Lana Crawford

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Lana Crawford
First appearance	2004
Last appearance	2005
Cause/Reason	returned home to Canada
Information
Gender	Female
Occupation	Schoolgirl
Relatives	Sindi Watts (cousin) Penny Watts (cousin)
Portrayed by	Bridget Neval

Lana Crawford was a fictional character in the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Bridget Neval. She first appeared in 2004 then left in 2005. She was the soap's first openly lesbian character.

[edit] Character biography

After moving from Canada to Australia, Lana attends a private high school where she develops a crush on her best friend Leane, and tells her of her feelings. Word quickly spreads through the school and Lana's friends are disgusted with her sexual preference. It is for this reason that the principal recommends that she transfer to the public Erinsborough High School.

It is here that she becomes reacquainted with Serena Bishop, who along with Lana had previously posed as a model for a sleazy photographer named Chris, for whom they share a mutual disgust. Shortly after, Lana has lunch with Serena's cousin Sky Mangel, during Serena's absence. Lana, who is desperate to hide her sexuality, voices a number of homophobic comments which appalls Sky, who abruptly leaves. As Sky and Lana spend more time together (as a result of Serena and Sky living together). Sky begins to see a different side to Lana, and begins calling her Enigma Girl. Sky and Lana's relationship only worsens, when in another attempt to hide her sexuality, Lana fabricates a crush on fellow student Boyd Hoyland, not knowing that he was in fact Sky's boyfriend. This ultimately ends in a fight and Lana and Sky are both given detention. It is in detention that Lana first notices a drawing that Sky has done of her, naming her Enigma Girl. They decide to make a comic book based on themselves, with Lana as Engima Girl, and Sky as Freak Girl, much to the confusion of Serena who expected them to be at each others throats while in detention.

One night Sky invites Lana to stay over to watch old movies. They playfully fight over the remote and Lana kisses Sky before running out of the house. Sky runs after her but instead meets Boyd, and tells him what happened. Lana ends up at the Coffee Shop where she speaks to her cousin Sindi and reveals to her that she is gay. The following day Lana attempts to laugh off the kiss, but Sky pushes until Lana admits that she is gay. Sky doesn't care that Lana is gay, and wants the two to remain friends, and agrees not to tell anyone about Lana's secret.

Meanwhile, Boyd has told Stingray, Serena's ex-boyfriend that Lana is gay, and Stingray tells Serena who, feeling betrayed outs Lana on a blackboard. Lana seeks to disprove the rumours, by dating Brendan. However she cannot go through with the lie, and with Sky's help, comes out.

Sky and Lana later publish their comic in a gay underground magazine. It is here that Lana meets another lesbian Denise who calls herself Buffy. However their relationship ends after a double date with Sky and Boyd where Buffy notices that Lana is in love with Sky. Lana later asks Sky on a date, stunning Sky who remains silent which causes Lana to leave.

Later Lana confesses to Sky that her father, an engineer, has been offered a job in Toronto and that she will be returning to Canada. As a way of saying goodbye the two sneak into the garden at Lassiters Hotel at night and plant rows of flowers. They spend the night in the garden and watch as the confused guards notice the flowers in the morning. In a moment of excitement Sky kisses Lana before they are spotted and run off.

Later at school, Sky realises that Lana has misinterpreted the kiss as something more than what is was and tells her that at one point she was confused about her sexuality but now realises that she loves Boyd, and is not gay, almost destroying their friendship.

Lana and Sky sustain their friendship and attend the end of year dance at school where Lana meets George, another lesbian who left a note in Lana's locker asking her to the dance. However Lana thought that it was a joke from a guy and disregarded it. Lana and George dance and spend the rest of the night talking.

George and Lana share a tearful goodbye as she leaves for Canada. Lana however stays in contact with Sky, sending her emails and on one occasion a birthday present.