It's a Wrap

October 16, 2008 - 8:48pm — OC Editor

A Message from Jennifer Beals

From ourchart

Well, it’s officially a wrap. Over hugs, speeches, champagne and a feast of hummus, pita and veggies (this is the lesbian show), we commemorated the final day of production on The L Word. While emotions were high and tears free flowing, the overwhelming sentiment was not one of sadness but of great accomplishment at having contributed in some fashion to this show—The L Word, which has hopefully broadened our collective Lesbian lexicon (beyond “hasbian” or “shouldbian”) and encouraged a worldwide conversation about inclusion, equality, sexuality, and respect.

Indeed, something about this show—the stories of family, friendship and love that we’ve tried to tell every Sunday for the past six years—have migrated off screen to inspire real change and real connection. There is this incredible, indelible community that has sprung up around the show, a community that gathers in homes and clubs, from Los Angeles to Topeka, Kansas and around the world. A community that, in some places, meets quietly in a lesbian bar that doesn’t even exist depending on whom you ask.

I’ve even seen this sense of community trickle down to envelop and inspire the crew that gathered last Monday night as we toasted the final shot of the final episode of the final season. Most of the crew has been there since our first shot. They poured the first prop lattes in The Planet. They hiked camera equipment up the freezing mountains of Whistler. They’ve built Bette and Tina’s House; Jenny and Tim’s Studio; Jenny, Carmen and Shane’s House; Max’s Studio. They’ve costumed dinner parties, gallery openings, movie premieres and shut down the streets of LA for traffic jams, high-speed car chases, Cobb salads at Toast, and helicopter landings.

Yet, perhaps one of the most visible manifestations of community is right here, on OurChart. I’m thrilled to announce that your recent contributions have put us far beyond our goal for the I Live Here Foundation with $6,060 raised. Moreover, your support of the Matthew Shepard Foundation, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and the I Live Here Foundation demonstrates how this community can and will transcend any television show to make a real difference. Yes, The L Word may have come to an end, but your generosity here has spoken loud and clear. We can have the final word on hate, neglect, disease and all the other insidious characters that still script their way into our stories...for now, but not forever.