"Callie Torres" from Grey's Anatomy

Since we talked about her love interest on the show, I felt that it was only fair to discuss Dr. Callie Torres. Callie was, of course, involved with another woman doctor named Erica. At the beginning of the show, however, Callie was involved with George, a male doctor, whom she eventually marries. After their marriage fails because of George's infidelity, Callie discovers that she is having sexual feelings towards Erica. They start to have a serious relationship until Erica abruptly leaves the show.

It's sad that Callie's lesbian relationship had to be written out of the show, but at least this was the first show that had two main women characters having a romantic relationship. Other shows that involve a lesbian or bisexual woman show the woman in a relationship with a character that is only on the show for a few episodes, if that. Callie satisfies that stereotype that a lot of women "turn gay" after a man betrayed them. I'm not sure if Callie ever had feelings for women before George cheated on her because I am not an avid watcher of this show. I wish that her character had started off being interested in women so as to break away from this stereotype, but I understand that this does add a surprise element to the show which is sure to attract viewers. Along with Santana, Alex and Joanne (Tea is Italian, so I'm going to classify her as "white"), Callie breaks the mold because she is a gay woman of color. As you might have notice, 6 out of the 10 women that I have posted about are white. This is because I strictly thought of lesbian/bisexual women of color to write posts about. I didn't want to contribute to the stereotype that all lesbians/bisexuals are white women by writing about mainly Caucasians. I think this shows how the media only wants to show the lesbian relationships of white women, for some reason. This might make it harder for real lesbian/bisexual women of color to admit their homosexuality because they aren't familiar with other non-white women "coming out". Because she is a woman of color, I think that Callie is a very good example of how some characters on TV can positively influece gay women. A Latina or African American woman might watch Grey's Anatomy and realize that there are women of color out there that are lesbians/bisexuals. This character provides hope and inspiration for many gay women, both white and non-white.

"Erica Hahn" from Grey's Anatomy

Grey's Anatomy is, arguably, one of the most popular medical dramas on TV. Although Dr. Erica Hahn was only on the show briefly, she has left quite an impact. She was introduced on the show as the "rival doctor". She was working with Dr. Burke, a doctor who went to school with her. They were rivals because Burke graduated number 1 from their graduating class at John Hopkins Medical School, while Hahn finished second. After she enters the show, Erica turns down sexual advances from Dr. Sloan, a.k.a. "Dr. Steamy". This might have raised questions in the minds of the viewers because Dr. Steamy wasn't turned down too often. Later, Erica became involved with another doctor, Callie Torres. Their relationship was cut short because the TV network somewhat pressured the producers of Grey's Anatomy to get rid of the character. The TV network believed that the relationship between Erica and Callie was getting too explicit. The producers of Grey's Anatomy, however, said that the reason they got rid of the character was because they felt that the viewers would eventually get bored with Erica. The producers stated that they were not homophobic in the least because, obviously, they had a lesbian/bisexual character already on the show (Callie Torres).

Although the producers tried to make it appear that the reason Emily was written out of the show was because their was not enough chemistry involved with Emily and the other characters to keep the viewers' attention, I think that they definitely feeled pressured by the TV network. It's sad that they couldn't show more of a serious romantic relationship between two women. I think that a lot of lesbian characters on the shows either have relationships off camera or their relationships are brief and not mentioned that much. Even though the character was shortly lived, I think that Erica kind of fit into the stereotype that other white women did. This stereotype is that rich, white women and men are homosexual or bisexual. Erica breaks another stereotype, however, by being involved openly with another woman that she works with. Although she might have been secretive, she still had the courage to have a romantic relationship with her co-worker even if she could have lost her job. She was very brave and honest about her feelings for Callie.

Okay, so Erica fits the rich, white lesbian stereotype but that is not her fault. The producers chose the actress who played her. She defies other stereotypes, however, by her bravery towards having a relationship with a woman show works with and by being with a woman of color (Callie). She is nonapologetic and she does not feel like she has to conform to anybody's standards even if she is in a high respected profession. Erica can she other gay or bisexual women that, sometimes, you might have to risk everything for love. Erica risked her job, but she knew that she couldn't hide her feelings for love. She was a very honest character and I am sad that she is no longer a part of the cast.

