Morning Brew – Thursday, October 14: KT Tunstall won’t say she’s not gay, Jasika Nicole on being biracial and a lesbian

Hi guys and dolls!

Shonda Rhimes says Jessica Capshaw will only be gone for two episodes of Grey’s Anatomy once she has her baby. She told Entertainment Weekly:

We’re basically playing it by ear. If she needs more [than two episodes], she’ll let me know. She’s not a new mother; she’s done this before. She feels like she’s in great shape and will be physically ready to come back almost immediately. But if she decides she needs some more time, we’re going to give her some more time.

But how will Arizona’s absence be explained? EW.com writes:

Let’s just say that question will be answered in dramatic fashion at the end of the Oct. 28 episode.

Oh crap.

Popeater.com wonders if Ellen DeGeneres will help promote The Dilemma after their use of “That’s gay” in the trailer and subsequent issues with GLAAD. A “TV insider” tells Popeater she’s likely to not play host to the movie’s stars on her show, saying:

Ellen is a hero for equality. No way would she agree to have Vince on her show to promote a film that still hasn’t removed a homophobic scene. If Universal thinks cutting the offensive five-second clip from the trailer but ignoring that it remains in the film would fix anything they are very much mistaken.

But after she gave Perez Hilton a chance to redeem himself yesterday, she might just do the same for Vince Vaughn.

Good news, lesbians in South America! Lip Service is coming your way! HBO has picked up the new Sapphic UK series to run down South in the near future. The US should be so lucky.

KT Tunstall is praising Linda Perry for helping her put the finish touches on her new album.

It was Linda who said, “You’ve got the songs, you’ve got the talent, you’ve got the personality. The problem is, you give a f–k about what everybody else thinks!’ It was such good advice. I think it was a big catalyst in changing my attitude toward how I make music.

But KT said she wasn’t interested in working with Perry at first. Luckily, she changed her mind.

I didn’t have any preconceptions about who Linda was as a person — because you get such a good idea of who she is, and I knew she would be really f—ing cool. But I was so concerned about what we would end up writing.

And about those lesbian rumors?

I married a man because I fell in love with him, but the way I feel about love is you fall in love with people, which is one reason I never really wanted to say “I’m not a lesbian!” or “I’m not bi!”…because I never really felt that way about relationships. You love who you love.

Fair enough, KT. It’s possible that “suddenly you’ll see” gay is what you want to be.

Out writer Erin Bried has released her second how-to book, a follow-up to her first How to Sew a Button: And Other Nifty Things Your Grandmother Knew. This time, it’s from the guys. How to Build a Fire: And Other Handy Things Your Grandfather Knew might appeal to the more butch reader, although some things anyone would be interested in. Here’s Erin demoing something from her book: How to make ice cream.

Out Fringe actress Jasika Nicole told The Advocate it was difficult to come out because she felt she already had a strike against her for being biracial in Birmingham, Alabama.

I had to be 13 or 14 years old, and I was in my room, and I was thinking, “There’s a very strong possibility I’m gay, but there’s no way I could be biracial and gay.” I just knew I wasn’t strong enough to be able to carry both of those things in Birmingham, and so I just-I didn’t think about it.

She notes that moving to NYC to pursue acting helped her meet other people more like her, and go on “500 auditions” and plenty of dates with women. Yay!

Today on TV: Grey’s Anatomy (ABC 9 p.m.), The Rachel Maddow Show (MSNBC 9 p.m. and midnight) and Wanda Sykes on The Tonight Show. (Thanks Roni!)

Love you all. Come back soon!