Tag Archives: Sara Gilbert

‘Roseanne’ Reboot Confirmed for ABC With The Original Cast Returning Too

They were one of America’s favourite families in the late 1980s and ’90s – with their affectionate bickering, everyday crises, growing pains and belly laughs beamed into more than 20 million homes in the US.

Now the Conners are coming back, more than 20 years after the last episode of Roseanne was aired.

This week, ABC announced that they’ll be rebooting classic sitcom starring Roseanne Barr and John Goodman, with eight new episodes.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Sara Gilbert – who is currently a co-host of the CBS daytime show The Talk – spearheaded the revival.

Earlier this year, Gilbert had Goodman on the talk show as a guest and the two reprised their characters of Dan and Darlene Conner in a comedy bit.

Also returning will be Laurie Metcalf (Jackie), Michael Fishman (D.J.) and Lecy Goranson (Becky) are all set to return.

Sarah Chalke played the role of Becky after Goranson left the show. She will also return but in a different role.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDMhiFGls48

Roseanne ran on ABC from 1998-97 and had several gay characters including Roseanne’s friend Nancy (Sandra Bernhard) and her former boss Leon (Martin Mull) who married his boyfriend Scott (Fred Willard) in a 1995 episode.

A year earlier, Roseanne had visited a gay bar with Nancy and was kissed on the lips by guest star Mariel Hemingway.

20 Years Later And Darlene Finally ‘Comes Out’ In Mini ‘Roseanne’ Reunion

A mini Roseanne reunion delighted the audience of The Talk, with John Goodman and Sara Gilbert reprising their roles as Dan and Darlene Conner some 20 years after the beloved show left the air.

“So, uh, there’s something I’ve been wanting to talk to you about for awhile now,” Gilbert, as Darlene, says as the pair watch a basketball game.

“What’s that, kiddo?” Goodman, as Dan, asks.

“God, I don’t know how to say this… I’m a talk show host,” she spills.

“Well, wow. As long as you’re happy, me and your mom will support ya,” he responds. “You know, for a minute there I thought you were gonna tell me you were gay.”

“Let’s save something for halftime,” she says.

Goodman & Gilbert in mini Roseanne reunion after 20 years on The Talk.

Gilbert came out as a lesbian in 2010, in the lead up to launching The Talk. She married music producer and musician Linda Perry in 2014, with whom she has a son. Gilbert also has two children with former partner Allison Adler.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jsSqvCQKmwM

11 Famous Lesbians Who Inspire Us Every Day

Sometimes, when faced with the difficult task of coming out, we rely on the stories of other women who have found success even after being identified as lesbians.

It can be reassuring to know that we’re in good company, and we truly are.

There are many women in Hollywood and in history who have had success despite the oppositions they faced for loving other women.

Read on to find some of our top choices for influential lesbian role models.


Ellen DeGeneres, comedian

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Of course Ellen DeGeneres would make our list. She’s often considered the collective “mother” to the lesbian community, and for good reason – she was one of the first big Hollywood names to openly come out as a lesbian.

Although many of Ellen’s fans are in the gay community, she doesn’t market herself “exclusively” to lesbians, and in fact she sees a strong following of gay, straight, and bisexual fans. She actually publicly said that she “never wanted to be a spokesperson for the gay community” – which is in part why she is so admired.

She didn’t come out in hopes of being a role model – it just happened.


Jane Addams, social worker

Jane Addams, social worker

You might not have heard of Jane Addams before, but she’s one of the pioneers of social work. She was born in 1860 and she found the Hull House in Chicago. Although the word “lesbian” wasn’t actually coined until 1890 and she wouldn’t have chosen to refer to herself as a lesbian, an analysis of her life would show that she would have fit the description by today’s standards.

Jane had a tough background that helped to make her relatable to others, and helped to define her interest in doing good. After all, those with the harshest pasts are often the ones who seek to make the brightest futures for others.


