Studying LesBians is a monthly column about recent (and not-so-recent) research involving lesBians. This time I want to talk about studies into lesbian households.

A few weeks ago the results of a survey of part of the Australian population was published, which showed that same-sex couples (read lesBians, not enough male same-sex couples took part) are better at doing housework than straight couples. Or more precisely, they do a better job at dividing the labour.

Even though we live in 2011, in the household of straight couples the housework is unequally divided, with women doing most of it, even when both partners are equally busy with work and other responsibilities.

Not only do women tend to do more of the housework than men, the kind of chores they both do is also based on old-fashioned gender roles. Women usually do the cooking and the ironing, while men take out the garbage and mow the lawn.

According to the research of the Work, Love and Play research project at the Bouverie centre in Victoria, Australia, when it comes to lesbian households a totally different picture emerges. Apparently, we are much better at dividing the housework equally than our straight counter parts. Most lesbian couples in the survey said they had an equal division of chores.

It is interesting to note that one of the reasons the researchers give for this, is that lesbian moms compared to straight moms are less likely to think they should be doing more of the housework than their breadwinning partner.

Does this imply that straight women are to blame for their workload, because they feel they have to do more than their husbands and not because men are just lazy, chauvinistic pigs?

Besides having a more equal division of the amount of housework both partners do, lesbian couples, compared to straight couples, are also not burdened by a division of chores based on gender roles and specific expectations.

Instead, they decide who does what according to what they both like to do. Shocking, isn't it? I think it's even more shocking not more straight couples do it like that.

I find it very hard to believe all straight women enjoy cooking and cleaning and all straight men like to fix things around the house. When I look at how it works between my girlfriend and I, our distribution of the housework is mainly determined by what we like to do best. Or more correctly, what we hate least. Then again, I think a lot of the chores like cooking and doing the dishes we always do together.

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The survey also showed that besides an equal division of the household, most lesbian couples also had an equal part in raising the kids and both mothers tended to work part-time. So perhaps some of these differences between straight and lesbian couples are due to the fact that lesbian couples both have an equal amount of time to spend on housework.

I wonder if all this dividing things equally and fairly has something to do with lesbians or just with the fact that you put two women together. It's a shame the survey did not include enough gay male couples for comparison. That way we could see if it's a gay thing, or a male/female thing.

Although, of course, in an ideal world we would see none of this matters and everything is split equally based on what the other likes or dislikes to do. In this ideal world, housework would also be fun, just because we're lesBians. Unfortunately, I might only have to do half of the housework, but that does not mean I enjoy it any more.

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What do you think of the results of this study, in particular the difference between straight and lesbian couples? How do you and your girlfriend decide who does what around the house? Let me know in the comments.

You can read previous Studying LesBians columns here.

If there’s one singer/songwriter who is utilizing the internet to spread her music and stories, it is Fabienne Frank.

My music and myself will make me different from the rest

Fabienne is not your average 22-year-old. She is not only quite diverse in her music (alternative pop), but also in her choice of pets. In a blog entry on her Hyves account she said that she not only has a Mexican Red-kneed Tarantula (which can grow up to a leg span of 15-18 cm!), but also a gecko and shrimps (instead of a bowl with goldfish) next to her three cats.

Though she is barely in her twenties, she has already been through a lot: from living in foster care when she was 17 to living on her own at 18 to finding out she is bisexual just a year later.

In a 2009 interview with TV Apeldoorn, Fabienne admitted that while she mostly likes girls (99%) she, at that time, was in a relationship with a man and he had no problems with her liking girls. In fact, when the two of them are out they both check out the girls.

I admit, it sounds a little weird, but it seemed to work for them. I don’t know about their current situation, but perhaps she’ll enlighten us with a little more information.

What I am mostly curious about right now, is how her journey into the music business is going. She has put out a couple of songs, posted a couple of videos on her YouTube channel, but as of late it has been a bit quiet around Fabienne. The last video she put out on her YouTube channel was about five months ago and even her Twitter has been eerily quiet.

