SO GAY FOR YOU

The story of a 2004-09 lesbian melodrama and the two powerhouse actors behind its success.

Hailey and Moennig showcase the intimate details of their lives and careers in a dual memoir that begins with auditions in the early aughts for a proposed Showtime pilot hoping to ride on the success of Queer As Folk about a group of modern, sexually active Los Angeles lesbians called Earthlings. In alternating perspectives, Hailey and Moennig describe how the show’s development (and eventual name change to the more suitable The L Word) arrived at a time in both of their lives when acting work was desperately welcomed: Hailey was in a struggling rock band and Moennig was an actress “hungry for work.” While the show’s sudden popularity and their resultant fame was unexpectedly and head-spinningly brisk, both women managed to survive and thrive amid the pressures of Hollywood. Hailey was cast as Alice, a bisexual journalist, while Moennig portrayed edgy bed-hopping lesbian Shane, each to rousing success. In breezy, conversational prose, the writers affably share their separate histories: Hailey, an outgoing tomboy, emerged from “small and safe” Midwestern Nebraska roots with liberal parents, and freewheeling Moennig, whose mother was a popular Broadway dancer, was surrounded by gay men growing up in Philadelphia and was frequently misgendered in grade school. The authors’ queer identities emerged early, and their contributed experiences and differing interpersonal relationships helped gel their integration with The L Word cast and informed their unique performances in the sexually frank series, which went on to garner groundbreaking critical acclaim. Insider details on salary negotiations, character development, evolving storylines, set energy, spinoffs, reboots, and, of course, the show’s grand impact on the queer community and governmental politics add substance as both women conclude with appreciation and gratitude.

A resonant and uplifting dual portrait of queer entertainment media in action.