"Gay and lesbian Americans have made important and lasting contributions to our Nation in every field of endeavor. Too often, however, gays and lesbians face prejudice and discrimination; too many have had to hide or deny their sexual orientation in order to keep their jobs or to live safely in their communities." — President Bill Clinton in a June 2 Pride Month speech.
"Since the Stonewall uprising in New York City more than 30 years ago, the gay and lesbian rights movement has united gays and lesbians, their families and friends, and all those committed to justice and equality in a crusade to outlaw discriminatory laws and practices and to protect gays and lesbians from prejudice and persecution. I am proud of the part that my Administration has played to achieve these goals. Today, more openly gay and lesbian individuals serve in senior posts throughout the Federal Government than during any other Administration. ... Yet many challenges still lie before us. As we have learned from recent tragedies, prejudice against gays and lesbians can still erupt into acts of hatred and violence. I continue to call upon the Congress to pass meaningful hate-crimes legislation to strengthen the Department of Justice's ability to prosecute hate crimes committed due to the victim's sexual orientation." — Clinton.
"This June, recognizing the joys and sorrows that the gay and lesbian movement has witnessed and the work that remains to be done, we observe Gay and Lesbian Pride Month and celebrate the progress we have made in creating a society more inclusive and accepting of gays and lesbians. I hope that in this new millennium we will continue to break down the walls of fear and prejudice and work to build a bridge to understanding and tolerance, until gays and lesbians are afforded the same rights and responsibilities as all Americans. NOW, THEREFORE, I, WILLIAM J. CLINTON, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim June 2000 as Gay and Lesbian Pride Month. I encourage all Americans to observe this month with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities that celebrate our diversity and recognize the gay and lesbian Americans whose many and varied contributions have enriched our national life." — Clinton.
"The best thing that's happened about it [ my coming out ] is nothing. The world didn't end, my career didn't come to a complete halt, I didn't get ridiculed, I didn't get yelled at. Life went on just as I'd hoped it would. I hope that is the thing that I can sort of give to people. Nothing went wrong, it's all going pretty darned well. I think that's the day that we're all kind of struggling toward; the day that will be the case for everyone, when everyone will be able to be out and who they are and no one will care ... and life will just carry on." — Actor Bill Brochtrup of TV's NYPD Blue, to Portland, Oregon's Just Out, April 7.
"Sean [ Hayes ] and I just have this simpatico that money can't buy. We feel each other's timing and we totally enjoy each other. I feel like our true affection for each other and our enjoyment of each other's humor also play a part in fleshing out the relationship between our two characters." — Actress Megan Mulally, Karen on Will & Grace, to TV Guide, May 20.
"While taking the part [ of Jack ] would seem to have been an obvious choice for Hayes, it was not an easy one. He was concerned that having back-to-back gay roles on his resume might pigeonhole him with casting directors [ he played gay for the film Billy's Hollywood Screen Kiss ] . Eventually he says he realized that—sexuality aside—Jack was a great character on a promising sitcom. In addition, the good buzz from Sundance [ film festival ] wouldn't last forever. ... Hayes, who says he is 'very happily single,' refuses to discuss his own sexuality. 'Right now I play a gay character on TV, and I want you to believe that he's gay,' he says. 'And when all this wonderfulness of Will & Grace ends, which I hope it never does, and I move on to other roles, hopefully you'll believe that I'm those characters as well. With the society that we live in today, I don't want to put anything into anybody's mind.'" — TV Guide.
"What's my purpose in life? I don't know yet. I am passionate about gay rights. If this is the biggest contribution I make to this world, that is OK. But there are a lot of other causes I believe in. I am all for animal rights. I like to speak for those who can't speak for themselves. The bottom line is this: I want to leave the Earth a better place than when I found it. Hopefully, I am doing my share." — Martina Navratilova to gfn.com, May 9.
"I get letters all the time from gay kids who can't tell their parents because they will be disowned. They thought about committing suicide until they saw me on TV. I was somebody they knew, and I was gay, too. My telling the truth makes a big difference between a kid pulling a trigger or not? Wow." — Navratilova to gfn.com .
"People who know me only by what they read in the newspaper or see on TV lately must think that my radio program concerns itself exclusively with the issue of homosexuality. In fact, I can't think of any topic that takes up less of my 15 hours a week of preaching, teaching and nagging about morals, values and ethics. If there is one issue that dominates my public discourse, it is the welfare, the well-being and the defense of children in America—all children, regardless of their race, religion, family situation or sexual orientation." — Dr. Laura Schlessinger in her May 13 syndicated column.
"Laura Schlessinger—a.k.a. Dr. Laura, based on her PhD in physiology—has been taken to task by the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council for characterizing homosexuality on her radio show as 'deviant,' 'dysfunctional,' 'aberrant,' 'abnormal' and biologically 'an error.' ... What is most astounding about 'Dr. Laura's' proposition is that she clearly missed taking a course in evolutionary biology. Biology is all about deviance. Species arise because variant traits are selected for by the environment. Because you can never tell which traits are going to be selected for, as a general principle, biology favours significant genetic variance in populations. Homosexuality seems to be among the variations favoured by nature in humans. We say this because, as far as we can tell, it is found in all cultures and throughout human history, not to mention in other species. ... 'Dr. Laura's' central intellectual failure is not that she gives offence to homosexuals, but that she gives offence to biology as it proudly proclaims: Variancy is part of normalcy. Back to school, Ms. Schlessinger." — Editorial, Toronto's Globe and Mail, May 16.
"If Laura does get her TV show, then it's time to really act up: I know many of you would find it divine to be seen, unexpectedly, by 90 percent of the country." — Out columnist Steven Drukman writing in the June issue.
"It is the most exciting—and I do not exaggerate—day of my life. It totally came as a surprise to me. I had no inkling. It was just like, 'Whaaat. I can't believe it! Me! Getting a dameship!" — Elizabeth Taylor as she was 'damed' May 16 in London.
