"I don't really talk about my sexual orientation. I didn't feel like I had to. I was just living my life, not necessarily in the closet, but I was living my life," she stated. In the aftermath of Proposition 8, however, she felt compelled to speak up, and she told the crowd, "I'm proud to be a woman. I'm proud to be a black woman, and I'm proud to be gay."

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Sykes also revealed that she was a married woman, having wed in California in October 2008. She has identified her wife only by her first name, Alexandra (or nickname, Alex), noting, "She's not in show business. I want her to have as much of her private life as she can."

The couple, who met on Fire Island in the summer of 2006, married at a small hotel in Palm Springs with about forty family members and friends in attendance. They have since become parents; in April 2009 Alexandra gave birth to twins named Olivia Lou and Lucas Claude.

Sykes was chosen to perform as a headliner at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner in May 2009, the first African-American woman and the first openly glbtq individual to be so honored. Her edgy routine, which included barbed shots at Alaska Governor Sarah Palin and, especially, at right-wing talk-show host Rush Limbaugh, drew criticism from some but praise from others. Her unrepentant candor on that occasion recalls the title of her book of comedic commentary, Yeah, I Said It (2004).

Sykes' HBO comedy special, I'ma Be Me, premiered in October 2009. The next month, The Wanda Sykes Show, a talk show, premiered on the Fox network.

Sykes has shown courage in speaking out on social issues, and it is to be hoped that she will continue to use her voice, her intelligence, her wit, and her humor to advance the quest for equality.

American television sitcoms have consistently reflected the presence of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered people, often in distorted and stereotyped ways, but occasionally in ways that acknowledge our humanity and complexity.

Historically, cabarets and revues have been much more likely to mention or imply same-sex desire than the "legitimate" theater; and same-sex desire has been less frequently condemned in cabarets and revues than in mainstream plays.

Lesbian stand-up comedy provides an excellent example of how comedy can foster social and political awareness in both minority and mainstream communities.

Lesbian actresses have played a significant role in Hollywood, but their contributions have rarely been recognized or spoken of openly; the "lavender marriage" is by no means a relic of the past.

The Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) is a national organization in the United States dedicated to creating safe school environments for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students.

Lesbian and gay couples have been fighting for the freedom to marry since the dawn of the modern glbtq struggle for equality; despite some success abroad, progress toward same-sex marriage in the United States has been slow.

Korean-American bisexual actress turned stand-up comedian Margaret Cho has become one of the most prominent Asian Americans in show business and in glbtq culture.

No matter how great her contribution to the world of comedy, Ellen DeGeneres will probably be best remembered as the first lesbian to star as a lesbian on her own network television show.

Proposition 8, also known as the California Marriage Protection Act, is the ballot proposition that amended the California state constitution to ban same-sex marriage; it is the subject of ongoing litigation that may restore marriage equality to California.

Charismatic performer and activist Robin Tyler has spent much of her life enmeshed in the struggle for gay and lesbian rights, from planning national marches to promoting same-sex marriage.