New Year Honours List: Michael Cashman, Gay Rights Campaigner And Eastenders Actor, Honoured

Gay rights activist and actor-turned-politician Michael Cashman was awarded a CBE in Saturday's New Year's Honours.

Cashman, 62, is probably best-known for delivering the first gay kiss on British prime-time TV, sparking record numbers of complaints but also many plaudits when his character Colin Russell pecked lover Barry Clark on the forehead in a 1987 episode of EastEnders.

Colin was the first homosexual character in the BBC soap, and his introduction caused huge controversy at a time when gay people were largely represented as camp figures of fun on TV.

He later recalled the public, political and media "hysteria" which greeted his storyline and the death threats and bricks through the window which followed the famous kiss. But he believes that Colin's story helped Britain become a more tolerant society, remembering: "On the second kiss there was barely any fuss. By the third kiss barely anyone noticed."

Openly homosexual before joining EastEnders, Mr Cashman went on to help found the gay rights campaign group Stonewall in 1989 and served as its chairman until 1996. He was also treasurer of actors' union Equity from 1994-98.

-more at Huffington Post (UK)

Russell Tovey (1981 - ), UK. Actor.

b. 14 November 1981

English actor with numerous television, film and stage credits. Tovey is best known for playing the role of werewolf George Sands in the BBC's supernatural drama Being Human[2] which started in 2008. In November 2011, Tovey announced he would be leaving Being Human to work full-time on his BBC Three sitcom, Him & Her.

Tovey is also an author, playwright, and screenwriter. He has written three plays (all unperformed as of August 2010), and one of his short stories was published in Company, a noted British literary journal.

Tovey says he came out to himself when he was 15 or 16, and to his parents when he was 18, which led to a falling out with this father, but they were later able to mend their relationship. In an interview with The Scotsman, Tovey said, "The only thing I can give to young gay people is that when I was growing up there were no role models that were blokey, that were men. Everybody was flamboyant and camp, and I remember going, 'That's not me, so even though I think I am gay, I don't think I fit into this world.'"

He was named at number 22 on the DS list of the "50 Most Influential Gays", 2011

Is there no role Russell can’t turn his handsome face to? As well as Doctor Who, he’s appeared in Gavin and Stacey, History Boys, Ultimate Force, Marple and Him and Her. But it’s probably his role as loveable werewolf George in Being Human in which he’s best known. Russell is proof that genuine talent will never be overshadowed by sexuality. “When I was growing up there were no gay role models that were blokey, that were men,” he says. “Everybody was flamboyant and camp, and I remember going, 'That's not me, so even though I think I am gay, I don't think I fit into this world.

Andrew Hayden-Smith (1983 - ), UK. Actor/ TV Presenter

b. 5 November 1983

British actor and television presenter best known for his work with CBBC.

He was named at number 25 on the DS list of the "50 Most Influential Gays", 2011

In 2004, ex-Byker Grove actor and CBBC presenter Andrew did the unthinkable for a young man on kids’ TV – he told the world he was gay. At the risk of being outed by a newspaper, he beat the tabloids to the punch and did an interview with Attitude magazine. “Coming out is pretty scary,” admits Andrew. “It’s bad enough when you’re almost certain that the majority of people around you will be totally cool with it. I was 21 and presenting kids TV at the time and was commended for what everyone kept saying was such a brave step.” It did his career no harm, and he’s proved an inspiration – and eye candy – for young gay men across the country. Andrew’s appeared regularly on stage and in Doctor Who. And best of all, he’s a contributor to Different Scene! Read Andrew’s Different Scene Posts Here.

Stephen Fry – Writer/ Broadcaster/ Actor

b. 24 August, 1957

“I suppose it all began when I came out of the womb. I looked back up at my mother and thought to myself, ‘That’s the last time I’m going up one of those.’”

