Love, Love, Love

We asked.
You answered.

The simple question of “Who’s your favorite ‘L Word’ character?” drew hundreds and hundreds of comments – serious, silly and … swooning. There are lots and lots of fans who are, well, head over heels.

The Human Rights Campaign asked fans of the lesbian TV drama to weigh in via an informal website poll in the days before HRC and Showtime, a premium cable channel, threw parties in nearly 40 cities, drawing thousands of women for the first episode of “The L Word’s” fifth season. Cast members also showed up at the Los Angeles and Atlanta premieres.

Nearly everyone on the show – from Papi to Mrs. Peggy Peabody – got at least one vote in HRC’s poll. Coming out ahead: Bette, Shane and Alice (in that order) by huge margins.

And this season, it’s more lesbian drama at its finest: Turkish oil wrestling, Max and men, brownie parties, military madness and, yes, Tina and Bette.

Below are some responses to our poll:
Max! Finally a transgender character on mainstream television!

My favorite character is Tasha. She represents a portion of the military population that truly go through the same type of issues that are shown on the show only they do it in silence. Being black, gay and in the military are a true struggle but a real life experience.

I have to give it to Carmen, that girl is perfect!!!! Strength to face her family as a lot of us have in such a tough cultural background.

Dana, hands down. She’s so genuinely dorky and sexy all at once.

I love all the women. The show is a great dose of lesbian life for an isolated lesbian in the mountains of Vermont!

Bette. I live in the boondocks - the character showed me you don’t need to look Butch to be a strong independent lesbian!

Alice! She’s kooky, kinky and luscious — and I’m 66!

It would have to be Jodi aka Marlee Matlin. Because I’m just glad that someone is deaf like me. I didn’t know that the show would include sign language. How exciting that is!

Kit keeps it real! She’s down to earth and her life journey is touchingly human. I can relate to her fierce loyalty and love of her sister, too. Rock on, Kit.

Hands down it’s Paige. She is ridiculously sexy and beautiful … and falls in love with a person rather than a sex. She’s a strong woman and mother.

The woman is the character most viewers love to hate, but me ... Jennie. I really feel as if she is going through some massive evolution, both externally and internally. And in a way, that makes her very relatable. She moved from a small town to a big town, from straight to bi to lesbian, from poor to financially stable, from sane to relatively wacko, and from unknown into a published author. It’s more ups and downs than any other character and has more to do with aspects of life outside of the “who you’re dating defines you” cliché. Love you, Jenny! You’re extreme, but aren’t all the characters?

Shane! I love Shane because she is hot, sexy and suave with a rocker, surfer flair. Shane is hot and the rest are not. Shane for President!