Written by Pam Cole

In August 2004, I first watched The L Word, and although I was giddy about this new show and the quality of the episodes, I had my doubts about the existence of this fictional brand of dyke. The L Word’s West Hollywood lesbians were overtly feminine and stylish, and wore impeccable makeup. They donned skirts and dresses and high heels, and carried purses and looked smashing. (They would have made my mother proud!) I’ve never seen such creatures on my side of the continent and believe me, I’ve spent years looking. So, I simply chose to accept this lovely sight as a gift of Ilene Chaiken’s overactive imagination and enjoyed it immensely, only slightly distracted by my staunch belief that such beings did not exist.

Well, as Chaiken and others in the West Hollywood loop now attest, they do exist. Like many writers, Chaiken was merely writing what she knew—the subculture of West Hollywood power lesbians. (Turns out that all those years, I was looking in the wrong city!) Criticism of this non-eclectic crowd, the solo representation of televised lesbianism, streamed in from (who else?) the lesbian community, especially in season one. And Chaiken has not been deaf to those criticisms. In my recent interview with she and Grier in Atlanta, GA, they both addressed the issue of representation, without even being asked.

“We have so many stories to tell, and one of the reasons that I made this a large ensemble cast is that it’s the first lesbian show, and we have a lot of stories to tell,” Chaiken said.

“We’re getting there,” added Grier enthusiastically, “but we just can’t do it all in every show.”

And they never will be able to. Because lesbians and lesbian cultures are as varied as the multi-spectrum colors of the rainbow. Certainly, my eyes have recently been opened to the presence of lesbians all around the world. There are L Word websites in Italy and France and Colombia. (See the recent editorial on this website about “The L Word in Latin America.”) In Turkey, where The L Word is not aired, I’m told that Turkish fans tune in to the L-word.com chat room on Sunday nights to “watch,” as volunteers transcribe the episode as it plays here in America. Part of my job at L-word.com is to write an episode summary after each show. I now understand that it’s primarily for viewers in countries where the show is not allowed so that they, too, can follow the story.

In the short time that I’ve been a writer for L-word.com I’ve received e-mails from France, Columbia, London, Vietnam, Spain, and Australia. And while the syntax and grammar of those e-mails may be slightly flavored by the sender’s native tongue, the messages are all remarkably the same: we’re so glad the show exists; we want it to continue for a long time; we love the characters. (Interestingly, the criticisms are also remarkably the same!)

Last night, I was at a birthday party with 20 lesbian friends. Someone gave the birthday girl the Season 2 DVD set of The L Word. Also at the party were Yolanda and Carmen who had just returned from their native Spain, where they were legally married on Dec. 24. Hearing their stories of family, church, and government support of their marriage was like a dream. A dream that ironically, here in America, land of the free, is barely possible. We also talked about The L Word; Carmen was raving about “Carmen” on the show. They love the show in Spain, she told me.

In two short seasons, The L Word has become an international cultural phenomenon. It seems that lesbians in Peru are actually quite similar to West Hollywood lesbians, at least on the inside where feelings and emotions and dignity reside. These human elements transcend cultural differences. For the most part, lesbians love and laugh and grieve about the same things all over the world. And while previously, I had only suspected that we were everywhere, now I have proof. Homosexuality is a global orientation, not isolated by borders or cultures or politics. It is a human nature.

So, it seems that The L Word is not just about a group of glamorized Los Angeles lesbians. The wrapping may be different but the feelings are basically the same the world over. I find a renewed sense of solidarity and promise with this knowledge—strength in the numbers that the show has revealed.

I asked Chaiken how she explained the global appeal of the characters. “We’ve been so unrepresented for so long,” she said. And in fact, we still have just one lesbian show to represent all of us, which is why we obsess over it so, scrutinizing, criticizing, expecting so much more from this single venue. There are still many stories to tell, but we’re all very much attracted to the universal story of The L Word.

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