21 on the DS list of the "50 Most Influential Gays", 2011:

Actor, author, broadcaster, Twitter addict … Stephen’s credentials goes on longer than his witty monologues. He’s narrated all the Harry Potter audiobooks, hosts quiz show QI, has penned best-selling autobiographies, and was one half of comedy double-act Fry and Laurie. He’s also fought a long battle with bi-polar disorder and suffered a nervous breakdown in 1995 while appearing in the West End. But he’s an inspiration as he’s come through the other side stronger and better than ever. When asked when he first acknowledged his sexuality, he quipped: “I suppose it all began when I came out of the womb. I looked back up at my mother and thought to myself, ‘That’s the last time I’m going up one of those.’” Currently, he’s dating stage actor Steven Webb.

 Books:

Moab Is My Washpot 
The Fry Chronicles. 

Liar
Revenge: A Novel
Hippopotamus 


The Ode Less Travelled: Unlocking the Poet Within 

Antony Cotton – Actor, Coronation Street

b. 5 August 1975

English actor and singer best known for his roles in Coronation Street and the original UK version of Queer as Folk. 

Cotton played Alexander in the original UK version of Queer as Folk. He has also appeared in episodes of Absolutely Fabulous as the character Damon. Cotton currently plays barman and factory worker Sean Tully in Coronation Street. Cotton asked for a part on the show, and created the character with some of the show's writers. 

Antony is a passionate supporter of the Terrence Higgins Trust. He is a patron of the LGF charity in Manchester, The Albert Kennedy Trust and also the Queer Up North festival. On 13 January 2007, Cotton won the second series of ITV's Soapstar Superstar. He donated his winning money, £200,000, to the Elton John Aids Foundation.

He was named at number 33 on the DS list of the "50 Most Influential Gays", 2011:

From Queer as Folk to the Corrie cobbles, soap fans fell in love with Antony’s character Sean Tully when he joined the soap in 2003. The public voted him as the winner of the second series of Soapstar Superstar and he donated his £200,00 prize to the Elton John Aids Foundation.  “When I auditioned for Coronation Street, I thought I couldn’t do what I’d been doing before, which was going into auditions and pretending to be straight,” Antony recalls. “Alexander in Queer As Folk was the first gay part I ever played. If I was going be in Coronation Street, it had to be as a gay character.”

Chris Colfer – Actor, Glee

b. May 27, 1990

American actor and singer known for his portrayal of Kurt Hummel on the television series Glee, for which he won a 2011 Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor and was also nominated twice for an Emmy.
Colfer was named in Time magazine's 100 most influential people in the world in 2011

Very few actors, especially ones just out of their teens and in popular shows, are willing to come out so early into their careers. But Glee star Chris would have been forced to act both on and off-camera if he’d wanted to remain in the closet. Instead, the 21-year-old has embraced his sexuality and had us in tears of laugher and sadness playing gay Kurt in the musical comedy drama. He’s fought homophobia, bullying, unrequited love and coming out – and all in just two series. His portrayal won him the 2011 Golden Globe award for Best Supporting Actor.
“I think it’s extremely important for gay youth out there to see that it’s actually OK and that they are being represented in these shows,” he says.


He was named at number 3 on the DS "50 Most Influential Gays", 2011:

John Waters, Actor and filmmaker

b. April 22, 1946

“To me, bad taste is what entertainment is all about.”

John Waters is an award-winning screenwriter and director known for his obsession with the seedy side of life. Affectionately dubbed by critics “The Pope of Trash” and “The King of Sleaze,” Waters’s work includes a string of independent cult classics, blockbuster movies and Broadway shows.

Waters grew up in the 1950’s in Lutherville, Maryland, a suburb of Baltimore. During the 1970’s and early 1980’s, he began making films with local actors and a production team called the Dreamlanders. With the Dreamlanders, Waters created the Trash Trilogy: “Pink Flamingos,” “Female Trouble” and “Desperate Living.” Many of his movies are set in the 50’s and 60’s in Baltimore.

Waters introduced “Odorama” in his film “Polyester” (1981), which costarred Divine and Tab Hunter. Scratch and sniff cards with numbered spots were distributed with each ticket. When a number flashed on the screen, viewers were prompted to scratch the appropriate spot and smell the aroma.

