Wanda Sykes is Out and Proud

Emmy award-winning comedian Wanda Sykes surprised a crowd of demonstrators in Las Vegas yesterday by speaking candidly about her sexual orientation and her recent marriage.

The rally, one of many held simultaneously in major cities around the country yesterday, was a protest against the passing of Proposition 8 in California, the ballot initiative which once again banned gay marriage in the state.  

"I don’t really talk about my sexual orientation, I felt like I was living my life, I wasn’t in the closet, but I was just living my life," Sykes told the crowd of over 1,000 people. "Everybody who knows me personally, they know I’m gay. And that’s the way people should be able to live our lives, really. We shouldn’t have to be standing out here demanding something we automatically should have as citizens of this country."

Wanda, who plays Barb on the CBS sitcom New Adventures of Old Christine, also mentioned that she got married on October 25th and this influenced her decision to get involved with the cause.

"Instead of having gay marriage in California, no, we’re gonna have gay marriage across the country," Sykes proclaimed. "When my wife and I leave California, I want to have my marriage also recognized in Nevada, in Arizona, all the way to New York. ... I’m proud to be a woman, I’m proud to be a black woman and I’m proud to be gay."

Congrats to Wanda on her marriage and golf claps for her openness and willingness to lend her voice to a good cause. We're hoping this hate-mongering proposition gets repealed once and for all soon.

—J. Bavoso