Our Fave GLBT Personalities
Lance Bass Ellen Degeneres (& Portia) Wanda Sykes
Last year when we compiled our "top ten" lists we found that in several categories there were far too many choices to narrow it down to ten, let alone add an "honorable mention" list. In fact on several occasions we did a few entries that added to existing lists. So, you can expect the same here as we present those out personalities that we love.
Lance Bass. After he came out he proved that this action wasn't a speed bump, but a stepping stone. He appeared on Dancing With The Stars and it was rumored that he would have a male partner. But Bass showed he was more than a gay token and showed real talent which almost resulted in a win.
Ellen Degeneres. She and her beloved Portia wed this year and you can bet that efforts to disavow her marriage are going to met with a great deal of very vocal resistance. She invited candidates and political personalities alike on her show and while she made clear her political views, she kept it civil.
Wanda Sykes. We first heard of Wanda Sykes (literally) as a voice on Crank Yankers and later as herself on Curb Your Enthusiasm. As Barb, the friend of Julia Louis-Dreyfus' Christine on The New Adventures of Old Christine, she has become an increasingly pivotal character. Prophetically Barb & Christine got married (it was part of a business scheme) and after Prop 8 passed Wanda Sykes spoke at a rally outing herself ....all in a matter of fact manner. We loved her before, we adore her now.
Wilson Cruz. The sexy & well-built actor has done movies, TV, and stage work since he was first seen in My So-Called Life and he's been an activist, especially in the issues of GLBT youth. This year he was given the GLAAD 2008 Visibilidad Award at one of the ceremonies in Florida.
Cheyenne Jackson. Belatedly we put him on an addendum to last year's list and we've only grown to love him more. The star of Xanadu has had a busy year performing in virtually every media, including TV show guest spots. One of the highlights for us was his guest spot on the Today Show where he was needled by Kathie Lee Gifford and he was shown on camera mouthing the word "bitch" (which she is, by the way). Lucky Broadway audiences saw him in a special limited run of Damn Yankees (he played sexy Joe Hardy). Handsome, talented and true husband material. On his site his non-performing activities include "...volunteers his time to a host of charities, including amfAR, the ASPCA, Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, and theater workshops for inner-city youth. A passionate animal lover, he shares his Manhattan home with Zora, a gorgeous Lab/Rottweiler mix rescued from a Harlem animal shelter." Need we say more?
Wilson Cruz Cheyenne Jackson
Luke MacFarlane. As Scotty, the boyfriend and subsequent husband of Kevin on Brothers and Sisters, MacFarlane was the epitome of normalcy and a good counterpoint to the neurotic family he married into. Earlier this year he came out officially although it wasn't exactly a well-kept secret. But that's beside the point. He's still on our fave list.
Luke McFarlane Alec Mapa & Calpurnia Adams
Alec Mapa. Super-talented, witty, and always a joy to see in his one-man shows or in any role he plays in movies or on the small screen. Through his humor he's expressed the hopes and aspirations of many gay men. This year he became another face on the mural of gay marriage and we hope that 2009 re-validates that commitment.
Calpurnia Adams. This talented transgendered woman got here own limited reality series on Logo earlier this year and while the format wasn't ground-breaking (it was patterned after The Bachelor) it at least spotlighted a segment of the GLBT community that rarely gets treated with respect. We don't know what's next for the redhead but we'll be watching.
Reichen Lehmkuhl Neil Patrick Harris Rachel Maddow
Reichen Lehmkuhl. Ahh Reichen. It seems that the gay press often has it in for you, but you rise above it and still push on. He's worn many hats as an actor, writer, model, entrepreneur, etc and has done pretty well extending his fifteen minutes of fame as a reality star. No matter how you feel about him and his choices he remains his own person.
Neil Patrick Harris. Once again on our list Harris isn't a gay actor--he's an actor who just happens to BE gay. He continues to play a straight lothario on TV and his being openly gay doesn't make his character any less convincing. While there hasn't been a parade of gay actors (who play straight) coming out Neil Patrick Harris continues to provide a path just by being himself.
Rachel Maddow. During a very long political campaign season she became a very visible and popular political analyst at MSNBC while maintaining her own show at Air America. MSNBC took notice and she got her own show which has been a ratings winner ever since. She expresses her liberal views with clarity and with acrimony which has garnered her respect from both sides of the political spectrum.
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