Carol Channing: I've Had A Love Affair With The Gay Community
Tony Award-winning actress Carol Channing says she's had a love affair with
the gay community.
The 89-year-old actress-singer-comedienne became a gay icon starring in Broadway hits Hello, Dolly! and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.
In 2002, the City of San Francisco proclaimed February 25 to be Carol
Channing Day in honor of her outspoken support for LGBT rights.
In an interview with gay networking website dot429.com, Channing says
she's had a love affair with the gay community.
“I honestly don't know,” Channing says in response to a question on the
state of gay marriage. “I never cared if someone was gay or not. If a
friend was gay? Well, that's all there was to it.”
“The gay community is responsible for so much of my success, and I
love them. It's a mutual love affair, really. They make the better audiences
too, because they laugh often and loudly. Applause is obligatory,
but laughter is a reward, and gay audiences reward me often. Years ago,
I was made their Queen in San Francisco, which is so much better than
legend or icon. I was told that on that day, there wasn't a blonde wig to
be found in stores. Isn't that wonderful”
Channing added that she doesn't think of herself as a gay icon:
“The moment you do, then you're not. There are so many talented
people that have been called a 'gay icon' that have no similarities at all.”
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