In the last fifteen-plus years, there have been more than a handful of women who stepped out from behind the curtain and put a nationally-known and loved face on the word ‘lesbian.’ Rosie, KD, Ellen, who also brought Portia, Cynthia, Wanda and yes, even Meredith “Family Ties” Baxter, to name a few. In doing so, each of them became a part of our history—the history of our community, the history of our country, the history of our world—paving the way for progress and equal rights.
None of them made the choice lightly. Think about the turmoil you went through in not only realizing you were gay, but also in choosing how, when, if and to whom you should come out. Think about the fear you had about how your co-workers, family, friends and neighbors would react. If you thought it was tough for you, consider how tough it was for each of them, knowing that they were coming out to millions of those same people, who had the power to make or break their career.
There are people who feel that those in the public eye have a responsibility to come out, whether they want to or not, to further the battle for equal rights. Some even make a point of looking for ways to out those who, for their own reasons, choose to remain in the proverbial closet. Although I stood up and cheered for Rosie, KD, Ellen, Wanda, Cynthia, Meredith and twice for Portia, I did so with the deep-set belief that every queen has the right to their own coming out process. It takes a huge amount of courage to stand before millions of people and make that kind of history, knowing it may end, what has otherwise been, a very successful and lucrative career. While I do believe that it is beneficial to securing equal rights for every gay man and woman to stand up and be counted, I will never believe it is right to out anyone or force them to come out, simply to further a cause.
We each have the right, and the opportunity, to choose to make history, in our own way, and in our own corner of the world. I chose to do so as first gay woman to ever be Co-Chair of Pride South Florida almost 15 years ago, and continue to do it now through the pages of She, as well as on the Board of my homeowners’ association. You may be doing it by being out at work, or simply to your own inner circle of friends and family. You may be making history, in your own way, without even being out of the proverbial closet. We each have the ability to change the world in our own way. We also have the right to choose how, when or if we do it. However you choose stand up and make history, whether it’s by coming out to millions of people or simply as the first in your family to get a high school diploma, I applaud you.

Happy Women's History month!
Tina Sordellini • Managing Executive Director
info@shemag.com