Word up on this Wednesday!
Bad news first: Martina Navratilova is fighting breast cancer. She was on Good Morning America today discussing her diagnosis, saying the day she found out was her “own personal 9/11.”
The good news? The out tennis champ said she caught it early and is in recovery with a good prognosis. She’s a strong, strong woman and she also told Robin Roberts that she is getting a lot of support and help from friends and family. She’ll be doing a web chat tomorrow with AARP, for which she is a health ambassador, discussing cancer and radiation.
R.I.P. Dutch lesbian singer Sugar Lee Hooper. EurOut.org reports that the 62-year-old vocalist died after a hip surgery that put her into a coma she couldn’t come out of. Not only was she famous for her voice, but she was “the first Dutch celebrity to be married to a same-sex partner, Andrea van der Kaap.” Our condolences!
Fans of Janelle Monae will be very interested in how coy she is in an interview with The New Gay. When asked about her sexual preferences, she answers:
I love when I’m surrounded by very fearless individuals that don’t worry too much about how others may perceive them, their artistic vision or sexual orientation. I like people who are aware of stereotypes but they don’t care too much about it and they live their life very free. I like givers, lovers, imaginative minds. I just really like artists.
So Janelle’s androgynous style could be a look, or something more. Read into it what you will — and I’d like to read “Dates women.”
Road Rules alum Rachel Robinson recently paid a visit to a university in Florida where she spoke about being out and happy with who you are. She told the students:
Stop caring what everyone thinks, you’re never going to make everyone happy. I’m out and there’s nothing wrong with it.
She speaks the truth. Way to use your reality fame for good, Rachel. Now could you get back to making out with Jenn on a challenge so we can speculate about her sexuality? Thanks.
Our own Lesley Goldberg talked to recently out actress Meredith Baxter at Club Skirts The Dinah in Palm Springs this weekend, where she signed autographs and walked the runway for the fashion show. Baxter told us that while she doesn’t have any jobs coming up, she’s busy speaking for the Human Rights Campaign (about drugs and alcohol). When asked about how her life has changed since coming out, Baxter simply replied, “Less work,” but quickly added “I can’t blame it on that because work has just been really slow. It’s more to do with being a 62-year-old woman than anything; people don’t know what to do with you, so I can’t blame it on saying that I’m gay.” She told Lesley, “People in the gay community have been so kind and loving in saying thank you. I didn’t have any concept of what it meant to them. That’s been quite profound.”
Guess who is going to be playing gay? Emma Thompson has taken the role of an Australian lesbian — and it’s one that she wrote herself! She told the press she did some research, asking gay and lesbian friends about living down under.
Apparently the best place to grow up gay in Australia is Sydney, and the worst place is Darwin, so I might base it there.
Please don’t make it a sad story, Emma. If your character has to live in “the worst place,” then make the story hot, like secret trysts and bathroom makeouts set to Missy Higgins songs. Also, can we help cast your girlfriend? Might I suggest Meryl Streep? She can rock any accent.
Did you ever see the award-winning documentary Freeheld? It’s playing on Logo this month, and you can watch it for free online. Get your tissues ready.
Lastly, Joan Jett wants to tell you about being a vegetarian and how green it is.
Have a great hump day.
