian DJ Carmen in The L Word) created such a strong, multi-dimensional character in Shaw and I couldn't be more proud of her. A woman of colour with a personality disorder who also happens to be able to shoot a gun to the highest level of accuracy and she's bisexual? Be still, my beating heart. There will never be another quite like you, Shaw.


So that's it for my list... Who did I miss? Comment below or send us a tweet on https://twitter.com/allthingsles!

REVIEW: Lesbian Web Series "Dagger Kiss"

by Lauren W

When the star of Dagger Kiss, Tucky Williams, approached me to write a little something on her new lesbian web series (which she wrote herself) I'm not gonna lie, my first thought was "ugh, not another lesbian web series".

As the creator of this blog, I am constantly sent web series to view and after a while it became apparent that the majority of them were samey: cliche story lines and the odd love scene.

This is where Dagger Kiss (nicely) surprised me.

Not only was I surprised that there was something that actually resembled a plot, Dagger's main three stars can actually act.

Because of their talent (amongst other things) I found myself quickly falling in love with all three of them. And I'm not exaggerating. They all gave me major heart eyes at one point or another.

One of the most refreshing things about this web series was that they didn't shy away from the gay. I guess that's what you get when an actual lesbian writes the series; they know what their audience wants to see.

Right from the first episode, they dive in (pun intended) with sweet lady kisses in an enchanted forest. Sorry, did I spring the enchanted forest thing on you a little there? That's right, this series is also fantasy themed - another thing I found particularly original about Dagger Kiss. Every other lesbian-themed web series I've seen has focused on real life situations. Why not give us something out of the ordinary? I mean, a vast array of genres are what the Straights™ have been enjoying since time began.

I can't lie to you here either: I binge-watched the entire series in one go.

Because the episodes are all around 10 minutes or less, it makes for premium quality binge-watching. Viewing them all at once made the whole thing seem like a cute indie film rather than a TV show and that's not a bad thing.

When it comes down to it, Dagger Kiss is one of the best lesbian web series I've seen thus far. If you hadn't heard of Williams before now, this will certainly leave you wanting more.

You can watch Dagger Kiss for free through the links on their official website HERE.

Out Entrepeneur Launches New #HomeSearch Platform

Out #RealEstate Entrepreneur, Avatika Shahi Launches Revolutionary #HomeSearch Platform

Tailor Your Search for The Perfect Home to Your Desired Life

Los Angeles, CA – Real estate entrepreneur Avantika Shahi has her mind set on one thing: to challenge the status quo within the real estate industry by putting the buyer into the driver’s seat.

Why? Because living in a home is so much more than just the walls that surround us. With that in mind, Shahi, a veteran real estate agent, has officially launched Haus, a real estate technology platform that enables home search based on needs and lifestyle.

Watch the presentation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Y7DxyB2aN4

At the click of a mouse, Haus goes to work and curates homes to find your perfect match.  Whether you’re looking for a quiet neighborhood with a good school district; want to know crime rates, walkability to coffee and restaurants or proximity to work…you name it, Haus finds the homes that connect all your dots!

Does the neighborhood have everything to match your lifestyle? Unfortunately, many homebuyers find out too late...after they buy and move in. 

The savvy entrepreneur and former architect, who is raising two sets of twins, knows how important finding a place that really feels like home is. “When I began to look for a property for my family, I became frustrated by having to visit multiple sites in order to get a comprehensive picture on a home or neighborhood in order to make a wise and informed decision. Despite tremendous advances in both data and technology in the past decade, real estate search remains largely the same as it was 10 years ago” said Shahi.

Yet, instead of letting her frustration sap her productivity, Shahi did something about it: she gave her problem a solution and built Haus - challenging how consumers can search for real estate.

Haus is revolutionizing the real estate market by providing homebuyers the unique experience to tailor their search for the perfect home according to their lifestyle. 

The company has partnered with HowLoud to incorporate sound as a lifestyle characteristic, making it the first west coast portal to add quiet/noise level to lifestyle search.

Neighborhoods and lifestyle elements are incredibly important to consumers searching for homes online, yet there is currently no easy way to search combining physical and lifestyle elements for the home and neighborhood. 

