#including a sapphic/lesbian storyline!!

[youcannevertrustastark]

cant believe people are actually comparing the s2 ending of good omens to straight up queerbait… do you not have any media literacy?

[fandom]

Queer TV

This is a strange time to be writing an editorial on queer representation. While the past year has seen an incredible uptick in queer stories being told with humor and heart on the small screen, 2022 has seen a record high of 238 proposed anti-LGBTQIA+ bills in the US—nearly half of them targeting trans folks. Representation is important, though, and demand for more queer stories is growing (and, to some degree, being met), with a lot of good books and comics making it to our screens. With that in mind, think of this as your selective chronological tour of all the times we won in the TV landscape of the last year (October 2021–October 2022).

Our dataset year started off with the much-awaited adaptation of Robert Jordan’s fantasy epic, Wheel of Time. With such extensive source material (15 books if you count the prequel, which is where the seeds of the sapphic storyline in Rafe Judkins’ adaptation are to be found), the viewership, generally speaking, was divided into book fans and show-only fans, and both camps shitposted and meme’d and reviewed with abandon. 

The biggest queer-centric show we saw in the last year was the adaptation of @aliceoseman’s comic Heartstopper (@heartstoppercomic). Co-created by Alice Oseman themself, this adaptation was very sensitive to the much-loved source material. And, being native to Tumblr, these characters were bound to be welcomed with open arms when they hit the screen in an ebullient explosion of queer joy. 

A run-down of the past year would be incomplete without the incredible queerdos of the Revenge who swashbuckled their way into our hearts. We’re referring, of course, to Our Flag Means Death’s Gentleman Pirate and his merry band of (living-wage-paid, no less!) shipmates. Your favorites included genderqueer Jim ‘not-a-fucking-mermaid’ Jimenez and Oluwande, Lucius Sprigg and Black Peter, Frenchie who just hates cats, and The Swede, who keeps his heart but loses his teeth. Then, of course, we have Blackbeard himself, or simply Ed, who is struggling with his identity (villain or softboi).

Based on the story by @veschwab and produced by @belletristbooks, First Kill was another adaptation that fans of vampire stories got very excited about. Add to that the fact that this was very much a sapphic enemies-to-lovers scenario between hunter Calliope and young vampire Juliette, and the pre-show excitement was palpable. The post-season disappointment even more so as fans turned to their dashes to vent about the lack of good lesbian and wlw representation in 2022’s TV landscape.

Where the cancelation of First Kill left us reeling, the Rockford Peaches from A League of Our Own came in clutch and soothed our sapphic souls. You love the show which you affectionately shortened, in good old Tumblr fashion, to a silly little acronym: aloto. Whether you’re in it for the gal pal aesthetics, the butch energy, or Uncle Bert, or some good old fashioned baller drama, there truly was something for all of your wlw whimsies here. Let’s go, Peaches!

@neilgaiman’s The Sandman series finally came out to much acclaim, and came out so gay that armchair reviewers of the homophobic sort really struggled to wrap their minds around quite how gay it is. We got pansexual serial killing Corinthian! Pansexual, demon-hunting, women-kissing Johanna Constantine! Some very loaded moments between Morpheus and Hob Gadlin! This is what dreams are made of (sort of)!

This whole list would be nothing, nada, a crumb of zilch whizzing around a black hole, if it weren’t for the writers who created many of these stories in the first place. So thank you to them. And to you, Tumblr, for celebrating the good and standing up for each other through another year. Here’s to a kinder 2023. 

[reviewsthatburn]

*I received a free review copy in exchange for an honest review of this book. 

THE INNOCENT SLEEP, best read after SLEEP NO MORE, is Tybalt’s perspective on the time after Titania’s actions at the end of BE THE SERPENT. Because Tybalt has a radically different perspective than October (even more so than usual), trying to read this book first would spoil some mysteries out of turn. By necessity, as the books are a pair covering much of the time and even a few of the same scenes, some of the resolution is present in both. I love them singly and together, and am working on a long, spoiler-filled essay analyzing some of the key elements in both books.

Full Review at Link

[gay-disabled-characters-showdown]

LGBTQ+ Disabled Characters Showdown Round 1, Wave 5, Poll 10

A character being totally canon LGBTQ+ and disabled was not required to be in this competition. Please check qualifications and propaganda before asking why a character is included.

Check out the other polls in this wave and prior here.

Quinni Gallagher-Jones-Heartbreak High

Qualifications:

Quinni is canonically autistic and a lesbian!

Quinn is a lesbian and is also autistic

she is autistic and sapphic

She is a lesbian and autistic

she is canonically autistic and canonically a lesbian

Propaganda:

Quinni is honestly the best. She is such a fiercely loyal friend and such an open and understanding person. Her fashion is everything! She gives way more chances to people than they may deserve. She is autistic and is very open about this. She also gets a romantic storyline. She's got great friends who stick with her through everything, especially her best friend Darren. The actress who plays Quinni is autistic and does a fantastic job with the role! She means a whole lot to me!