"Thirteen" from House

House is a drama/comedy that shows a group of doctors in a diagnostic team who are trying to discover what unusual disease is killing their patient. Thirteen is a new character to the cast. Her real name is Remy Hadley but she has been given the nickname, Thirteen, because that was her assigned number when she was applying for the job. Thirteen is a beautiful bisexual that seems to make the men and women swoon. All of the male doctors dream of sleeping with here, while she can easily have her choice of any woman. She is a very secretive character who later reveals that her mother died from Huntington's Disease and that she is, indeed, a bisexual. Thirteen soon discovers that she has the gene for this terrible disease and acts out in horrific ways. She becomes addicted recreational drugs and has several one night stands with men and women. She has a serious relationship with another male doctor, later on, in the show.

I think that Thirteen fits the stereotype of the "oversexualized lesbian/bisexual woman". She has one night stands with both men and women but, sadly, this is understandable. She has found out that she might have the same fatal disease that killed her mother. Although Thirteen fits this stereotype, I think that she is still a good influence on other gay women. She is not perceived as an oversexualized woman because she is bisexual. She is having a hard time living with the reality of her illness. Other gay and bisexual women can learn to perserve through their struggles in life, as Thirteen is trying to do. Thirteen is a smart, successful doctor which shows that sexuality can't hold you back from achieving your goals in life. Her addiction to drugs and, maybe even, sex might be something to other people (gay or otherwise) can relate to. They might think "hey, if Thirteen can get through this, maybe I can, too".

"Joanne Jefferson" from Rent the Movie

Joanne Jefferson, as already mentioned, is Maureen Johnson's love interest in Rent the Movie. She is an African American lawyer with very important parents in the community (her mother is running for a judge position while her father is a politician). Joanne is very sensible and realistic so it is surprising that she is dating the free-spirit, Maureen.

Joanne definitely doesn't follow any stereotypes. She actually defies them. She is dating a woman of a different race while remaining a highly respected lawyer. Joanne is a great model for not only gay women, but anybody. She is true inspiration because she shows that your sexuality doesn't define you. "Openness about one's sexual orientation was related to better mental health among sexual minority women, but not among their male counterparts". (Kuyper and Fokkema) This shows that, because Joanne is so open about her sexuality, she is a happier person because of it. She definitely has stress about her relationship with Maureen, but that can be said about any relationship involving any sexuality. She does not show any signs of mental health issues because she has one less thing to worry about: people finding out her true identity. She does not have to hide herself. Joanne can show gay/bisexual women that even if people judge you, you can still be who you want to be. Joanne didn't let anybody bring her down. She was fearless, even more fearless than Maureen (which is a difficult task). I think that lesbian women can look up to her and try to live their lives without fear of what other people think because this can seriously bring down their stress levels and make them happier inside.

"Maureen Johnson" from Rent the Movie

Rent the Movie is very similar to Rent on Broadway. It is a movie about a group of friends that each have their own problems, whether it be alcohol, drugs or sexually transmitted diseases. Maureen Johnson is a Caucasian bisexual performance artist. She dated a guy named Mark until she left him for an African American woman, named Joanne. Maureen is a notorious flirt, which causes Joanne to not trust her. They break up and get back together at the end of the movie.

Maureen is another example of Mike Swift's survey because she had been involved in previous heterosexual relationships. Despite this, I think that Maureen would be a somewhat decent role model for lesbians or bisexual women to look up to. Although she has been a cheater in the past, she seems really faithful to Joanne. She is open about her love for Joanne and she is not embarrassed to show public display of affection. Gay and bisexual women will be inspired by Maureen's fearless nature. I think that, because Maureen is a successful and happy woman, homosexual women will realize that they can, also, have it all. You don't have to hide your true identity to have a successful career.

