The premise of HBO's long-running series Sex and the City series is simple: the lives and loves of four sexually liberated, designer-clad New Yorker women who work, socialize, and search for the perfect man. Over the last six years, the show has been “must-see” for gay men and straight women.

But how has Sex and the City helped lesbian and bi visibility? Should this show even be remembered by the lesbian community and why?

When the show first premiered in 1998, many of us hoped that the character of Miranda Hobbes (Cynthia Nixon) would turn out to be a lesbian; the red-headed, career-driven lawyer who sometimes wore power suit with ties often seemed on the verge of coming out.

Our hopes were dashed, however, in Episode 3 when Miranda’s boss and his wife assume that she's a lesbian and decide to set her up with another woman. Miranda goes along with the date to make a good impressions, and even kisses the woman goodbye, but disappointingly acknowledges that she's “not gay.” The other woman, equally disappointed, agrees: “Nope. [You’re not].”

The character of pretty, traditional, and naive Charlotte (Kristin Davis), also takes a walk on the same-sex erotic side on a few occasions. In Episode 8 of Season 1, the character of Charlotte agrees to pick up a woman for a threesome; in Episode 18 of Season 2, she makes friends with Manhattan's “Power Lesbians," the wealthy and powerful lesbian women in New York City who are “chic” and “know the secrets to invisible make-up.”

Charlotte's free spirit and open-mindedness leads her to explore the lesbian culture, but she finally finds she just can't go there sexually. Finally, in Episode 4 of Season 3, Charlotte is asked to pose as a drag king for a male photographer; she takes him up on his offer and becomes a very sexy drag king for a day.

Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker) kisses a woman played by Alanis Morrisette at a house party in the same episode, a kiss that lasts a few seconds. Carrie is proud of herself for agreeing to kiss Alanis, but that is the first and last same-sex experience for her. She continues to look for love, but not of the same-sex variety

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