Wanda Sykes: "I'm Proud To be Gay"

LAS VEGAS — Comedian Wanda Sykes says the passage of a same-sex marriage ban in California has led to her be more outspoken about being gay.

"You know, I don't really talk about my sexual orientation. I didn't feel like I had to. I was just living my life, not necessarily in the closet, but I was living my life," Sykes told a crowd at a gay rights rally in Las Vegas on Saturday.

"Everybody that knows me personally they know I'm gay. But that's the way people should be able to live their lives," she said.

Sykes, who is known for her feisty and blunt style, said the passage of California's Proposition 8 made her feel like she was "attacked."

"Now, I gotta get in their face," she said. "I'm proud to be a woman. I'm proud to be a black woman, and I'm proud to be gay."

Sykes' appearance at the Las Vegas rally surprised organizers. She was in town performing at the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino.

Comments

[RobHughey]

I had absolutely no idea Wanda Sykes was gay.

...that just makes me like her even more. This woman is FUNNY! And I'm proud that she's opening up and coming out.

Good for you Wanda.

[TrevorAlan]

We need Wanda for Secretary of State. She acually has government experience occasionally.


But seriously, do you think North Korea or Iran are going to risk going up against HER stare? They can ignore Clinton, but would YOU risk the wrath of Wanda?

[Irishfly]

I sure wouldn't. She's like a superheroine- shooting 'em down with a single look and a raised eyebrow.

[lizr]

not me for sure!

[blooddoc]

Nowhere in the synoptic gospels - the writings supposedly describing what Jesus said and did - does Jesus mention homosexuality. The passage in Leviticus was written at a time when men still believed that the woman played no direct role in reproduction, only serving as fertile ground for the man's "seed." The passages mentioned in Romans were written by a man (the apostle Paul) whom some biblical scholars believe had homosexual attributes which may or may not have been acted upon. All this is by way of saying that atavistic attitudes about homosexuality benefit no one. It's the twenty-first freakin' century - gays were with us before recorded time, so people just need to get over it!

[olddaddymix]

I am a Christian. Homosexuality is something I do not belive in. What I'm checking out here on this site are all the Christians lining up to berate and critisize others. Christianity teaches not to judge. Judging is for God. If you don't belive in God that's your business. If you are gay thats your business. I might not belive in being gay, but I think its wrong to take away basic benefits to same sex unions that may have put in more years than most straight couples. Sexuality should have nothing to do with who a person may want to make their beneficiary, or spend the rest of their lives with.

[adampap]

actually common decency teaches people not to judge. the bible put together a pretty long list of people we should judge as sinners and subsequently stone to death. i agree with your stance, but religion is the problem here.

[SteveDenver]

Hey Old Daddy,

I don't believe in Jesus rising from the dead and ascending into the clouds where he watches over sports games, delivers Grammy Awards, decides Lotto winners, blesses televangelists with millions of dollars, and lets non-Americans live in suffering and poverty.

As for homosexuality, I have to believe in it: it's all around and it's real.

Thanks for supporting basic human rights. It incenses me every time I hear some death row inmate has gotten married to some weirdo on the outside -- no procreation there. Meanwhile, my doctor and his artist husband's marriage is not legally recognized.

While drunken frat boys and Vegas pole dancers can get married in 15 minutes, religious groups are screaming that marriage is sacred... at least when gays and lesbians want it.

[madinirose]

You go, boy! What you say is the pure essence of tolerance. Tolerance is just as important as acceptance or advocacy.

[Conk]

Bible Smible. It was written by men during dark ages. Wake up, it's all myth. "God" created gay people at birth. Easily proven. There are hundreds of ways things can go awry when the early fetus/zygote is determining the gender. Anything along a wide band of events can transpire. Ambiguous gential, macho gay, feminine gay, no genitals, men with women's brains, women with men's brains. Narrow, uneducated people need to learn a few things and stop judging others.

[lizr]

I prefer to think that God makes no mistakes and these "variations " are all here for a very good reason.

One reason might be to teach us to be more accepting of differences and to quit judging each other in our flawed humanness..

[walkonsatisfied]

Amen

[bintalshamsa]

Thank you so much for saying this Lizr. As a disability activist, it can be so hard to get this message out to people. All of these features are well within what the human species normally produces. My cancer and my lupus are no different from my left-handedness and my brown eyes. They are just a part of what makes me who I am. They are not defects nor are they cases of genes gone awry. The same is true for being lesbian, transgendered, gay,cis-gendered, bisexual, queer, intersexed, heterosexual, asexual et cetera.

I think that Conk is on the right path because (s)he is already to the point where (s)he understands that we shouldn't be judging others and we should all strive to be life-long learners instead of being quick to think we already have all of the answers. We're on this journey together, right? Personally, I'm glad to share this planet with so many different kinds of souls. It makes life a lot more interesting and beautiful to me!