Jamie Babbitt, director

Jamie Babbitt, director

Jamie Babbitt is one of the lesser visible lesbians in Hollywood. She is a director who has been out for the entirety of her career, and she doesn’t shy away from making “typically” lesbian films. In fact, she’s the director of one of my personal favorites – But I’m a Cheerleader!

She likes to have mainly-women crews on her movies, and one in particular (Itty Bitty Titty Committee) had an entirely female crew. Her feminist and lesbian-positive outlooks make her a prime role model of what a lesbian can achieve.


Alison Bechdel, writer

Alison Bechdel, writer

As a writer myself, I find it fascinating to discover other famous lesbian writers. Alison Bechdel chronicles the life of lesbians in her comic strip, “Dykes to Watch Out For”, as well as her graphic memoir, “Fun Home”. She explores some deep issues through her comics and she helps to inspire those with similar experiences.


Gladys Bentley, blues singer

Gladys Bentley, blues singer

Gladys Bentley was a pioneer in lesbian visibility before it was cool. In the 1920s, she rose to fame by rewriting popular songs with dirty lyrics, and openly flirted with women in her audiences. At that time in American history, it was enough to be a butch lesbian – never mind the fact that she was a lesbian of color who had a very public relationship with a white woman.

Later in life, she claimed to have “cured” her lesbianism by taking female hormones and married a man. The man denied it, and the science behind her claims of “going straight” just isn’t there. Still, for a large portion of her life, she represented a willingness to be completely true to yourself and to put love first.


Michelle Bonilla, actress

Michelle Bonilla, actress

Michelle Bonilla certainly isn’t one of the “big names” in American television, but she has had some pretty big roles. You might recognize her from her roles in E.R., Star Trek: Enterprise, or even Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman. She admits that being out wasn’t even a conscious decision for her – it just sort of happened.

I was posed a question, are you gay? And why was I going to lie?”

It’s always reassuring to hear of people who don’t worry about “coming out”, but rather just being themselves. In a perfect world, everyone would just be free to be who they are.


Sara Gilbert, actress

Okay, I admit – Sara Gilbert made this list because I have a giant crush on her. I think I always have, actually, ever since her early days as Darlene on Roseanne (1988-1997). Of course, back then she was just “a tomboy” – but she has since come out as a lesbian. She supports a great deal of causes, including many animal rights organizations, and she is a vegetarian.


Barbara Gittings, activist

Barbara Gittings, activist

There aren’t too many people that have become famous based on their activism, but in some ways Barbara Gittings could be compared to the Martin Luther King, Jr. of gay rights. In the 1950s and ‘60s, she was a huge supporter of anti-discrimination legislation that would have put an end to workplace discrimination for homosexuals. She also helped to found her local chapter of the Daughters of Bilitis (a lesbian social organization). She was a proud lesbian woman who felt that homosexuals should be judged for reasons beyond their sexuality. It’s a bit sad that we’re still fighting that battle 50 years later, but Barbara helped pave the way.


Gertrude Stein, writer

Gertrude Stein, writer

Gertrude Stein wasn’t exactly out of the closet while she was alive, but letters published after her death indicated that she had a lifelong relationship with Alice B. Toklas, which she referred to as a marriage. She was a well-received writer who even mentored some of the “greats”, like Sherwood Anderson and Ernest Hemingway. She continued writing and teaching until her death in 1946. In 1967, Alice was buried next to her – a testament to lifelong love. (Aww!)


Ellen Page, actress

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When Ellen Page came out as a lesbian in 2014, there were many of us in the lesbian community who really weren’t all that shocked. But the fact that, in 2014, she still felt the need to come out publicly says a lot about the invisibility that we still face every day.

Her brave “coming out” speech was inspirational for many teenagers and young adults, and it paved the way for even more in Hollywood to come out. (Plus, if you haven’t heard her coming out speech, it’s pretty incredible.)


