ryan russell

I remember the pandemic as if it were yesterday because I lived and breathed it as both journalist and activist for a decade.

Most fans of True Blood haven’t been too happy with the storylines this season, but last night’s finale of Season 5, entitled “Save Yourself,” definitely gave everyone something to look forward to when Season 6 begins next summer.

Screenwriter and director Nora Ephron, famous for penning When Harry Met Sally, Silkwood, Sleepless in Seattle and Julie and Julia, died of complications from leukemia at age 71, Tuesday at a hospital in New York. A three-time Academy Award nominee Ephron rose to the top in male-dominated Hollywood as one of a handful of women who wrote, directed and produced. She also created strong, funny female characters that have been played by the likes of Meg Ryan, Meryl Streep and Cher.

Spoiler Alert!! Season 5 of the HBO cult classic True Blood premiered last night and fans around the globe were treated to a number of twists and turns in Bon Temps. The episode entitled “Turn! Turn! Turn!” did just that, picking up exactly where we left off last summer, while also offering up some new storylines and new characters that are sure to have a significant effect on the small Louisiana town and its inhabitants.

The nine-month wait for Season 4 of True Blood proved to be worth it as the foundation for plenty of twists and turns (both in the sack and out) was highlighted by Tara’s (Rutina Wesley) new lust for the ladies (and new identity as a lesbian cage fighter named Toni). Series creator Alan Ball says "We felt like it was time for Tara to stop being the victim. It was time for Tara to really take charge of her life in a way that would be surprising and would give us some fun places to go story wise."

In our effort to ever-expand SheWired's vigilant coverage of lesbian news, culture, and entertainment stories, we’ve turned our attention to the Twitter sphere. Get ready for a round up of the most important tweets by lesbians or other lesbian-friendly people we find entertaining or just plain funny. Here's Juliette Lewis, Vicci Martinez, Beverly McClellan, Lea Michele, Wanda Sykes, Patricia Heaton, Katee Sackhoff, Melissa Joan Hart and Fortune Feimster!

Desperate Housewives star and Grammy-winner Vanessa Williams is the newest star to join HRC's New Yorkers for Marriage Equality Campaign. She joins a list of celebrities that includes Barbara Bush, daughter of former president George W. Bush, U.S. senator Kirsten Gillibrand, Joan Rivers, Whoopi Goldberg, Anna Wintour, Lucy Liu, Larry King, Kyra Sedgwick and Kevin Bacon, Russell Simmons, Julianne Moore, Christopher Meloni, Moby, Fran Drescher, former Miss New York Claire Buffie, Julianna Margulies, Jeanne Moutoussamy-Ashe and Daphne Rubin-Vega just to name a few.

The Good Wife star Julianna Margulies and husband Keith Lieberthal join the video series for marriage equality in New York from the Human Rights Campaign, saying that their understanding of “traditional marriage” includes everyone. “We believe in traditional marriage,” says the Golden Globe and Emmy Award-winning Margulies. “It’s a lifetime commitment to the person you can’t imagine life without.”

Law and Order: SVU star Christopher Meloni joins the marriage equality video series from the Human Rights Campaign. “Already five states and the District of Columbia have marriage equality,” says the actor, who was born in D.C. and is best known for playing NYPD detective Elliot Stabler on the NBC police drama. “It’s time for New York to lead again.” Other videos in the New Yorkers for Marriage Equality campaign so far have included Barbara Bush, daughter of former president George W. Bush; New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg; former mayors Ed Koch and David Dinkins; former police commissioner Bill Bratton and Rikki Klieman; Robert F. Kennedy Jr.; Joan Rivers; Whoopi Goldberg; Lucy Liu; Kyra Sedgwick and Kevin Bacon; Russell Simmons; Julianne Moore.