The Dish: LGBTQ Women Win Big In Elections, A ‘Modern Family’ Character Is Bisexual & There’s A Lesbian Who Hates Cats

Hell hath frozen over — the New York Times published a column about a lesbian who doesn’t like cats.

Welcome, GO readers, to our weekly roundup of the biggest lesbian, bisexual, queer, and transgender women’s news and entertainment stories! We’ll be recapping the biggest hits each week and talking to the newsmakers, movers, and shakers behind them.

LGBTQ Women Emerge Victorious In Elections

Democrats came back in full force on Tuesday’s election, with gubernatorial candidates emerging victorious in Virginia and New Jersey. But, the bigger story is about the groundbreaking wins by LGBTQ women around the country. One of the biggest names to emerge from the night was Danica Roem, the first openly transgender woman to win a seat in a state legislature. Roem ran against incumbent Bob Marshall, who served in the state legislature for 26 years. Roem, a former newspaper reporter and member of a heavy metal band, focused on transportation and local issues in her campaign. Meanwhile, Marshall introduced an anti-trans bathroom bill and even anointed himself “chief homophobe.”

Andrea Jenkins became the first out trans woman of color to be elected as a representative of Ward 8 on Minneapolis’s City Council. Jenkins previously served as a senior aide to a councilperson and she ran against three candidates for the win. The list goes on. Seattle elected its first out lesbian mayor, Jenny Durkan, a former U.S. attorney appointed by President Barack Obama. Durkan is also the first woman to serve as mayor in the city since 1920. In addition to Roem, Jankins and Durkan, a number of other LGBTQ candidates won around the country. The best way to hit an administration that wants to walk back your rights is where it hurts the most: at the ballot box.

Sarah Hyland’s Modern Family Character Is Bi

Modern Family just got even more modern. Sarah Hyland, who plays Haley Dunphy on the show, apparently confirmed that her character is bisexual. Asked by a fan on twitter about Dunphy’s sexuality, Hyland tweeted “I don’t know what the writers would say? But I confirm.” Fans were happy about Hyland’s views of her character, though she took to the platform again to say that it was, strictly speaking, her opinion. “Just to clarify, I️ havent [sic] been told nor is there anything written that would indicate Haley is bisexual. That’s just my personal opinion,” she tweeted. Even if it’s not officially part of Dunphy’s identity, Hyland is surely on to something.

The New York Times Found A Lesbian Who Hates Cats

Hell hath frozen over — the New York Times published a column about a lesbian who doesn’t like cats. But, really, it’s a delightful and funny read. Writer Krista Burton opens up about the struggle of being a single cat-hating lesbian. Despite the stereotype that queer women love these furry, flakey and unpredictable animals, Burton is unapologetic about bucking the community mascot. “Cats mirror bad relationships. They ghost you. You want your cat to love you, so you feed your cat special food it likes; you brush it, you clean up after it and try really hard to win its affection, and in the end — where’s the cat?” she writes. She might have a point there. It’s definitely worth a read.

ICYMI: The U.S. Sent A Lesbian Refugee Back To The Country Where She Was Raped

The Daily Beast reported earlier this month that the U.S. government refused to grant asylum to a lesbian refugee from Uganda who survived “corrective rape” and assault. “L.,” as the publication called her to protect her safety, was with her girlfriend at a hotel in Uganda when men entered the room and dragged them into the street and assaulted them. The police then arrested the women, because it’s a crime to be queer in the country. According to the report, the women then moved to a big city to escape the violence, but men broke into their home and raped “L.” When she tried to escape to the U.S., Customs and Border Protection officials sent her back because they believed that she lied about obtaining a visa. Now, “L.” is reportedly in Kenya, where homosexuality is also illegal. It’s a cruel injustice to send her back in the face of so much violence.


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