She is just the best ever I love her so much :) such a ray of sunshine! and the actress who plays her is also autistic so the rep is great!

quinni is canonically a lesbian and also autistic. while being autistic is an important part of her storyline it doesn’t define who she is as a character. same with being gay. quinni is a queen!

just a bubbly teen with autism who loves fantasy novels, bright makeup, wearing Crocs and girls(!!) <3

she is played by an autistic and queer actor who advocates for this kind of representation, she’s genuinely the best representation i’ve ever seen of autism especially when it comes to sensory issues and meltdowns, she also dates a girl and is an important main character

Anything Else?:

I mean look at her, the cutest ever (Submitter 2)

Ricky Potts-Ride the Cyclone

Qualifications:

he canonically has an unnamed degenerative disease and cant talk/walk without mobility aids (fuck the new script, we reject the new script, ricky is and always will be disabled) and, while not stated in cannon, is so extremely queer and trans coded

Propaganda:

the fandom all collectively agrees that his ass is NOT cis or straight, but we still fight over his exact identity (to this day ive never seen anyone who doesnt see ricky as trans), hes a badass autistic-coded silly guy who can play like 5 instruments and day dreams abt fucking alien cat women in space, and hes a big symbol for disability and ableism in theatre

[prpfs]

💄 hello!!! 21+ mun (they/them) looking for other 21+ partners to write with. for this particular plot, i prefer a partner who is also wlw/nblw. minors please dni!

looking for someone to write an oc x oc plot (f/f) loosely inspired by chappell roan’s music because i have been obbbbsessed lately and itching to channel that energy into something creative. i have a couple different plot ideas, but i am also super down to develop a plot together. my muse (muse a) is from a very conservative small town and strictly “traditional” family. because of the attitudes of her family and the town ‘s from, she grew up as a closeted lesbian and struggles with comphet. muse b (your character) would be an out of the closet sapphic. (no preference if she is bi, pan, lesbian, etc. all wlw welcome!) the two meet and muse a begins to explore and embrace her sexuality through her relationship with muse b.

overall, this would be more of a slice of life type storyline. nsfw is very welcomed and preferred. trans friendly for any characters! some light 🪦🕊️ elements since there would be some homophobia included in the plot (both internalized and from outside sources), but it would not be the focus of the entire plot and can just be briefly mentioned if that’s something triggering for you.

all rp would be done via discord. i am someone who can max out the discord character limit, but it is not required for you to write that much. at least 1-3 paragraphs preferred for replies. no one liners, please. i do not require any specific frequency for replies/activity—life is busy, respond when you can! i prefer a partner who is open to chatting ooc, sharing headcanons, playlists, etc.

i’m down to add some other elements to the world-building such as supernatural aspects (i.e. vampires, werewolves, etc.), having the muses be public figures (i.e. actors, singers, athletes, etc.), organized crime aspects, etc. overall, i am super flexible and would love to hear any ideas that you have.

if you are interested in this plot, please come ready to brainstorm and contribute your own ideas so we can develop the plot together.

like if you’re interested and i’ll reach out!

give a like and anon will get back to you

[imagineitdearies]

The wlw part got me extra excited! I adore Tystar and I'm sure your next mlm couple will be as amazing as them, but I'm a simple lesbian, I think the world always needs more wlw. I'm definietely staying! (Sorry for my English, not a native speaker)

**In reference to my next original work of fiction**

I'm so glad anon!! I honestly tried when first outlining PS to look around for a way to include wlw, because the older I get the more I've realized how much I need more sapphic content in my life!! Alas, basically the only people Tyrus meets outside of his toxic spawn family are awful partygoers, and so few canon characters in Astarion's backstory are both 1) female and 2) of consensual age for such a storyline.

Now I did have one sapphic side character that never ended up making sense to reveal: the woman who became Chatterteeth was in love with Donnela Szarr when Donnela was a spawn, and tried and failed to keep her good/grounded after she became a true vampire (who killed Chatterteeth after she revealed some confidential knowledge to Vellioth). Chatterteeth just never trusted Tyrus quite enough to open up about this 💔

But we deserve better than that, so you can expect very overt wlw next time when canon is entirely up to me 😈

[bella-goths-wife]

Some boundaries please 🙏

Hi guys, I just wanted to have a quick talk about some boundaries I’d like to put down for the future please.

1. I understand that it is very frustrating to not have certain fics to update and I understand that it can annoy you when I don’t write for a few weeks but some of the things sent to my inbox is very rude and threatening. I know that most of you understand tumblr etiquette and wouldn’t act like this but to the minority that do, please understand that I don’t owe you fics and you are not entitled to regular updates on fics. While I enjoy writing and see it as something very fun to do as a creative outlet, I also have a life which includes a job in a very demanding industry and an education that requires many hours of attention. I also suffer heavily with my mental health which means that I will not always be able to update regularly and while I understand it’s frustrating, it’s my decision to focus on making sure I remain stable over updating. That being said please don’t leave threatening or rude messages in my ask box.

2. Secondly, as my lost boys daughter series has become more noticeable I’ve had quite a few asks and messages asking to remove faith jones as a character or to make her platonic. As a queer woman myself, I will not allow for WLW and sapphic erasure. I understand that some of you may not be interested in a love story between two women but it’s my choice as the writer of this au to create faith jones and have her identify as a lesbian while being a love interest for the reader. If you aren’t interested in a WLW storyline I’ve created then there are plenty of male love interests such as Dimitri or James. There is no place on this blog where it is acceptable for you to ask me to kill off a character I have created simply because she is a lesbian. It is also unacceptable for you to ask for me to make her bisexual in order to ship her with the male characters. I’m okay with there being a poly line ship between James, lost boys daughter and faith as faith and James are not romantically involved and are only linked by their shared love of lost boys daughter, but please do not try and erase a lesbian character I have tried so hard to layer and make a solid character out of.

