As a queer woman myself, I was mostly concerned that the two female characters ate a whole plate of spaghetti without brushing their teeth before commencing intercourse. In addition, my editing work pile was bigger than ever. The endless days of pandemic isolation gave rise to a new generation of erotic authors who decided to try their hands at lesbian fiction (as opposed to using their hands to enjoy lesbian fiction), until it seemed as if we were receiving a new submission every week. And most of the stories were good – too good to pass up. It largely relies on internet shorthand, obscure symbols used by lesbians around the world. Nella would send these images and emoticons to other women. Those in the know would respond. We started talking,” says Niya, “Then one day, in the middle of a deep conversation, she turned to me and said, ‘I like women’.” Part revenge tale and part redemption song, Lizzie took years for indie darling Chloe Sevigny ( Boys Don't Cry, Big Love, Love and Friendship) and out writer Bryce Kass to shepherd to the screen. Although there were several iterations along the way, the final version of the film about the ax killer from the tiny town of Fall River, Mass., couldn't have come at a timelier moment. A film that shares a lineage with the queer true crime-based films of the '90s like Heavenly Creatures and Sister My Sister, Lizzie is a fresh take on the "murderous lesbians'" trope. The movie also fits right in with the #MeToo era, with Lizzie and her maid/love interest/co-conspirator Bridget (Kristen Stewart) literally bashing toxic masculinity in the face.

I don’t care,” Lynette said, shrugging. She told me she’d lived on this earth for 53 years. She knew what she wanted. And now it was my turn to figure that out for myself. Initially her mother took it badly. But as the days passed she began to ask more questions. Leila’s father was more supportive than she expected. Since then, Ms. Jillinghoff Radclyffe Hall put lesbian fashion on the map when she wrote the tragic lesbian novel The Well of Loneliness. The book, published in 1928, was ruled “obscene” for the homosexual content, despite the extent of lesbian romance being a kiss. Due to a number of writers supporting Hall in a stand against censorship, the case of banning The Well of Loneliness meant that there was interest in who Radclyffe Hall was as a person. As a result, her short hair, suits, and rejection of feminine expectations became synonymous with lesbian fashion. Radclyffe Hall via National Portrait GalleryThey could protect her while she was in the family home, but they could not guarantee her safety outside if the wrong people found out. The Favouriteis a period piece that has it all: and it follows Queen Anne (played by Olivia Colman) and the two women in love with her. One of her lovers is Lady Sarah (played by Rachel Weisz) and the other is a new servant (and Sarah’s cousin) named Abigail (played by Emma Stone), who shakes up the status quo. It’s a great day to meet friends in the park. The women are in high spirits, chatting animatedly, playfully sketching patterns on each other using body paint, and sharing a picnic. The first issue here is your marriage. You need to make a decision about that before committing to anyone else. In fact you should have a break from the woman to sort out your feelings about your marriage and think about if it can be fixed - being very honest with yourself and your husband. If you decide to split from your husband do it because it's best for you and your family and not because of her. You have a lot to think about so don't rush into anything and take it step by step. I would tell my partner that I cared about them deeply, and the past five years were among the best of my life. I wouldn’t trade them for anything. But I also felt like we had come to a crossroads, and we weren’t facing the same futures. I had tried so hard to see myself in their dreams, but now I was having dreams of my own. And I didn’t think I saw a future, even a part-time one, in Montana.

I felt crazy. I felt like a teenager. I felt guilty and confused, like I had no idea what I was doing. But I also knew that I might not ever do anything quite like this in my life ever again. So I might as well let myself live through this bizarro universe and see where it would take me. Later, when telling friends what had happened, I did laugh about it — one told me it sounded like something pulled straight out of The L Word, which, true — but I was also a little mad at that girl, and even more so at myself for being so sloppy. The consent element there was indeterminate; I had willingly gone along with the hookup, at least for a little while, though I remain uncertain about how much I really could have consented while drunk-peeing in a bathroom the size of a broom closet. After the birth of her youngest child, Nella says she began to feel like the most isolated woman in the world. She doesn't want to go into much detail about her marriage. She says it would compromise her children’s safety.Then something happened that she didn’t anticipate. Leila’s brother went through her phone and found the text she had sent to her friend. But she still hoped there would be a way out of it. She prayed. She meditated. She became angry with herself. She was 13 when she discovered for the first time about the club’s clientele and purpose. “It was Sunday lunchtime and my mother and I were washing up after lunch. She said: ‘I want to talk to you about something because you’re going to hear about this at school. You do know what the club is, don’t you?’ I said: ‘What do you mean?It’s a club,’ and she said: ‘It’s a lesbian club, Gina.’ That night, Matie and Jamie convinced me (against my natural inclination to avoid live entertainment) to go to the evening’s scheduled attraction, a comedy set by Elvira Kurt. Before Elvira performed we were welcomed by Tisha, Olivia’s VP and our cruise director, who greeted the “ladies of Olivia” and announced a few of the events coming up over the next few days, including a meetup for the “Older, Wiser Lesbians,” or “OWLs.” (“Date me, OWLs!” Matie whisper-yelled next to me.)

At 22, she met a woman who was also in her early 20s, through mutual friends. Bonding over their love of music, they formed a fast friendship. Your first step should be to consult a good family lawyer. If your wife’s ex hasn’t attempted to see his son in over five years (especially if he also hasn’t provided child support), it’s possible that his parental rights could be terminated on the grounds of abandonment, although this may vary depending on what state you live in. Regardless, it’s clear that your son’s biological father has not been willing or able to be any sort of parent. Consult a lawyer, find out how difficult your wife’s ex could possibly make the adoption process, and proceed with your son’s best interests at heart. It’s understandable not to want a lengthy court battle. But if you ultimately decide it’s better not to pursue legal adoption at present, you could hold a private, unofficial ceremony with you, your wife, and your son to commemorate your relationship with him, to affirm that you are his real mom, and that you’re all part of the same family.

‘Carol’

The first time I thought that Olivia might actually stand a chance at survival was Sunday, the first full day of the cruise, when I attended the welcome mixer for “Generation O,” which is how Olivia refers to its precious few millennial and Generation X clientele. As I walked around the ship, which holds over 2,000 passengers, it was already clear that the average woman here was a couple decades older than me. But it turned out that there were a few other twenty- and thirtysomethings who’d managed to find their way to Olivia. While many people still use the term lesbian sex, any LGBTQ+ person will tell you it’s outdated. Lesbian sex implies it involves two women who both identify as lesbians. We know not just women have vulvas and vaginas (some transgender and non-binary people do, too), and that not all women and people with vulvas who have sex with other women and people with vulvas identify as lesbians (they may identify as queer, bisexual, or pansexual, for example). So instead of using the term lesbian sex, we should instead be referring to it with a more inclusive term, like vulva-to-vulva sex, sex between two women or people with vulvas, or even just queer sex. As a woman from a country like hers, Nella says her rights were already diminished. And as one of the 2% of Muslims in a majority Christian nation, she felt even more marginalised. Be present with your partner and take your time.’ She adds, ‘Make sure you are clear on consent. And then explore and have fun!’ Communicating with your partner