Lesbian Visibility Week

In honor of Lesbian Visibility Week, the creator of The L Word, Ilene Chaiken, and cast members Jennifer Beals, Leisha Hailey, and Katherine Moennig attended a White House press briefing Tuesday (April 25th). The group addressed attacks on the LGBTQ community, as the American Civil Liberties Union reports that more than 465 anti-LGBTQ bills have been introduced this year.

“Visibility is not just the act of being seen. It is the ability to see,” Hailey said. “So to the librarian in Texas, advocating to keep books with LGBTQIA themes on the shelves, we see you. To the LGBTQIA people leading their communities as rabbis, pastors and ministers, we see you. To the LGBTQIA community in Missouri about to lose their gender affirming care, we see you.”

Referring to White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, Chaiken thanked President Biden for “giving us the first out lesbian press secretary who represents hope and possibility for so many people young and a bit older.”

For her part, Jean-Pierre shared what a show like The L Word has meant to her and the broader community. “As a young queer woman of color, I felt alone and sometimes invisible,” she said. “For so many people in our community, ‘The L Word’s’ impact cannot be understated.”