A lesbian decade?

The terrific blog, After Ellen, has put together a great list of lesbian-positive entertainment moments and trends from the past decade.  I've edited the list a bit.  But even in this truncated version, it's affirming to see how far we have come when it comes to the depiction of lesbians in our culture.  Here are some of the highlights in the past decade:

•The L word (left), a smash hit for Showtime, debuts and ends after six seasons.

•Ellen poses for O and is the first person to share the cover with the talk show giant.

•Comedian Wanda Sykes (right) comes out.

•Lesbian athletes at the Olympics in Beijing (left) win major victories and shine in the Olympics.

•Melissa Etheridge wins an Oscar for her song in “An Inconvenient Truth” and thanks her wife in front of millions.

• WNBA superstar athlete Sheryl Swoopes comes out, breaking a code of silence that has oppressed many lesbian athletes.

ªAll My Children airs first lesbian kiss.  Don't underestimate the power of the daytime soap opera.  It reaches millions of households.

• The Hours gives Meryl Streep (right) yet another reason for LGBT people to love her.  Her wonderful performance as Clarissa Vaughan, a lesbian, was an acting highlight of the decade even if Nicole Kidman's gorgeous performance as Virginia  Woolf earned her an Oscar.

•Lily Tomlin (left) answers “Jane Wagner” (her longtime partner) when asked during an interview what turns her on.

• Buffy the Vampire Slayer shows first lesbian sex on broadcast TV.