Straight women, were/are you aware that Jodie Foster is gay?

[MNUse]

Been mildly curious about this for a while. I’m a gay woman and my loving well-meaning mother will occasionally make slightly clumsy attempts to bring up gay films or famous gay women that she assumes I must be interested in because they are also gay (e.g. Ellen Page as was). But she has never mentioned Jodie Foster, and although I haven’t tested it I get the impression she isn’t aware, maybe partly because although JF is now ten years married to a woman she has never quite made the big ‘I am gay’ speech.

AIBU to think a lot of straight women still haven’t really noticed that Jodie Foster is gay? And, if I’m wrong, when did you become aware?

YABU - I know, I’ve known for ages, yawn

YANBU - I didn’t know, or didn’t know until very recently, but anyway, yawn

OBVIOUSLY what matters is her acting, but I am mildly curious about what causes someone’s gayness to register/not register with the wider public

But the things you mentioned were things related to lesbians on prime time and gay marriage?

Without them using their voices Ellen would have faded into obscurity when she was fired.

Without Cynthia being an advocate for gay marriage (along with millions of other voices) there would be no gay marriage.

So is that branding or just two people who fought for equal rights?

I don't see how the two example that YOU gave, are anything other than women who refused to accept homophobia.

What would you rather have had them do? Say nothing?

Or if I'm not understanding can you explain what it they have done that makes you think it's branding?

Having a show about a lesbian played by a lesbian? Is that branding?

Obviously they are activists too, but the question by a poster was about somebody having their sexuality as part of their brand ie as part of their image and I'd say those two women have that.

Nixon didn't come out until 2004 and we had gay marriage where I lived at the time already. She may have contributed to gay marriage in the US specifically.

"What would you rather have had them do? Say nothing?"

No, when did I say that?

You seem determined to characterise me as a homophobe even though I haven't said anything homophobic so I won't be responding to you any more.

It's been known forever, well done to Jodie that she doesn't make it part of her marketing.

Apologies if I misunderstood but I took this to be criticism of folk like Demi, Miley, and allies like Harry, Taytay who have expressed their preferences publicly/or been vague when asked - cynics would say they want(ed) to court an LGBT fanbase. If you weren't castigating them for that then I apologise for projecting!
The truth is that apart from a few singers/influencers I am too old to know but DD informs me exist, there aren't that many high profile out women aside from a few lionesses, Sue Perkins, Sandi Toksvig, Clare Balding, Susan Calman, Bethany Black, Nicola Adams, Rosie Jones, Rosie O'Donnell, Ellen de Generes, Lily Tomlin, Rhona Cameron, Gina Yashere, Tig Notaro, Hannah Gadsby, Kate Mckinnon, Jane Lynch, Jodie Foster, Martina Navratilova and Kelly McGillis.
There will be more I'm sure but off the top of my head, if like the OP's Mum, I was clumsily trying to bond with one of my DDs by talking about young women same-sex attracted, I'd have to say Renee Rapp (in the new Mean Girls) or Honey G. I asked about Cardi B but allegedly she is a "clout chaser" and DD doesn't believe she is bi!

Aw bless, my namesake Katy Perry is also accused by my DD of queerbaiting cos she didn't really kiss a girl for the taste of her cherry chapstick! Harry Styles gets a pass because he's defeating gender norms in his clothing, nothing more apparently. Thanks OP for the thread, DD and I are having a convo of sorts which is amusing us both x

Jill Scott, Beth Mead, Nicola Adams, Ellen de Generes, Kate McKinnon, Kristen Stewart - these my 13 year old has heard of. All the rest are too old and so am I

I'm not trying to say you are homophobic I'm just curious as to what makes someone's sexuality their brand.

Ellen and Cynthia are lesbians who are well known. I don't feel like it's their brand. They just happen to be lesbians who fought homophobia, like most lgbtq people .

Ellen's brand was her talkshow and being funny and relatable. That clearly crashed hard mind you. But other than knowing she had a wife, there was nothing about her show that was inherently gay or about being gay.

Kate McKinnon sigh... She is hilarious. I have such a crush on her!

Kristen Stewart said this and I found it resenated with me even as a middle aged woman.