In comes Haus!

The company’s matching algorithm grades homes for buyers based on a combination of personalized community, lifestyle, and home search criteria. In other word, Haus takes the surprises out of house hunting and finds your perfect match. Think of it as the online dating site of the real estate industry. 

Buying a home is by far one of the most important financial decisions one will ever make … how then do you make sure it is the right home? 

A home is more than just a house, it’s your nest.

For more information go to: www.GradeMyHaus.com

http://www.facebook.com/hausdotus

http://www.twitter.com/hausdotus

http://www.instagram.com/hausdotus

Up & Coming LGBT Music: Tús Nua

by Lauren Wood

Remember a while back when I reviewed this little lesbian band? (Click HERE if you don't!)

Well look here: they have some new music for you!

New song 'Matches' sounds half like something from The Hunger Games soundtrack, and half like something dreamy and otherworldly that Daughter would write.

Check it out here if you're into that sort of vibe:

About the band:

Formed in 2014, Tús Nua has existed with the current members since 2016. The band released an EP in April of 2014 and is currently recording its first LP, which should be out by the end of 2016. First single off the album, called Matches, will be released in July 2016. Tús Nua plays a blend of post-rock, shoegaze, and a little bit of everything, and is currently based in Zagreb. So far, Tús Nua has played in Belgium, Slovenia, and Croatia.

L Fest 2016: A Real Success

by Jess Price

Bandanas, free hugs and wandering lesbians waving selfie sticks at Heather Peace… Yes, it can only be L Fest 2016. We had a blast. Our lovely, sloshy-sludgy British weather did not hinder our fun as we shuffled our gay tents and campers over to a drier field onsite at Uttoxeter Racecourse. Here, we began celebrating L Fest’s sixth year with a huge wave of music, arts and comedy shenanigans.

While Beth Prior and the loveable Eva Iglesias boomed their tracks from the Big Top, (restyled to ‘the Titty tent’ by artist BREE, patent pending) the Cunning Linguists’ panel featuring LGBT Poet Laureate Trudy Howson mesmerised with powerful words on the Arts Stage. Championing up-and-coming female LGBTQ+ poetry and literature is something L Fest is very passionate about. This year, author Sally Edwards launched her third novel and we were even treated to a reading by filmmaker and activist Helen Oakleigh. Elsewhere, we welcomed Wotever Film Festival, who shared some cracking lesbian film classics followed by discussion and Q+A sessions with the directors. Uttoxeter’s sun continued to glisten down upon us for our Del Mar Reunion Party, a chance for those who went to our annual L Fest Del Mar in May to catch up under a cheeky limbo line and of course, a sing-along with DJ Lady Heidi.

As well as our headliners, Heather Peace and Saffron from Republica, L Fest welcomed a lot of artists from overseas, including bold and bright three-piece band BREE from America and the lovely, blue-haired Aimee Francis from Australia. Saffron was an explosive presence on site during Saturday evening, even performing that classic we all know and love, Ready to Go. Heather Peace joined us on Sunday, popping over into the crowd, mid-set, to enjoy the buzzing atmosphere with her die-hard fans!

When not wearing our dancing shoes, we lost ourselves in the amazing comedy at L Fest this year. Our festival laughs truly began with entertainment by Lara King in her Opening Night Variety Extravaganza, which included McChicks from Holland and Aussies the Hussy Hicks. The Laughing Cows welcomed Jen Brister to the Main Stage, spinning us into the curtails of faecal-inspired laughter. Recounting stories of life post- and pre- the Schadenfreude of having twin babies, Jen also expressed resentment towards social media and all things selfie (insider - Jen did eventually get in our Green Room party snap.) As she performed, the arena quickly became packed with gaggles of giggling lesbians who could not get enough of the wittily observational Brister. According to one spectator, as much as a week later: ‘my face is still aching’ claimed artist Yvonne Dawson.

Elsewhere, by day, we were given a real treat by the fabulous Kenric Cabaret troupe, followed soon after by comedienne Jackie Hagan. Attracting a hefty crowd to the Green Stage Tent, everyone sat poised for her sassy, poetic discourse on important topics such as class austerity, mental health, disability and leglessness. In her poem, Tea and Coffee, Hagan humorously questions our notions of bisexuality in a binary-obsessed society. Now with a short on Channel 4 and a new book out, Hagan is certainly one to watch out for.