<!--pagebreak--> One of her more appealing songs is, not surprisingly, a song she wrote about her attraction to women called Sexy Target.

Though it isn’t my type of music, I do see and hear a lot of potential in Fabienne. She’s cute, sassy and quirky, has a sweet voice and, if given the right chances and opportunities and if she just continues to put out her songs and work hard, she could actually make quite a name for herself.

If you want to keep up with the latest news and information about Fabienne you can either follow her on Twitter (@fabiennefrank), keep an eye on her official website, her Facebook page, or her YouTube channel.

All photos are from Fabienne Frank´s official Hyves page.

Good afternoon! The Pink Beat here to keep you up to date with the latest in hot and not so hot news involving lesBian news!

First up, let’s give a happy belated birthday to Kate Winslet (Heavenly Creatures) who celebrated her 36th birthday yesterday!

A ton of Jessie J news today, with some Corrie birds mixed in! The out singer topped the wins at The Music of Black Origin (MOBO) Awards in Glasgow last night.

Jessie got a near full house receiving four of the five awards she was nominated for; Best Song, Best Album, Best Act and Best Newcomer.

Best part of it all? The award was presented to her by two actresses we are very familiar with: Coronation Street’s own Brooke Vincent and Sacha Parkinson.

If presenting the award to Jessie J wasn’t enough, Brooke Vincent channeled a little Sophie Webster and called Sacha ‘Sian’ before quickly correcting herself. Don’t believe me? See for yourself!

Speaking of the Corrie gals; guess who returned on October third! Yup, that’s right. Sian and Sophie in all their adorable glory. Head on over to onemorelesbian.com to watch the scenes.

Guess who supports the rights for gay marriage? Yup, that’s right. Prime Minister Cameron.

"I once stood before a Conservative conference and said it shouldn't matter whether commitment was between a man and a woman, a woman and a woman, or a man and another man," he said.

"You applauded me for that. Five years on, we're consulting on legalizing gay marriage. And to anyone who has reservations, I say: Yes, it's about equality, but it's also about something else: commitment. Conservatives believe in the ties that bind us; that society is stronger when we make vows to each other and support each other.

"So I don't support gay marriage despite being a Conservative. I support gay marriage because I'm a Conservative."

It may be a couple of months away, but the organizers behind London’s World Pride 2012 are working hard! They recently launched a competition for the LGBT community to direct the event’s creative vision.

What exactly does that mean? In short; it means that your theme could be THE theme for the 2012 World Pride and can be seen by the hundreds of thousands that the organizers are expecting.

WorldPride will be taking place in Trafalgar Square and Soho on Saturday 7 July 2012.

Now I know this has nothing to do with Europe other than Glee being shown in numerous countries, but how HOT does Naya Rivera look here!

That’s it for The Pink Beat, check back soon for another installment!

So, most people I know, know I’m a total geek for hospital shows; imagine my delight when I found out there was a new one called 24 Hours in The ER (BBC America) and it features a lesbian nurse.

Jen Du-Prat, a mom of two who lives with her wife in London.

Apparently the BAFTA Award-winning camera crew used 70 cameras to capture all the action; from the ambulance arrivals to the treatment of patients to the reaction of family members.

Each episode covers a single 24-hour period at London’s King’s College Hospital and features Jen alongside a few others as they share their stories of death, life and love of the patients at the ER.

Here’s the full trailer.

Coronation Street fans should pay attention right now. I’ve got some bad news, some good news and some good news that wraps up some bad news. Yeah I know, bear with me…

A day or so ago a preview clip for the October 3 episode of Coronation Street hit the internet and one of our favorite young couples are back.

But then Sophie (or is it Amber) goes and does something stupid.

SPOILER ALERT!

Yes, ladies and ladies… reality is finally catching up on us.

The only slightly good thing that will come out of it is a lesbian wedding. Yes I said lesbian and yes I said slightly good thing. Seems our Sophie is going to ask Sian to marry her, but it’ll be more out of guilt than anything else.

