If you missed The View last Friday, you missed something remarkable. Judy Gold was the guest co-host, and she and Rosie O’Donnell made it a very gay Friday indeed.
I know that the Rosie hype is already getting a little tiresome, but you must admit: She’s done so much for lesbian visibility. Here are some of the topics Rosie and Judy touched on:
- When I Knew: Judy said she knew she was gay at the tender age of 3 or 4. Rosie said she knew in the 4th grade, when she had a crush on a friend’s sister.
- How My Mother Feels: Judy’s mom isn’t thrilled that her daughter is a lesbian. Judy doesn’t understand why her mother didn’t know long ago: “I wore a necktie every time I left the house. I was a cross-dresser at the age of two.”
- Sexuality Is Fluid: Rosie lived with a man when she was 28, and Joy played doctor with a girl named Daisy when she was in fifth grade (Judy: “Did you play gynecologist?” Joy: “I believe I examined her breasts.”)
- What It’s Like to Be a Gay Mom: It’s difficult to deal with your ex, and boys are crazy kids sometimes. So, in other words, it’s the same as being a straight mom, except you have the complication of not knowing whether to trust the sperm donors.
- What Lesbians Like: Rosie and Judy adored both guests, Edie Falco and Peter Krause. (When Rosie told Peter that the lesbians love him, Joy and Elisabeth quickly added that straight girls do too.)
Joy Behar and Elisabeth Hasselbeck seemed receptive to — not to mention fascinated by — all of it, and were especially interested in the discussion of “fluid” sexuality. I never thought I’d hear a self-professed Republican say that a girl who plays doctor with another girl might have the potential for same-sex lovin’ later in life. Elisabeth said this in an accepting, open-minded way, like, “Maybe it means something, maybe it doesn’t, and why does it matter one way or the other?” To me, that’s revolutionary. There were no homophobic impulses or remarks the entire time — just thoughtful conversation and (dare I say this about daytime TV?) enlightment.
It’s great to feel even a little bit represented on TV. When Rosie has cracked her last U-haul joke on The View, it will be a loss. Judy Gold herself wants us to pray that ABC asks her to replace Rosie, and that might not be a bad idea. But they might have to saw off the legs of her chair too!