Now in its sixth year, Cindy Edwards claims this year’s festival was the best yet and promises big changes are on the cards for L Fest 2017. We are always striving to make L Fest an environment for all – including uniting LGBTQ+ families, which is why this year saw the launch of brand new kids’ workshops. Moreover, L Fest 2016 has once again shown the threefold world of fun, closeness and diversity that resonates year after year throughout the L Fest community. Post-festival, it is fair to say we are all experiencing an L Fest come-down. L Fest 2017 may seem a long way away – but FEAR NOT – we are already gearing up for the L Fest Awards, L Festive and expect a twist to Del Mar next year. Watch this space.

Marina Rice Bader Releases AVA'S IMPOSSIBLE THINGS @ OUTFEST 2016

OUT FILMMAKER MARINA RICE BADER 

WILL RELEASE HER NEW FEATURE 

AVA’S IMPOSSIBLE THINGS

  WORLDWIDE ON VIMEO IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING ITS PREMIERE AT 2016 OUTFEST LOS ANGELES

LOS ANGELES, CA - Writer/director/producer Marina Rice Bader is set to world premiere her new feature film, Ava’s Impossible Things, at this year’s Outfest Los Angeles LGBT Film Festival. The film will screen at the DGA 1 on Saturday, July 16 at 4:00pm with Marina and cast in attendance.                

Tickets are on sale at www.outfest.org.

In keeping with the "do-it-her-way-ethos” Bader is known for, she will give the film its worldwide release as a rental on Vimeo on July 17th, the day after its Outfest screening. The talented filmmaker is no stranger to this innovative strategy having released her Anatomy of a Love Seenmuch the same way in 2014. Gravitas Ventures will again join the team to take Ava’s Impossible Things to all other VOD and streaming platforms in the fall.

Fans around the world will be able to rent the film on Vimeo on any Internet-capable device for only $5.00 for a 48-hour rental period. Subtitled versions for a number of foreign languages will also be available including Spanish, Portuguese, French and German.

Ava’s Impossible Things is the first film to receive an investment from Vimeo’s “Share the Screen” female filmmaking fund, which was launched at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival to support emerging female voices in film.

“I love Vimeo’s ‘Everyone is welcome, come be part of our vibrant community, create your vision and share it with the world’ mentality. I’m honored, and can’t wait to share Ava’s journey," says Bader.

The heart-wrenching tale tells the story of Ava and her mother Faye, bonded by many things…unconditional love, a passion for the arts, a belief that magic exists, and an insidious disease that will one day end both their lives.

It’s been three years since Ava moved back into her mother’s house to care for Faye, and as Ava witnesses the slow downward spiral all she can do is keep her mother’s spirits up while locking away the fears of her own future.

Today is a day like any other until rare guests and unexpected events compel Faye to make a shocking announcement, sending Ava into a tailspin.  Unable to deal with reality, Ava cries herself to sleep in her mother’s arms and escapes to a dream world filled with old friends and long forgotten desires.

Catch the genre-bending film on Vimeo July 17 after its Outfest 2016 premiere.

Watch an exclusive preview at:  https://youtu.be/dVgYBg1qUfI

http://avasimpossiblethings.com/

https://www.facebook.com/avasimpossiblethings/

https://twitter.com/SoulKissFilms 

About Soul Kiss Films and Marina Rice Bader:

In 2009 Marina Rice Bader founded Soul Kiss Films, an independent company dedicated to producing evocative, entertaining and compelling movies by women, for women and about women. Her first project out of the gate was to executive produce instant classic Elena Undone, followed by A Perfect Ending two years later. 

In 2014 Marina felt driven to go down a more authentic path, writing, directing and starring in Anatomy of a Love Seen, where she created an exciting new model of filmmaking not only during production, but with her creative distribution, earning much publicity.  Next came Raven's Touch, which she produced and co-directed with powerhouse Dreya Weber in 2015. 

