My father was brought up in an orphanage in the Catskills. He was a factory worker. And because his family wasn't there for him family was everything. We could disagree inside the house but outside the house it was us against the world. So when I became a drag actor he looked sideways but said okay.
I was a lesbian for a semester at Wesleyan - it was a graduation requirement.
My feelings for Ellen overrode all of my fear about being out as a lesbian. I had to be with her and I just figured I'd deal with the other stuff later.
My image had always been very heterosexual very straight. So it was a nice experience for me a chance to clarify my own feelings about gay and lesbian civil rights.
Our society needs to recognize the unstoppable momentum toward unequivocal civil equality for every gay lesbian bisexual and transgendered citizen of this country.
As a standup I try to change the world. As an entertainer I try to entertain. And as a lesbian I try to pick up the prettiest girl in the room.
The only way to get gay issues off the front pages of Canadian newspapers is to grant gay and lesbian people our full civil equality and leave it alone.