Visibility Matters
Tags: Brookside, Callie Torres, Crystal Chappell, Dr Arizona Robbins, Fringe, Grey's Anatomy, Jessica Leccia, lesbian visibility, lesbians on tv, Otalia, Venice the Series 
I can still remember in my youth (not that long ago!) turning on a TV show week in week out because there was some lame gay storyline that inevitably left you broken hearted as the main character was dumped, or more often than not, died. A lot of us will remember Margaret and Beth in Brookside but let’s face it, we were starved for images of ourselves. I had convinced myself that this had changed over the last 20 years. That programs like The L Word and Queer as Folk had slowly gotten us some much needed positive visibility and that trail blazers like Ellen Degeneres had opened up the door for us.
However, when I actually sit down and think about it I can only think of one lesbian character on what the Americans call “prime time” and that is Dr Arizona Robbins on Grey’s Anatomy (played by Jessica Capshaw). She’s it, the only one. She was brought in for three episodes in season 5 and managed to stick around and is now a full cast member. She’s head of pediatrics on the show and is out and proud. Which is all great but at the risk of throwing all my toys out of the pram, I’d have thought that Arizona would have some company by now, it is 2009 after all.
Those of us who frequent YouTube have been able to watch story lines from around the world and one or two actually have happy endings – I know – how novel. However, what I want is to turn on the TV and see some happy lesbians. 
British TV gave us Bad Girls and now Skins (reviewed here) but is it too much to ask that the top shows have lesbian story lines regularly rather than throwing us a crumb? Is Arizona Robbins on Grey’s Anatomy because the makers think it’s great to have diverse characters or is she there because of the controversy surrounding Isaiah Washington calling TR Knight a f*g on the set? Frankly, I don’t care, I’m just delighted that we have Arizona at all.
For example, I’m watching season one of “Fringe” at the moment. The main character’s sister and niece live with her and it’s just so annoying that it isn’t her partner and daughter. I mean, they’re a family, so why not?
So what can we do? Accept couples like Otalia who are totally desexualized or look to another medium, one that is not run by the sponsors who shutter at the word gay?
Well one group of women is doing just that. Crystal Chappell who played Olivia (half of Otalia) on “Guiding Light” is reuniting with Jessica Leccia (the other half of Otalia) to make a web-series called “Venice“. Chappell was so taken with the response to Otalia that she is producing “Venice” and taking it to the net.
Along with writer/producer Kim Turrisi, Chappell is making the show free from sponsors or TV executives. It will follow the relationships of Gina (played by Chappell), who is a gay designer. Chappell has promised us a kiss within the first episode and for those of us who suffered the cringing lack of any kiss on Otalia, this is welcome news.
I’m not saying I’m happy that people who wish to bring us lesbian story lines being made to feel as though they can only do that, to any real degree, by turning to the net is a good thing, we should be on TV. However, I do hope that between the lovely Dr Robbins and the unstoppable Ms. Chappell, we will have some choice in the matter.
We have come a long way but we have much further to go. We shouldn’t have to be on YouTube etc to see ourselves represented, but having said that, I’m delighted that some women have taken it upon themselves to get lesbian visibility on the agenda. Hopefully this web series will show TV stations that there is a real audience out there.
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Arizona does have abit of company shes going out with Cally I know they arent exactly together a whole lot but they are a couple.
I hear ye Liv but Callie is bisexual and I know that’s a thin line, she’s still fab and I have to say she’s high on my list
I love Grey’s and Callie is the best
Greys jumped the shark (and my fist!) when they fired Brooke Smith as Erica Hahn. GOD that woman could act! And who do we get to replace her? A thinner, younger version of her. Blech. No thanks…
Gooner – I totally agree with you. The visibility should be a priority and I hope that Crystal Chappell’s Venice will indeed cause the turn of heads with the networks. I am also hoping that Grey’s will involve Callie and Arizona in a little more interaction. Tonight’s episode had Callie’s father showing up with a Priest to “de-gay” his daughter and there was a very strong exchange between she and her dad. I thought it was very dramatic and very positive. Arizona also had a conversation with her dad that was brilliant. I like that kind of interchange with strong lesbian women taking their stand. Callie may be bisexual or she may have just been looking for love in all the wrong places. Let’s let this relationship move forward in primetime.
This comment contains a spoiler for Season 6 episode 5 of Grey’s anatomy – be warned
The more we see of anything, the more it’s accepted. Does ‘not to long ago, blacks and whites couldn’t marry’ sound like a long time ago? We are still there with interracial marriage and lesbian visibility. Too many people fought for our individual rights for us to let them go away. Today, Oct. 15, 2009 in Louisana, a judge refused to allow a black and white hetersexual couple to marry. Some states would like to hang homosexuals. We must stand for our individual freedoms. Crystal Chappell is doing just that by creating Venice when she was told by so many sources that the Otalia story must end with GL. Guess she is showing ‘many sources’. Love the Venice people for standing tall.
Sharon: Seems like Callie and Arizona are going to come into it more in season 6 which is brill, they have been to much on the fringes for my liking so far
I’m not over “Callica” either TheSciFiBard, Arizona doesn’t have a patch on Erica, no question about it!!! I have Callica on my YouTube channel
Love them
Tn Jane: I can’t believe what you just posted about that couple in Louisana!!! That is truly shocking to read
@ Gooner – “I hear ye Liv but Callie is bisexual and I know that’s a thin line, she’s still fab and I have to say she’s high on my list”
Wait, what?
“But” she’s a bisexual and “she’s still fab” – am I reading that right?
Nope click here, afraid you’re not reading that right, they are two separate statements.
She is bisexual and she is fab
Apologies if my grammer is not A1
I point out that she is bi for the soul purpose of defending my statement that Arizona is the only lesbian on “prime time”, not to undermine the fact that Callie’s sexuality being out on TV is wonderful.
Afterall, it is Callie’s character that is at the heart of this entire story and it is her journey that we viewers are emotionally invested in
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