Entertainment Wise reports: “Fans of the soap will see Sophie, played by Brooke Vincent, ask Sian to marry her out of guilt after developing feelings for Dev's daughter, Amber.”

Despite the impending doom lurking above the marital bliss of Sophie and Sian, Sacha Parkinson, who plays Sian, said it is going to be a “nice glamorous proper wedding”.

Though Sacha is quite sad about her departure she welcomes the challenge it’ll give her; “It’s going to be really sad but it’s something good to get our teeth into and I think our fans like to see drama from Sian and Sophie. I think that’s best.”

She and Brooke are having a laugh with wardrobe though: “Me and Brooke match all the time so maybe they should (have matching dresses). You know what Brooke’s like she’ll want something absolutely massive like off My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding!”

That’s it for todays The Pink Beat! Check back tomorrow for a new edition!

First up we have to congratulate Jessica Clark! Jessica is one of Power|Up!'s Amazing Gay Women in Showbiz of 2011 nominees!

Speaking of out women named Jessica... Jessica Ellen Cornish aka Jessie J, has been nominated for Best Push and Best New at the MTV European Music Awards! The Awards will be held on November 6th in Belfast this year, so if you want Jessie to win, you best get on with voting!

Speaking of Jessie J; unfortunately the singer had to pull out of Katy Perry's tour due to doctors orders.

Sophie and Sian have been m.i.a. for quite a while now on UK soap Coronation Street, but we finally got something yesterday... a MENTION! Yes that's right we got a little mention of our Sophie Webster by Sunita. I miss the girls. They best be coming back soon. Then again, the sooner they come back, the sooner this dreadful storyline involving Amber will start. Color me conflicted!

Heather Peace made a small appearance at the 2011 Homo Hero Awards and collected Manchester Pride Festival Director Jackie Crozier's Community Champion of the Year Award

Unfortunately for Britons, the Office for National Statistics conducted a study that revealed that the majority of Britons oppose gay marriage.

The support took a tumble from 2009, when it was at 61 percent, to a low of just 45 percent. To make matters worse the lack of support for gay couples adopting children are even worse, only 33 percent; The report said that "while the majority of British people now accept the concept of same-sex couples as being rarely wrong, or not wrong at all, fewer people approve of same-sex couples adopting children"

Tell me Britons... what are you going to do about that?

Ugh, this news is depressing me let's end on a positive note: Sunday October 9th, 7.30pm at The Brighton Ballrooms, Greymatter will hold their 'The Greymatter Album Launch Night'. Tickets are on sale now for just £8.50! Special guests will be Heads Hearts.

This was The Pink Beat for today, check back tomorrow for more lesBian news!

Bringing you news from our English, Spanish and overseas friends today!

Fformer EastEnders star Tamzin Outhwaite says she loves playing the role of Di, in the play ‘Di and Viv and Rose’.

Why is that important to us lesBians? Well Di is a ‘sporting’ lesbian! She told ‘This Morning’ that “it’s just a breath of fresh are. You are laughing one minute and crying the next… taking it to the West End would be a real ambition.”

The imagery involving Ana and Teresa on Amar en Tiempos Revueltos just keep on coming!

As we mentioned yesterday, the girls are back and were featured in an ‘in between seasons’ special called ‘La muerte a escena’ and onemorelesbian.com has the scenes to prove it!

A new chat website especially geared to lesBian women (Dutch/Belgian) will be opening soon and you can already pre-register and will be kept up to date on when the site will open.

Closer To Fine Productions, a Dutch company that develops and creates various multimedia projects geared for women and with women and is looking for a producer, filmmaker and writer.

Check out their ad (Dutch) and perhaps you will be able to join the team?

Anyone But Me shared some breakingnews on their Facebook page…

Dear Fans, we want to share this breaking news with you.

