Actress Geri Jewell Comes Out
-by Bridgette P. LaVictoire
For Dr. Paula Brooks of LGR, Geri Jewell was an inspiration. Looking at Jewell on television told the young Paula that she, too, could over come her disabilities. Paula lost her hearing in the early 1980’s. Jewell was a ground breaker because she became the first person with a disability to appear in a recurring role on a prime-time television series. She appeared on the show “The Facts of Life” as Cousin Geri, whom she played for four years on the show. Now, Jewell has revealed something else- she’s also a lesbian.
For Dr. Paula Brooks of LGR, Geri Jewell was an inspiration. Looking at Jewell on television told the young Paula that she, too, could over come her disabilities. Paula lost her hearing in the early 1980’s. Jewell was a ground breaker because she became the first person with a disability to appear in a recurring role on a prime-time television series. She appeared on the show “The Facts of Life” as Cousin Geri, whom she played for four years on the show. Now, Jewell has revealed something else- she’s also a lesbian.
Indeed, the double meaning of the title: I’m Walking As Straight As I Can, refers both to Jewell’s sexuality and to her extraordinary struggles growing up with cerebral palsy. This candid memoir details her experiences from her birth in Buffalo, New York, to her rise to stardom as a stand-up comic to becoming the first person with a disability to be featured in a recurring television role. She documents the harsh realities of Hollywood, relentless discrimination and abuse at the hands of people she trusted. Her experiences in the shark infested waters of Hollywood lead her on a journey from the Comedy Store to the White House, followed by a downward spiral, tax problems, marriage, drug addiction and an accident that nearly claimed her life.
The memoir will come out in April. For Jewell, the journey has been hard, but she has since turned her life around, and has been on shows like “Deadwood” in recent years.
It is wonderful to know that she has finally found the courage to come out to us all and to lead another generation to know that, they too, can accomplish many things.
Comments