Back in April, Anna Paquin participated in the “Give A Damn” campaign to encourage tolerance and respect for the GLBT community. While Anna was shooting her PSA, she changed her script to say, on camera, “I’m bisexual, and I give a damn.” Some people were shocked, some people were like “meh.” Anyway, it turns out that Anna wasn’t just doing that for shock value, or to make some kind of point. She really does identify herself as bisexual, and she’s given another interview about it:
Anna Paquin shocked her True Blood fans when she came out as being bisexual. Her announcement was part of a PSA called Give a Damn put out April 1 by the gay rights organization, True Colors Fund.
But only now is the actress offering an explanation as to why she chose to make her sexual orientation public, RadarOnline.com can report.
“I’m not someone who endlessly talks about her personal life for no reason but obviously, as someone who identifies as bisexual, those are issues I really care about — and frankly, I don’t see why everyone doesn’t care about them,” she told Zap2it. “So when I was asked to participate in that PSA, it was just obvious. ‘Well, of course I will’.”
Paquin, who is engaged to marry her True Blood costar Stephen Moyer, added that the campaign for equal rights for people of all sexual orientations is something she “cared about and privately supported, but not one that I had ever had an opportunity to speak out about in a way that would be useful. I just wanted to do my bit.”
And that’s just fine with her TV boss Alan Ball, who is himself openly gay. The True Blood writer/producer calls Anna “really brave.”
[From Radar]
Great. I really don’t have a problem with Anna or with any of it, and I am slightly confused why people are treating it like it’s some kind of big deal. When HuffPo put these interview excerpts out over the weekend, the story got more than a thousand comments. Why? Because she’s being so open about it? Because bisexuality is something most people don’t admit? Because Anna is an Oscar-winner with a hit cable show? Because she’s engaged to a dude? I have no idea.
True Blood starts on June 16th!! Can’t wait!!
Funny how so many of these “bisexual” actresses – Anna, Megan, Angelina – are willing to talk about their gay exploits to Maxim/FHM, yet seem to date men exclusively. I suppose this has nothing to do with the column inches a touch of lipstick lesbianism garners, without the downside of the homophobia thrown at genuine, loving same-sex couples…
@Miranda
I have to say, the lipstick lesbian thing does bother me, but more on, say… Miley Cyrus and Katy Perry. Didn’t Angelina genuinely have some girlfriends? And can you really say you’re aware of whether or not Anna’s dated women over the years?
I think a few people were shocked, and the majority were ‘meh’. I don’t think it got her as much publicity as expected, so now she did this interview. Still a ‘meh’ topic. That comes up after she gets engaged.
@Ben: I think Anna did date a woman, and they were together for a while.
Found her unattractive straight; Find her unattractive bi-
I consider myself bisexual, but I’ve only actually HAD 3 committed relationships in my life.
Those all happened to be with men though.
Doesn’t mean I haven’t and still wouldn’t date a woman.
I like them as a couple, and I’ve liked Anna’s work throughout her career. Frankly, I don’t care about her sexual orientation; as long as she’s happy, it’s cool with me.
@ Zelda – thank you for making a very relevant point.
Zelda, absolutely word-for-word ditto. There are a lot fewer lesbians than straight men, so statistically I’m more likely to date a woman.
I’m guessing that the fact that Anna came out in this way rather than a) bragging about how she loves to **** women in an interview, or b) fake-making-out with a girl on stage somewhere means she’s on the level.
She peaked at the age of five. Now I don’t know why anyone of any sex would date her.
Um, Bobster, I’m hoping you don’t mean that people should have wanted to date her when she was five…?
@zelda agreed! i’m bisexual but i can count on one hand the amount of bisexual/lesbian women i’ve met. of course i’m not going to just date them because they’re women. i dated one of them but all my other significant relationships have been with men. it doesn’t make me less bisexual!!
@ crab
the posters in nyc read the season premiere is this sunday, june 13th.
@ miranda, she didn’t come out in a “lad mag” ie maxim etc, she came out in a psa (public service announcement) for an lgbt social awareness campaign. Seems like a fitting time for her revelation. She’s not made an issue of her sexuality previously – and besides this tiny blurb, it hasn’t come up since.
Why the animosity?
@ RHONYC – thanks!! I would have missed it!!
Meh, she’s talented but I wouldn’t hit it, not my type. I think it’s not as big a deal as there are so many bi men and women-remember the Kinsey Report?
Not that my gaydar or bidar or whatever it is works all that well, but Anna at least seems genuine. So is bi defined as having been in a relationship or being open to it and okay with it if it happens?
I think a lot of people think they’re bi, but if cornered, would suddenly find themselves firmly heterosexual. Rihanna, I’m looking at you.
