Manuel here to share a rather beautiful coming out story from the Orange is the New Black set that has been spanning salacious headlines for the past twenty-four hours.
The short version: Lauren Morelli, a writer on the hit Netflix series has come out as a lesbian, and is now dating Samira Wiley (Poussey on the show, because, I mean, wouldn't you?)
The longer version: Morelli, who had married her longtime boyfriend months before starting work on Orange's first season, found, in writing Piper and Alex's relationship, "a mouthpiece for my own desires and a glimmer of what my future could look like." It was in working on the show that she came to terms with her sexuality and is no happily dating Wiley. What I love about these news is that in true Orange fashion, it comes armed with a fascinating take on sexuality and the power of artistic expression. In a piece for Mic published in May (ahead of the show's second season), Morelli wrote a heartfelt essay where she explored the nuances that "I'm getting divorced because I'm gay" didn't quite allow for. I can't help but have flashbacks to Cynthia Nixon's public coming out in 2004 which came equally loaded with fascinating and thoughtful conversations about lesbian identities in the public eye.
This got me thinking, with its female cast, its no-holds-barred take on sexuality, and its use of New York as both backdrop and character, is Orange is the New Black an unassuming heir to Sex and the City? More importantly, though, are you not totally thrilled about Poussey finding love? Does this news keep you sated as we continue to wait until next year for more stories of the Litchfield inmates?