"Santana Lopez" from Glee

Unless you are living under a rock, you have heard of Glee. It is a musical comedy that has become very popular over the last few years. Santana Lopez, a lesbian character, is a "mean girl" at school. She was a cheerleader (she quit, it's a long story) and she had her fair share of boyfriends. Her best friend, Brittany, and her are inseparable. Occasionally, they would make out but Santana insisted that she was only bored and she was not attracted to Brittany in anyway. Brittany was somewhat upset by this because she thought it could have been something more. Santana and Brittany both have boyfriends until Santana's relationship kind of fizzled out. Santana realizes that she had been hiding her feelings towards Brittany. After she finally admits to Brittany that she wants to be together, Brittany says that she likes Santana, but she doesn't want to break it off with her boyfriend. She thinks that her boyfriend is a great guy and she doesn't want to hurt him. This upsets Santana because she poured out her heart to Brittany, only to be rejected. Later, Brittany and her boyfriend break up. Santana sings a song to Brittany (because that's what people in Glee do) about how much she loves her and how she wishes she could take away her pain after breaking up with her boyfriend. Santana says that she is not ready to announce to everyone that she is a lesbian. Because of this, the relationship between Santana and Brittany are at a crossroads.

This character follows along with the other typical stereotypes of hiding your true sexuality and having relationships with guys to cover up your homosexuality. According to a study performed by reporter Mike Swift, "lesbians are also nearly three times more likely to have been in a previous heterosexual marriage (in this case, dating relationship) than gay men." Lesbians, however, can learn one thing from Santana: how to express yourself. Santana couldn't come out to everybody around her (only Brittany and a few other people) but she admitted it to her closest friend and crush. She laid it all out on the line, knowing that she could get hurt in the process. I respect that Santana accepted herself and tried to achieve happiness by forming a romantic relationship with Brittany. Although their exact relationship has not been determined yet, I think that lesbians can learn to express themselves in some way, whether it be singing, dancing, painting or writing. It might be hard to verbally tell everybody how you are feeling inside, but once you express yourself in some way, you will feel better.

"Tea Marvelli" from Skins

Skins is, from what I've heard, a very popular show in the U.K. Critics claim that the U.S. version is not as good, but it is the only version I have seen so I'm going to talk about it anyway. Tea is a lesbian and proud of it. She is a high school student (about 15 years old) and she has come out to her close friends. Her big, Italian family, however, does not know about her sexual preference. To keep them satisfied, she goes on dates with the sons of her father's friends or clients. She openly talks about her sexuality with her friends and kisses and holds hands with whomever her current fling may be. One night, however, she made a horrible mistake. Her dad had arranged a blind date between Tea and his friend's son. Tea was surprised to find out that her date was actually Tony, one of her really good friends from school. Later on in the night, they get high and start kissing. Tea stops herself because not only is she attracted to women, but her friend is Tony's girlfriend. After some provocative dancing, they quickly have sex. Tea laughs after they have sex and she claims that it was "horrible" and she didn't understand why straight girls like it. Although Tea made a mistake and she didn't enjoy sex with Tony at all, they later have sex again while on a camping trip for school. Tony's girlfriend finds out and breaks up with Tony. His girlfriend also stops speaking to Tea.

In the beginning of the season, Tea is very confident and sure of who she is. I like that the writers of Skins, at first, were showing a strong lesbian who is only attracted to girls and let's everyone know it (except her religious family). My opinion of her changed, however, after she had sex with Tony (twice). I think that one of the most common stereotypes of lesbians is that they will still have sex with guys. Men usually don't care if a woman is interested in other women because they automatically think, "threesome". At first, Tea seemed to prove the stereotype wrong by only being attracted to women. She reverted back to the stereotypical lesbian who will sleep with any gender.

I think that the character, Tea, shows the wrong message to gay women because they might think that it's normal for lesbians to have sex with men. I don't think that lesbians should feel pressured into having sex with men because they won't be attracted to them in the least. Gay women should realize that they deserve more than to be a straight man's sexual fantasy. They are real people with real relationships. I think that having sex with emotion, or at least sexual attraction, is pointless. If a lesbian sleeps with a man she will be using her body for all the wrong reasons.