While his earlier projects defined his style, it was “Hairspray” (1988) that brought Waters mainstream success. The film was adapted into a Broadway musical (2002), grossing over $200 million and winning eight Tony Awards, including Best Musical in 2003. His film “Cry-Baby” (1990) became a hit Broadway show, receiving four Tony Award nominations in 2008.

A remake of “Hairspray” (2007) was a box office bonanza. The movie, featuring John Travolta, Michelle Pfeiffer and Queen Latifah, was the third highest grossing musical film in American cinema history.

Waters is an advocate of GLBT civil rights. In 2004, he received the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) Stephen F. Kolzak Award for his work combating homophobia. In 2008, he received a New York Leadership Award from the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force.

Bibliography
“John Waters.”  Dreamland News. May 29, 2008
http://www.dreamlandnews.com/history/index.shtml
“John Waters Stays True to His Roots.” CBS News. July 22, 2007
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/07/22/sunday/main3086208.shtml
Lewis, John. “John Waters Inc.” Baltimore Magazine. June 2007
http://www.baltimoremagazine.net/article.asp?t=1&m=1&c=32&s=392&ai=56772
McCauley, Mary Creole. “Jumping for Joy as ‘Cry-Baby’ Gets Four Tony Awards.” May 14, 2008
http://xml.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/arts/bal-to.tonys14may14,1,7010402.story
“New York Leadership Awards 2008.”  National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. May 27, 2008
http://www.thetaskforce.org/TF_in_news/08_0411/stories/13_nyla.pdf


Films
Pink Flamingos (1972)
Female Trouble (1974)
Desperate Living (1977)
Polyester (1981)
Cry Baby (Director's Cut) (1990)
Serial Mom (1994)
A Dirty Shame (2004)
John Waters: This Filthy World (2006)
Hairspray  (2007)


Shows
Hairspray  (2002)

Cry-Baby (2008)

Cynthia Nixon, Actress

b. April 9, 1966 

"I never felt like there was an unconscious part of me that woke up or came out of the closet. I met this woman and I fell in love with her."

Cynthia Nixon is a television, film and Broadway actress best known for her role as Miranda on "Sex and the City." She is one of only 15 performers to receive a Tony, an Emmy and a Grammy Award.

Nixon is a native New Yorker, the only child of Walter Nixon, a radio journalist, and Anne Kroll, an actress and a researcher on the television series "To Tell the Truth." Cynthia’s first television appearance was at age 9 as an imposter on the show.

At age 12, Nixon began her acting career with a role in an ABC Afterschool Special. Her feature film debut came soon after in "Little Darlings" (1980), followed by her first role on Broadway in "The Philadelphia Story."

Nixon graduated from Hunter College High School and attended Barnard College. As a freshman, she made theatrical history acting in two Broadway plays at the same time, "The Real Thing" and "Hurlyburly."

A working actress since the 1980’s, Nixon received a Best Supporting Actress Emmy Award in 2004 for "Sex and the City." In 2006, she was honored with a Tony Award for Best Leading Actress in "The Rabbit Hole." In 2008, Nixon received a second Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress on "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit."

In 2008, "Sex and the City" became a movie franchise. Nixon and her television co-stars reprised their roles in the film and a 2010 sequel, "Sex and the City 2." The original film grossed over $415 million worldwide, making it one of the most successful R-rated comedies.

Nixon is engaged to Christine Marinoni. The couple plans to tie the knot in Manhattan when  same-sex marriage becomes legal in New York State. "We want to get married right here in New York City, where we live, where our kids live," Nixon says. She and Marinoni share parenting responsibilities for Nixon’s two children from a previous relationship.

In 2009, Nixon shared a Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album for reading Al Gore’s "An Inconvenient Truth." In 2010, Nixon received the Vito Russo GLAAD Media Award for promoting equal rights for the gay community.