After three seasons with 11 million views worldwide and the first ever Writers Guild of America Award for original new media, as well as many other prestigious awards, we are bringing our groundbreaking series to an end with one last episode. ANYONE BUT ME has made history and changed lives. People write to us and say they wish there had been something like this when they were young, or that the show gave them the courage to come out to their parents. We have the most loyal, passionate and loving fans any show could hope for. And that’s why we want to give Anyone But Me the send off it deserves by producing a special (extra-long) Series Finale. We hope to shoot in January or February. Our amazing cast is all in!

We’ll be reaching out to multiple sources of funding to help us make history again with our final production. This is for you, fans. We will make it happen!

Love,

Susan and Tina

So if you want to have that extra-long Series Finale to happen. Be sure to keep checking their Facebook page and of course, we will keep you up to date as well!

This was The Pink Beat for today, check back tomorrow for more lesBian news!

"I’m your private dancer
A dancer for money
I’ll do what you want me to do”
Private dancer by Tina Turner

Friends of mine were having a conversation. One that slowly turned into a heated argument.

Let me explain how they got there. One of my friends bemoaned the fact she’d been single for quite a while and, therefore, hadn’t had sex for so long. She’s not the type that goes out clubbing to pick up a one night stand. She’s not the outgoing type, but rather the introverted, rugged outdoorsy type - that’s the way she rolls.

The friend she had been talking to knows this, and suggested that she call a lady escort for her services. I admit, it had crossed my mind as well, and I was about to make the suggestion myself, when my friend beat me to it. Personally, I wouldn’t have any problems with anyone suggesting it to me (whether I would follow up is an entirely different matter) but my single friend took offense.

She thinks it’s a profession that’s demeaning to women, and said she would never do that. I pointed out that, even though she thinks it’s demeaning to women, it’s an ancient profession - one that (aside from the circumstances - and I’m sure they were and still are horrid at times) has kept women throughout the centuries. In modern times, there have been women (and there probably still are) who put themselves through college, or provide for their families that way.

Anyway, I didn’t intend to talk about their motives for taking on jobs like that. My single friend’s response did make me wonder: if you’re not the kind of woman who goes out to meet (preferably) new people, or willing to try online dating, what other options do you have left for sex - casual or non-casual?

Some women are comfortable having “friends with benefits”, but I’m aware it certainly isn’t for everybody. Many women resort to masturbation when they’re not in relationships, but I know some grow tired of that after a while. However, if you’re looking for a scratch to your itch and don’t want any strings attached, why not a female escort? Besides physical contact, another advantage is that if you like the lady’s service, you’ll have her name and number for the next time. Finances could be a downside (I have no idea what an evening costs).

I wonder if any of eurOut’s readers have tried a lady escort, and whether they liked it or not. If you happen to have a friend who’s tried it: feel free to share her experiences. Also, what have you (as a single lady) tried to temporarily stop a dry spell?

PS this is not meant as an ad for women only escorts.

Welcome to the first installment of ‘The Pink Beat’. In this brand new/revamped (formerly known as 'We Are Everywhere') column we will keep you up to date on what is hot, and not so hot, in the world of lesBian news.

First up, something that is incredibly hot; though we know we haven’t been keeping you all up to date as much as we should on the Ana and Teresa storyline from the Spanish soap Amar en Tiempos Revueltos (look for retro recaps real soon!), we are happy to report that, after departing to Santander happily ever after, they made a special appearance in the show’s sixth season and are still happily ever after!

Hop on over to onemorelesbian.com to watch the scene or, if you are completely out of date, re-watch the entire storyline. While Hand Aufs Herz and Jemma may not grace our screens anymore, it doesn’t mean Lucy Scherer (Jenny) and Kasia Borek (Emma) are out of work. Kasia has been scooped up by another soap; Anna und die Liebe (remember Jasmin and Lily?) to play Olivia Kosmar. Kasia has already started filming and her scenes should be airing starting October 21st.

