'No Pictures Please'

Lesbians have several prominent figures in media and music. Ellen, KD Lang, Melissa Etheridge, Alex Parks…. Sorry who?

Why is it that straight people have never heard of the popular lesbian idols? Are they just totally blinkered, or are they just unaware of the wealth of talent that exists in the ‘lesbian’ box?

Sure there have been several advances in visibility, http://www.afterellen.com/ being one particular website which I commend for it’s work in increasing lesbian visibility. The latest series of ‘America's Next Top Model’ features an out lesbian contestant, Kim. A British lesbian singer/songwriter, Alex Parks, won the BBC Fame Academy series in 2003. Even Living TV is showing a sitcom based on… you guessed it – lesbians. As if I even need to remind you.

But maybe we don’t want visibility. Some of us like our secrets. It’s like a secret club, and it might be easier for us closettes if the straights didn’t quite understand our fascination with our lesbian idols. I can comfortably say ‘I’m a KD Lang fan’, not because I’m totally comfortable with my sexuality, but because I know my straight friends won’t have a clue. I take a strange pleasure in reading Jeanette Winterson books in front of my school mates, not just because she is a wonderful writer, but because it feels liberating to do so – they have no idea.

If I am talking to someone who I suspect is gay, I can drop a few names into the conversation, and believe me it gets results. ‘Oh yeah, I love Melissa Etheridge too!’ – Gay.

This secret code is like a secret handshake in a secret society.

Just don’t tell anyone.