Nixon is a breast cancer survivor and a spokeswoman for Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

Bibliography

• Breen, Matthew. "Cynthia Nixon is More Than Just Sex.” The Advocate. 2 June 2010.
• "Cynthia Nixon." The Internet Movie Database (IMDb). 2 June 2010
• "Cynthia Nixon” Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. 2 June 2010.
• Nussbaum, Emily. "Educating Cynthia.” New York Magazine. 2 June 2010.

Videos

• FIGHT BACK: A Message from Cynthia Nixon
• Cynthia Nixon on Larry King Live on Prop 8
• Marie Claire TV: Cynthia Nixon Interview

Websites

• IMDb: Cynthia Nixon
• Sex and the City HBO Official Website
• Sex and the City Movie Website
• Internet Broadway Database (IBDB): Cynthia Nixon

Cynthia Nixon’s Social Network

• Cynthia Nixon’s Facebook Fan Page

Related articles

• “Sex and the City” Saturday: When Sarah Jessica Parker finally won the elusive Emmy Award (pinkbananaworld.com)
• Cynthia Nixon To NOM Pres: 'We Have No Desire To Change Marriage' (towleroad.com)
• Cynthia Nixon Speaks Out Over Abortion Rights (bettyconfidential.com)

Kieron Richardson – Actor, Hollyoaks

born 12 January 1986

English actor best known for playing the role of Ste Hay in Hollyoaks.

He was listed at number 37 on the DS list of "50 Most Influential Gays", 2011:

It was pretty obvious to most of us that behind young Kieron’s toothy grin and chiseled cheekbones was a man who liked the company of other men. When he came out on This Morning in September 2010, he admitted he’d been inspired to by X Factor’s Joe McElderry and by the next day; he’d received 17,000 emails of support. “I’d never seen anyone my age say it before and then when Joe McElderry (number 41 on our list) came out and said it I thought, ‘Maybe I can be young and come out and say I’m gay and it’s not going to affect my career,’” he recalls. “I’d say he helped me in the fact that he was a similar age to me. Seeing him do it really inspired me.” Kieron’s Hollyoaks character Ste has also since come out and a confident, shirtless Kieron recently graced the cover of Gay Times.

Mark Gatiss, UK, Actor, Writer

b. 17 October 1966

English actor, screenwriter and novelist. He is best known as a member of the comedy team The League of Gentlemen, and has both written for and acted in the TV series Doctor Who and Sherlock.

Following a childhood fascination with Doctor Who, Gatiss's early writing was devoted to the series, beginning with a sequence of novels in Virgin Publishing's New Adventures series of Doctor Who stories.

Gatiss is perhaps best known as a member of the sketch comedy team The League of Gentlemen

He was named at number 1 on the DS "50 Most Influential Gays", 2011, and also featured on The Independent on Sunday's Pink List of influential gay people in the UK in 2010 and 2011. He is married to actor Ian Hallard.

As a writer, Mark’s output over the last decade has been phenomenal. And as an actor, he’s proved himself as versatile as he is convincing. Mark was fortunate enough to turn his childhood passions into his career. He gave Sherlock Holmes the kiss of life and made him ‘must-watch’ TV. He’s also written for Doctor Who (and appeared in it as the maniacal Dr Lazarus), and penned Jekyll. And as an actor, has appeared in cult classics Nighty Night and as the late Malcolm MacLaren in Worried About The Boy. But it’s his twisted characters and partnership with Reece Shearsmith, Steve Pemberton and Jeremy Dyson as one quarter of The League Of Gentlemen that will go down in TV comedy history.

Mark’s married to actor Ian Hallard and despite his many successes, it’s his normalcy that we love and admire.

“I am a gay man who loves James Bond films and snooker – all kinds of working-class pursuits,” he says.

And because of all of that, DS reckons he’s the most influential gay celebrity of 2011.

Jane Lynch, Actress

b. July 14, 1960

"As for being out in Hollywood—I never thought about it. I never hid who I was."