Now let’s hope that those who vowed never to watch Sat1 again after they cancelled Hand Aufs Herz, will continue to not only support Kasia, but HaH script writer-producer Petra Bodenbach joined as well! Meanwhile Lucy will once again grace the stage in the play 'Rebecca’ where she will play the lead “Ich” (“I”).

It is no surprise that Lucy is returning to the stage as she has said it is one of her great loves and even before Hand Aufs Herz got cancelled, there was speculation that Lucy would be going back to the stage.

Lucy will be going back to the same stage where she originated the German version of Glinda the Good Witch in “Wicked” and with a familiar partner by her side; Thomas Borchert, who played with her in ‘Tanz Der Vampire’ (Dance of the Vampires), will play her husband. To watch some photos of the two (and pretend Thomas is really Kasia), you can go to the official Facebook page.

Festival News

For those of you going to the Dutch Film Festival (Nederlands Film Festival) might be interested in Bumblefuck, USA by Dutch filmmaker Cat Smits.

Distraught by the suicide of her gay friend Matt, Alexa travels from Amsterdam to her dead friend’s small American town, hoping to uncover the reasons that led Matt to take his own life. She arrives with a backpack, her video camera and intentions to make a film about what it must be like to be gay in Bumblefuck, USA. At the end of her hot summer weeks in Bumblefuck, she’s made a new special friend, clashed with others, and ultimately discovered more about herself than she could ever have imagined.

While the screenings for September 22 are sold out, there are still tickets available for the 25th. You can go to filmfestival.nl to buy them.

If you are not able to visit the Netherlands, no worries – Bumblefuck, USA will be at Chéries-Chéris LGBT Film Festival in Paris in October and at The Barcelona International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival 2011 in November.

Be sure to keep an eye on eurOut.org for more information on both festivals.

In web series news… Out With Dad just aired episode 6 of their second season, Working it Out

Unfortunately for us, this is their mid-season finale and last episode of 2011 as they are going on a hiatus.

“Why? As you know, Out With Dad is a labor of love for all of us involved. Yet, it costs us all money and time… and we’ve stretched ourselves very thin with our ambitious second season. – Director Jason Leaver.”

Leaver said there will be a fund-raising campaign and we’ll keep you up to date on that as well to assure that one of our favorite online shows will hopefully have a swift and rocking return.

While Out With Dad is taking a hiatus, Emma Stahl seems to be moving forward.

The upcoming German web series is not only re-casting the lead, but has just added actress Antje Hamer for the role of Catharina Laville, EuForce Attorney.

This was The Pink Beat for today, check back tomorrow for more lesBian news!

This year Prague will have its first pride festival. The Czech team is confident they will put Prague on the map as Central and Eastern Europe’s capital of diversity, even though Prague is the last capital in the European Union to organise a pride. The organizing team is preparing a programme covering five days of events from August 10th to 14th that will be interesting for all, not just the LGBT community. Everyone is invited to participate in the event.

“We want to show the general public and of course visitors from abroad, Prague can host a complete pride festival. Prague is one of Europe's main LGBT travel destinations and we are organising a festival the city can be proud of”

the organizing team explains.

“By now we already know there will be a wide variety of events organized by our many partners.”

All of the five days promise to be full of interesting happenings. From corporate workshops on diversity in human resource management to a sports event, theatre performances, exhibitions, cinema, a kids event, guided city tours, disco and circuit parties etc.

“It is really great to see organizations and venues from the community, as well as mainstream bars and clubs, really want to make it work. They all plan to organize something interesting to add to the programme”

the director of the festival says.

The highlights of the festival are the parade and concert on Saturday the 13th of August. There will be a festive parade through the city centre in the early afternoon. Individuals, companies and organizations will all join the celebration. The route will take the participants to Střelekcy Island where many local and international stars will perform. The line-up is still a secret but we promise it’s impressive.

“The parade is new for Prague and we expect about 1500 people to take walk with us, many more people will be interested in the concert and festival venue, where we hope to receive thousands of guests.”

the organization tells us.