I’m of the personal opinion that it doesn’t matter what sexual orientation someone is unless I’m wanting to get down and dirty with them. As its highly unlikely I’m ever going to bang a celebrity, I simply don’t care.
Unless, of course, Tom Cruise comes out of the closet. That, I’d probably be interested in hearing about. But a woman engaged to a man deciding to announce she is bisexual? Meh. Who cares?
I couldn´t care less.
All I want is that Sookie has alot of Sex with Eric in season 3 and that I don´t have to hear Bill saying Ssssookie no more. I hate his sniveling character: Soooo boring!
But good that y´all mentioned that she got an oscar: I would have never recognized her as “The Piano”girl.
I thought everyone was bisexual these days. It’s kind of the new “it” bag.
Look, “bisexual” is a label that covers a wide range of desires and behaviors, from having a strong preference for one gender but admitting that you could find the other gender attractive, all the way to truly having an equal affinity for both genders. Most people who identify as “bisexual” have a preference, or more experience, with one gender over another. Doesn’t make them less bisexual, or a faker, or anything. They are simply acknowledging what I personally believe a lot of people privately recognize, that attraction cannot always be explained, and sometimes comes in really surprising packages. If you subscribe to the Kinsey Scale, very few people are truly 100% hetero or homosexual- for most of us, there is some gray area.
Anna said previously that she was in a long term relationship with a woman, and I have no reason to disbelieve her. In getting married, she is participating very publicly in “heterosexual privilege”, and perhaps she wanted to acknowledge that in some way.
I’m glad to see such thoughtful comments here. I’m a bisexual woman, and I’ve known that since before I knew the term (and was quite confused by my feelings for a number of years). I find both men and women equally attractive (when they are men and women I find attractive in particular–don’t want to add to the stereotype that we’re attracted to EVERYONE, oye).
Because I came of age in the late 80s and early 90s at a very conservative southern college, I didn’t DARE act on my feelings for women. So because I’m also attracted to men, I found it fairly easy to limit myself to men. Didn’t mean I could change my sexuality. Just meant it was safer to only date men. If I had grown up in another time and place, I could have been more free to date both men and women.
I ended up marrying a man who is the love of my life. I’ve been with him for over 20 years. Guess what? He’s bi, too. LOL. It’s not a trend or a fad. I’M not a trend or a fad. And I hate it when gay people claim we just haven’t fully come out of the closet yet. No, we like BOTH. The end.
Well said, Anastasia and Zelda.
I think most people are bisexual whether they say it or not or identify with it or not. I’ve had sex with men and women but don’t consider myself “bisexual” – just sexual…
@lisamarie
That’s right, I lost friends and gave up my relationship with certain family members because of the trendiness of it all. I definitely love getting treated like a second class citizen by both the gay and straight community; it makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside.
I for one hugely appreciate Anna Paquin coming out. Bisexuality is often relegated to a hidden preference because it is so much easier for women to find men to date (just statistical availabity). I didn’t really have a strong feeling about Anna Paquin before, but I’m definitely loving her and her honesty now.
Her revelation doesn’t bother me, its her private life and as long as she isn’t out there commiting crimes, I’m not concerned what she does or who she dates. I still like her, always have. She doesn’t come across as a fame whore to me.
What bothers me is she is a homewrecker.
#10, umm, no. Some people who are cute as children become ugly adults.
I’m surprised by the sensitivity and maturity this is (for the most part) being commented about (by most people).
If you have something unkind to say, please stay hidden behind your computer and don’t use the keyboard. Just the mouse button to hit back and comment on another story.
@Carrie,
I think you hit the nail on the head!
And, I can’t myself, good for all you strong women who are owning your sexuality and talking about it so openly 🙂 Warms my heart to hear other like-minded people sharing openly in acceptance and joy for each other 🙂
Also, I’m bisexual and I give a damn!
sorry meant–can’t HELP myself ^^
I’ve been on the record here as saying I don’t like any of the big three picks for Bill, Sookie, or Eric, and I stand by that. I actually had to scroll through the other comments to remember the characters name that Alex plays because to me he will always be the adult version of the “kid from Home Alone”, or at the very least some kind of morphing of Jim Carrey (sp?) and the kid from Home Alone.
Why do we even have to have the labels? We love who we love, we are attracted to who we want to be attracted to. There’s always talk about straight people attacking gay/lesbians…..but there are so many gay/lesbians who attack bi-sexuals and transgenders. Talk about hypocrisy. I’m married to a wonderful man I love very much…..but i know I’m either bi-sexual or bi-curious. Not sure which yet. I think Kinsey got it right. There are gray areas.
If she was a panelbeater nobody would care. Half Hollywood is strange and most of the rest are trying hard to catch up or stay sane.