Oprah Winfrey: "Gayle And I Are Friends, Not Lesbian Lovers"

[matcom]

<snip>

They're not gay -- not that there's anything wrong with that.

In the August issue of "O" magazine, Oprah Winfrey opens up about those gay rumors involving her and best friend Gayle King.

She said she can see why people think they're an item, because they're always together.

She said people ask, "How can you be this close without it being sexual?” But she said it's not. She said the problem is "there isn't a definition in our culture for this kind of bond between women."

Plus, Winfrey said if they were gay they'd admit it, because there's nothing wrong with being gay. King said the rumors used to bother her, adding "it's hard enough to get a date on Saturday night."

But King said she doesn't care anymore.

http://www.wftv.com/entertainment/9526868/detail.html

[LostinVA]

1. I believe Oprah would say she was gay if she was n/t

[progmom]

2. and regardless...

that is a really classy response. i don't care what everyone says - i like Oprah. :shrug:

[TheFriendlyAnarchist]

3. Bet ya like Olive Garden too dont you!

:grr:










j/k :P :hide:

[progmom]

4. rofl

Misunderestimator and I were in NY last month and HAD to take this picture with my cell phone:



I was going to start a thread about it, decided enough Olive Garden damage had been done.

And...for the record...I prefer not to eat at Olive Garden. But in Ann Arbor, we have a lot of good choices for Italian food. :)

[TheFriendlyAnarchist]

14. Lol, one of my secrets is that I actually like some Olive Garden

If you want Italian here, it's that or Carrabas (sp?), which is $15-$20 a person

[progmom]

16. We have a Macaroni Grill right down the road from Olive Garden

That's my choice for generic Italian chains.
But I totally get what it's like living somewhere where you *don't* have a lot of dining options. I grew up in a town of less than 10,000 people. Driving 20 minutes to the nearest Friendly's was a huge treat.

[TheFriendlyAnarchist]

22. Well, I live in the 'burbs, so we have tons of options for eating out

But there are only a few places I can think of that aren't chains (A few random mexican places, and a BBQ place that may or may not be a chain). But hey, you get used to what you have.

[sasquatch]

88. Where do you live at in Dayton?

I live in Carlisle BTW.

[TheFriendlyAnarchist]

89. Miamisburg, to be precise. About a 15-30 minute drive to downtown Dayton

from here

[sasquatch]

91. Where at in Mimisburg?

Could you PM me please, maybe we could meet sometime.

[LostinVA]

19. An Olive Garden in NYC is just.... so wrong

[LostinVA]

18. Me too! The negative Oprah comments on here mystify me

[Midlodemocrat]

5. I love Oprah.

I think she is one class act. And, of course, there is nothing wrong with being gay, but why do people have to sexualize every relationship? If a guy and a woman are really close, people just can't believe they aren't having sex. I don't get it. My best friend is single. I'm not. We're friends. We love each other, but we're not having sex. I don't get it. :eyes:

[matcom]

6. yes you are

you're having sex. i have the pics :hide:

[Midlodemocrat]

8. Asshat.

:smooch:



Can you send them to my husband? He's in need of cheering up.

[Misunderestimator]

7. Because people just love to gossip.

:shrug:

And I guess everyone wants everyone to be gay! :D

[Midlodemocrat]

9. OMG! I think you're right.

That must be the gay agenda everyone is always talking about!!! I believe someone somewhere indicated that if you saw Brokeback Mountain you would 'turn' gay!!! :bounce:

[begin_within]

25. So that's what that application form included with the DVD was for.

[LostinVA]

20. Everyone really secretly wants to be a lesbian

Because we are so cool... and we get to kiss chicks...

[ScreamingMeemie]

23. AND...

my toaster burned out last week. :) :hi:

[LostinVA]

27. That's not as cool as kissing chicks

on edit: The newest toaster oven model is headed your way via DHL...

[ScreamingMeemie]

10. While I don't care for Oprah, I find this kind of speculation ridiculous..

(that only took me five attempts to spell correctly). Why does anyone care what anyone else does in their spare time. Don't get me wrong, I love me my People Magazine, but these kinds of things make me scratch my head. :hi:

[Midlodemocrat]

11. You know what I think is even worse?

When people speculate, or gossip, as MisU said about IRL people. I'm sure we all know someone who has been the victim of awful slander that was unwarranted. I don't get it. Why do people care so much about what others are doing? Talk about pissing in the wheaties.


