I don't understand. I thought Jodie came out publicly in 2007.

This is all so very confusing. The newsmedia is very confused, they don't know what to write about it. I'm happy for her, but I think that this is something of a PR failure. What did she wish to communicate with her speech? The only thing it communicated was ATTENTION - which is exactly at odds with her call for privacy.

• The only way the DL crowd will accept someone being who they are is if they never shut up about it. You have to be a full time lesbian to get off the hook.

• Well her 2007 coming out was also overly vague, and it was at a non-televised event, and was probably barely mentioned outside of the gay media. I totally agree about her hypocrisy about whining about privacy, and then coming out in rambling speech at the GG in which she still plays coy by refusing to say the word "gay." So much of the media is reporting that it's uncertain whether she really came out. Her supposed intent was to end the speculation, instead she just creates more of it. All she had to do was bring up her partner Cydney in an interview when asked about her children, instead the "privacy queen" turns the whole thing into a bitter spectacle at the GGs.

• Just goes to show you can't come out to the deaf, dumb, and blind.

• Saying "I'm gay" isn't so hard, except apparently for Jodie.

• People have to make their own decisions for their own reasons and what is right for you might not be right for someone else. I don't see any hypocrisy in the way she has lived her life. When I go to work somewhere it is no ones God damned business who I sleep with unless I choose to share my private life. For some of us being gay is the least of what we are about as people.

• [quote] For some of us being gay is the least of what we are about as people. That statement would be a bit more convincing if you didn't hang out on a gay message board.

• She's a "privacy queen" because someone tried to kill the President Of The United States for her love. Of course YOU don't think that's such a big deal, but to her it was. If that hadn't happened, perhaps she would have skipped down Hollywood Blvd with each lover but it's not how she has lived her life and she is entitled to it. Jodie Foster has never said. "I'm gay" publically and the world still turns. Get over it.

  http%3A//law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/hinckley/letter.htm

• [R6] I am not here for gay I am here to participate in commentary concerning current events. I don't know who half of the people you talk about here are. If you know of a similar site that is not gay, please tell me, would be happy to move to another site. I already do the HP and several interest specific sites.

• R2 I remember that her 2007 speech being featured on the front page of Yahoo. It strikes me as so odd, so intentionally defensive and yet at the same time begging for attention. She could have just spoken about her work and thanked her ex-partner like she did last night. She wasn't receiving an award for her sexuality, or her celebrity, yet what she spent her time onstage addressing was her celebrity. Everybody in that room knew who she was, and knew she didn't like to talk about about it publicly. So why was she doing it? The whole effect of it was very narcissistic.

• [R8] Maybe it was an attempt to shut up you howling queens, to put an end to the speculation you so enjoy.

• The person @ R1 / R5/ R8/ R10 is a real cunt.

• I just posted this in the Golden Globes Thread Pt 2 but it probably belongs here. This is an answer to the stupid "did she or didn't she?" debate (and all the other wilful misunderstanding that abounds here regarding Jodie's acceptance speech. [quote]Jodie Foster's speech was her way of replying to the constant carping that she should publicly declare her gayness to everybody via whatever means of mass communication is at hand. Her honestly-held opinion is that she only feels responsible to be out and proud to the people who are actually a part of her life: friends, family, co-workers. You and I don't figure. I agree with her, others here obviously don't. [quote]DESPITE her honestly-held opinion she THEN went on to publicly declare her gayness by making very specific references to her long-lasting relationship with Cydney. And were those same carping critics on DL and elsewhere happy?

  STFU

• Pot meet kettle, R11

  Not%20R1%20etc.

• [R11] "cunt is anyone having their own life and opinions" I am a cunt, a devoted cunt.

• R12: Jodie was not given the award to address her sexuality. She was given the award to honor her body of work. Rather than address her body of work, she turned it into a forum, and invited people to discuss, by virtue of her language, her sexuality. If her opinions were her honestly-held opinions, then she would not have included this language in her speech at all. She could have simply thanked her partner, or ex-partner, as she did in 2007.

