Why <em>The L Word</em> Is More Relevant Today Than Ever
In an early episode of The L Word: Generation Q, the new reboot of Showtime’s mid-aughts drama about a group of Los Angeles lesbians, one of the show’s most formidable characters softens in front of a crowd. Bette Porter, the onetime museum director played by Jennifer Beals, is now channeling her ruthless ambition into a mayoral bid, 10 years after the original show ended. When she gives a campaign speech about LGBTQ homelessness to a group of queer young people, one attendee tells Bette they’re surprised to see someone so prominent claiming the community—in part because their own mother had rejected them.
After comforting the speaker, Bette shares a story: “My father never accepted me. Ever. Till the day he died, he called my partner—the woman that I love beyond measure—he called her my friend. As if our love was less than. And our love is not less than. But it was painful. It still is.” Then, in an unexpected move, Bette comes down from her perch and pulls the audience member in for a hug. The whole scene is a breakthrough for Bette, who is coming off a small scandal and feeling somewhat disillusioned about
