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Jodie Foster didn't come out to shock you
Jodie Foster's big coming out speech at the Golden Globes has been the water cooler topic of the week. Every time a public figure comes out, I like to sit back and listen to the online response, and most of the time I find it runs somewhere in the vein of mockery: jokes - with the occasional sprinkling of awesome warm-heartedness.
The response to Ms. Foster seems to be no different, so I wanted to take this chance to relate from my experience, maybe shift a few people's perspectives, or just generally start a discussion about it.
Coming out to parents and family members was a frightening thing for me, and still is for people who haven't done it yet. I don't think social climate will ever fully change that fact. I remember telling my father and later my sister that I was bi-sexual and how terrifying that was. My sister was livid pissed... but only because she was the last one I told. Sisters are funny like that.
Regardless of how frightening it is, no matter how scary it is to think about your relationships with your loved ones being impacted by your sexuality, at some point most of us get to a point where it's worth it to face that fear. It's worth it to just be who we are. And looking that fear in the face has very little to do with the person being told.
I've heard so many people making jokes about how they've known for decades that Jodie Foster was gay. That they aren't shocked that she's gay, and that basically she didn't need to bother coming out.
I hate to burst your bubble...Jodie Foster didn't come out for your shock and awe. She came out so she could live her own truth (at least that's how it was for me). I am not open with my sexuality with people because I give two shits if they're shocked by it or not; it's because it's the truth.
If part of who I am offends someone so badly that they'd rather not be in my life, even something as benign as my sexual orientation, then it's probably best that we figure that out don't you think? Jodie Foster didn't come out for the public, if anything she kept quiet so long because of public perception. Jodie Foster came out for herself, and it was an amazing, brave, beautiful thing. And I cannot think of a better time to do so than on the evening celebrating her life-long achievements.
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Comments (17)
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Report Wed May 29, 2013 - 12:06 ami love jodie Foster, im glad she came out. that's not what make her a good actress or not. Sie auf den LinkReply
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Report Thu Mar 21, 2013 - 3:14 pmWell, Jodie Foster just won the award for best acceptance speech. essay-point.comReply
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Report Mon Mar 18, 2013 - 2:10 pmOne popular suggestion was that Gibson had helped Jodie deal with her sexuality. She duly dealt with it by coming out as perhaps the most confused human being ever to appear at an awards ceremony. “I can’t help but get moony, you know,†she said. “This feels like the end of one era and the beginning of something else. Scary and exciting, and now what? Well, I may never be up on this stage again, on any stage for that matter. Change, you gotta love it. I will continue to tell stories, to move VPN service people by being moved, the greatest job in the world. It’s just that from now on, I may be holding a different talking stick.â€Reply
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Wed Jan 16, 2013 - 8:50 pm
I also sometimes wonder who the hell gets shocked by this kind of stuff now. I mean for heavens sake, in the world of grown up and consenting adults, do we REALLY care who is doing what to whom? And if so, WHY? Get over it folks. Some girls like girls. Some girls like boys. Some girls like both. Some girls like oddly shaped vegetables. *cough* Move along. Nothing to see here.Reply -
2 replies, Last reply by Rusti on Mon Feb 18, 2013 at 10:44 pm
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Thu Jan 17, 2013 - 9:53 am
Kudos to an amazing woman! If we don't do for ourselves, we aren't being honest to ourselves... to the one person it matters to most! Screw what others think or how their perceptions were 'wrong' and they're all upset now because 'Jodie isn't who we thought she was". Really? What, did she suddenly turn into an alien when you found out she kisses girls? Does the fact that Jodie 'likes' girls change one flippin' thing about her? NO! Not a damn thing.... oh, wait! You know what? It does change something about her. It makes her a better person... to herself. And you know... she was already a pretty AWESOME person to begin with! I missed Jodie's speech... probably just as well; I'd have only cried through it and missed it anyway. So happy for you, Jodie!!Reply -
Report Thu Jan 17, 2013 - 2:13 amI'm surprised that this article is the first i am hearing about this. I am so happy that she did this as you said, for herself. Now I have to go Google that speech so I can see her honesty and bravery for myself.Reply
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Wed Jan 16, 2013 - 11:29 pm
AMEN!Reply -
Report Wed Jan 16, 2013 - 10:04 pmKudos to Jodie Foster for being so real in her acceptance speech. My instant response was “well done Jodie, well doneâ€. My take away from her scattered speech, though, was not her coming out as she came out years ago (in 2007 at a dinner I think), but it was just basic privacy. Regardless of a person’s sexuality or coming out or not, everyone has a right to privacy and to me that’s what she was hoping to achieve from her speech. Although after that acceptance speech and the LGBT praising her for coming out in such a watched public forum, it might be some time before she gets some privacy. Hopefully, she’ll get her privacy while continuing to always impress us with her amazing talents and as LHEWITT said, she won’t be so lonely.Reply
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Wed Jan 16, 2013 - 9:29 pm
I love Jodi Foster and I loved her speech. The part about her mom brought tears to my eyes.Reply -
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Wed Jan 16, 2013 - 8:55 pm
I was not directly watching this, but I was listening and heard the nervousness in her voice and it just pissed me off. She is 50 years old, has an extraordinary career, blah, blah, blah., and reduced to "coming out" on television.Then I thought about it for a minute - she wasn't nervous, she was excited and I do so truly hope she gets to live her own truth now and not be so very lonely. (I believe that is how she ended).Reply -
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Wed Jan 16, 2013 - 6:23 pm
Well said! When people are shocked, pissed, or whatever when someone comes out, it's not because the person coming out has changed, but because the off-pissed one's perception of that person has been forced to change, and that's their problem, not the out-comer's problem. And I can relate to the fear of coming out and of how people will react.Reply
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