:hi: Mrs. G! How's your dad doing?

[ScreamingMeemie]

13. Well Oprah is an IRL person. I think anyone's relationship is their own.

But, if you take a star...or a non celeb person...who puts themselves out there, I guess one should expect it. Take Britney and KFed.

On edit: He's doing really Good! :) Thanks for asking. :hug:

[Blue-Jay]

12. I thought she and Stedman were lesbian lovers!

:yoiks:

[begin_within]

24. No, Oprah is his boy toy.

[meegbear]

15. I'll sleep better tonite knowing that ...

thank you!!!

[idgiehkt]

17. this statement is kind of weird:

"there isn't a definition in our culture for this kind of bond between women."

um, friend, maybe?

being called gay isn't 'awful slander' either.

[GirlinContempt]

21. 'awful slander'

I think many things that are said aren't necessarily bad in and of themselves, but the intent and use of the gossip defines the awful slander factor.

[idgiehkt]

36. I think the only thing slanderous about it would be her unfaithfulness

to steadman or something.

Honestly, I have never heard it implied she's gay until today. How weird, I didn't even know that was a rumor. I used to hear that about Whitney Houston all the time, though.

[Yavin4]

26. I Don't Believe Oprah

She'd never admit to having a Lesbian relationship because she knows that her show would get pulled in the red states. Even Ellen has to stay in the closet to get accepted by middle America.

[LostinVA]

28. Oprah wouldn't be pulled because her fans wouldn't care

And, since when has Ellen been in the closet??? Maybe like 13 years ago. She certainly isn't now.

[ScreamingMeemie]

31. I don't see Ellen hiding in a closet at all...

She's out and about, with her girlfriend all the time. Almost always a shot of them at awards shows in the magazines, as it should be. I think you have the wrong Ellen. :hi:

[L A Woman]

38. and her career is going extremely well...

i think even middle America appreciates those who are just themselves. no one seems to give a shit that she is a lesbian.

[LostinVA]

44. Her very toothsome girlfriend, too n/t

[tigereye]

29. women who are always together are not always lesbians -

some are, some aren't. Lots of women in society spend a lot of time with other women, best friends, business acquaintances, etc. :shrug:

[L A Woman]

30. It hurts the gay community to spew this kind of nonsense....

I have several gay male friends who never stop yabbing about how Tom Cruise is gay (as well as every other good looking movie star, but never the ugly ones). Of course, there is nothing gay about Tom Cruise or any of the others and there is no evidence whatsoever that they are gay - but there is a mountain of evidence that they are straight.

In my experience this is one of the main reasons we are so hated - the perception that gay people want everyone else to be gay.

This is not 1955. People "come out" all the time. Probably the reason Oprah hasn't is because she isn't gay. Tom Cruise's three marriages and three children (plus the fact that he has stated, "I am not gay") are clues that he is not gay. NOTE TO GAY MEN - just because you fantasize about them doesn't mean they are gay.

As a lesbian, this is a huge pet peeve of mine. If we want straight people to accept us for who we are, we have to show them the same courtesy.

end ranty rant.

[Misunderestimator]

32. Why do you think it's gay people saying she's gay?

If only some small portion of gay people (which only represents somewhere between 5-10% of the population anyway) were saying it, no one would even pay attention. The gossip isn't coming from gay people... it's coming from straight people.

And I don't get how it's damaging to us anyway.

(edited typo)

[Skittles]

33. I'm confused here too

I'm not gay, but I was never under the impresson gays want everyone to be gay. I HAVE seen many straight folk project the gay label in a derogatory way to anyone not fitting their impression of what straight should be. And I don't know if Mr. Cruise is gay or not but the notion that marriage to a member of the opposite sex and having kids means one is not gay is ridiculous - society and religion have made many people live lives they otherwise would NOT live.

[Misunderestimator]

35. You are absolutely correct.

1. It's normally used as an insult by straight people and 2. Marriage and kids definitely does not preclude one from being gay.

