Wanda Sykes, comedian, comes out gay over Proposition 8, marriage equality [video]
Tuesday, on November 4th — I live in California — so 8:15 was the happiest moment in my life. I was so happy, I was so proud of the country. We elected Barack Obama, and I was like, ‘Man, we are moving in the right direction.’ And then, about 11 o’clock, I was crushed. We took a huge leap forward, and then got dragged about 12 steps back.
When California passed Prop 8 — Arkansas, gay couples, same sex couples can’t adopt — and in Florida, banning gay marriage. That was just heartbreaking. I felt like I was being attacked, personally attacked. Our community was attacked.
I got married October 25th. my wife is here. And you know, I don’t really talk about my sexual orientation. Didn’t feel like I had to. I was just living my life, not necessarily in the closet. Just living my life. Everybody that knows me personally, they know I’m gay. And that’s the way people should be able live their lives, really.
If we had equal rights, we shouldn’t have to be standing out there, demanding something that we automatically should have as citizens of this country. But I got pissed off. They pissed me off. I said, ‘You know what? Now, I gotta get in your face.’ And that’s what we all have to do now. They pissed off the wrong group of people.
They have galvanized the community. We are so together now, and we all want the same thing, and we are not going to settle for less. Instead of having gay marriage in California, no. We’re going to get it across the country. ‘Cause when I leave — when my wife and I leave California, I also want to have my marriage recognized in Nevada, in Arizona, all the way to New York.
How can you stop people from loving each other? How can you get uspet about love? And I’m sick of this stuff about, ‘Oh, well, you made that choice. That’s your choice.’ Gay is not a choice. Being gay is not — that’s like telling me I chose to be a woman. I chose to be black. So are we saying that being gay is a choice, that people are straight because they chose not to be gay?
I am very proud — I am proud to be a woman. I am proud to be a black woman. And I am proud to be gay. And I love you all.
Now let’s go get our damn equal rights! Come on!
Speech by comedian Wanda Sykes who was in performing in Las Vegas, NV, but also appeared at this rally for gay marriage rights to protest the recent passage of Proposition 8 which repealed legal same-sex marriages in that state. (Via aarikabari’s YouTube video)
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