Now Kerry is actually out, TPTB have a huge opportunity. They can show lesbian life as it really is, with all the ups and downs, joys and downright awful moments it brings along.
No-one is pretending that gay life is any worse or better than a straight life. Often, it's just a life. One in which you can expect, if the right person falls at your feet, to get as married as you can (not that many straight people seem to bother these days either), and have kids. I personally know several lesbian families, complete with kids (or kids on the way in one case), and they are happy, ordinary families.
But, as we'll doubtless see with Kerry - and have to a certain extent seen already - there are also problems. Namely the homophobia that still runs rampant in our society. Sometimes this is state-run, for example in the few America states where it is still, in 2002, perfectly legal to discriminate against someone for housing, jobs and the suchlike on the basis of their sexuality. More often, though, it's the insidious comments and attitudes that can be alternately hurtful and tiresome. Just the simple ignorance of stereotyped comments and images. "Who's the guy, then?", and suchlike.
However, you learn to deal with this, as Kerry proved in her little run-in with Frank. In case she ever gets stuck, here are a few quick tips from one Chalupa, jnfer:
Q. What do lesbians do in bed?
A. Wow, you must be really awful in bed if you can't figure that
one out.
Q. Don't you miss (censored certain part of male
anatomy)
A1. Nothing a (censored certain sort of toy) can't cure.
A2 Simply hold up my hand and wink.
Q. Don't all lesbians hate men?
A. No, we have no reason to hate men. You should hear what
straight women think of you though.
So, Kerry can now go forth and lead a happy fulfilled lesbian life. Yeah right. And the Pats'll make it to the superbowl. What's that? The Pats did make it to the Superbowl? And they won? Well in that case, who knows?
And as a little aside, Stinky. Kerry's new friend. Over on DtC, we are famous for finding subtext after subtext in almost every event. Here's what one of our moderators, Zenobia, had to say about the dog. (NB: this was written before the episode aired).
"Maybe TPTB intended it as a sort of little injoke about "The Puppy Episode" which was the secret working title for the "Ellen comes out" episode.
Apparently early in the run of Ellen's show, everyone knew there was just plain something wrong/missing when they tried to do it as a kind of a different boyfriend every couple of weeks sitcom about a single woman in LA. One of the network execs apparently in all seriousness suggested that yes, Ellen needed something in her life, so the solution would be to get her a puppy. Thus arose an inside joke conflating the puppy with Ellen Morgan coming out.
Maybe Dee Johnson's joking that Kerry is so out now she qualifies for a full grown Jack Russel terrier."
Until next week, enjoy your ER.
Jess (board name: moonfruituk)