And the assumption that it not being 1955 now and that all gay celebrities would naturally come out as gay is absolutely ludicrous, especially given today's climate and our STILL being second-class citizens. Now more than ever, it would be idiotic (or heroic) for a celebrity to come out. I don't care whether Oprah or Tom are gay, but I certainly wouldn't blame them for not wanting to be out if they are.

[L A Woman]

37. I agree...

with your first two points, but that's not what i was saying.

There is a huge difference between the climate of Rock Hudson's day and the climate of today. There is likewise a huge difference between not coming out and flat out saying I AM NOT GAY. Kevin Spacey, Jodie Foster and Lily Tomlin are three examples that come to mind. They just live their lives very quietly. The don't parade around with people of the opposite sex or MARRY people of the opposite sex or HAVE CHILDREN with people of the opposite sex and they don't say I AM NOT GAY.

I wouldn't blame Tom Cruise for not coming out, either, if he were gay. But to suggest that all of his marriages have been fake and he is a liar is a horrible thing to say and it hurts the gay community very, very badly because it "proves" the point of those who accuse us of recruiting others and not being happy unless everyone else is gay.

[Misunderestimator]

39. Sorry, but some people do marry the opposite sex to maintain a facade.

I've known some, and not just celebrities. I don't think it hurts the gay community ONE IOTA for straight people (and maybe a few gay people) to speculate as to whether Tom is gay. Who cares? How does it hurt us?

Straight women are always saying "If only so-and-so wasn't gay?" Does that mean they are recruiting gays to a straight lifestyle. PUHLEAZE. So some gay men you know are attracted to Tom and wish he was gay, who cares?

[idgiehkt]

42. I'm having a free speech issue with this very topic.

What it's boiled down to for me is that it's okay for straights to speculate but once the queers start talking about it, all hell breaks loose. In the end, gay speech is shut down, and to me that's an abomination. Not only that, we are accused of hurting 'our own kind' by talking openly about what we see before us. By 'we' I mean gay speakers, not you and I. I have been grappling with this for a few months and don't know what the answer is at all.

I don't think that proves anyone right about us 'recruiting' either. No one really believes that recruiting crap except people who by their very positions and demeanor (rabid, mouth-foaming fundies) aren't believable themselves.

[Misunderestimator]

43. That's a really good point.

And for the record... I think Tom Cruise is gay. :bounce:

[LostinVA]

45. Me too.... and I have my suspicions about Nathan Lane

giggle

[Misunderestimator]

49. LMAO!!!

Oh god... next you'll say Harvey Fierstein is gay! :rofl:

[LostinVA]

51. WTF? No way! He's GAY??? OMG

[bullwinkle428]

64. Don't you dare try to spread nasty rumors about Charles

Nelson Reilly now!! :rofl:

[xmas74]

54. I've always thought so too.

And I've always thought that's why he's so involved w/ Scientology. They help him cover up what he views as an "imperfection".

He'd be much happier if he just came out.

[Skittles]

92. OK I get what you are saying

although I do agree with the other poster that although the climate for gay folk is much better now than the 50's, it is still far less than stellar

[L A Woman]

34. it happens in this lounge ALL the time!

and my gay male friends and acquaintances are always telling me which major movie star is secretly gay. lesbians, not so much. and of course in the case of tom cruise, it was a gay male porn star who started that rumor in the first place.

but it doesn't really matter WHO starts the rumors - we as gays and lesbians should be the FIRST to stand up and say, "if she says she's straight - she's straight." (not that there's anything wrong with that. :-)

[Misunderestimator]

41. Why should we stand up and say that? I couldn't care less what straight..

people say about Oprah. Or for that matter, what some tiny number of gay people say about her. So what if people speculate that she's gay? It's no skin off my nose. I have more important things to worry about than whether or not people will think that the gossip about Oprah somehow proves that there is some gay agenda to make straight people gay. Anyone who thinks that won't be convinced by us standing up and objecting to it.

[LostinVA]

46. I have been trying for years to make Ashley Judd and Kate Winslet gay

I send thought waves their way every day... but it doesn't seem to be working.

Damn.

[Misunderestimator]

50. ...

[xmas74]

55. But I thought you were working on Sherilynn Fenn

and Gillian Anderson.

[Misunderestimator]

56. She's apparently a type-A recruiter. I bet she's working on a dozen.

:D

[xmas74]

58. I bet she is too.

She tried to recruit me once. I informed her that when my toaster finally dies we'll talk it over.

