October 16, 2002 

Well, my Sandynista honor is safe for another week.  Kerry was indeed seen wearing the pendant in “Insurrection”.   It has now appeared in 5 out of the last 7 episodes since first noticed. Its placement is looking less coincidental and more like a quiet detail.  Unfortunately for us, this is still the only evidence we have of Sandy’s presence in Kerry’s life.  Or was the cheap shot by Romano another hint that Weaver does “have a life”? Anyway, I digress. 

Up until now, most of the opinions and ideas presented here on the Sandynista page have been from the obvious perspective of the Lesbian or Bisexual viewers of ER.  In the same way that we don’t appreciate being invisible on TV... I feel that it’s vitally important to acknowledge that many of the Sandynistas are straight women who appreciate the characters of Kerry Weaver and Sandy Lopez, regardless of sexual orientation.  It is this ability to touch people beyond the minority audience that I feel is the true accomplishment of Laura Innes, Lisa Vidal, and the writers who propel Weaver’s storyline. 

This week’s column features the voice of our fearless Sandynista leader, Erised.  She shares with us her unique perspective on what she terms “The Sandy Lopez Experience”.  All I can say is...You go girl! 

-Mangababe (Editor) 

_____________________ 

 

The Sandy Lopez Experience – by Erised 

Quo Vadis?

That is the question I asked myself almost a year ago when the character of Lt. Sandy Lopez heated up the TV screen with her captivating smile in the, now famous, “hand-check” scene, seducing Kerry Weaver and half the female audience both gay and straight alike.  Where are you going? Or more to the point, where was I going?  

I feel a little awkward discussing my understanding of the “gay experience” [on TV]… Perhaps the same way Laura Innes did in her recent interview with The Advocate where she admitted, ”Whenever I’m talking about this stuff, I always feel a little strange because I’m not actually gay.  But I’ve had this [coming out] experience that feels very real to me in a lot of ways.”  In a similar way, the appearance of Sandy Lopez has impacted me in ways that transcend sexuality.  

What is it about her?  She is strong yet vulnerable, smart, funny, honest and intense.  She is an angel with the will of granite who throws herself fearlessly at life.  She is a role model for women, all women, regardless of their sexual orientation.

It may sound a little melodramatic to say that a TV character has affected the way I see myself; but in a way it is true.  Sandy Lopez has made me think about who I am and the kind of person I want to be.  She is the friend I wish I had, and the “woman” I want to be.  And, on some level, maybe even the “lover” I wish I had. 

Sandy Lopez personifies the best of both sexes.  She possesses qualities that are both masculine and feminine.  She has that easy-going and “chivalrous" quality about her, as well as the sensitivity that we all look for in a person.  She is almost the perfect human being! 

I have been questioned and probed –- and teased -– by my fellow Sandynistas on my keen interest in Sandy Lopez and her relationship with Kerry Weaver, which I consider to be one of television’s most intriguing couples.  I think the fact that I care about them so much speaks volumes about the success of this storyline in making me more aware of gay people in general.  Sandy and Kerry are as real and human as any heterosexual couples I know, both in real life and on TV. 

Kerry Weaver’s journey of self-discovery, love and romance is a universal human journey. The private, elusive but brilliant Chief of Emergency Medicine, who rarely displays even a modicum of vulnerability, has finally met her match.  The moment Weaver met Lopez in “Partly Cloudy, Chance of Rain”, sparks flew and the two women established a connection through their shared determination.  They are strong, demanding, stubborn, and above all, passionate.   

Good drama is about exploring the human experience. The imperfections, the struggles, and yes, even the mistakes.  It’s about people learning from their mistakes, and finding their way back to one another.  It’s about forgiveness.  Sandy and Kerry are both wonderfully imperfect characters.  It’s what makes them human and real to us –- real people, not just lesbians. 

Recently, as I was browsing in the gay/lesbian magazine section at the local bookstore, I found myself looking over my shoulder, making sure no one I knew was around.  I was wondering –- and fearing –- what people thought of me… Do they think that I’m gay because I’m standing in front of the gay/lesbian magazines?  I was both amused and disgusted by my own paranoia.  How I wished Sandy were there to straighten me out (no pun intended)! 

I will admit that I have no gay friends.  I have no real insight into the day-to-day challenge, heartache, as well as the joy of being gay.  It had been a foreign “culture” to me, a culture that I had made little effort to understand, because it was not “about me”.  It was not until Sandy Lopez graced my TV screen and captured my attention that I found myself enlightened and touched, in more ways than I had ever imagined.   

Is the general audience ready to see a lesbian romance?  Are we ready for the truth?  Are we ready to be taken on a journey of self-discovery?  It is indeed “about all of us”.  It’s about the discovery of our capacity for tolerance and openness.  It’s about the discovery of our shared ideals, hopes and dreams. 

Heroes come in all shapes and sizes, like a fictional lesbian firefighter, and sometimes they find you when you least expect them.  Don’t be afraid of where the journey may take you.

 

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