Commonly referred to by the portmanteau "Lianca" (for Lena and Bianca), they were the first lesbian couple on an American soap opera.

Lena and Bianca's romance "quickly became a hit with viewers" and regularly surpassed older more established heterosexual couples for the number 1 spot on Internet and soap opera magazine readers' polls.

[1][2][3][4] The writers characterized resident lesbian and good girl Bianca Montgomery's romantic life as tortured; she consistently fell for heterosexual or unavailable women.

[2] When the series showcased her having fallen in love with best friend and confidante Maggie Stone (Elizabeth Hendrickson), this theme was continued.

Boyd was suspicious of Lena's intentions, and persuaded mother-figure Myrtle Fargate (Eileen Herlie) to chaperone the couple.

"[3] Michael Cambias, portrayed by actor William deVry, was scripted as Lena's business partner and lover.

[2][3] The writers showcased Lena's guilt regarding the takeover plan after she developed romantic feelings for Bianca.

"[3] To reunite the couple in dramatic fashion, the show had Myrtle urge Bianca to follow Lena to the airport and demand an explanation; on the April 23, 2003 episode, the two characters shared the first same-sex kiss in American soap opera history.

[1][2][3][4] "It's that kind of old romantic airport scene in which the two lovers decide whether they can take the risk and take a chance on love -- only it's two women this time," relayed Riegel.

"[3] The writers detailed "fun and daring" moves in the episode, such as having Bianca discuss with Myrtle her confusion about Lena leaving her.

"[1] Even though the couple had recently started "dating" again, as the writers also scripted a love triangle including Maggie, there was an apparent double standard regarding intimacy between the same-sex lovers; in the entire year of Lena and Bianca's on-again, off-again relationship, the two women had only kissed twice onscreen.

[1] The final obstacles given to the couple's onscreen intimacy were Bianca's rape by Michael and pregnancy with his child, which were controversial and seen by viewers as desperate attempts by the network to avoid lesbian love scenes.

The United Kingdom had featured its first lesbian kiss between fictional characters on the soap opera Brookside ten years earlier in December 1993, portrayed by actresses Anna Friel and Nicola Stephenson.

Star Jones introduced the segment by stating that All My Children had dealt with a number of controversial topics, including "AIDS, abortion, drug abuse, racial prejudice, and teenage alcoholism, but no storyline has generated the kind of buzz as the lesbian kiss".

[4] The kiss was shown to the audience and followed up with questions by the hosts consisting of whether the actresses were nervous acting out the intimate scenes and what it was like to portray lesbians.

Stephen Tropiano of PopMatters said, "In perhaps what could be a step in the right direction, daytime television has at last included the first on-screen kiss between a same-sex couple."

He stated, "Over the years, television has repeatedly made the same point by treating a kiss exchanged between two members of the same sex as something out-of-the-ordinary and unnatural.

It's the network brass more than television series writers and producers who have reinforced society's negative attitudes toward public displays of affection between gay and lesbian couples by treating same-sex kissing as a taboo subject.

[4] When asked if soap opera fans were ready for the kiss, Riegel stated, "I know that on the (Internet) message boards, there is a small but vocal minority that didn't want to see this.

[1] The pairing "quickly became a hit with viewers" and regularly surpassed older more established heterosexual couples for the number 1 spot on Internet and soap opera magazine readers' polls.

She donated her time to fan sponsored fundraisers that raised money for several charities connected to the Lena and Bianca storylines.

[1] AfterEllen.com cites that lesbian and bisexual women do not have "many characters" they can call their own, and had never had a daytime couple that they "could pin [their] hopes and dreams on".

The website stated that "one of the main reasons that viewers both gay and straight" thoroughly liked this pairing "was the amazingly realistic portrayal of two people in love who just happen to be women".