[LostinVA]

67. YOU'RE the one who said you're a lesbian magnet.... TEASE

[xmas74]

69. Like I said-

the toaster is less than a year old. Call me back in a few years.

I'm a practical kind of girl. I don't turn down free appliances when I need them.

[LostinVA]

70. I'm making a note of it, trust me...

[xmas74]

72. And I knew you would.

My mother raised me to believe that free is good, though I do think you should turn the toaster into an espresso maker.

[LostinVA]

74. I can handle that -- I have connections

[xmas74]

76. I'll pass along my home address when the time comes.

If I'm going to be openly liberal I might as go all out, pissing off as many as possible in the process.

[LostinVA]

78. We don't have to actually date or anything

Making out is okay.

[xmas74]

80. Making out is all there is to it?

Not even sex?

Hell, I can make out w/ anyone for the right price. That doesn't bother me in the least bit.

[LostinVA]

82. I was trying to ease you into it

But -- the hell with that, then... sex it is.

[xmas74]

84. I knew there had to be a catch.

Making out is just too easy for me.

[LostinVA]

94. That's a good thing

[LostinVA]

66. I told you, I'm working on earning a pink Subaru

[LostinVA]

65. They secretly ARE gay... I just don't want to share n/t

[xmas74]

68. You've dreamt of Scully for years now.

I hope it works out well for the two of you.

[LostinVA]

71. I love her.... especially when she's in her safety glasses in the lab

[xmas74]

73. I know.

You have a thing for geeks.

BTW-been keeping up w/ the Big Brother feeds this season?

[LostinVA]

75. I was sooo disappointed about

Alison being kicked off so early.... she is totally nuts.

[xmas74]

77. Diane and Nakomis are on the block.

Jase has shown his true colors, making comments about Iraqis.

Will and Boogie hate Janelle, saying that she's dumb. Last night they got drunk and admitted the real reason-they each wanted to start a "showmance" w/ the one they consider to be the queen bee. Turns out she's turned down Boogie on a few occasions, long before BBAS.

Howie started off on his "boobies" rant but is now showing a bit of gameplay on the feeds. I'm really surprised.

[LostinVA]

79. OMG -- how have I missed all of that???

[xmas74]

81. Live feeds, baby.

OMG-Boogie's birthday yesterday. The whole house gathers to sing to him. Remember, half the house is on food restriction and cannot have any cake. You know this is gonna get good really fast, especially since the restricted are not eating the gruel they now get.

Will talks Erika into wearing her bikini. He writes Happy Birthday on her legs. Boogie grabs his cake and slams it into her crotch then proceeds to lick up her legs as if heading to somewhere specific. The others are embarrassed and a bit appalled.

Later that night they gave the unrestricted unlimited alcohol. Will and Boogie make the Janelle comments, threaten Howie w/ eviction if he doesn't join them, try to threaten James, etc. Nak is pissed. She says that she got rid of the bullies on her season and she doesn't want bullies back in the house. Janelle and James want CT out while another player (can't remember which one) has stated that they wanted to wait on their evictions until the first week of sequester, knowing that sequester will piss them off the most.

Jase's Iraqi comment was a couple of nights ago. Sad thing is-he was sober when he said it.

[LostinVA]

83. I can't believe I missed all of this

You give great recaps.

[xmas74]

85. You're welcome.

The best recaps I've found out of all the sites out there are on Survivor Sucks. One of the posters does a daily recap for the live feeds. Helps out 1000% when you just don't have time to catch them.

http://p085.ezboard.com/fsurvivorsucksfrm13.showMessage?topicID=9622.topic

That link will take you to the first day of the recaps all the way through to last night.

I had to work a double yesterday and missed the good stuff. Reading the live feed reports tells me that yesterday was one of the best nights so far-even better then the night Allison hid in the vase.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

86. Scully is sooo mine. I guess we can share though.

You can have her with the safety glasses in the lab and I can have her one of her black suits (which I will quickly get her out of).

[LostinVA]

95. Deal

[idgiehkt]

40. um, two of Cruise's three kids are adopted.