Marina is currently in post-production on her most ambitious film to date as writer, director and producer, Ava's Impossible Things, premiering July 2016 at Outfest Los Angeles. 

"I have always had a love affair with movies, but it wasn’t until my early fifties that I had enough faith in myself to make the leap to actually creating them. I feel I’m just hitting my stride with American Ryder, a female ensemble action film shooting in 2017,” says Bader. 

SUSAN SURFTONE Releases BRAND NEW SINGLE

SUSAN SURFTONE RELEASES BRAND NEW SINGLE 

“BLUE MOON OF KENTUCKY”. THE SONG MARKS THE VETERAN GUITARIST’S OFFICIAL SINGING DEBUT AND FIRST SINGLE OFF OF HER UPCOMING EP “THE MAGICIAN" 

PORTLAND, OR - Former FBI agent turned singer/songwriter, Susan Surftone is back with her first digital dose of riptide-ready rock and roll for 2016. 

One of the premiere female surf guitarists of our time,  Surftone has released her brand new single called “Blue Moon of Kentucky”:http://cdbaby.com/cd/susansurftone9

"I chose to cover "Blue Moon of Kentucky" because it was the second song Elvis Presley ever recorded.On this song he's not a polished vocalist and neither am I. He's singing in a higher key because he's young, only 19, and that higher key is easier for me, “ says Susan Surftone. "I’ve been singing to Elvis all my life in private and I thought maybe it's time to do it in public. The song itself is a bluegrass song written by Bill Monroe. It gives me an opportunity to play a different lead guitar style than my usual style. I just really like the song.”

“Blue Moon of Kentucky” is Surftone’s first single off of her upcoming EP dubbed “The Magician”, due out on July 5, 2016.         The Magician is a little bit of departure from her old style as it sees Surftone - after recording four instrumental albums- stepping out of her instrumental-rock comfort zone to step in front of the mic and make her debut vocal performance on 3/3 of the songs - including the track “Little Bit Lied To”, which she personally penned.

Surftone is no stranger to breaking grounds.

The New York native had, early on already defied convention by learning how to write and perform electric guitar music instead of contenting herself with listening and dancing along (like most other girls) to the day’s big boy bands. 

To say that Surftone plays a mean guitar is to put it mildly. Now more than merely a great female guitarist, Susan has established herself as a terrific player.

Yet the road to success was not an easy one and she certainly paid her dues.

After she graduated from law school at Boston University, the Federal Bureau of Investigation approached her about becoming an agent. She took the job with the F.B.I. at the height of the Cold War before plugging in her guitar permanently. 

Since then the Portland, Oregon resident has led her own stellar group, The SurfTones, through many many album releases—at least thirteen—as Susan and The SurfTones. From Without A Word (1995), Thunderbeach (1996) and This Ain’t No Beach Party (1999) and onto later classics like 2007’s There She Goes Again—Susan and The SurfTones Play The VU (Velvet Underground), Susan has stayed the course of her sound,.

Through the years she has always been a strong advocate of encouraging girls to play guitar and start bands, and while she may be a rarity in the genre of surf rock, she certainly now has a prolific discography recorded with her previous bands not to mention her solo albums.

Get your copy of “Blue Moon of Kentucky” today:  http://cdbaby.com/cd/susansurftone9

http://susansurftone.com/Blue_Moon_Of_Kentucky.html

For more information go to: www.SusanSurftone.com

TELLO FILMS Debut NEW FILM "SKIRTCHASERS"

TELLO FILMS PREMIERES 

“SKIRTCHASERS” 

STARRING ELIZABETH KEENER, BARRY BOSTWICK AND MEREDITH BAXTER 

Los Angeles, CA - tello Films just released the highly anticipated comedy “Skirtchasers” starring Elizabeth Keener ("The L Word", "My Generation") as Robyn Samuels and Barry Bostwick ("Rocky Horror Picture Show", "Spin City") as her estranged father, Damien Samuels and Meredith Baxter ("Family Ties", "Young and the Restless") as her divorced mother - https://www.tellofilms.com/series/skirtchasers

The five part web series was written and created by James Berg & Stan Zimmerman ("The Golden Girls", "Roseanne", "Gilmore Girls", "The Brady Bunch" movies).  Amanda Bearse directed four of the webisodes, with Zimmerman directing one.  

