...So often the news shows characterize [ gay pride parades ] as freak shows.—The L Word star Jennifer Beals ( pictured ) .
'It [ being one of the interviewers on the Logo channel Democratic presidential candidates forum ] meant that I was grateful for my celebrity. And I know that we live in a world of celebrity worship or whatever it is—that we're celebrity-crazed. And know that I was asked to be on that because I am a name and it will bring people to watch it or something. I hope that I represented my community, and it's hard, the gay community, you can't get more different people. We're all the people in the whole world, we're not even all Democrats or liberals. And I hope that I brought a personal side to it. That's what I was asked to do and that is what I wanted to do, and I was so honored to be there and I learned a lot.' — Singer Melissa Etheridge to the San Diego gay magazine The BottomLine, Nov. 2.
'I was asked to sing at a NASCAR race last week. Any time I'm asked to go into the heart of fear of the people who fear gay people and think they don't know gay people, that's when I want to step up now. I'm through with the us and them thing. We are all just people. We need to stop being afraid.' — Singer Melissa Etheridge to the national lesbian magazine Curve, December issue.
'What really irritates me is that so often the news shows characterize them [ gay pride parades ] as freak shows. When I was there in San Francisco it was primarily families, so totally unlike what the media often tries to portray it as being. And it's really true that this is the way the media often tries to characterize the gay community—as a freak show. They don't look at people and their relationships, they don't look at the families, and in doing so it really makes it hard in terms of passing legislation for GLBT people regarding the most simple of rights, including basic things like hospital visitation. People aren't looking at gay couples other than as some form of bizarre entertainment. And that's really upsetting to me.' — The L Word star Jennifer Beals to QVegas magazine, November issue.
'For those who are not familiar with it, of the four nationally leading [ Republican ] candidates for president—and I count myself as one of those, but also Mayor [ Rudy ] Giuliani and Sen. [ John ] McCain and [ former Sen. ] Fred Thompson—there's only one of us who's in favor of a federal amendment to the constitution to limit marriage to the relationship between a man and a woman. And that's me.' — Mitt Romney speaking at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, Nov. 2. Some students booed and hissed.
'It's no fun to worry about holding hands in a public place and that some redneck is going to follow you in a pick-up truck and show you what it's like to be with a man.' — Crime novelist Patricia Cornwell to London's Telegraph newspaper, Nov. 26. Cornwell married Staci Gruber, a psychiatry instructor at Harvard Medical School, in February 2005.
'I went to Harvard to research neuroscience and was directed to meet with Dr. Gruber because she's so eminently respected. It was one of those things: You meet someone when you're not looking. I've never been a soapbox person for gay rights, but now I'm in a same-sex marriage I tend to be more open, because I am outraged that it should be illegal in other states. If we were outside of Massachusetts and Staci were in a horrible car wreck, a hospital could forbid me from seeing her. The federal government does not honor same-sex marriage, so couples can't file joint tax returns and, in terms of death benefits, people have to go to extraordinary lengths with lawyers to try to make sure that their partner isn't evicted from the home.' — Crime novelist Patricia Cornwell to London's Telegraph newspaper, Nov. 26. Cornwell married Gruber, a psychiatry instructor at Harvard Medical School, in February 2005.
—Assistance: Bill Kelley