3. I understand that some of you may enjoy Dub-con and Non-con and want to see this, I have also read fics with these elements and enjoyed them. But I please ask that you don’t request graphic non con scenes from me involving my characters as I do not feel comfortable writing them and I don’t have the emotional stability to create these scenes for you to enjoy. Any sexual assault ever mentioned is mentioned briefly and will never be written into a scene descriptively as I don’t feel comfortable to describe the physical act of sexual assault or non con. So please bare that in mind when sending me very graphic descriptions of sexual assault and asking me write them with my characters in mind. ESPECIALLY when asking me to put characters that have a pre-established parental relationship into a scene such as that. I’m very uncomfortable with the thought of that and I’m even more uncomfortable when it’s sent to me so graphically. I understand that I have previously mentioned sexual assault and non con in my previous fics such as bowers gang but I have done this in a non descriptive manner and in note form which is the only way it will be written about.

4. I write very dark themes that are usually included in the yandere tropes and I understand that it can be upsetting for some people to read, which is why I always write my warnings down in my fics and if it is particularly disturbing I write about how my intentions are not to romanticise or glorify these themes but to write about them for entertainment and educational purposes. That being said, please understand that after that point any media you consume is your responsibility so telling me that my fics are too dark for you and that I should stop writing about them is not correct etiquette. Please read my warnings thoroughly and decide for yourself if you want to read the fic before reaching out to me and telling me that my writing is too dark.

Please understand that I’m not trying to be seen as rude or mean when I’m writing this, I simply want to set down some boundaries for my own mental health and to help the minority of people who have done things like I have listed fic etiquette.

Thank you for reading and please respect my boundaries from here out.

[danisbrainrot]

now what are YOUR controversial or unpopular opinions about yellowjackets? 🤭

1. I'm tired of everyone making jackieshauna the most important lesbian ship. I swear it's all like, 'look, look. yellowjackets are about lesbians! jackieshauna is proof. lottienat is so gay!' when taivan is literally there! and canon! like I get it, I love all those ships, but at the end of the day yj has two canonical sapphic ships and everyone ignores them.

2. misty and walter need to break up ASAP. I'm done with that plotline. like that's a full lesbian, stop making all her storylines revolve around men! let crystal's ghost haunt her! let nat's ghost haunt her! fuck walter!

3. I'm gonna need adult shauna to shut the fuck up sometimes. I love her, but OMG she says some rancid shit. especially to misty after everything that girl did for her (helping her deliver her dead baby, helping her get rid of her dead lovers corpse, etc.)

4. season three needs to be coach ben's last, they need to wrap his storyline up.

5. speaking of seasons, in an ideal world id watch a thousand seasons, but I don't see how they can make more than five. they're rushing through the timeline too quickly, unless they're gonna include after they are rescued. also, I fear for the next seasons because some of the writing went down hill this season (I still love it, but yeah, there were a few plotlines and scenes I went "what the fuck? do we need this? was this thought through?"). season 1 was just so good, it's hard to follow and I feel like a lot of season two didn't make sense because they had to change things for sensitivity reasons (like lottie's mental health copped a lot of backlash, so that might be the reason she wasn't as full on as season one).

[stormyoceans]

hey girl, I'm happy to hear that you're feeling better! 👊 listen, it's cold in my country right now and I want to keep warm. Tell me your fav european GL(not Asian, pls, I'm tired of it) when you're able to write long posts. You can take your time. The cold weather is forecast to last until May 20 😪

hello, anon!!!!

im sorry to hear the cold weather is gonna last so long in your country, i hope you're keeping warm and drinking lots of tea or other hot beverage of choice!!!!!

i can definitely give you some recs for wlw shows, although i need to give two little disclaimers first:

i actually know of only one european wlw show, so i hope it's okay if i expanded this list to include western shows in general ;;;;;;;;

networks and streaming platforms are my mortal enemies because they love cancelling sapphic shows after one or two seasons (AND FUCK THEM ALL FOR THAT TBH), but if i didn't put those series on the list, this would be very short and i also think we would be missing out on some great television, so im adding their status to let you know what to expect before getting into it

OKAY AND NOW WITHOUT FURTHER ADO LET'S GET INTO IT

a league of their own (comedy drama - 1 season - cancelled)

based on the 1992 film of the same name with new characters and storylines, the series, set in 1943, is about the formation of the rockford peaches, a women's team in the nascent all-american girls professional baseball league.

one of my favorites on this list and im so upset it got cancelled AMAZON PRIME YOU WILL PAY FOR YOUR CRIMES

anne+ (drama - 2 seasons + a movie - complete)

the one actual european wlw show of the list, this is a dutch drama series that follows the main character, anne, as she tries to navigate her early twenties as a young lesbian. upon bumping into her ex-girlfriend one day, anne reflects on how her past relationships have contributed to who she has become.

honestly for being from a smaller indie production this is such a relatable, engaging, and well-done series, i definitely recommend it!!!!

dickinson (historical comedy drama - 3 seasons - complete)

based on the life of emily dickinson, the series focuses on her relationships with her family, her friends, her society, and on her long-term romantic relationship with her childhood best friend and sister in law, sue.

another big favorite of mine, it's fun, wild, has an unique modern twist, and both hailee steinfeld and ella hunt are incredible

first kill (fantasy drama - 1 season - cancelled)

the series focus on the relationship between teenage vampire juliette fairmont, who needs to make her first kill in order to enter adulthood and take her place among her powerful family of legacy vampires, and calliope burns, who belongs to a monster-hunting family and needs to slay her first monster in order to gain her family's approval and officially become a hunter herself.