[Ireply]

Throwing biblical quotes at people is not productive and frankly insulting and have nothing to do with the point. There are human beings that do not believe god. There are those that are certain there is no god.
Take your hatred to your god. Hope your god teaches you a lesson.

[TennysonKpohraror]

It is not hatred to warn someone not to offend a Longsuffering, Holy, Righteous and Just God that rained fire and brimstone on unrepentant homosexuals in the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19:24; Jude 7). Unbelief did not save the unrepentant sinners of Sodom, and unbelief will not save anyone from the Lake of Fire and Brimstone (Revelation 21:8)

[CTariannaFan]

Nor did it save the Big Bad Wolf from the woodsman. Nor did it save Sisyphus from his fate. We all have our fables and mythology. And while it is lovely that you have found such certainty in the Bible as God's true word, we are NOT a theocracy and our laws should not take your book of stories into account any more than they should be based on a David Sedaris book.

[HotheadPaisen]

How much time do you spend trying to save people from the evils of consuming shellfish or pork. How much time do you spend protesting business that operate on the Sabbath? How offended are you that some men shave their beards and the menstruating women are not sequestered from society? How much time do you spend selecting which animals to sacrifice?

If your answer is "none", please explain why you cah choose to attack some of Gods children with obsolete texts, but you yourself can ignore those that you find personally disagreeable to your lifestyle?

Seriously. I ask this of every Christian that uses the bible to rationalize their persecution of Gays, but funny thing... none of them can answer it.

[Ireply]

ok, I stand corrected. you did not express hatred but felt the need to open up with the word "pity"...
Bottom line, and this has nothing to do with homosexuals or any other group of people:
There is no god, there is no evidence of god.
There is no proof of "fire and brimstone"..

[PJBroughton]

Since you seem to be literate, may I suggest you explore the history behind the creation and writing of that book you love to quote.

It was a POLITICAL creation combining both Christian and Pagan belief systems in order to foster a more maleable society. It originated with the formation of the Catholic Church approximately 1,700 years ago, and has been reintepreted and rewritten hundreds of times since then by MEN to suit their own personal or political agendas. There is nothing of God in it.

[inluvwkeitholbermann]

please spare me the hypocritical biblical BS and toss your bible into the "lake of fire and brimstone" along with the other rubbish!

[Maygressive]

Gay or Straight, she is still annoying

[inluvwkeitholbermann]

LMAO!!!!!!!!!

so true..........i'll never forget how at the emmy's a few years back, bill cosby sat there with his shades on as she tried to engage him and then he finally said......"it's called english! learn how to use it!!!"


word to wanda: get a new schtick or go away!

[SteveDenver]

Glad you read the story. She's one of my favorite comics, so here's to diversity.

[Syco]

Is anybodt really surprised by this?

i know I wasn't/.

[barackobama4prez]

i was surprised....and i like her. wanda is cool. she was with her hubby for years.....life is short! be happy....

[inluvwkeitholbermann]

i was...but i still don't care

[SteveDenver]

When you and Mr. Olbermann finally hook up, can you please kick his ass to get out and vote? You could do it together. Voting doesn't destroy objectivity, religion does.

[stewmaj]

Wanda is by far the funniest comedian. I look forward to her when she appears on Jay Leno from time to time.

[RJSquirrel]

this really should not be an issue. People's personal orientation is just that...personal.

Always amazes me that the republicans, who want less government, want the government involved in such issues.

My only comment would be as to Prop 8 and related issues, where was the gay community BEFORE the election. They shoulda been out there before the election, NOT afterwards.

[juzcuz]

who I love is nobody's business but mine and my life partner's. Who you hate is the country's business. Don't hate me for who I love. I don't care who you love...could care less, actually.

[lizr]

Hello- the GLBT community was busy trying to get the big O elected.

So this is the payback we get....

[inluvwkeitholbermann]

ouch!!

don't worry.....we're gonna work together to come to some understand­ing.....di­scriminati­on of ANY kind is wrong........no more "hiding the muslims and gays at the stump speeches".

while i am personally angered and saddened by what happened with prop 8, you can't honestly think that john and sarah would have done better.

hang in there....your change is coming, too.

[MoeB]

It's called multi-tasking.

In any event, the time for blaming has passed. Now what is needed is action to get this overturned. Pointing fingers at this point is counterproductive.

[bintalshamsa]

The payback? From who? The people who funded Prop. 8 weren't Obama supporters.

[wembles]

people are people. plain and simple. i hate
labels.

[ohioan73]

I never even thought about Wanda Sykes sexuality. I don't care who people sleep with. If everyone was like me, there would be no "coming out" hoopla because this kind of news is a yawner for me.

