January 29, 2012 in City

‘Gay by choice’ claim aggravates activists

Cynthia Nixon learned the hard way this week that when it comes to gay civil rights, the personal is always political.

The actress best known for portraying Miranda Hobbes on “Sex and the City” waded into a controversy when New York Times Magazine quoted her as saying that for her, being gay was a conscious choice.

Nixon is engaged to another woman with whom she has been in a relationship for eight years. Before that, she spent 15 years and had two children with a man.

“I understand that for many people it’s not, but for me it’s a choice, and you don’t get to define my gayness for me,” Nixon said while recounting some of the flak activists previously had given her for treading in similar territory.

Among the gay rights activists angered by the remarks is Truth Wins Out founder Wayne Besen, whose organization monitors and tries to debunk programs that claim to cure people of same-sex attractions.

Besen said Nixon’s comments could be used to force people into such programs.

Jackson weighs in on Grammy cuts

The Rev. Jesse Jackson is entering the fray over the Recording Academy’s cuts to its Grammy categories: He’s asking to meet with the president of the organization and has raised the possibility of protests with the Feb. 12 awards less than two weeks away.

The civil rights activist sent a letter to Neil Portnow, the president and CEO of the Academy, and expressed his dismay over the Academy’s decision last April to cut its categories from 109 to 78, the biggest overhaul in its history. In the letter, Jackson asked that his organization, the Rainbow Push Coalition, “meet with you urgently to express our concerns and to see if we might help resolve this conflict …”

In a statement on Friday, Portnow said he was willing to talk with Jackson.

Some categories the Academy eliminated are traditional gospel, children’s spoken-word album, and Zydeco or Cajun music album.

The Academy contends the changes make the awards more competitive but don’t prevent people from entering into competition. But Jackson said he’s concerned that they limit participation of those who have been disenfranchised.

The birthday bunch

Actor-singer Noel Harrison is 78. Actress Katharine Ross is 72. Actor Tom Selleck is 67. Singer Bettye LaVette is 66. Drummer Tommy Ramone is 60. Singer Charlie Wilson (The Gap Band) is 59. Oprah Winfrey is 58. Director-actor Ed Burns is 44. Actress Heather Graham is 42. Actor Sharif Atkins is 37. Actor Sam Jaeger (TV: “Parenthood”) is 35. Singer Adam Lambert is 30.

13 comments on this story so far. Add yours!

greenlibertarian on January 29 at 2:16 a.m.
It’s a choice for 1 or at most 2 percent. Which is not news. Shouldn’t be exploitable, either, duh.
dataxman on January 29 at 4:47 a.m.
green - nor should it be condemned.
rosehips on January 29 at 6:50 a.m.
I believe that sexual orientation is a spectrum condition. For those on the gay end, there is no denial. For those in the middle, they can go either way.
For some it’s like being born left handed, like me. There’s no way I am going to favor my right, unless forced to. For some it’s like being ambidextrous.
It’s probably related to testosterone levels. I’m not an expert on this subject, so take it with a grain of salt.
ChefGus/ John Olsen on January 29 at 6:50 a.m.
It is always a “choice” to follow your proclivities or not… and there is a range of “attraction” for one sex with either the other or the same gender… which makes for the many permutations and combinations of family units and relationships that we can observe in our lives and loving. It is usually more about the “person” on the other side, and not the particular “skin” they happen to reside in. It is a difficult life, to live in a way that is not authentic. Authenticity can and does evolve over time, and can ebb and flow. John
rosehips on January 29 at 6:53 a.m.
I agree John. Orientation is not a choice. Having gay sex is, as all consensual sex is.
DHF on January 29 at 9:22 a.m.
The activist should leave her alone. She is a switch hitter.She tried it for 15 years with a man and now 8 years with a woman. Nothing like rotating your shelves. I will stay with my wife of 48 years .
woamike on January 29 at 10:32 a.m.
“It’s a choice for 1 or at most 2 percent”
Where did you get this “fact”?
woamike on January 29 at 6:12 p.m.
Nothing but crickets on this article. Since Ms Nixon is going against the conventiional “wisdom” regarding gayness, why aren’t any of the apologists out there stepping up to take her on?
I thought this was already “settled science”. You know, like global warming. The least you could do is attack her as a heretic or “denier” or something… after all, she’s not in lock-step on this most important issue of our time!!!
Hmmm… maybe best to just leave this one alone. . .
Pigrobin on January 29 at 6:24 p.m.
Sorry Woamike, nobody really cares about this or global warming.
Bruce (aka thatoneguy) on January 29 at 7:38 p.m.
I wonder why [some] people get upset when [some] other people claim to experience the same thing differently?
CCSLostriver on January 29 at 9:45 p.m.
The truth will eventually come out. She is honest enough to admit it. If not why does it anger the activists?????
WillyPeter on January 30 at 9:06 a.m.
But, me! How ‘bout helping me?
All my life I’ve known that I’m a lesbian trapped in a man’s body. Do any of my good-lookin’ lesbian sisters care enough to help me? No!
I mean, you know, just 30+/- intimate minutes now and then would demonstrate true compassion for my vexation.

No one cares that I’ve had to settle for just having sex with hetero women. And just pretending that I enjoy it…..
I guess it’s true. Life’s not fair.
ChefGus/ John Olsen on January 30 at 3:25 p.m.
Willy…. glad you are finally “out’… there are lots of men that have had trouble “facing” their Anima… once you embrace the female part of your personna you too will be “free”…. good luck though finding a partner…:)) J