look, i know there are a lot of mixed reviews on this show, but personally i enjoyed it a lot. it's good, campy fun, and a breath of fresh air from the hetero love stories that pervade the genre

gentleman jack (historical drama - 2 seasons - cancelled)

based on the collected diaries of anne lister, which contain over four million words and are written in secret code, documenting a lifetime of lesbian relationships. the series starts in 1832, when anne leaves hastings brokenhearted and heads to halifax, to restore her uncle's estate that she has inherited. while restoring the estate, she finds that the family land has a coal mine that it's being stolen by two brothers and develops a relationship with a woman named ann walker.

genuinely SO UPSET about this one being cancelled, it was such a gorgeous show with the most delightful english humor and complex relationships WHY PEOPLE CAN'T RECOGNIZE QUALITY TELEVISION

gypsy (psychological thriller - 1 season - cancelled)

the series follows jean holloway, a therapist who seems to have it all, but who secretly obsesses over the people her patients talk about in their sessions. this leads her to seek out sydney, one of her patient's ex-girlfriend, with whom she starts developing a romantic relationship under a secret identity.

i wasn't sure whether to rec this or not because i have very mixed feelings about it like the concept is very intriguing to me but the execution wasn't the best imho. it's still a solid show tho, and naomi watts is. well, naomi watts

the haunting of bly manor (horror - 1 series - complete)

loosely based on the novella the turn of the screw by henry james, the series follows dani clayton, a young american woman hired as an au pair for the children of the wealthy wingrave family in england. after arriving at the bly estate, she begins to see apparitions that proceed to haunt the premises.

i personally LOVE all of mike flanagan's series, and this one is no exception, however (unpopular opinion) i do find the second half of it kinda lacking. it's still a fantastic show tho, and i adore victoria pedretti

killing eve (thriller - 4 seasons - complete [but at what cost])

the series follows eve polastri, a british intelligence investigator tasked with capturing an assassin named villanelle. as the chase progresses, the two develop a mutual obsession.

once again i wasn't sure whether to rec this or not because while the first two seasons of this show are honestly some of my all time favorite, and the third season is still acceptable, the last one is honestly one of the biggest disappointment i've ever experienced in television. still, i think it's a staple of wlw shows in the last decade so i had to include it

warrior nun (fantasy drama - 2 seasons - cancelled, but we should be getting a revival as a trilogy of feature films. hopefully)

the story follows ava silva, a a 19-year-old orphan who wakes up in a morgue with a new lease on life and a divine artifact embedded in her back. she discovers she is now part of the ancient order of the cruciform sword that has been tasked with fighting demons on earth, and powerful forces representing both heaven and hell want to find and control her.

when i tell you i was so skeptical when i started this show but it's honestly SO GOOD, it really has it all: talented cast, beautifully-written three-dimensional characters and relationships of all varieties, gorgeous cinematography, amazing fight scene choreography.......THEY BETTER DELIVER THOSE MOVIES OR IM GONNA BE SO UPSET

AND NOW LET ME ADD SOME SHOWS WITH WLW RELATIONSHIPS IN A BIGGER ENSEMBLE CAST

sense8 (scifi drama - 2 seasons - complete)

the story follows eight strangers as they discover that they form a cluster of "sensates": human beings who are mentally and emotionally linked, can sense and communicate with one another, and can share their knowledge, language and skills.

i don't think i could say something about this show that hasn't already been said tbh. it's wonderfully queer and explores issues related to identity, sexuality, gender, and politics. it's honestly a must watch.

the wilds (drama - 2 seasons - cancelled)

the series revolves around a group of teenage girls who are left stranded on a deserted island after their plane crashes on the way to the dawn of eve program, a young women's empowerment retreat. while the girls try to survive, they are unaware that they're actually the subjects of a social experiment.

AMAZON PRIME YOU WILL PAY FOR YOUR CRIMES PT. 2 STOP CANCELLING MY FAVORITE SHOWS 😭

yellowjackets (horror - 2 seasons - on going)

in 1996, a new jersey high school girls' soccer team travels to seattle for a national tournament. while flying over canada, their plane crashes deep in the wilderness, and the surviving team members are left stranded for nineteen months. the series follows both their attempts to stay alive in 1996 and the lives of the survivors 25 years later, in 2021, as the events of their ordeal continue to affect them many years after their rescue.

i. freaking. LOVE. this show!!!!!!!! but it also comes with a mile long list of trigger warnings, including cannibalism, SA, abuse, animal killing, etc. maybe it's silly to point this out considering the genre of the show, but still. just be safe if you do decide to watch it!!!!!!

and this is pretty much it!!!! this is obviously not a comprehensive list, im aware i left out some popular shows and other ones that feature sapphic relationships between side characters, but these are my personal favorites and they also feel like the series where the wlw part of the story is fairly front and center, at least imho ;;;;;;;;

[dinosaursatemymom]

imogen should be unlabeled sapphic imo

It would be great rep plus it could help the show open conversations about how labels shouldn't be forced onto people.

By unlabeled sapphic I mean she should just be like, "I just like people, but I don't think any label really fits me, I just know I like girls" and tbh it seems like once she fully realizes she's into girls she's gonna only date them for a bit hence, "everything would just be easier if I were into girls" so when people ask her about her sexuality she can just be like, "I'm sapphic but I don't want a specific label"

Also a large amount of people in the community tend to force labels onto people and get pissed off when people don't use/do use certain labels, in my experience at least, and I think it would be cool to portray that as it is an issue within the community. I'm not saying the show should villianize any of the main characters, I'm saying that the show should show that even if someone is a part of the community or well meaning they can still mess up and make ignorant comments.