Bearse has directed and produced such series as "Big Gay Sketch Show", "MADtv" and "Dharma & Greg”.  

As an actress, she is best known for her role as Marcy D'Arcy on Fox's "Married With Children" and the feature film "Fright Night”.

"There is a new media landscape that I'm thrilled to explore and I'm very glad to be doing it with my friend Stan Zimmerman and working with a company like tello with their focus on content for the lesbian community," said Bearse. Zimmerman and Bearse appeared on the Sean Hayes produced Bravo reality show, "Situation: Comedy.”

Robyn is freshly single after a break-up with her long time girlfriend the day before their wedding. As Robyn deals with mending her broken heart, she realizes her issues delve further than her issues with commitment; they go way back, to her father. After the split of her parents, her best-selling novelist father, remarried a much younger woman, and became a father again, abandoning Robyn.

Watch the Trailer: https://www.tellofilms.com/series/skirtchasers/skirtchasers-trailer

Rounding out the "Skirtchasers" cast are Katie Walder ("How I Met Your Mother", "Mad Men"), Tangie Ambrose ("In Plain Sight"), Jessica Lu ("Awkward"), JJ Totah ("Jessie"), Valerie Ortiz ("South of Nowhere", "Hit the Floor"), Shaughn Buchholz ("Scrubs"), Brandy Howard ("The People's Couch") and Clementine Ford ("The L Word”).

"I am extremely excited to be bringing this new series to life," said Christin Baker, co-founder and CEO of tellofilms.com. "James and Stan's writing is phenomenal and targets the exact kind of audience tello is all about. Not to mention the amazing actors that have been drawn to this material.”

Known for “Maybelle”, "Nikki & Nora" and "Kiss Her I'm Famous," this new web series will be joining an astounding list of other well-known series on the tello Films website.

Recently tello confirmed that actress/comic/singer, Lea DeLaria, who plays "Big Boo" on the award winning Netflix series, "Orange is the New Black", will cover a classic tune as the theme song to the new tello Films comedy "Skirtchasers”. 

Tello recently greenlit another web-pilot from Zimmerman & Berg called "Secs & Execs". It will go into production late summer 2016.

tello Films produces and distributes innovative, high-quality web series with a lesbian focus. "We believe in telling authentic stories about people whose lives are often ignored or marginalized. tello creates web series specifically for the lesbian/queer community. Meaning that lesbian/queer characters are  front and center. We love lesbians and we don't feel that there are enough stories about us. At tello, we create new web content that is intelligent but fun, timely but classic, and tasteful yet sexy. Providing a whirlwind of classic ideas from a lesbian perspective, brave and challenging content with a lesbian twist."

For more information, visit https://www.tellofilms.com/series/skirtchasers/skirtchasers-101

New Women's Music Festival Coming To Central Scotland

On July 16th, 2016 Pandora Fest will host Scotland's first Women's Music Festival at DunCarron Medieval Fort in Carron Valley near Falkirk. In its debut year, the festival aims to redress the balance of female artists playing within the festival scene.

'In 2015 - the major festivals displayed a massive gender imbalance. Of the 87 acts that were announced, 78 were all male, 3 were female and 6 were mixed groups. That, was an 89.6% all male line up!' * The Guardian Newspaper Music Section by Alexandra Pollard, Feb 2015

 Headlining are the all-female London band Courtesans, also from London comes singer-songwriter Sofia B. From afar are California Electronics artist ContainHer, Texas singer-songwriter Erin Bennett, New York rapper Flapjack and Australian melodic lyricist Emaline Delapaix.

The spectrum of different musical styles ranges from the Yorkshire neo-punks Arcane 39 to afro/psyche alt rock Vodun, from classic jazz fusion duo Syntonic to indie pop trio Bugeye.

A handful of Scottish young singer-songwriters are given their first shot at a festival stage including the 2016 Soundwaves Winner, Alannah Moar. From our very own songstress Caroline Gilmour to the rock outfit Bravado and the all female funk band One More, both from Dundee, and more; Scotland is thoroughly represented.