You want to know where I think this gossip comes from, honestly? Personal assistents, make-up artists, hairstylists, personal shoppers, etc. People who are around the celebrities constantly and pick up these little bits and pieces; they tell two friends, and they tell two friends, and they tell two friends, and its then an official certified rumor. I had a friend who had a friend who was a production assistant in LA and used to always be gathering little tidbits here and there; like the one that Nicole Kidman's miscarriage was, in fact, an abortion, because it was Russell Crowe's baby, not Cruise's because Cruise is in fact, sterile (no word on whether he's gay as well). Also the jaw-dropper that John Travolta is in fact gay, which I didn't even consider til I saw an interview of his (from Oprah) where he used the word 'fabulous' three times in the space of 15 minutes. That they are both scientologists is supposedly not coincidental; I read somewhere someone referred to that church's penchant for "getting wives for gay actors for the last 20 years" or something of that nature."

There is something very off about Cruise to me; I mean before he started preaching against the evils of mental health care or whatever, always has been. I always felt he was 'faking' something.

[L A Woman]

59. to me this is on par with...

those in GD who think there was no plane that flew into the Pentagon and they have lots of "evidence" to prove it. :-) they do the same disservice to Democrats as the gay celeb rumors do to the gay community. (i.e. making us look like fools)

actually, the cruise rumors never existed until the gay porn star claimed to have slept with him. the rumors have just built into an embarrassing state of ridiculousness since then.

well, i have slept with Scarlett Johannsen. let the ball start rolling!!!

[idgiehkt]

62. were you in that elevator with Benicio del Torro too?

Do you remember the gay porn star's name?

I'd love to hear more about this.

[L A Woman]

63. i am sure you could find it rather easily...

it was a big news story, tom sued and won. the year....i want to say mid 1990s but i don't remember exactly...maybe later than that.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

48. I still think Tom is gay.

Anyway, Scientology claims to cure homosexuality, so of course Tom would never come out.

[idgiehkt]

53. wtf?

are you kidding?? How did I miss that? My God, I was joking about the 'getting wives for gay men' thing...so they really don't have a liberal attitude toward gays? That sucks.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

57. Yup. It's true.

They believe it's the result of a "low tone" or something and that via work with the church, they can cure it. L. Ron Hubbard referred to gays as "sexual pervert(s)" and "quite ill physically."

L. Ron Hubbard actually had a gay son, Quentin, who either commited suicide or was suicided.

[idgiehkt]

61. a 'low tone'?

This just keeps getting better.That is really, really sad.

[KamaAina]

47. Stedman Graham could not be reached for comment

:evilgrin:

[bigwillq]

52. I am so sick of Oprah!

Who cares about her sex life. I don't! :mad:

[Sanity Claws]

60. It's sad that people don't understand friendship anymore

If you look at old photos, let's say from the 1930s or 1940s, you used to see a lot of women walk hand in hand or arm in arm, just enjoying each other's company. It wasn't anything sexual.
People have forgotten that not all touch or intimacy is sexual.It is sad that we have an overly sexual culture and lost touch with the concept of friendship and, possibly even simple kindness.

[smirkymonkey]

87. People in this society also have a problem with people not being

coupled. If they see someone who has been single for a long time, they start to make assumptions. Most people can't understand why someone would WANT to be single and alone. If you are above a certain age, reasonably attractive and single, people assume you are gay - not that there is anything wrong with that ;) - but there are a lot of people who just aren't that into being with other people or place a low priority on sexual relationships.

I think people would be a lot happier if they didn't feel coerced into relationships because they felt that was what society expected of them. I know a lot of miserable coupled people who never should have gotten together in the first place, but did so out of the fear of being alone.

[philosophie_en_rose]

90. It's sad that people can't be true friends without accusations of sex.

:(

Gay, straight, male, female - apparently friendship really means "with benefits"

[Robeson]

93. You bring up an excellent point. It really does show the....

...shallowness of many Americans understanding of friendship, and relationships. Nicely said.

[jonnyblitz]

97. in other countries males do the same thing and they are not gay.

holding hands or placing an arm around the other while walking, that is. we were taught this in "cultural sensitivity" lectures before we went on deployment in the navy so homophobic sailors wouldn't beat up the locals if they saw it when we pulled into foreign ports.

[NewWaveChick1981]

96. That's her story and she's sticking to it.

:P