The Prague Pride team wants to create an open festival, and you too can contribute to the programme and organization - not only by showing up. If you want to book tickets or just more information visit the official website.

Lists Are Hot is a monthly column for all those that love lists. This month Chantal tackles her top favorite current lesbian characters.

Like most everyone, or at least most everyone I know, I adore lists. I live and breathe lists. I usually get nothing done without my lists and I pretty much have a list for everything. Lists are clean, neat, and above all they keep us organized.

Normally I wouldn't limit myself on these types of lists, but since there are over two dozen actual lesBian characters that are on television and in movies (past, present and future) I decided to limit myself to a list of current lesBian characters.

Sophie Webster and Sian Powers (Coronation Street)

Sophie Webster (top) and Sian Powers

I cannot do a list with current lesBian characters and exclude Sophie Webster and Sian Powers, Coronation Street’s current and so far only lesBian power couple.

We have seen the story of a girl falling in love with her best friend done quite a few times before, but what makes this story special is the fact that not only is it well acted, but it is the first ever lesBian storyline in Coronation Street’s 50 years (and counting) history… and it dealt with not only the family aspect, but the religious aspect as well; the girls struggled to find acceptance from their loved ones and Sophie (and to a certain degree Sian), had to deal with an unaccepting religion.

I know I am totally cheating by listing them together, but they’re a pair and though they are their own person I cannot see them separately, especially since the actresses themselves are not without the other, even going as far as calling the other their ‘bird’ (slang for girlfriend).

Unfortunately I am going to have to see them separately if the rumors are about Sacha leaving are true, not to mention that there are these silly rumors about this chick called Amber.

Jennifer 'Jenny' Hartmann' and Emma Műller (Hand Aufs Herz)

No, I don’t actually have a ‘thing’ for school girls. It’s just that the school girls are some of the most well rounded, well-acted lesBian characters on television right now (plus, all actors are totally of age, so I have no shame ogling them). These two first came to my attention via a mention in an AfterEllen.com article and I have been hooked ever since.

The story told around ‘Jemma’ in Hand Aufs Herz and the awareness it has brought is exactly what Sophie and Sian did in Coronation Street, just in a different setting; Coronation Street dealt with coming out and acceptance in (mostly) family surroundings and Hand Aufs Herz did it in what can sometimes be an even harder setting – High School.

When Jenny transferred to Emma’s school, the girls had instant chemistry - not always with the right reaction, but always with the right attraction. Eventually Jenny and Emma realized they were completely and totally in love and recently Jemma was totally cemented in the hearts of viewers everywhere (if they weren’t already) when they did the deed.

After seeing that (a couple dozen times) all I know is that somewhere in the near future I am getting a wind machine (or just a fan that I can set really, really high!) and that I am totally going to stock up on white sheets.

Bianca Montgomery (All My Children)

Bianca as portrayed by Eden Riegel (left) & Christina Bennett Lind

Bianca Montgomery has been portrayed by seven actresses (from baby to adult), and though Eden Riegel is the most popularly associated with the character, it wasn’t until Bianca returned in the form of Christina Bennett Lind that I really started paying attention and did a speed-read/watch through for the character.

Sure, she’s not European, but when it comes to visibility and being one of the most well rounded (soap) lesBian characters on television can get you a long way in my book.

I had followed Bianca’s coming out and subsequent stories lightly through various news reports, and of course AfterEllen.com, but until recently I didn’t fully understand how much of an impact the character truly made.

Though All My Children is a soap series and they’ve pretty much thrown everything they could at Bianca (including a bout with Anorexia, rape, falling in love with the twin sister of your deceased girlfriend), the actresses (specifically Eden and Christina) that portrayed Bianca made it believable.

Currently played by Christina Bennett Lind, Bianca has found herself falling in love with her lawyer Marissa Chandler and as of recent, these feelings have been reciprocated. You can watch the storyline from the beginning over at onemorelesbian.com.

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These were my favorite current characters. Do you agree? Do you have other favorites? Let us know by leaving a comment below!