Pandora Fest's website lists all other confirmed artists with more to come. The festival is also calling for submissions from female artists across the UK and beyond. Pandora Fest is family and LGBTI friendly, will be running two stages of live music of all genres from 11am to 11pm andplans on becoming an annual event.

Miss Daalmeijer and Mrs Duchat formed Pandora Fest in collaboration with Attack Agency who are based in Central Scotland and whose aim is to deliver world class artist management, event organisation; talent development and recently, a record label primarily for women and female led musical enterprises. The festival is also collaborating with The Clanranald Trust for Scotland who raise funding for Duncarron through their educational activities and their work as combat performers for the film and television industries.

Pandora Fest is Scotland's first and the UK's premier women's music festival; supporting women musicians and celebrating female musicianship across all genres. The assumption that it is a woman only event would be wrong! Any criticism of being anti-male is entirely unfounded; the festival stage is open to male musicians and the audience will be a traditional summer blend of everyone who loves good music.

www.pandorafest.com 

www.facebook.com/PandoraFestOfficial 

www.twitter.com/PandoraFest

L Fest Del Mar 2016: the Lesbian Getaway

by Jess Price

170 excited, psyched lesbians flocked to the sunny seas of La Manga in Spain for one whole week of celebrations, full moon parties, incredible live music and everything that comes in between. After her first time in Del Mar, one L Fester Deb emailed in with some lovely words: ‘I had the best time ever! It was 2 years in the waiting and it did not disappoint! Everyone was really friendly and lovely, and there was just such a fantastic atmosphere. Every evenings’ entertainment was top notch! It was a great and enjoyable week, (despite my hangovers) I loved it!’ With new acquaintances made and old friends happily reunited, L Fest Del Mar 2016 was certainly one we won’t be forgetting.

As soon as the sun rose, this gaggle of lesbians came alive. By day, L Festers could soothe their hefty hangovers by the poolside or get the atmosphere going with fun, games and silly splashing around. Our self-proclaimed gay train escorted us to our party boat where we enjoyed cocktails and stunning views over catch-ups and laughter. We were treated to live music by many acts including former X Factor finalist (turned L Fester) Jade Ellis, plus entertainment from the fire-eating Toxic Dolls. In L Fest founder Cindy Edwards’ words, ‘THEY WERE HOT, LITERALLY’ but don’t just take our word for it, check out our snaps on the L Fest Events Facebook page. With the sun glistening high in the sky and a beer in hand, it was truly amazing to relax and watch these acts platform their talents upon the stage.

Our Full Moon Party on the beach has always been an L Fest Del Mar favourite, and this year was the perhaps the most spectacular yet. We stood in quiet, happy unity as we released lanterns into the moonlit sky, followed by a performance by amazing Spanish artist Road Ramos before dancing the night away to Mia Wallis. What more fun could we ask for?

As our sunny freedom in Del Mar was sadly coming to an end, the L Fest bunch signed a huge, rainbow PRIDE flag to remember every single person who shared this happy experience with us. There is no denying that Del Mar is a holiday, but for us, it represents much more than that. It is about a community who is bound together by a mutual affection and sense of understanding for one another. It is about developing friendships and supporting emerging LGBTQI+ talent in a safe, loving space (although we can’t promise you won’t be thrown in the pool…)

Reunite with your L Fest family next month July 15^th-18^th in Uttoxeter (near Alton Towers) where the celebrations continue! Or if you have never been before, why not make this year your L Fest debut? You can now create your own unique L Fest timetable from our line-up before you arrive with our new FREE app! Fill it with your favourite L Fest workshops, live acts and activities.

We can’t wait to see you all!

Your L Fest Family

BURY YOUR GAYS: If a pay phone rings in New York, did the lesbian really die at all?

by Lauren W

First off, I'm cautiously apologetic about my absence from All Things Lesbian. My absence largely stems from the fact that I have genuinely still not gotten over the fact that Person of Interest has come to an end and I was dreading writing this post. It is 100% the best show of the decade, and it will take something extra special to top it.

Secondly, there are quite obviously going to be SPOILERS in this post so please do not read on if you are planning to watch POI at some point in your life. (And I'm begging you: please watch it. It is truly genius and you will not regret it.)

