cynthia nixonCynthia Nixon's comments last week that she's "gay by choice" caused a hell of a firestorm. It's not all that shocking that the actress was accused of being insensitive when she said in a New York Times interview, "For me, [homosexuality] is a choice. I understand that for many people it’s not, but for me it’s a choice, and you don’t get to define my gayness for me."

Ack! It was definitely one of those taboo quotes that would haunt the actress unless she did some damage control, so unsurprisingly, Nixon, who is currently appearing on Broadway in the play, Wit, has released a statement to The Advocate meant to clarify her previous remarks.

She said:

While I don't often use the word, the technically precise term for my orientation is bisexual. I believe bisexuality is not a choice, it is a fact. What I have 'chosen' is to be in a gay relationship. ... I do, however, believe that most members of our community — as well as the majority of heterosexuals — cannot and do not choose the gender of the persons with whom they seek to have intimate relationships because, unlike me, they are only attracted to one sex.

To this I say BRAVO, let's give her a standing ovation! I appreciate her candor and the humility it must take to go back to something you said and "edit" it publicly, you know? Although she's sure to be accused of backtracking, I'm not seeing it that way. I think she's just clarified what she meant and who she is.

What's more, Nixon originally -- and again, here -- was describing her "personal story of being gay." She said she believes that "we all have different ways we came into the gay community and we can't and shouldn't be pigeon-holed into one cultural narrative that can be uninclusive and disempowering." YES! Hello, no two relationships or sexual identities -- gay or straight -- are exactly the same. Cynthia's journey to identifying as bisexual might not be the most common story, but it's exclusively hers. If she is attracted to both men and women, but feels she made a conscious choice to be with a woman, that's her deal. It's not as though she's speaking for everyone in the gay community ... nor should she have to.

Yes, celebrities have a great deal of influence, and their words are carried all around the globe, so their personal stories do carry more weight than an average Jane's. But that doesn't mean they're not also complex, unique human beings. We should respect Cynthia's personal life as her own and her freedom to define her sexuality and relationship however she wishes.

Are you pleased with Cynthia Nixon's clarification or do you think she still did a disservice to the gay community?

 

Image via Doug Meszler/Splash News