The cast of the hit LGBTQ+ series The L Word celebrated Lesbian Visibility Week at the White House.
On 25 April, Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre held a press briefing to honour the week-long observance and discuss the continued attacks on the LGBTQ+ community by conservative lawmakers.
“So this week is Lesbian Visibility Week, and as the first openly queer person to hold the position of press secretary for the President of the United States, I see every day how important visibility and representation are,” she explained to the room.
Jean-Pierre then introduced Jennifer Beals (Bette Porter), Leisha Hailey (Alice Pieszecki), Katherine Moennig (Shane McCutcheon), and The L Word’s co-creator Ilene Chaiken to say a few words in light of the important occasion and LGBTQ+ representation as a whole.
“For so many people in our community, The L Word’s impact cannot be understated. Being able to see diverse narratives that reflect our lives is incredibly important,” she continued.
After the press secretary’s impactful statement, the show’s aforementioned cast and creator took to the podium to deliver their equally impactful speeches.
“We’re honoured to have the opportunity to be here today standing beside the first out lesbian press secretary in our history who serves the most pro-LGBTQI president in our history,” Chaiken started.
She then reflected on the powerful impact The L Word has had on the queer community before opening up about the current wave of hateful legislation impacting LGBTQ+ Americans.
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“We’re delighted that The L Word lives on and speaks to a new generation, but we’re painfully aware that our struggles are far from over,” she said.
Hailey echoed similar sentiments in her own statement.
“As an actor on The L Word, I have had the enormous honour and responsibility of being visible for over 20 years,” the Uh Huh Her singer explained.
“But visibility is not just the act of being seen, it is the ability to see. 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.”
After their appearance at the press briefing, Beals, Hailey, Moennig, and Chaiken spoke to some of the queer staffers of the Biden Administration on how to push forward LGBTQ+ advancement and equality.
Beals, Hailey, Moennig and Chaiken’s White House appearance comes a few months after The L Word: Generation Q was cancelled by Showtime.
While the beloved show – which ran for three seasons – has come to an end, a new series in The L Word universe has reportedly been greenlit (per Deadline).
Watch the full press conference here or below.
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