• Very good op-ed that describes exactly how I felt about her speech.

  http%3A//blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2013/01/14/jodie-fosters-glass-closet/

• Well, OP, the trouble is that while she sort of came out in 2007, it was the same sort of coming out as last night - it was not a full coming out. People criticized me on another thread for quoting David Ehrenstein, but the reason I do so is because he is right about this and he has actually written a book about Gay Hollywood and how it works with the media. Until you say "I am gay" and make it explicit, the media will not consider you officially gay and will not refer to you as such.

• r17, do not quote David Ehrenstein at the Datalounge. Ehrenstein has a long and ugly history here.

• Datalounge = gays hating gays. It's never good enough.

• Jesus Fucking Christ. This is insane. The woman might not have used the word gay, but she certainly made her sexuality very clear. I loved her speech. She was obviously quite nervous but wanted to use the opportunity to say something important to her. Yes it could seem a bit defensive, but she has every right to be. This woman has been hounded for years to come out, despite the fact she has never exactly been "in". I don't know what is wrong with people. Presumably until Jodie rides at the front of a pride float dressed up as Calamity Jane, she will be accused of being in the closet.

• [quote]The woman might not have used the word gay You have to say the word gay before the media will refer to you as such or before you can truly become a role model for young gay kids. What part of that don't you understand?

• [quote]Just goes to show you can't come out to the deaf, dumb, and blind. You would have to be deaf, dumb and blind not to have known that Jodie Foster is a lesbian. This is the least surprising coming out since Liberace died of AIDS.

• I am still struggling to understand her weird friendship with the anti-semitic Mel Gibson. She could have said, "My private life is my own, but I want everyone watching to know that there is nothing wrong with being gay or lesbian, and I am not ashamed to be out right now as a lesbian." Is that so complex? I think that her speech was so tortured and odd says a lot about Jodie. No one was putting any pressure on her to come out at the Golden Globes, it was her choice to bring it up in a confused way.

• This was such a non-event, it was laughable. Equivocating, hedging, using a batch of mediocre synonyms, only makes you look ridiculous and attention-seeking. For a person who claims she values privacy, she's only brought more attention to herself, to that private life she supposedly values.

  Anon

• R1 is hateful. Foster grandstanded, acted like a "star," and missed a chance to be CLEAR about her commitment to rights for her sisters and brothers. We're not all sitting behind walls with 24-hour security, surrounded by asskissers. Gay youth need all gay adults to drop the double-standard. Foster's making it about her "privacy" is disgusting. Why should being gay be anything different than being Hispanic or a woman? She is a deluded, brittle and not a very good role model for that gay son of hers.

• [quote]I am still struggling to understand her weird friendship with the anti-semitic Mel Gibson. Why should I care if Mel Gibson doesn't like Jews? It was Claude Daigle got his foreskin cut off by the rabbi, not me!

  Jodie%20in%20dotted%20Swiss%2C%20roller%20skating%20off

• The fact that she immediately declared backstage that she was not retiring makes the speech seem ... strange. And that the sexuality portion speaks for itself ... Um, okay. You may be a lesbian but it's no one's business unless you have met them. Here are your cute kids raised with a woman. But that's private information! Thank you, Jodie Boo Boo! You just made your reality show debut. Next time it's okay to talk about your movies.

  HFPA

• I hope Jodie doesn't retire, think she's brilliant.

• completely agree with R20

• [quote]You have to say the word gay before the media will refer to you as such or before you can truly become a role model for young gay kids. Not true for Bomer, who was declared out after thanking his husband by name.

• Bomer did not say he was gay in his speech or specifically refer to his partner as such (technically what he did was indicate that his family included someone named Simon) but essentially what he did was give his PR permission to acknowledge to the ensuing media inquiries that he had come out. It was quite complex.

• After watching her speech again, I think it has a lot to do with her mother and her break-up with Cydney Bernard. It was her way to honor everyone and be herself on her terms. Jodie has a firm stance about her private life and that is fine. But I was confused when she started to psycho-babble at the Golden Globes and say things like I am not Honey Boo Boo. Maybe that is how she feels inside. Go to Hawaii with your money, Jodie, and meet and make love to a nice girl.

  Barbra%20in%20The%20Prince%20of%20Tides

• The article at R16 is very good.