๐ฝ๏ธ Did you know that the the first lesbian character appeared in a film almost a century ago?
๐ฉโโค๏ธโ๐ฉ Today, we're marking #LesbianVisibilityDay by looking back at some iconic sapphic moments in cinema and TV.
๐บ Here's a brief history of lesbian visibility on screen. ๐งต
๐ฉ๐ช The 1929 German 'Pandora's Box' is considered the first film to have a lesbian character.
๐ฉโโค๏ธโ๐โ๐ฉ A year later, Marlene Dietrich was the first lead actress to kiss a woman in 'Morocco'.
๐๏ธ But 'Mรคdchen in Uniform' in 1931 is considered the first lesbian-themed movie.
๐ซ But then, in 1934, the Hays Code came into force. It banned any depiction of homosexuality in American films.
๐ด The guidelines effectively removed #LGBTQ+ people from screens everywhere, and any queerness had to be coded.
๐ฝ๏ธ Some films managed to sneak around the ban.
๐ซ๐ท The French all-female 1951 film 'Olivia' explored lesbian themes in a girl's school.
๐ฉ While 'The Childrenโs Hour' from '61 showed a rare sympathetic lesbian character, it ended in tragedy โ typical for queer films of the era.
โ The Hays Code was finally repealed in 1968 and replaced by a new ratings system.
๐ฉโโค๏ธโ๐ฉ 'The Killing of Sister George' was released soon after, breaking down taboos with a lesbian sex scene.
๐ฅ But lesbian films were slow to gain traction after the code's end.
๐บ But lesbian visibility on TV was on the rise.
๐ The BBC showed its first lesbian kiss in the 1974 drama 'Girl'.
๐บ๐ธ Mainstream shows like the 1980s 'Golden Girls' included lesbian guest appearances but TV's first regular lesbian character came with 'Heartbeat' in 1988.
๐ฌ๐ง British TVโs most famous lesbian moment happened in 1994.
๐ฉโโค๏ธโ๐โ๐ฉ TV soap 'Brookside' showed the first female same-sex kiss broadcast before the 9pm watershed.
๐ When shown during the 2012 Olympic Games opening ceremony, it became the first same-sex kiss on TV in 76 countries.
๐ญ U.S. TV had to wait a further three years for a similar game-changing event.
๐ข Ellen DeGeneres' character in her popular sitcom โEllenโ came out โ and so did DeGeneres herself.
โ๏ธ But the series was criticised by some for becoming "too gay" and was eventually cancelled.
๐ At the turn of the millennium, lesbian cinema was increasingly popular around the world.
๐ฎ๐ณ 'Fire' in 1996 was Bollywood's first lesbian film.
๐ฐ๐ท In 1999, South Korea got its first sapphic film with 'Memento Moru'.
๐จ๐ณ China followed two years later with 'Fish and Elephant'.
๐ The 21st century ushered in more positive and regular depictions of lesbian lives.
๐บ 'The L Word' premiered in 2004, with TV's first lesbian ensemble cast.
๐ In 2010, 'The Kids Are Alright' was one of the first lesbian films to gain a Best Picture nomination at the Oscars.
๐ฉโโค๏ธโ๐ฉ For the first time ever, lesbians now make up the majority of LGBTQ+ characters on TV, according to @glaad.
๐ฉ From โGentleman Jackโ to โKilling Eve,โ some of TVโs biggest series of today tell the stories of women loving women.
๐ฅ These are only a handful of important lesbian moments on screen.
๐ Which one is your favourite? Share with us below!
๐บ๐ธ Around 1 in 200 Americans aged 65 and over are trans.
๐ณ๏ธโโง๏ธ As the first generation of trans people reaches old age, healthcare systems are unprepared.
๐ For #TransAwarenessWeek, we spoke to trans people about growing old. ๐งต
๐ด Social isolation
๐ด Housing discrimination
๐ด Lack of safe medical spaces
๐ด ...and much more.
๐ต The challenges trans elders face are often similar to those faced by trans people of all ages, but exacerbated as they get older, says Kylie Madhav, senior director at @sageusa.
๐ฝ๏ธ Elizabeth Coffey was a star in the early films of cult film-maker John Waters.
๐ฅ While breaking ground for trans representation on screen, she faced rejection when seeking medical care.
๐ Later in life, hormone replacement therapy has caused issues, she told @Openly.
๐ถ Let's take a look at some of this year's queer nominations. ๐งต
๐ต @brandicarlile is one of the most nominated artists this year โ coming in just behind @Beyonce and @kendricklamar, and being tied with @Adele on seven nominations.
๐ฟ For the second time, she might snap up the coveted 'Album of the Year'.
๐ @RandyRainbow has been nominated for his first-ever Grammy.
๐ง The comedian and songwriter is up for the 'Best Comedy Album' award for 'A Little Brains, a Little Talent'.
๐๏ธ From the Iliad to the Odyssey, Lesbos has had a central part in Ancient Greek history.
โ๏ธ One of its most famous inhabitants was the 6th century B.C. poet Sappho, whose lyrical poems explored her love of women and their beauty โ sometimes even venturing into the erotic.
๐ฉ Sappho was regarded as one of the greatest poets of her time.
๐ Today, not much is known about her life, and much of her work has been lost over the centuries.
๐ฉโโค๏ธโ๐โ๐ฉ But Sappho's homoerotic writing โ and possible personal life โ has been discussed since Hellenistic times.
โ๐ฟ Black, British and queer โ but often overlooked.
๐ฌ๐ง It's #BlackHistoryMonth in the UK and we're looking at those who shaped Black British queer history - and those still changing the world today.
๐ Here are some of the Black #LGBTQ+ pioneers you should know. ๐งต
Ken "Snakehips" Johnson (1914-1941)
๐ท A jazz bandleader and dancer, Johnson was a leading figure in Black British music in the '30s and '40s.
๐๏ธ Part of the first Black British band in residency at the infamous Cafรฉ de Paris, he died when the club got bombed during the Blitz.
Demi Stokes (b.1991)
โฝ๏ธ The @ManCity and England player was part of the Euro 2022 winning team, which has been credited with spiking interest in women's football.
๐ Stokes came out publicly last year by announcing she was expecting a child with her partner Katie.