mark patton

The LA Sparks will stay in their hometown, after the team's previous owner relinquished control due to financial problems.

SheWired talked film and feminism with 'Concussion' director Stacie Passon, producer Rose Troche, and actresses Robin Weigert and Maggie Siff.

Karen Black, the prolific actress best known for her iconic roles inEasy Rider, Five Easy Pieces,and Nashville, died Wednesday, according to her husband, Stephen Eckleberry. Black was 74, and had been suffering from cancer. Black appeared in more than 100 films throughout her career that spanned more than four decades, often portraying troubled, complex women. She played an openly transgender woman in 1982's screen adaptation ofCome Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean, where she portrayed the post-operative trans woman portrayed pre-transition by openly gay actor Mark Patton. Black appeared opposite Cher, Kathy Bates, and out actress Sandy Dennis inFive and Dime.

Here’s a round-up of actresses nominated for queer roles since Oscar began, including a couple of gender-bending or ‘coded’ roles. We wholly admit we may have missed a few. Happy Oscars' season! We'd love to hear what some of your favorite 'queer' Oscar nominated performances are.

While Oscar – or Hollywood as a whole – has rarely sought to represent queerness positively on film, there remain a few handfuls of performances that, for good or bad, helped to bring visibility to lesbian, bi, trans and queer characters throughout the years including turns by Cher, Hilary Swank, Charlize Theron, Penelope Cruz, Judi Dench, Whoopi Goldberg, Kate Winslet, Whoopi Goldberg, Julianne Moore and Nicole Kidman, Natalie Portman and Annette Beining.

With Sunday's 82nd Annual Academy Awards quickly approaching, we here at SheWired thought it was time to share our excitement about "Hollywood's biggest night of the year" — and what we're looking forward to from the lovely leading ladies sent to face off as well as present come March 7. It's Meryl Streep v. Sandra Bullock, Carey Mulligan, Gabby Sidibe and Helen Mirren. Mo'Nique faces off with Anna Kendrick, Vera Farmiga, Penelope Cruz and Maggie Gyllenhaal. And will Kathryn Bigelow beat ex hubby James Cameron for Best Director?

We round up the best lesbian movies of ’09 — from dramas and documentaries to comedies even a horror film. Films like Whip It with Drew Barrymore and Ellen Page, Jennifer's Body with Megan Fox, Ameliawith Hilary Swank, And Then Came Lola with Cathy DeBuono and Jill Bennett, Precious, and Hannah Free with Sharon Gless, are among those on our list of the best lesbian movies this year.

Lesbians will love the ladies making headlines in this week's Hollywood round up: Gwyneth Paltrow, Wanda Sykes, Winona Ryder, The L Word's Kelly Lynch, Marti Noxon and country cutie Carrie Underwood.