Pictured Anne Heche. Photo by Rex Wockner
'I am returning Assembly Bill 849 without my signature because I do not believe the Legislature can reverse an initiative approved by the people of California. I am proud California is a leader in recognizing and respecting domestic partnerships and the equal rights of domestic partners. I believe that lesbian and gay couples are entitled to full protection under the law and should not be discriminated against based upon their relationships. I support current domestic partnership rights and will continue to vigorously defend and enforce these rights and as such will not support any rollback. California Family Code Section 308.5 was enacted by an initiative statute passed by the voters as Proposition 22 in 2000. Article II, section 10 of the California Constitution prohibits the Legislature from amending this initiative statute without a vote of the people. This bill does not provide for such a vote. The ultimate issue regarding the constitutionality of section 308.5 and its prohibition against same-sex marriage is currently before the Court of Appeal in San Francisco and will likely be decided by the Supreme Court. This bill simply adds confusion to a constitutional issue. If the ban of same-sex marriage is unconstitutional, this bill is not necessary. If the ban is constitutional, this bill is ineffective.' — California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on his veto of a same-sex marriage bill.
'I really never kept my life private. Those who knew me, those who worked with me were all well aware [ I'm gay ] . And what I actually started doing was hosting [ the PBS gay show ] In the Life, and that was just kind of my way of saying, 'Here I am!'' —Singer Lesley Gore ( 'It's my party, and I'll cry if I want to' ) coming out in Boston's In Newsweekly, Sept. 16. She said she'd never been asked about it for publication before.
'You know, I understand why people might be interested. But I just don't talk about my personal life. It's a decision I made a long time ago, before I ever even knew anyone would be interested in my personal life. The whole thing about being a reporter is that you're supposed to be an observer and to be able to adapt with any group you're in, and I don't want to do anything that threatens that.' — CNN anchor Anderson Cooper when asked by New York magazine if he's gay, which has been reported in the gay press, Sept. 19.
'When I realize I'm 48, I think, 'Holy shit.' It's ridiculous. I can still run pretty fast. I'm faster than a lot of the girls on the tour. If we did a 50-yard sprint, I know I'd beat a lot of them. I'm a little bit of a freak of nature.' — Tennis champ Martina Navratilova to the British lesbian magazine Diva, October issue.
'I was asked frequently by other partners to help out, particularly in my area of expertise, [ and it ] often involved moot courting. And I never turned down a request. I think it's right that if there had been something morally objectionable, I suppose I would have. But it was my view that lawyers don't stand in the shoes of their clients and that good lawyers can give advice and argue any side of a case.' — U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts when asked in the Senate confirmation hearings about his pro bono work in favor of gay rights.
'Roberts repeatedly refused to answer questions about whether he agreed with Justice Thomas' conclusion, dissenting in Lawrence v. Texas, that sodomy laws criminalizing private adult intimacy do not violate the constitutional right to privacy. This suggests that his conception of privacy protections may be so narrow as to allow for gay people to be made criminals for private, consensual intimacy between adults.' — Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund announcing its opposition to George W. Bush's selection of John Roberts for U.S. chief justice, Sept. 19. Lambda's full statement: www.lambdalegal.org/cgi-bin/iowa/courtingjustice/index.html robertsopposition.
'My mother never approved of my relationship with Ellen [ DeGeneres ] . Her hatred for our relationship is one of the many things that ultimately led to my breaking off all communication with her. ( My mother, that is, not Ellen. ) The 'Ex-gay' events that are going on right now make me sick. The fact that my mother is using my name to promote this movement makes me even sicker. I could not disagree more adamantly with what she and her group of unloving, unaccepting, Bible preaching hate mongers are doing. ... I do not believe that homosexuality should be anything but celebrated if that is the thing that makes an individual feel good about their life. ... And for anyone who ever thought that Ellen and I broke it off because of sexuality, you couldn't be more mistaken. And for anyone who thought my mother's prayers had anything to do with me marrying a man, forget it.' — Actress Anne Heche writing at AnneHeche.com, in August.
'I would defy anybody—anybody in this chamber, anybody in Massachusetts—to say that the Apocalypse has come, yet some have predicted it. Sixty-five hundred married couples later, the sun still shines in Massachusetts. My coffee does not have curdled milk.' — Massachusetts state Sen. Jarrett Barrios on Sept. 14 as the Legislature overwhelmingly rejected a constitutional amendment to undo the state's legalization of same-sex marriage.