Jane Lynch is an award-winning theater, film and television actress. In 2010, she shared a Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Comedy Ensemble for the hit television series “Glee.” She also received a Golden Globe nomination and won an Emmy for her role on the show.

Out in Africa: Frank Malaba/ Dr Phumza

The popular image of homosexuality in Africa is of overtly hostile opposition, as in Sudan (where it is a capital offence) or in Uganda, where some local politicians egged on by Western evangelists, are hoping to make it so.

Zimbabwe is another African country where the President, Robert Mugabe, uses popular homophobia to camouflage his own manifest failings as national leader, claiming that  are “unAfrican”. The reality is that same sex relationships and transvestism were common and accepted right across Africa, until the colonial missionaries imported Western opposition. It is homophobia that is truly unAfrican. As the Ilga report on global LGBT equality shows, only eight countries have never criminalized homosexuality – all of them in Africa.

In the modern world, South Africa was the first country anywhere to include in its constitution protection from discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation. Some South Africans, and Africans from elsewhere now resident in South Africa, offer important role models for the rest of the continent. the popular Zimbabwean / South African actor Frank Malaba is one good example.

From News Day:

Former Amakorokoza star Frank Malaba, well known as Dr Phumza by followers of the series might be a man President Robert Mugabe will never like to listen to talking.

Following a public revelation that he was gay, the South African actor-cum-radio personality opens up about marriage, his childhood as a gay student and his views on gay rights in an exclusive interview with NewsDay.

Malaba became the first Zimbabwean to declare that he loves other men.

Asked how his life has been after he opened up: “My life has been changed around for the better and I get inbox messages from young and old alike saying they respect my standing and who I am. I get young Zimbabweans, South Africans and on occasion Tanzanians and Kenyans asking for advice.

See Also:

Africa’s Female kings and husbands

http://www.newsday.co.zw/article/2010-09-12-examakorokoza-star-plans-gay-marriage

Kristen Chenoweth on being a Christian and a gay rights supporter - PinkNews.co.uk

Kristen Chenoweth says she is a liberal Christian

"US singer and actress Kristen Chenoweth has described how she balances her Christian faith with support for gay rights.

The West Wing and Wicked star has been praised for supporting equality and last year, defended her Promises, Promises co-star Sean Hayes after an article said he couldn’t play a straight man.

She told The Advocate: “I read my Bible and I pray and all of that – I really do. But at the same time, I don’t think being gay is a sin. Period"
- PinkNews.co.uk

April 22nd: John Waters. Actor and Filmmaker

b. April 22, 1946

“To me, bad taste is what entertainment is all about.”

John Waters is an award-winning screenwriter and director known for his obsession with the seedy side of life. Affectionately dubbed by critics “The Pope of Trash” and “The King of Sleaze,” Waters’s work includes a string of independent cult classics, blockbuster movies and Broadway shows.

Waters grew up in the 1950’s in Lutherville, Maryland, a suburb of Baltimore. During the 1970’s and early 1980’s, he began making films with local actors and a production team called the Dreamlanders. With the Dreamlanders, Waters created the Trash Trilogy: “Pink Flamingos,” “Female Trouble” and “Desperate Living.” Many of his movies are set in the 50’s and 60’s in Baltimore.

Waters introduced “Odorama” in his film “Polyester” (1981), which costarred Divine and Tab Hunter. Scratch and sniff cards with numbered spots were distributed with each ticket. When a number flashed on the screen, viewers were prompted to scratch the appropriate spot and smell the aroma.

While his earlier projects defined his style, it was “Hairspray” (1988) that brought Waters mainstream success. The film was adapted into a Broadway musical (2002), grossing over $200 million and winning eight Tony Awards, including Best Musical in 2003. His film “Cry-Baby” (1990) became a hit Broadway show, receiving four Tony Award nominations in 2008.

A remake of “Hairspray” (2007) was a box office bonanza. The movie, featuring John Travolta, Michelle Pfeiffer and Queen Latifah, was the third highest grossing musical film in American cinema history.

