There has been a resounding lack of representation for queer womxn in society. Lesbianism has always existed throughout history, yet it is under-documented in history books, literature and art. In the U.K., women who had passionate relationships with women found it difficult to prove the sexual element to society – due to societies then-beliefs about sex. Men were not threatened by these “inferior” relationships as neither member had a penis.
Even to this day, the visibility of queer womxnhood in pop culture is a rarity. With the premise of LDOV being to bring attention to this orientation and encourage equality for people in this community, we decided to pay tribute to our favourite lesbian T.V. characters in our own, Sh! way…i.e. by pairing them with the sex toys we think best represent them.
Willow Rosenberg
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Buffy the Vampire the Slayer is possibly one of the most iconic television series of it’s time. No, of our time. As one of our team member recounts, it provided the first sex scene she ever saw on screen. Willow, the Jewish witch-slash-best-friend of Buffy, is our favourite example of what made the show so magic. The audience follows her blossoming relationship with another character, Tara. As their connection deepens, Willow’s witching powers grow stronger and stronger. By the end of the fourth season, during their first kiss, she’s gradually becoming one of the most powerful members of Buffy’s gang. This positive, empowering and relatable development of Willow’s character is what made the unfolding of her sexuality on screen so unique. She was a role model for self-discovery. For this reason, we are characterizing Willow by a bullet vibrator.
A go-to for many first-time sex-toy buyers, the vibe has unlocked orgasms in countless unsuspecting womxn. It is the gateway to an otherworldly realm of sexual pleasure. A good place to start would be with our selection of Rocks Off vibes. Shiny, waterproof and bursting with buzz, you could try the bright Rainbow bullet or the sleek lipstick in silver.
Blanca Rodriguez-Evangelista
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The new series Pose had us quicker than Madonna could say "Vogue". Set in 1980s New York, it depicts the black and latinx ball culture that you’ll remember from the sensational Paris is Burning documentary. If you haven’t seen this yet then you must, ASAP. It depicts a community at a pinnacle time in their history, who have influenced practically every aspect of current Western culture; from language to fashion; from Beyoncé to duck walks.
Pose starts with Blanca being a child in the House of Abundance. She is a black trans woman who finds out that she is living with H.I.V. Following her learning of this bombshell, she bravely sets out to start her own house; the House of Evangelista. She’s fabulous, strong and unique. To match Blanca with a sex toy, it has to be one of our most popular characters. Our custom-made marble dildos are crafted on-site in our dildo lab. Each one has an individual pattern in a durable body-safe and silky smooth silicone. Whether you prefer a Duchess, a Honey, a Twista, a Wirly Girly, a Queen of Pearl, a Cupid or a Duke, you can choose from the colours we have available or speak to a member of our team about custom shades. Our marble dildos, like Blanca in her ballroom, are beloved pillar stones of our humble Sh! community. We cannot WAIT for the next series.
Moira (a.k.a. Ruby)
The spine-chilling, dystopian drama from mastermind Margaret Attwood was televised at possibly the most appropriately disturbing time. The same year of Trump’s inauguration, The Handmaid’s Tale was alarmingly relatable to watch, and is even weirder that the lead actress is a Scientologist, might we add. Moira is the queer best friend of lead character Offred and was previously called Ruby before they were captured. As a fertile womxn in a non-fertile environment, Moira must pretend to be straight to avoid execution or mutilation. Unlike the less fortunate Ofglen, Moira avoids this fate by escaping handmaid training camp. We don’t hear of her again for ages, until Offred finds her as a sex worker in the underground scene.
Moira is fearless, impulsive and loyal. She is on a nifty one-womxn mission to freedom. Moira is a harness. She means business. Business involving a super-soft, perfectly-fitted black 2-strap harness. With three different sized hoops to fit the dildo of your choice, Moira is versatile and hand-made by our in-house leather goddess.
Yorkie and Kelly
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One of the more uplifting episodes of Black Mirror, San Junipero hits Season 3 as a simulated town to which people can move, to visit their elderly or deceased loved ones. Surrounded by 80s music and sequins, it’s a memorably divergent episode of the show, focusing on a charmed and twisty romance instead of being a gut-wrenching thriller.
Kelly is extraordinary; with shoulder pads larger than life. The spectacled Yorkie looks like she was dressed by her Grandma. It’s a sweet, honest account of two people drawn together. By the time they enter San Junipero away from 1987 America, they are out, together and proud. It seems only natural to pair these two honeys with a double ended, body-safe double-ended dildo. The Fun Factory Wave is novel in that its bendy shape allows each partner to get as close to the other as they like, maintaining eye contact. It is our answer to San Junipero. Other double-ended dildos don’t offer this intimate connection as one partner is on each end, leaving their heads and bodies at a distance. Fun Factory has created Wave to allow partners a tighter bond.
Anne Lister
Also known as “Gentleman Jack”, Anne Lister was a 19th-century British landowner and industrialist. Based on their real-life diaries that were largely written in code, this is a new period drama set to hit the U.K. screens in the coming months. Jack/Anne avoided societies norms, dressing androgynously (hence the nickname of Gentleman Jack) and wanting to marry a woman. Although Jack/Anne did not shove their orientation in other’s faces, they lived openly and honestly in privacy in a time when there were no other well-known queer womxn. Gentleman Jack is often acknowledged to be the first modern lesbian in U.K. history.
To reflect Jack/Anne's stealthy, original and sometimes sensual behaviour, we are pairing the character with the innovative couples toy, the We-Vibe Sync. This toy can be controlled through a smartphone app, meaning that one partner can covertly direct the other’s pleasure even when on the other side of the world.
Ellen DeGeneres (and Portia de Rossi)
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Although these two are definitely real people (as oppose to televised characters), we felt it treason to miss them off this list. Plus, they have both been fictional characters before, with Portia de Rossi featuring in Ally McBeal and Scandal and Ellen DeGeneres voicing the legendary fish, Dory. The latter actor also starred in her namesake show that aired during the 90s. During its fourth season, DeGeneres was famously interviewed by Oprah Winfrey. It was in this interview that the comedian came out. She then used her sitcom Ellen to bring to light issues surrounding coming out as a queer womxn. In fact, Winfrey actually played a therapist in the show to whom the character Ellen revealed her queer sexuality.
Since this show, DeGeneres has gone on to host a talk show, write several books, found a record company, launch a lifestyle brand…seriously the list goes on, and we haven’t even mentioned the number of pets she has rescued with de Rossi. There is only one option we could think of when marrying this duo to their metaphorical sex toy. It has to be extravagant, efficient and a popular powerhouse of queer pleasure. For this, we suggest the Lesbian Pleasure Weekend Away Gift Set. Made up of a strapless vibrating dildo, a free Sh! bullet, a remote-controlled vibrator, satin ties, free sachets of flavoured lube and free batteries; it's quite something.