Sally Ride, astronaut

Sally Ride, astronaut

For any girl who grew up desiring to go to space, Sally Ride made that a real possibility. She was the first American woman in space, and she paved the way for many girls to grow up loving the sciences. Her life partner, Tam O’Shaughnessy, accepted the Presidential Medal of Freedom on her behalf after her death in 2012.

It was not widely known that she was a lesbian before her death, but her family said she made no attempts to hide her relationship with Tam amongst her private circle.

Ellen DeGeneres Leads Daytime Emmy Nominations, But is Not the Only LGBT Women to be Nominated

The Ellen DeGeneres Show was once again was the pace-setter for nominations for the 2015 Daytime Emmy Awards. However, she was not the only LGBT women to be in contention for a Daytime Emmy.

Other female LGBT TV Personalities including Laverne Cox, Sara Gilbert, and Meredith Baxter have also been nominated.

DeGeneres’ Show looks to continues its dominance in the category of outstanding talk show/entertainment, an award the show has already won an astounding eight times.

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DeGeneres is also nominated as executive producer of the show, but not as outstanding talk show host after taking herself out of the running in that category several years ago after six wins in seven years.

Her show will compete with Live With Kelly and Michael, The Wendy Williams Show, and The Talk which earned nominations for Sara Gilbert both as an executive producer and a host.

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Nominated with Gilbert are her co-hosts Julie Chen, Sharon Osbourne, Aisha Tyler and Sheryl Underwood.

Missing from the nominations as a show and for its hosts was The View, which suffered this season from the departure of Rosie O’Donnell.

Transgender actress and activist Laverne Cox earned a nomination in the category of Outstanding Special Class Special for the MTV program Laverne Cox Presents: The T Word.

Out actress Meredith Baxter, best known for her role on Family Ties, was nominated as Outstanding Special Guest Performer in a drama series for her recurring role last year in The Young and the Restless.

Meredith-Baxter

This year’s Daytime Emmycast is set to air April 26 on cabler Pop, originating from a soundstage on the Warner Bros. lot. The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences is hoping to restore some stature to the event after several years of decline. Last year’s ceremony aired only as a webcast, resulting in a slew of no-shows among winners.

For the complete list of 2015 Daytime Emmy nominations, go to emmyonline.com/daytime

Openly Gay Co-host Sara Gilbert Speaks Up For Leelah Alcorn on CBS’s ‘The Talk’

On the American TV show ‘The Talk’, the panel discussed the tragic topic of trans* teen suicide, which they all handle with much care and passion. However, it was openly gay co-host Sara Gilbert words that touched us the most…

“I would just say to people out there who have different beliefs … just think it’s more important to let go of the idea that you have a son, than to lose your child.”

Sara Gilbert

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGE3epbQHN8

On the 29th December, Leelah Alcorn was struck and killed by a passing semi-trailer on an Ohio interstate. A suicide note later appeared on her Tumblr blog. The suicide note described how she had felt “like a girl trapped in a boy’s body” since she was four, and how her parents pushed her into conversion therapy and Christian counseling.

The Youth Suicide Prevention Program reports that over 50 percent of transgender youths have attempted to commit suicide at least once before reaching the age of 20.

7 Wonderful Quotes From Lesbian Celebrities On Coming Out

Here are 7 wonderful quotes

Ellen Page came out at a Human Rights Campaign conference.

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Brittney Griner recently proposed to her girlfriend, Glory Johnson.

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Emily Rios came out after her character on The Bridge had a lesbian storyline.

Quotes Celebrities Coming Out 01

Ellen Degeneres came out in 1997.

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Portia de Rossi came out publicly in 2005 in an interview with Amanda De Cadenet.

Quotes Celebrities Coming Out 05

Laura Jane Grace came out in an interview with Rolling Stone.

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Sara Gilbert came out publicly in 2010 on The Talk.

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Image source – BuzzFeed