SheWired's Top 10 Women Who Love Women

For SheWired's  final Top 10 Women We Love of 2008, we decided that in light of recent political events, we would pay homage to those real life lesbian, gay or bi women who enter into middle America's homes via the small or big screens or the airwaves making it virtually impossible for the average Joe to say he or she doesn't know any gay people.

Typically, we here at SheWired love to honor and ogle Hollywood's hottest starlets -- gay, straight or otherwise inclined -- as long as they are LGBT friendly, play gay once or twice in their career, look good in fetish clothing like a cop uniform or a breastplate or admit to even a one-off best on-screen kiss with another woman.

But in the wake of Prop. 8, at a time when visibility is key, we offer SheWired's Top 10 Real Women Who Love Women. So vote often for the queen of daytime, Ellen Degeneres, her real-life Princess Portia de Rossi, recently out wickedly funny woman Wanda Sykes or SheWired's own celebrity vloggers Jill Bennett and Cathy DeBuono, who aren't only funny and easy on the eyes but they've been in the trenches fighting Prop. 8.

You voted throughout the month! And here are the results.

Be sure to check out this month's Top 10 Women We Love: The L Word, which is back in full swing for its sixth and final season on Jan. 18.

10. Cherry Jones

Two-time Tony Winner Cherry Jones made history in 1995 when she thanked her female partner in her acceptance speech for her award for The Heiress. A decade later she and her partner, actress Sarah Paulson, kissed during the live Tony's broadcast when Cherry picked up another award for Doubt. In 2001, the very sexy Cherry played a lesbian opposite Brooke Shields in the television film about a groundbreaking gay adoption case in Florida in What Makes a Family. These days, Cherry's rocking a power suit as President Allison Taylor in 24 and that's reason enough to tune in.

9. Cynthia Nixon

Sex and the City's producers gave the porcelain-skinned Cynthia Nixon's character Miranda the gayest, butchest storylines of the bunch for six seasons. But while Miranda never came out, Cynthia did. A Tony winner for Rabbit Hole, Cynthia kissed her partner Christine Marinoni on national television when she was announced as the winner. The talented thespian is slated to star as Penny Arcade in An Englishman in New York, the upcoming Quentin Crisp biopic.

8. Missy Higgins

Openly bisexual Aussie hit maker, Missy Higgins, wowed listeners with her 2004 album The Sound of White, which spawned the infectiously catchy "Scar." She's released On a Clear Night, garnering more attention a slew of ARIA Awards and plenty of titillation about her sexuality. And Missy just keeps saying the right thing in interviews. The adorable Missy threw her fans a bone when she admitted to AfterEllen.com in 2007 that her song "Secret" was indeed written for an ex-girlfriend.

 7. Portia de Rossi

The Aussie beauty is often known for being married to America's favorite talk show host Ellen Degeneres, but Portia de Rossi had already made a name for herself as a smokin' ice queen attorney on Ally McBeal. She followed that up with her turn as the self-involved hot mess Lindsay Bluth on the all-too short-lived series Arrested Development. With her August marriage to Ellen, Portia's one half of the most famous lesbian married couple on the planet.

6. Wanda Sykes

While she's never really denied it, wickedly funny Wanda Sykes made waves when she recently announced at the Join the Impact Prop. 8 rally in Las Vegas, that not only is she gay, but she's married. Adorable and outspoken Wanda has locked lips, albeit as a joke, with Julia Louis-Dreyfus on The New Adventures of Old Christine and she absolutely killed with her comedy on Cyndi Lauper's True Colors tour this summer.

5. Rachel Maddow

This out and proud media darling has a face for radio and TV as it turns out. The Advocate's recent Rachel Maddow cover asserted that she is the "smartest woman on TV," and that's pretty accurate. A voice of sanity on the airwaves during the primaries and the election season, The Rachel Maddow Show radio show airs on Air America, while she's tearing up the television on MSNBC. The big-brained babe, who happened to top the Out 100 for 2008, was the first openly gay person to become a Rhodes' Scholar. Hot and brilliant!

4. Leisha Hailey

The eat-her-with-a-spoon adorable L Word star Leisha Hailey -- the show's one avowed lesbian cast member since its inception -- has proven she's got enough star power for her own spin-off. Leisha's Alice heads to London to shoot a pilot this month. Meanwhile, the multi-talented Leisha's been out touring with her wildly successful band Uh Huh Her.

3. Ellen Degeneres

 A decade ago, Ellen Degeneres uttered three little words –- on the cover of Time magazine anyway –- heard round the world. With a simple “Yep I’m gay,” the beloved sitcom star became the first openly gay character in a lead role on television. A few years later she resurfaced as the queen of daytime bringing an unprecedented level of visibility into homes throughout the country. This summer she married her love, the stunning Portia de Rossi, also giving a face to the gay marriage movement.

2. Jill Bennett

SheWired.com's Jill Bennett has been a fiercely out actress from day one. The dark-haired, blue-eyed gorgeous Jill has played gay repeatedly including in here! Network's In Her Line of Fire, in which she tangles with lesbian icon Mariel Hemingway. She also heats things up on Dante's Cove and on the break-out lesbian web series 3-Way. True to her gay fans, she became a darling on the Web on AfterEllen.com's We're Getting Nowhere. Now, Jill's found a web home on SheWired, where she's been challenging the status quo with her vlog, The Violet Underground.

1. Cathy DeBuono

Another out actress from the get-go, tall drink of water with the great shoulders, Cathy DeBuono made a big splash when she starred as Risa, the hot love interest in Lee Friedlander's Out at the Wedding. Cathy's also appeared in Exes and Ohs and as a hilarious therapist in 3Way. With several projects in the works, Cathy's found a spot on SheWired.com for What's Your Problem, a vlog she originated on AfterEllen.com. But beyond her standard vlog, she and Jill Bennett have joined forces to protest Prop. 8 and to document it in their series of protests vlogs. Protesting is hot but it's even hotter when the ones doing it look like Cathy and Jill.