Waters is an advocate of GLBT civil rights. In 2004, he received the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) Stephen F. Kolzak Award for his work combating homophobia. In 2008, he received a New York Leadership Award from the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force.

Bibliography
“John Waters.”  Dreamland News. May 29, 2008
http://www.dreamlandnews.com/history/index.shtml
“John Waters Stays True to His Roots.” CBS News. July 22, 2007
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/07/22/sunday/main3086208.shtml
Lewis, John. “John Waters Inc.” Baltimore Magazine. June 2007
http://www.baltimoremagazine.net/article.asp?t=1&m=1&c=32&s=392&ai=56772
McCauley, Mary Creole. “Jumping for Joy as ‘Cry-Baby’ Gets Four Tony Awards.” May 14, 2008
http://xml.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/arts/bal-to.tonys14may14,1,7010402.story
“New York Leadership Awards 2008.”  National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. May 27, 2008
http://www.thetaskforce.org/TF_in_news/08_0411/stories/13_nyla.pdf


Films
Pink Flamingos (1972)
Female Trouble (1974)
Desperate Living (1977)
Polyester (1981)
Cry Baby (Director's Cut) (1990)
Serial Mom (1994)
A Dirty Shame (2004)
John Waters: This Filthy World (2006)
Hairspray  (2007)


Shows
Hairspray  (2002)

Cry-Baby (2008)

9 April: Cynthia Nixon, Actress

"I never felt like there was an unconscious part of me that woke up or came out of the closet. I met this woman and I fell in love with her."

b. April 9, 1966

Cynthia Nixon is a television, film and Broadway actress best known for her role as Miranda on "Sex and the City." She is one of only 15 performers to receive a Tony, an Emmy and a Grammy Award.

Nixon is a native New Yorker, the only child of Walter Nixon, a radio journalist, and Anne Kroll, an actress and a researcher on the television series "To Tell the Truth." Cynthia’s first television appearance was at age 9 as an imposter on the show.

At age 12, Nixon began her acting career with a role in an ABC Afterschool Special. Her feature film debut came soon after in "Little Darlings" (1980), followed by her first role on Broadway in "The Philadelphia Story."

Nixon graduated from Hunter College High School and attended Barnard College. As a freshman, she made theatrical history acting in two Broadway plays at the same time, "The Real Thing" and "Hurlyburly."

A working actress since the 1980’s, Nixon received a Best Supporting Actress Emmy Award in 2004 for "Sex and the City." In 2006, she was honored with a Tony Award for Best Leading Actress in "The Rabbit Hole." In 2008, Nixon received a second Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress on "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit."

In 2008, "Sex and the City" became a movie franchise. Nixon and her television co-stars reprised their roles in the film and a 2010 sequel, "Sex and the City 2." The original film grossed over $415 million worldwide, making it one of the most successful R-rated comedies.

Nixon is engaged to Christine Marinoni. The couple plans to tie the knot in Manhattan when  same-sex marriage becomes legal in New York State. "We want to get married right here in New York City, where we live, where our kids live," Nixon says. She and Marinoni share parenting responsibilities for Nixon’s two children from a previous relationship.

In 2009, Nixon shared a Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album for reading Al Gore’s "An Inconvenient Truth." In 2010, Nixon received the Vito Russo GLAAD Media Award for promoting equal rights for the gay community.

Nixon is a breast cancer survivor and a spokeswoman for Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

Bibliography

Breen, Matthew. "Cynthia Nixon is More Than Just Sex.” The Advocate. 2 June 2010.
"Cynthia Nixon." The Internet Movie Database (IMDb). 2 June 2010
"Cynthia Nixon” Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. 2 June 2010.
Nussbaum, Emily. "Educating Cynthia.” New York Magazine. 2 June 2010.


