Lez Have A Happy Halloween!

Be safe. If you go to a party, try not to go alone. Go with someone who cares about your safety as much as you do. Keep an eye out for your friends, especially if you think they may be getting into trouble. A lot of people are wearing masks out there, be smart but have fun.

Lez Talk About the 21st Duchess of Medina Sidonia

Today, I thought I'd give credit to nobility. Yes, actual nobility. I'm talking about the 21st Duchess of Medina Sidonia (Luisa Isabel Álvarez de Toledo) who was a Grandee of Spain and, obviously, a duchess- by blood. She married her partner, who is now the Duchess Dowager Maria, hours before her death in a civil ceremony.

Ok, for Americans, what exactly is a duchess? A duchess is a title that ranks below prince/ princess but above a marquis/ marquise. Is a duke/duchess royal? Depends if they are of royal blood. Not all nobles are royal but they may be related to royalty. The 21st Duchess of Medina Sidonia was not royal.

What is a Grandee of Spain? It's another title that expresses an exalted position, a higher level of nobility who is most likely very important and/or is extremely wealthy.

Now that we are on the same page, the duchess was also a socialist. Despite your views on socialism, let's look at the big picture that I'm trying to paint for you. She had a very noble heritage and still fought for her ideals which is the total opposite of her upbringing. To give you an idea, she was also 15th Duchess of Fernandina and Princess of Montalbán, 17th Marchioness of Villafranca del Bierzo, 18th Marchioness of los Vélez, 25th Countess of Niebla, and three times a Grandee of Spain. (Marchioness is a marquise)

She is also, the only noble (that I can find) who has married someone of the same sex. Her wife, in turn, shared her titles as well and, as I mentioned, is now the Duchess Dowager Maria. What's a Duchess Dowager? The widow of a duke or in this case, a duchess.

This has been a subject I had been fairly interested in for quite some time. Questions have popped into my mind since Disney movies built a franchise on their princesses and the marriage of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (a.k.a. Will and Kate). Are there any princesses who have come out? Are there any noble lesbians in the world? If there were, would they, in turn, share the titles of their spouse?

I suppose it depends on the country. Spain has legalized same sex marriage since 3 July 2005 and obviously titles can be shared. And to my knowledge, there are no princesses or queens who have publicly come out. There are rumors of passed queens like Anne of Great Britain who was said to have had a relationship with Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough and Abigail Masham, Baroness Masham. Marie Antoinette was also rumored to have had sexual liaisons with women as well as Catherine the Great but none of these women were publicly lesbians or publicly admitted to be attracted to the same sex.

Hopefully, a princess in our day will come out and change how people look at royalty. It would be nice to have a lesbian princess or a princess who simply falls in love with another woman. Until then, we can only hope and pay homage to Luisa Isabel Álvarez de Toledo, 21st Duchess of Medina Sidonia, the first lesbian noble to marry her partner. May she rest in peace.

The Duchess Dowager Maria is now life-president of the Fundación Casa Medina Sidonia.

Lesbians in the Movies

Ok, so I started you off with actress, Amber Heard in my last post and it may have got you wondering about lesbians in the movies. I'm not talking about lesbian actors, I'm talking about movies that are actually about lesbians and where you can find them. I won't post links that will let you watch them for free mainly because I don't know where to find them nor do I know if those sites are safe for your computer. It's not that I don't want you to watch them for free.

Here are a list of lesbian movies with a brief summary that credits to IMDB and Amazon:

Room in Rome
"A hotel room in the center of Rome serves as the setting for two young and recently acquainted women to have a physical adventure that touches their very souls."

**Available on Netflix and Amazon**
Amazon

I Can't Think Straight
"In the upper echelons of traditional Middle Eastern society, Tala is preparing for an elaborate wedding to her boyfriend but falls in love with another woman instead. Tala's own sense of duty and cultural restraint cause her to pull away from Leyla but sooner or later, she'll crack in this comedy/ drama that is about finding yourself and most of all, love."

