Lawless Talks About Lesbian Fans
.c The Associated Press - 5 March 1999
NEW YORK (AP) -- Xena and Seven of Nine are two completely different television characters on two completely different shows. But they apparently share a common fan base: lesbians.
Lucy Lawless, who plays the title character on ``Xena, Princess Warrior,'' says lesbians gave the show its initial buzz.
``The lesbians were our first fans, especially the lesbian community in New York City. They really gave Xena a groove,'' Lawless tells the April 10 edition of TV Guide.
Jeri Ryan, who plays the half-human, half-Borg Seven of Nine on ``Star Trek: Voyager,'' says there was a petition drive on the Internet to turn Seven into a lesbian.
``Then somebody issues a fake press release announcing it was going to happen. Then all the fans got disappointed when it didn't. Well, not everyone. I don't know that mainstream America is ready for it. But who knows?''