I think a interesting scenario would be if Imogen is talking to one of the kids in the group (likely nick, but maybe Tara or Darcy) about how she thinks shes sapphic and the person she's talking to, like, gives her a label or says something like, "oh well, you're bi then?" Or along those lines. Leaving Imogen upset and dejected because she feels like no labels fit her but everytime she tries to talk to someone about it they always give her a label that she still feels doesn't fit. And she just ends up not wanting to come out because she feels pressured to pick a label and feels like since none of the labels have fit she thinks she's straight (lmao totally not me projecting lol). Also if she does end up dating sahar, which it seems like they're going to, she could try and talk to Sahar about how she feels like none of the labels really fit her. And Sahar is going through all the labels trying to help Imogen, and Imogen is just like, "no, not that one" the entire time. Which could lead to Sahar being upset and thinking that Imogen isn't actually queer and just using her to figure out her sexuality/as an experiment. They fight, Imogen and Sahar both do a bunch of research, Imogen decides that she doesn't want a label and that she likes girls and she doesn't need a label to define her. Whilst Sahar realize that she needs to give Imogen some time, they both apologize and start dating.

Also if they tell the group that they're dating it should go smthn like this :

Imogen or Sahar : we're dating!!

Everybody : yayyyy coolll

Someone : so, Imogen are you a lesbian?

Imogen : nope

Someone else : bisexual then?

Imogen : no. I'm not anything, I'm just me

Somebody : but, like-

Imogen : well, I am sapphic, but i don't need a label, all that matters is that I like Sahar right now

Everyone : okah

A disgustingly adorable group hug commences

I just think this would be really cool and I def might be projecting a bit because I felt very forced into choosing a label by my lgbtqia+ peers. I also think it would be good because it could show viewers that just because someone doesn't have a label when they come out(or ever) doesn't mean they're any less valid.

Also sapphic is just such a pretty word it's just so✨🥰🌈😜😘🩷🤍🪻🤍🩷✨. It just feels so feminine and girly, it's so perfect for Imogen I just love it. I love Imogen sm. And the flagg the flag is so pretty, girls are pretty. I love women(that includes trans women too!!! I shouldn't even have to say this tbh, trans women are women) Imogen is pretty.

The issue with this is that ik the viewers would still have hc for her sexuality even if she gets confirmed unlabeled, and say shit like, "well unlabeled isn't her reallll sexuality, she obviously has to be someeethinggg". Which would go against the exact point of the storyline.

Ik this probably isn't what they're gonna do with the storyline but it would be super cool if they did.

[sarahlizziewrites]

Intro/pinned post

Hello, everyone. Sarah here. This is a blog nominally for writing, but realistically for shitposting with smatterings of fandom.

Sarah - she/he - 30s - Scotland

Likes:

Fantasy, and within that, romance, slice-of-life and adventure. My WIPs range from sword-and-sorcery to magical realism and gothic horror. Somehow all of these WIPs include friends-to-lovers. Weird.

Historical fiction. I'm a consumer of period drama, a researcher of historical costuming, and European history is one of my special interests.

Queer stories and characters, especially the kind I would have liked to have seen growing up <3

Critical Role, as well as an ever-shifting collection of fandoms, arranged like a detailed hierarchy of plushies in a pre-teen's bedroom. I'm sarahlizzie on AO3.

Mature content, some of which I post on my blog. If you're a minor, please consider your follow carefully.

Tag games/ask games! Or just infodump about your WIPs and OCs in my asks! I love you!

My WIPs:

The Adventures of Sitora Lux - This is an expanded and editorialized retelling of a former D&D character who I felt like didn't get a fair enough shout in the game. Sitora is a big lesbian Paladin-to-be who is still figuring stuff out as she attends an academy for training up future peacekeepers of the realm. A high fantasy coming-of-age/romance with some mystery and drama thrown in, spread over 5 books. Currently editing book 1, currently writing book 2. Have a character intro for Sitora! feat: lovely art from @rosieartsie.

I also use the tag 'Sitoraverse' for posting about the expanded world of Mithlonde

Grey-Sky Lark - my distraction project. Based on the mind-worm of 'Hebridean Vampire', I started writing a deeply introspective, totally first-person series of vignettes/short stories about my (unnamed) vampire protagonist as fate takes him on the winds and currents of history and the North Atlantic. The story starts in 9th century Faroe Islands as they are being colonized by the Norse and goes through to modern day. At the moment I'm working on the late-Victorian/Edwardian section where he is tasked with tracking down another vampire.

Chrissie's of London - a psychedelic, high-drama adventure set in a magical version of 1920s London, starring a gregarious and irresponsible hotel owner, Silas Chrissie [character intro], his long-suffering accountant, Loretta Cramps [character intro], and his old friend, a French, shape-shifting felon called Jacques [character intro]. It's gay too because that's my brand, and it has portals to another world, monsters coming out of said portals, hotel rooftop fights, all that fun stuff. It's giving some Neil Gaiman, some Rivers of London, some Stranger Things.

Brazen Sparrow - an age-of-sail romance, featuring a sapphic navy captain/pirate enemies-to-lovers storyline. Expect maps for this one!

Til Death Do Us Part - my NaNoWriMo 2023 project. A whodunnit set in 1937 featuring the groom being killed at his wedding.

Dawn Meeting - the first in a series of interactive stories over at tell-me-a-poll-story, my second blog.

If any of these sound good to you, sign up for my taglist!