Back in April, I wrote something similar to this following the whole death of Lexa (Alycia Debnam-Carey) debacle. (Click HERE to read it).

A face so perfect it could sink a thousand ships.

The cliff notes version of my April post is as follows: all of the lesbians on TV die, Person of Interest could be our last hope for a happy gay ending, the show starts May 3rd and you should all watch it. Blah Blah Blah.

So, I intend this article to be a follow up to that, now that we know the outcome. A "Part Two", if you will.

As I've stated before, POI is not a show that saves it's MVPs just for the sake of it. The writers never shied away from killing off it's main characters and even led us to believe that Shaw (Sarah Shahi) had sacrificed her life for the team in the show's fourth season.

Alas, the TV Gods saved the bisexual sociopath in the end.

Season 5 of the show was a whirlwind: There were 2 (and sometimes 3!) episodes per week, which meant it was over before you could say "Artificial Intelligence: Modern Warfare".

And it was all going so well. Shahi and Amy Acker (Root) were killing it Every. Single. Week. Episode 4 came as a Shaw-centric episode which brought us the likes of this:

*Bohemian Rhapsody voice* Is this the real life... is this just fanfiction?

Oh, and this:

Aaaaaand this:

You can thank me later.

We saw Shaw escape Samaritan's clutches, the couple being reunited, overt flirting in the middle of a shoot out... they even held hands. (If you never watched the show, you probably won't understand why this pair holding hands killed so many fangirls, but listen to me when I say it was IMPORTANT.)

And then, the thing happened...

The thing.

I was holding out (false) hope that neither one of them would die but then Root was gone in a flash. Killed by a bullet. (Not a stray bullet, though - she swerved in front of it to save Harold. A true hero and a mighty fine Gryffindor/Slytherin cross-breed indeed).

Everyone went insane. Some die hard fans refused to watch the final four episodes that followed. Personally, I couldn't eat for three days straight after I learned of what happened.

I need to make a sidebar at this point to wax lyrical about how strong an actress Amy Acker really is. She's so versatile and one of the most (if not the most) talented actresses on television if you ask me. For the second time, she played a character who transcended and transformed into a God (the first instance being Illyria in Angel), and absolutely nailed it. The subtle nuances that you cannot help but notice when you watch her play Root in comparison to when she plays The Machine are impeccable. I can't even begin to sing her praises enough. She's a literal ray of sunshine.

An honourable mention also goes to Sarah Shahi. She really got to show off her acting chops this season and played Shaw's character absolutely perfectly. Having an Axis II Personality Disorder can't be the easiest thing to portray, but Shahi got the whole "acting with your eyes" thing on point. She really has come a long way since Carmen de la Pica Morales. If she doesn't get to play a comic book hero at some point, there's something wrong with the world.

Don't worry, Carmen. We still love you too.

Anyway, let's not beat around the bush. Root died. She was gone. But then...

In the last (ever) scene of Person of Interest, we saw Shaw wearing what we can only assume was Root's leather jacket walking down the street with Bear. And then a pay phone rang.

Of course, we didn't hear what Machine!Root said on the phone and the writers stated that they left everything open ended so that the viewers could create their own ending. But obviously, lesbians are loyal as fuck to their fictional sisters and it could only mean one thing: Root was alive.

Look at that face. Try and tell me that Root isn't alive.

Furthermore, since the finale aired, Michael Emerson (who plays Finch on the show) revealed that there was a scene in which a mysterious figure riding a motorcycle appeared towards the end of the episode, but it got cut. And who likes to ride motorcycles?

That's right: This nerd.

For me, there's no other explanation. Root lived. She faked her own death in order to "become" the Machine and hide from Samaritan until it was safe for her to return.

The whole thing made me think of that old saying about the tree falling in the forest and nobody being around to hear it. You know the one.

Well in my analogy, Root is that fallen tree. None of Team Machine actually saw her die, and just because we briefly saw her corpse means nothing in this show: Shaw momentarily died in the season 2 episode Relevance, too. Did she really die if nobody was around to see it?

So, the updated version of that old saying now goes as follows: If a pay phone rings in New York, and nobody but Shaw could hear it, did Root really die at all?