**Available on Amazon and Amazon Instant Video**
Amazon Instant Video
Amazon

Imagine Me & You
A newlywed bride becomes infatuated with another woman, who questions her sexual orientation, promoting a stir among the bride's family and friends.

**Available on Amazon and Amazon Instant Video**
Amazon Instant Video
Amazon

Bloomington
"A coming-of-age drama about a former child actress attending college in search of independence and who ends up becoming romantically involved with a female professor."

**Available on Netflix, Amazon and Amazon Instant Video**
Amazon Instant Video
Amazon

Loving Annabelle
"Annabelle is a precocious Senator's daughter who falls in love with her teacher Simone."

**Available on Netflix, Amazon and Amazon Instant Video**
Amazon Instant Video
Amazon


There are more but I'm still in the process of finding them. I will post a second part when I do. I personally recommend Room in Rome and Imagine Me & You. Room in Rome is a bit raunchy but I find the story and characters very honest. Imagine Me & You is a comedic drama and far less raunchy but the heart of the movie tugs at the heartstrings.

Bloomington and Loving Annabelle are at the bottom of my recommendations because their stories lack a bit of, well story, but the subjects in those films are worth a look, even if it's just once. They could have been great films if their plots were more developed, in my opinion.

Have fun! If you know of more films, please leave a comment so others can research them too.

Lez Talk About Amber Heard!

First of all, it's my first post! Yay!

Secondly, for my first post I doubt I'll have a lot of followers because these type of things need to gain a reputation and a fan base on its own. If it never gets any, that's fine too. However, I'd like my first post to start a chain of posts about celebrities, artists and public figures who have come "out" to the public and are taking a stand for LGBT rights.

If you're a lesbian or in the closet and wonder if there is anyone else out there like you, there are. Surely you know that by now but hopefully, some of these women, that I will post about in the next few days, can put faces to those people who have been where we all have been, in no particular order.

Amber Heard

Although she has not clearly stated, publicly, whether or not she is a lesbian or bisexual- she has made it clear that she is attracted to women and dates women. She refuses to "label herself" and I'm going to respect that by not categorizing her.

Amber Heard is an actress/model. Her resume includes The Rum Diary and Drive Angry (to name a few). She was also the face of Guess? in 2011. In my opinion, she doesn't seem like the type of actress who is after any role she can get. To me, she seems like she actually chooses her roles carefully. They may not be blockbusters but there is a reason why she chooses the films she has participated in whether it be because it seemed like a good opportunity to have fun or because the story and character sparked some sort of interest she found appealing or challenging. I believe we'll see more of her in the future. She's that good.

Why is she worthy to be noted? Because she came out at GLAAD's 25th anniversary event, which takes a lot of courage to do. This could have changed her entire career and if she were an actress in the 50's, it would have destroyed it. She is also a very feminine woman.

Most people actually believe the stereotype that lesbians or women who like other women, in general, are masculine. There are people who picture lesbians as girls who wear plaid shirts, baggy jeans and hiking boots. Sure, there are lesbians who look like that but it's not fair to think every lesbian does. Heard is a woman who seems to love being a girl. She loves fashion, make up and shoes. She gets her nails done. She goes shopping with friends and her little pooch. She is what the lesbian community would call a "femme". However, she does still like guns and cars, which I think adds more spice to her sugar.

Why is that note worthy? Because I believe women need to see that some lesbians or women who like other women, are just as normal as straight ones. And that it's ok if you're a girl who likes other girls but also likes dresses, shoes and purses too. You don't need to pretend or force yourself to like men just because you don't exactly fit in with the lesbian stereotype. You don't need to change your whole wardrobe to feel like you belong. There will be people who will look at you and say, "I thought you were straight," but that's really their issue and not yours when it comes down to it.

Your sexuality does not define you but it is a part of who you are so why not embrace it? If you like your heels, go for it! As they say, "With the right shoes, a woman can rule the world!"

It's ok to be feminine and like women too.