[thezanyarthropleura]

rewatching the Dinotopia 13-episode miniseries and just wanted to say I concur with a lot of your takes. Hopefully it's ok to infodump about it in your askbox?

26 is adorable and heart-stealing (as is Karl's love for her) and she still looks so lifelike even after 20 years since the show's airing--the combination of lower-tech puppetry and higher-tech animatronics just hits perfectly. I just want to hold her and carry her around and tickle her little head. I feel weird calling her 'lifelike' considering none of us have seen Chasmosaurs(sp?) in the flesh, but the way she blinks and shakes her head and squeals just feels authentic somehow?

'Contact' is one of my favourite episodes as well, as it legitimises this version of Karl who in earlier episodes risked coming across as trivial/annoying/shallow (I love this Karl fwiw, more than the previous 'better' series' take). The connection between Karl & Gracie is so touching and raw, and it seems like the most important thing that happened to Karl at that stage in his life, as well as a turning point in the way he relates to female peers. While I am a fan of Karl's himbo side, I appreciated seeing him finally show expertise and determination in something other than mixing drinks and flirting and wheeler-dealing, as well--after all, he's Frank's favourite son and an adventurer in his own right, why shouldn't he be capable? (we also saw his resourcefulness in 'Lose & Found').

As for Lesage, your thoughts about her past relationship with Rosemary really have me thinking as well. The reference to their fling was so fleeting that I missed it first time around, but it's definitely critical to understanding both their characters imo. Lesage definitely seems the free-spirited fiery rebellious type to run off with a woman to have sapphic adventures in the wild, even if it took said sapphic partner to bring that out of her (and it's SO interesting that Rosemary was *Lesage's* closet key). What would Dinotopia make of lesbians disrupting their natural order and their status quo? (upon which they rely for their coveted peace...) The mind reels. And I agree about the relief and pleasant surprise that this mature dark woman wasn't 'tamed' or domesticated in the storyline's conclusion, it would have been so banal if the series went that route. She clearly isn't the type who wants a traditional family, a secure home or a regular Joe older man with kids.

That said, I must confess to wanting Lesage coupled with David, as I've noticed that from their very first meeting there is deliberate tension and foreshadowing included to put them in a shippy light, and their personalities/chemistry really spark and pop off the screen more than any other pairing (probably why the actors/character got a 2-hander episode to themselves?). Also, in-keeping with 'Lesage does what she wants and breaks the mold', I think Lesage would LIVE for scandalising Dinotopia by taking their Skybax Squadron Commander/favourite Offworlder and seducing him. David for his part would go willingly I think, as he seems captivated and chagrined by Lesage, more than he is by Marion (who imo he *wants* to want and thinks he should want romantically/sexually, but deep down doesn't). David for his part clearly needs a challenge and a foil to get the most out of his life, and Lesage offers that in spades. Where are the fics is what I wanna know

Am still combing over a few of the episodes in more detail, but overall I enjoy it so much despite all the inaccuracies and how off-model and off-book it is, and for the time you can see how it broke some new ground. It's pacey, it's a good time, it's got a little bit of everything from drama to adventure to fantasy to anarchohistory/steampunk. The story and characters remind me of Xena in the way you can read them in a campy/fun way or a serious way, and it works either way. Idk why it isn't on streaming and remastered, though the selfish gatekeeping part of me is kind of glad it's not exposed like that..

Always ok!

I do wish we got more of 26 in The Cure Part 2 that wasn't plot-mandated immobility, because that small bit at the end of Part 1 where she's doing her little scamper around on modern sidewalks is such a cute and defining moment for the series and I would've loved to see her run around through crowds or make an escape through the museum. I'd say even her CGI is some of the best-looking now, probably because of working with an easier scale (although I feel like dated CGI is always going to look like dated CGI, and so try to judge it more on whether or not it emotionally connects, and 26 definitely does).

They say it like "Chasmiosaur" in the show but the dinosaur is spelled Chasmosaur/Chasmosaurus. It's real interesting that both the live-action and book versions of Dinotopia used lesser-known ceratopsians instead of the obvious triceratops.

Agreed on Karl, sketchy/sleazy relationship drama is SO not my thing and I'd say I was only tolerating it for the dinosaurs, but the way this show does it is just so over-the-top that I can't help but be at least a little entertained. Night of the Wartosa is fun to watch in an uncomfortable train wreck sense, because we see Karl at his worst and it's so agonizing, but at the end of the day it's self-aware, it's intended as a wake-up call, and we're meant to be rooting for him to become a better person and laughing at him along the way. And by Contact, we're shown he can be serious when it counts, and his story takes a deeper turn into the heartfelt that solidifies his arc.

Since it's Hallmark, I'm sure they'd find a way to make even the dinosaurs scandalized by anything non-straight. "Why yes, our ancient society founded primarily by non-humans, with its own code of conduct distinct from other world philosophies, has the same puritan sensibilities as early 2000s daytime television." I guess there's a small chance the show actually did mean they only considered themselves sisters, and that very obvious pause didn't mean anything at all, I guess we'll never know *shrug* (but since it was a show cancelled after one season, I'm gonna say that from the 2020s we can go ahead and retroactively assume it must've had lesbians).

Freely admit that if I didn't pick up on anything hinting LeSage/David, it's probably because I only really have shipping goggles for f/f relationships, and also carry around the associated 'just friends' goggles for what are often clearly intended het pairings. To each their own, I suppose, and to both of us, the tragedy of liking a piece of media that very few people have ever seen, and even fewer have seen in any way that made them think of it positively. Highly doubt the internet 20 years after the fact would have much appreciation for my 'LeSage x pachycephalosaurus chariot driver OC' daydream musings but you can bet that's probably what I'm thinking about every time I hear "Fast Car."