Videos
FIGHT BACK: A Message from Cynthia Nixon
Cynthia Nixon on Larry King Live on Prop 8
Marie Claire TV: Cynthia Nixon Interview


Websites
IMDb: Cynthia Nixon
Sex and the City HBO Official Website
Sex and the City Movie Website
Internet Broadway Database (IBDB): Cynthia Nixon


Cynthia Nixon’s Social Network
Cynthia Nixon’s Facebook Fan Page

Related articles

• “Sex and the City” Saturday: When Sarah Jessica Parker finally won the elusive Emmy Award (pinkbananaworld.com)
• Cynthia Nixon To NOM Pres: 'We Have No Desire To Change Marriage' (towleroad.com)
• Cynthia Nixon Speaks Out Over Abortion Rights (bettyconfidential.com)

Rosie O'Donnell, Comedian, actress and activist

b. March 21, 1962

"I don't think America knows what a gay parent looks like: I am a gay parent."

An award-winning comedian, television host, author and media mogul, Rosie O’Donnell used her celebrity as a platform for activism and philanthropic causes.

Born in Queens, New York, O’Donnell got her big break when she auditioned for “Star Search” and won five times. With her $14,000 winnings, she relocated to Los Angeles and landed a role on the sitcom “Gimme a Break.”

After film roles in “A League of Their Own,” “Sleepless in Seattle” and “The Flintstones,” she was offered her own daytime television talk show. During her six years as host of “The Rosie O’Donnell Show,” she started Rosie’s For All Kids Foundation, which awarded more than $27 million in grants to 1,400 child-related nonprofit organizations.

In 2002, O’Donnell outed herself and became an outspoken advocate for gay parenting. She worked with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) in an attempt to overturn Florida’s ban on gay and lesbian adoption.

O’Donnell and Kelli Carpenter married in 2004. They are parents of four children. The couple launched R Family Vacations, the first-ever cruise for gay families.

O’Donnell became the moderator of ABC’s all-women daytime talk show, “The View.” She starred on Broadway in “Grease,” “Seussical” and “Fiddler on the Roof,” and founded Rosie’s Broadway Kids, which provides a free theater experience.

Among O’Donnell’s many honors, she has received 13 Emmy Awards, the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) Vito Russo Award, an induction into the Kid’s Choice Awards Hall of Fame and a Women in Film Lucy Award.

Bibliography
Lee, Felicia R. “On HBO, Rosie O’Donnell’s Cruise for Gay Families.” The New York Times. April 3, 2006
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/03/arts/television/03rosi.html
Leff, Lisa. “Rosie O’Donnell Weds Longtime Girlfriend.” The Washington Post. February 26, 2004
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A10636-2004Feb26.html
Kuczynski, Alex. “She’s Out of the Closet. Now What?” The New York Times. March 3, 2002
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C07E2D61031F930A35750C0A9649C8B63
Nordlinger, Jay. “Rosie O’Donnell, Political Activist – A Celebrity and her Platform.” National Review. June 19, 2000
http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=MTkxYzkwYjNiNzk1ZGNhZWZlOGQ2ODkxOWU4ZTM0OTI=
Parker, Ray. “Fighting to keep a family.” The Advocate. April 30, 2002
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1589/is_2002_April_30/ai_85281818/print?tag=artBody;col1
“Rosie Comes Out as ACLU Launches LetHimStay.com.” GLAAD. March 13, 2002
http://www.glaad.org/publications/archive_detail.php?id=348
                       
“Rosie O’Donnell.” People. July 2, 2008
http://www.people.com/people/rosie_odonnell
“Rosie O’Donnell Marries Girlfriend in San Francisco.” CNN. February 27, 2004
http://www.cnn.com/2004/SHOWBIZ/TV/02/26/odonnell.ap/index.html
Other Resources
All Aboard! Rosie’s Family Cruise
http://www.hbo.com/docs/programs/allaboard/synopsis.html
R Family Vacations
http://www.rfamilyvacations.com/
Rosie Chat
http://www.rosiechat.com
Rosie’s Broadway Kids
http://www.rosiesbroadwaykids.org/
Rosie’s For All Kids Foundation
http://www.forallkids.org/
Websites
Official Rosie O’Donnell Website
http://www.rosie.com