Magda comes out on The Project
Comedy icon Magda Szubanski used her appearance on Channel Ten’s The Project last night to go public about her sexuality and reaffirm her support for marriage equality.
Coming close to tears at certain moments while telling the show’s panel about her struggle coming out, Szubanski said her sexuality was an open secret in the industry.
“It’s not like I was running around hiding it, but there’s a difference between living life openly and living life absolutely publicly,” she said.
“I love my work … You almost feel like you have to choose. I know you are going to ask me if it would have been hard (to be gay and an actor), but it’s only recently that things have changed.”
Watch the interview below:
I agree with much of what Troy says, but Magda’s public coming out process is for her, and the Marriage Equality debate she’s chosen to be a part of.
Magda was brave enough to admit that staying closeted to “middle Australia” was for the sake of her career. Very few gay celebrities (and there are plenty) admit to this.
I applaud her, but one part of what she said, about laws against gay people, and fear of police breaking in and arresting people … these never applied to lesbians. There were no laws against lesbianism. Whether this was patriarchy at work or not, the simple fact remains you could not be arrested or convicted for lesbianism in Australia’s history. There are laws preventing two women from legally marrying, yes. This is the debate being had now, because that state of affairs is not equal.
But I think it was Magda’s nervousness which took her into that territory, and I forgive her for that. I’m just clearing-up what I see as an important point. Others may disagree.
Troy’s beliefs about self determination are admirable, but if the Australian legal system ever holds the determination of his sexuality and/or his relationships in its hands, I hope it is never to the point where it overtakes his self determination. At the moment, there are many opportunities for people in and around Troy’s life to decide for him.
Full marriage equality will set the self-determining as truly free as Troy believes he is.
As a gay man, I am confused as to why Magda Szubanski has felt the need to go on national television and broadcast her sexuality, especially when, by her own admissions, “most people knew anyway.”
Magda is a successful, funny, charismatic and community-minded individual that is a formidable character cemented in the Australian media landscape. I believe the need to broadcast her sexuality has now dimmed the spotlight of her talent and very nature by the obligation to publicly announce and therefore seek acceptance for a trait that has never been questioned.
As a gay man, I am confused as to the decision to acknowledge a deeply private part of one’s life in a public forum, especially when it is not and has not been in question. I personally have never felt the need to yell my queer status from the rooftop but I have also never hidden it. By not making a fuss over my sexuality, I have in turn given no other person the reason to not accept me completely as I am for it is in the public acknowledgement and seeking of approval that sexuality becomes and issue to debate instead of a characteristic of the whole.
I truly believe that Magda would have served the “cause” (if that is what people are intent on calling it) by simply supporting it with her star power and highlighting the hypocrisy of inequality. Isn’t it time that people, in general and regardless of standing or creed, are acknowledged and accepted in society by how we act in society and not because of our sexuality.
I think the point of inequality that was trying to be made although highlighted to a degree, has now been over-shadowed by the singular and Magda’s revealing of sexuality which I believe was never a point of contention has now become the main event,
Do people really care anymore if people are gay?
Aside from the religious communities that will forever hide in the print of the bible with God as an excuse for their inability to think and act of their own accord. As a country and a world there are so many support groups out there now for young gay men and women, that any individual has the opportunity to experience support and inclusion at anytime and all they need to do is ask.
In ending I know I will ruffle some feathers and I know that there will be strong opinions for and against my views, however I believe as a gay man living in Australia that the truth is when I learnt to let go of the need to have others think of me in a certain way and I simply cared more about how I acted as a human being my life was transformed. Gay marriage is a debate of equality but in the reality of the world nothing is rarely equal and I personally choose to live outside the boundaries others attempt to dictate.
If I chose to marry a man, I would not allow the government’s prejudice to stop me, I would simply look to a new way of fulfilling my ambition. There is always a way to achieve and experience what we want and when the world stops needing to fight to be acknowledged and instead acknowledges themselves we will move forward.
I don’t really care either way about marriage nor do I really care what people say about me as they are not the ones living my life.
I care about me and I live my life with an ode to simply be a person I can be proud of every night I go to bed. I live each day to the fullest of my ability and that is where my eternal happiness lies.