[javagirl322]

me too... who cares?

[antaeus]

Young gays and lesbians living in isolation whose insecurities can be allayed by seeing public role models.

[lizr]

yes it is a really big deal, the public climate.

Check out the gay youth suicide stats...

[Martha601]

I agree that the word "proud" makes it seem like something abnormal. I have never said that I'm proud to be heterosexual because there is no need. I just am. Nothing to brag on or be ashamed of but nothing to talk about. I LOVE WANDA!!! And I didn't even know and I don't care because I didn't like her because I thought she was heterosexual, I liked her because she's funny as hell. I LOVE ELLEN too. I don't even understand why Prop. 8 was on the ballot but in time everything will work out. I guess instead of proud, maybe they should say that they're not ashamed. It sounds better but whatever, that doesn't really matter either.
Who I don't like that is gay is Rosie O'Donnell. Why? Because it seems that she defines herself ONLY as a gay woman. If I were to describe a "straight" actor like Robert DeNiro, I wouldn't say he's talented and handsome and heterosexual (see the difference). Ellen, I would say she is wonderful, funny, beautiful, Wanda the same. Rosie, I would say was just gay.

[CTariannaFan]

The reason people proclaim their "pride" is to reclaim the distinction of which they are proud. Typically, such statements are made when that distinction has been used to diminish their humanity in the past. That is why people say they are proud to be black, Jewish, gay, Latino or any other group which has been historically marginalized. When people ask things like "what if I tried to have a white pride month?" it drives me nuts, despite being a straight, white male. We don't need to claim our pride. It has been foisted upon the world for centuries. Neither should we be in any way ashamed for what we are, but we have not faced the same kinds of inter-generational struggles to assert our equality and humanity.

[Patchdee]

As a 61 year old white woman I agree! When a group has been persecuted for centuries as have the gays, I am thrilled to see individuals stand up and say "I am here and I deserve the same rights as the rest of the people". All citizens should applaud these brave people. Enough young gay men and women have died (by their own hand or the hand of bigots around the).

[JohnShank]

Wanda Sykes, gay? You're kidding!! I have the same goose bumps as when I heard that Rosie O'Donnell, Ellen DeGeneres or Clay Aiken came out. We knew. And I think that gays and lesbians should have the same rights and benefits as anyone else. What they do with consenting adults behind closed doors is their business, not mine and certainly not the churches. If they don't get to hav the same rights they should get to pay 80% less in taxes. Otherwise, it is patently unjust and unAmerican.

[kennyfasugbe]

In the world of the "God Says Sos", they would love to tax the gays for being gay, because they have to look at them in the streets.

[donveylindsey]

donvey lindsey that is no suprise

[Vixter]

I am a hetro female, 'living in sin' for 19 yrs, and I was flabbergasted when I found out that in the state of Missouri there is no such thing as a common law marriage. So I guess that puts me in the same position as many gay couples - except that this is my choice.. I just find it amazing that so-called Christians could teach intolerance & hatred to their young.

I was raised in a Catholic family, & survived attending Catholic grade school & high school - I always believed that God (or however you define the afterlife) was based on LOVE. It can be such a cold & lonely world if you have no one that loves you unconditionally, & I don't understand why pseudo-Christians would care who you come home to at night.

As for the folks who are saying that the gay population is a small minority...it is the same percentage of the population that are left-handed -10%. That's one of those weird statistics that stick in my mind. Should we start regulating whether left handed people should procreate? Sounds as ridiculous as telling someone who they should love.

[Agnim]

Being 'left-handed' compared to being gender-confused? lol

Inescapable proof that those with the birth/behavioral defect of homosexuality is mentally mixed up, is the childish attempts at arguments to justify support for a behavior that is societally worthless and an increased threat to children.

[StopThePlanet]

Sounds like somebody is very insecure.

[jones]

Why don't you try it out before you say stuff like this? YOu may find it very enjoyable.

[Strobe74]

Death of the English language..

I think supporting and promoting bigotry and hatred is more socially worthless. They aren't affecting others.. you are. Mind your own da.mn business.

[JohnShank]

Your response shows such an extraordinary amount of ignorance, it is hard to know where to begin. Let's begin with the most backward of your many ill-informed statements. Somehow you believe that homosexuality is an increased threat to children. How is it an increased threat? Are there statistics on this? And anyone who sexually abuses a child is pedophile. A heterosexual man playing around with an underage girl is not performing a heterosexual act. It's pedophilia and/or statutory rape. The next backward statement, "a behavior that is societally worthless"... how is homosexual sex any less worthwhile than heterosexual sex done with birth control? Your ignorant statements mean you either are part of the delusional evangelical christian crowd or you are delusional for other reasons. Either way, get enlightened and soon!

[juzcuz]

I pray that you have a gay child or grandchild someday.