“Retrospectively, I can tell you I have experience with this story. But back then I would have been like: ‘No, I'm fine. My parents are fine with it. Everything's fine.’ That's bullshit. It's been hard. It's been weird. It's that way for everyone,” she said.

I am doomed to embarrass all my children in different ways, including how woke but sleepy I am God forbid I ever become their ally (I'd be that Mum, with the Pride deeny-boppers, making it all about herself eyeroll! that's what they'll be saying/"Mum, stop making it weird!")
My favourite part of Xmas was watching Saltburn with them all (not my idea, I came to it knowing nowt) when we all "Ewwwed" at the same time. If that's not bonding/OMG you watched it with your mam weird, I don't know what is.

Lol Oh my gosh I love that!!!!

I had girlfriends when younger that my family never met. Then I was with my ex husband for 22years.

When I was single I dated men and women. I am now with a transman and didn't really know how anyone would react?

My mom who is a ton of work surprised me the most. She went to pride parade in her city, started sending me rainbow everything. Lol It's been actually quite sweet and surprising.

Other family members have been lovely, and some have disowned me. Her statement was exactly what I have felt.

I'm sorry you've been let down by some of your family Josette
Your Mum sounds like she is trying though you're going to end up with a room full of rainbows by the sound of it bless.

And DD has heard of Sarah Paulson because of TikTok.
But I freaked her out by telling her that Sarah's gf is 32 years older (Holland is 81). Her reaction leads me to think that she thinks at a certain age we ought to get thee to nunneries!

It's always been something ive known but ive no idea how

I knew she was gay before i knew I was gay!
always loved her as a kid, she was such a tomboy and I could relate.
There’s a hilarious video clip of an interview with her when she’s a teen and the guy asks if she has a boyfriend- her face says it all…

"But other than knowing she had a wife, there was nothing about her show that was inherently gay or about being gay."

The sitcom was quite a lot about how she never had a boyfriend, with the suggestion that it was because she was a lesbian.

You mean the sticom not the talk show?

After the episode she comes out in aired they started putting parental advisories on before the episode. Isn't that nuts? As though children seeing a sitcom with a lesbian was wildly inappropriate.

I just think of it a show where a lesbian played a lesbian. If she was straight and played a lesbian would you see that differently?

Are there straight people who you think have made their straightness their brand based on playing a straight person in a show or movie?

Do you have a link?

I had a look and it's a female interviewer so not sure if it's the one @Dothefandangos was referring to, but there's this very short clip:

For context it's part of this (still quite short) interview where Jodie's asked about her education, if she has a boyfriend, then male and female actors she admires and what she likes best about actors of each sex. I found the latter part interesting, she admires intelligence and strength in women and vulnerability in men.

"I just think of it a show where a lesbian played a lesbian."

It autobiographical. She was playing a version of herself. I think the sitcom was even called Ellen.

Ellen the actor/presenter was starring in a show about herself … hence the weirdness about her being ‘straight’ in the show while being very much gay, and closeted’ in real life.

‘had a look and it's a female interviewer so not sure if it's the one @Dothefandangos was referring to, but there's this very short clip:’

no,
actually a different one! But can imagine she spent a lot of her teens answering questions about her lack of boyfriend/s… certainly by the time she was on my radar when she was 20 or so I knew she was gay despite the lack of openness about it.
I don’t really blame her. It would have been the death knell for her career back then

Interesting thanks, she was very calm when the BF question came up, my guess is she has rehearsed with a stand in these types of interview, and her eyes suggest that she may be using anti-anxiety medication? The interviewer wasn`t too bad though, a lot of these things (especially from that era) come over as very creepy and intrusive now.

I became curious about Jodie's life after watching her in the Nyad movie recently. I've always loved her acting and recall when she quit acting to go to college & later I saw her again in the movie Nell. She's always been a very private person but I wondered if she was ever married and I learned she's gay after a Google search. She's a beautiful woman and I was curious to see how her life had evolved. I was stunned to learn she was gay, but not entirely surprised once I thought about how private she always was about her personal life. I'm straight and just wonder how men treated her along the way since it would make sense that she may have dealt with a lot of unwanted attention especially when she was young.