'MY TWO LOVES,' ABC MOVIE AT 9, back in 1986!

The quality of this is a 9.

TELEVISION has generally been uneasy about lesbians.

A nadir of sorts was reached in the early 1970's when a television movie featured a gang of lesbian-toughs running an old-age home and sadistically beating up and even murdering the patients. Things have never been quite that outrageous since, but the subject of lesbianism clearly remains delicate, to say the least, for television. In ''My Two Loves,'' tonight's movie on ABC at 9, a character contends that lesbians are this country's ''largest invisible minority.'' Perhaps with that in mind, ''My Two Loves'' approaches the subject with a measure of candor and sympathy and then, in typical television fashion, discreetly withdraws before any difficult decisions have to be made.

Portrayed by Mariette Hartley, Gail is forced to move into more modest circumstances after her doctor husband is killed in a car accident. Having gone from her parents to college to marriage, she suddenly finds herself in the position of an ''independent woman.'' She has a teen-age daughter (Sara Inglis), who whines a lot about being neglected. Gail's own mother (Sada Thompson) is supportive and very eager to see her married again. And the divorced Dr. Ben Taylor (Barry Newman), who was the dead husband's former partner, has already started courting Gail with champagne and sleeping-over sessions at his bachelor digs.

Gail is frightened and confused. When she starts a new job as chef for a corporation, she is relieved to find that her new boss is a woman who seems unusually compatible. ''It feels good having real girl talk again,'' she says, ''I have no one to confide in, and I need that.'' Played by Lynn Redgrave, Marjorie is attractive, confident and without guile. Early on in the friendship, Marjorie confides that she is a lesbian and recently ended a seven-year relationship with another woman. Looking at the disconcerted Gail, she smilingly says, ''we don't all wear black leather and ride Harley-Davidsons.'' Marjorie insists that she doesn't want to make Gail nervous, but ''if I thought you'd consider me, I'd try to be your lady caller.''

In no time at all, Gail is caught between Marjorie on the one hand, and her mother, her daughter and Dr. Taylor on the other. Clearly, the script by Reginald Rose and Rita Mae Brown wants to give an impression of being balanced but the characterizations leave no room for doubt. Marjorie is virtually perfect - strong, compassionate and clear-eyed about being homosexual: ''We can lose our jobs, our promotions, our children, our family's respect. You're told never to tell a lie - unless you're gay.''

The other side is drawn in considerably less flattering colors. Dr. Taylor is a bumbling macho type, more concerned about his bruised ego than Gail's predicament. Marjorie finds him, with good reason, pathetically chauvinistic. Gail's mother is simply homophobic, determined to keep her daughter on the path of ''normality.'' And Gail's daughter is one of the more obnoxiously selfish teen-agers to pout her way across a television drama this season. Nevertheless, ''My Two Loves'' decides, in the last few scenes, to let Gail wriggle out of making any choices on camera. The sensitive issues have been raised. That seems to be television's cue to walk away from them.

''My Two Loves'' does give Miss Hartley and Miss Redgrave opportunities to shine in roles outside their customary boundaries, and both actresses splendidly transcend the inhibitions of the script and production. Passion between the two women is restricted to rather tentative hugging; ecstasy seems limited to washing each other's hair. Fifteen years ago, ''That Certain Summer'' looked at male homosexuals with studied tastefulness and unflagging decorum. Television has finally gotten around to doing the same for lesbians.

One of the first movies ever aired on TV with this subject.  Another was In The Glitter Palace, also offered on this site. 

If you find another in better condition, let me know.  I'm a collector!