Oh, if this show was on streaming, people would expect WAY too much from it. It's in the backwoods of Youtube and on cheap DVDs, and I feel like that's it's natural habitat. I can only really imagine people truly liking this if it's a formative memory, they found it in some obscure corner on a rainy day and gave it a chance only half-seriously, or the rare case where they wanted to watch a dinosaur show enough to turn it on but were secretly looking for... this. It's such a fun time, but I feel like for most, you'd need to know what you're in for or it just won't click.

[youranemicvampire]

Week 6: Favorite WLW movies / shows

15-week Sapphic challenge

PS: I didn’t include shows or movies that have sapphics as side characters or side storylines with little screentime

Shows

Orange Is The New Black (2013-2019)

Torrent :)

Not only the best WLW show, but it’s one of the best shows of all genre and all time. I mean, they are the reason that Netflix became successful (Ungrateful MFs).  If you haven’t watched it yet, you’re missing a lot, i swear. I’m not exaggerating when i say this show changed me and made me grow as a person. 

A League Of Their Own (2022-)

Prime Video

It’s character complexities, queer majority, diversity, intersectional stories, heart and sense of humor reminds me a lot of Orange is the new black so if you like the latter, watch this and vise versa. + Women in sports, duh! 

The Sex Lives Of College Girls (2021-)

HBO Max

Mean (but not really a bad person u know) lesbian lead, let’s go! This show is f*cking hilarious like you won’t just love the show for the lesbian representation, but all of the leads! It’s more than its title! 

Dickinson (2019-2021)

Apple TV

Haven’t finished it yet, but it’s already on my top 5. Not every show can pull off a modern interpretation of period pieces. And thank you, Apple TV for letting the show wrap up in the middle of lesbian cancellations. Thank you for the bare minimum. 

Gentlemen Jack (2019-2022)

HBO

Haven’t watched the show yet, but I KNOW, i know it would be one of my favorites. I love badass lesbian historical figures especially when they are gender-nonconforming

Movies

But I’m a Cheerleader (1999)

Hulu

Classic. Historical. I think this is the 1st lesbian movie i’ve watched after i came out? It also helped me became more aware of my compulsory heterosexuality. 

Ang Huling Cha-Cha ni Anita / Anita’s Last Cha-Cha (2013)

Juanflix (DM me if you’re outside Philippines)

Unfortunately, only few people know about this movie, but it’s really one of the best WLW movies in the Philippines AND in the world. And just so you know, the older woman and the girl didn’t have any weird romantic or sexual relationship, this is just all about the lesbian girl’s first childhood crush. A very wholesome story! 

Rafiki (2019)

Hulu 

This is not hyped enough and we all know the reason why. :) Very beautiful film with amazing cinematography, chemistry and soundtrack. It’s banned in Kenya so make sure to support this movie. 

TRIGGER WARNING: Blatant and violent Homophobia scene near the end

NECESSARY SPOILER: It has a good ending so don’t worry

Saving Face (2004)

Prime Video or Apple TV 

Cutest WLW movie ever! It felt very warm the whole time i’m watching it. Another Sapphic classic and Lesbian 101 for baby gays. 

Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019)

Hulu 

A masterpiece and a great take on Female gaze. Art and Lesbianism really are partners. 

[gay-disabled-characters-showdown]

LGBTQ+ Disabled Characters Showdown Round 2, Wave 2, Poll 1

A character being totally canon LGBTQ+ and disabled was not required to be in this competition. Please check qualifications and propaganda before asking why a character is included.

Check out the other polls in this wave and prior here.

Quinni Gallagher-Jones -Heartbreak High

Qualifications:

Quinni is canonically autistic and a lesbian!

Quinn is a lesbian and is also autistic

she is autistic and sapphic

She is a lesbian and autistic

she is canonically autistic and canonically a lesbian

Propaganda:

Quinni is honestly the best. She is such a fiercely loyal friend and such an open and understanding person. Her fashion is everything! She gives way more chances to people than they may deserve. She is autistic and is very open about this. She also gets a romantic storyline. She's got great friends who stick with her through everything, especially her best friend Darren. The actress who plays Quinni is autistic and does a fantastic job with the role! She means a whole lot to me!

She is just the best ever I love her so much :) such a ray of sunshine! and the actress who plays her is also autistic so the rep is great!

quinni is canonically a lesbian and also autistic. while being autistic is an important part of her storyline it doesn’t define who she is as a character. same with being gay. quinni is a queen!

just a bubbly teen with autism who loves fantasy novels, bright makeup, wearing Crocs and girls(!!) <3

she is played by an autistic and queer actor who advocates for this kind of representation, she’s genuinely the best representation i’ve ever seen of autism especially when it comes to sensory issues and meltdowns, she also dates a girl and is an important main character

Anything Else?:

I mean look at her, the cutest ever (Submitter 2)

Zhou Zishu-Word of Honor / Shan He Ling

Qualifications:

He might not count but I wanted to submit just in case. So in order to leave an assassination organization, he has to basically give himself a terminal condition that slowly destroys him over time, killing him after 3 years. So his ability/power is severely limited which is a big hindrance because he only has the strength to fight for a short while before his condition flares up. And over the course of the show he also looses some of his senses. He looses his sense of taste and smell and his ability to feel pain is significantly lost. The reason why it might not count is that they figure out how to cure him at the very end, but he spends the vast majority of the show suffering from this condition.

Propaganda:

He and his soulmate/husband are iconic. War criminal duo. They're both mass murderers who want to settle down with a nice domestic life with their adopted son. He's also got amazing gender. The show also has some interesting things to say about chronic/terminal illness

[lilithfairen]

The year is 20XX. RWBY is entering its eleventh volume, with a recently-announced anthology spin-off in its concluding episodes. Certain individuals still adamantly believe that the series is dead.

Critics continue to complain about characters who served their role in the plot several volumes prior and is no longer part of the story. Every single such character they complain about is female, queer, and/or PoC.

They continue to invent theories on how every light-skinned man they stan will come back from the dead, including Tyrian Callows, despite having been gradually reduced to sand (which he attempted to eat) on-screen.

The current antagonist is a light-skinned male who consistently refers to every woman around him with abusive, misogynistic language. The critics unquestioningly defend his every action and blame the women he victimizes for his victimization of them, to the effect of "maybe they shouldn't have worn that dress".

The Bumbleby kiss has happened. Critics believe it is part of an arc about portraying Yang as an abusive psycho lesbian and Blake will eventually realize she's being gaslighted into a sapphic relationship, later to be saved by Sun whom she will immediately make love to as his reward.

The main antagonists remain the main antagonists and don't inexplicably stop having storylines.

RT releases a Pride collection with all of the proceeds going to charity. The HTDM donates to Celtic Phoenix, whose rewrite has Roman Torchwick consistently misgendering May Marigold, out of spite.

The HTDM continues to insist that Mercury Black is going to get killed off and denied redemption, all while continuing to whine (with unbashed misogyny and racism) that Emerald Sustrai already got redeemed. This is despite the fact that Mercury has in fact already left Cinder's side and joined the heroes.

Jaune says a single line in one episode. The critics compare Jaune Arc having one line of dialogue in this episode to people dying durig the COVID-19 pandemic.

Eddy sneezes in one of the volume commentaries, prompting the HTDM to start a "Stop Breathing Eddy" challenge. They then act as if they are the victims for being called out on telling one of the show's writers to actually die.

Oscar's arc of struggling with his role as Ozpin's new host versus retaining his own self continues. He stubs his toe in one episode as a minor gag, and the HTDM spends three weeks harassing the female VAs of the show for the "blatant racism" of this.

RWBY's queer rep continues to expand. The HTDM continues to whine about how "unfairly" straight white men who abuse women are depicted in the show.

More spinoff shows and games are released. The critics insist every single one is a colossal failure, which explains why they keep making more of them, huh.

RWBY-Doo has been announced. The FNDM is in jovial debate on what to name the Zwei/Scoob ship. The HTDM is divided between spewing queerphobia about Velma or insisting she's more queer than any character in RWBY (ironically, she ends up hooking up with Ilia in the crossover).

The year is 20XX, and if one thing hasn't changed, it's that RWBY critics maintain their...vivid imagination? Persecution complex? Facade of vitriol and they are in fact deliberately playing a long con to fool historians into thinking that people on the internet really were this stupid?

[indiphyr]

Here are some underrated sapphic shows that should get more recognition

Vida:

2 sisters reunite after their mother's death to take over a bar in their home town. When they get there they discovered that their mother had been married to a woman for the last five years, and now they have to share share the bar with her. There's added tension because the mother threw her oldest daughter out of the house when she was a teenager because found out about her bisexuality

Teenage Bounty Hunters

Two twin sisters accidentally become involved in the Bounty Hunters business when they crash their fathers car. We see them navigate their lives between being average teenagers going to catholic school and their jobs as Bounty Hunters

Everything's Gonna Be Okay

An older brother with daddy issues has to adopt his 2 half-sisters when their father dies of cancer. This show is hilarious and has so much representation (autistim, gay, sapphic, asexual, biromantic, polyamorous, poc, ect.)

Motherland Fort Salem

Instead of witches being killed during the witch trials in the United States, they got recruited into the military where they, and their future daughters must fight for the country from when they turn 18 years

Little Fires Everywhere

This show is perfection! Little Fires Everywhere follows two families in the 90s. One of the families is a privileged white family while the other is a low-working class black family. The show follows the families as they get more and more involved in each other's lives and as the tension rise between them due to microagressions and an adoption storyline

We Are Lady Parts

We Are Lady Parts follows an all muslim riot grrrl/punk band as their band first get started. We see how their friendships evolve,and there aren't any Muslim stereotypes in the show, as far as I could tell

One Day At A Time

ODAAT follows a Cuban-American family as they go through life. The show includes important topics such as racism, gender inequality, homophobia and so much more. There is a sapphic relationship with a lesbian and a nonbinary person, and they're really cute together

Wonder Egg Priority (tw suicide and self harm)

A group of girls have all had someone close to them commit suicide, and the main characters tries to get the deceased back to life. In the meantime they develop a close friendship

Everything Sucks!

Everything Sucks! takes place in the 90s and revolves around two high school clubs, the tech club and the theater club, as they film an alien movie together. One of the main characters is a chaotic lesbian

The Wilds (tw SA, blood, death)

A group of teenage girls thinks they're going on a relaxing trip to Hawaii when they're involved in a plane crash, and are stranded on a deserted island. What they don't know is that the plane crash wasn't an accident and the girls are now involved in an experiment

The Sex Lives Of College Girls (SA, teacher-student "relationship")

This show follows four roommates as they navigate their first year of college. It deals with many relatable topics, and it's both funny and serious