Before the wedding, Queerty got in some questions with the flashy girl from Flushing, who was once married to a gay man herself—an experience that is drawn on for Happily Divorced.
We asked her what she thought of anti-gay figures like NJ gov. Chris Christie, Growing Pains national homophobe Kirk Cameron, and Michele Bachmann’s ex-gay-clinic-running husband Marcus Bachmann. The Nanny star was refreshingly diplomatic, which was surprising to us given that she plays very mouthy characters on TV.
On Christie, Drescher said we need to be mindful of the national arc of marriage equality: “I am fairly confident that within this decade we’re going to see a significant shift. I feel that the human experience has a diverse range to it, and I feel that this is a civil-liberties act and an opportunity for America to move outside of its comfort zone and further realize the American Dream.”
As for Cameron, who has refused to apologize for calling gays “unnatural,” she slammed back, saying he might think he’s living in a “religious dictatorship.” Said Drescher: “I think that he’s confusing our country, which is a country that separates church from state, with a religious dictatorship, and that he should reexamine what it means to be an American.”
And of Michele and Marcus Bachmann, she would not comment except to say that she wishes all closeted gays would just come out.
“I think that everybody has a right to live an authentic life,” said Drescher. “And to repress your orientation is a life that will be fraught with all kinds of issues that will manifest from not being honest. Shakespeare said it best, ‘To thine own self be true.’ ”
Click through for the full interview with Fran Drescher, priestess of marriage equality. The second season of Happily Divorced premieres tonight, Wednesday March 7, on TV Land at 10:30pm EST/PST.
You know, I try and stay on top of whatever is going on.
So what do you think about Chris Christie vetoing it in New Jersey, which is so close to New York City, a place that just passed it.
I think that we are at a tipping point right now, and I really think that this is a rolling stone, and once the cat’s out of the bag, you really can’t stuff it back in, and so, although this has become an issue from state to state, right now, I am fairly confident that within this decade we’re going to see a significant shift. I feel that the human experience has a diverse range to it, and I feel that this is a civil-liberties act and an opportunity for America to move outside of its comfort zone and further realize the American Dream.
Do you think Republicans will come around to this issue?
Well, I actually there are probably many, many Republicans that already are in favor of marriage equality. There are always going to be extremists, on every issue, all the time, but I think that the polls already show that many people on both sides of the party lines think that marriage equality is long overdue.
Kirk Cameron made some controversial statements on Piers Morgan’s show last Friday. Did you see that?
I don’t agree with anything that he says. I think that he has a right to say it as an American. I think that he’s confusing our country, which is a country that separates church from state, with a religious dictatorship, and that he should reexamine what it means to be an American. Being an American is not to be a hater, not to make a religion that you may practice to be an excuse for selecting a group of people and making them feel less natural.
There’s controversy about Michele Bachmann’s husband maybe being gay. Would you sympathize with her?
I think that … [long pause] … I really have no comment about that.
Marcus Bachmann ran a clinic that advocated for reparative therapy, apparently, and a lot of us in the gay community can spot that sister from a mile away.
You know, I don’t what to say. I can only speak for myself. I think that everybody has a right to live an authentic life, and to repress your orientation is a life that will be fraught with all kinds of issues that will manifest from not being honest. Shakespeare said it best, “To thine own self be true.”
You have definitely lived by that maxim. What happened when your ex-husband, who you worked with The Nanny on for so many years, decided to come out?
When something happens that you didn’t expect or didn’t plan on, you have to play the hand that’s been dealt, and take the feeling of love that you have for this person, and reinvent, take it off the shelf, and begin the process.
And now you’ve created a TV show, Happily Divorced, with a character that, like yourself, had a husband who came out of the closet. You’re marrying a gay couple of 20 years who have two children tonight—how does that feel?
Marriage equality is taking on another resonance for me, because I actually am officiating a wedding! And these people are in love, and they have family—two beautiful children. So it’s taking on an importance, it’s certainly an auspicious occasion, and I take my responsibilities very seriously. And then I feel like, as an outspoken activist for marriage equality and the recipient of Ally of Equality award from the Human Rights Campaign, I felt like this would enable to take my celebrity and leverage it for what I think is a very important issue, not just as a civil liberties issue for gay marriage, but for our nation to take this as an opportunity to grow beyond our comfort zone, and continue to mature into realizing the American Dream.
You’ve played yourself in two major television shows. What is the difference the real Fran and the Fran you play on TV?
Well, I always that all of her is in me, but not all of me is in her. None of the characters I’ve played could probably accomplish what I do in a day, get a show put together, so that the character can exist, but definitely every character I play on television is close to me, because I like to present a character that’s rich in specificity, and detail, and such a fast medium as a television sitcom, it’s really hard to do unless you really understand the person that you’re playing and where they come from and what kind of cloth she’s cut from.
Belize
We love you Nanny Fine.
Andrew
Michelle says she has no problem with gay people getting married, as long as they marry someone of the opposite sex. Like her husband Ladybird did.
Abel
I adore the woman. She never fails to make me laugh, and I regard her shows as blessings.
BigBlowJob
She is correct. I came out to my family, friends and co-workers. I have not changed in their minds. I am still the same person I have always been. The thing about these phobic people is they think that all gay people “flaunt” their sexuality and can be spotted by either being “nelly” or [in the case of women] too butch. Once more and more people come out, they will find out the true nature [which is NOT unnatural] of being gay. I think most of these phobs’ have intentions themselves and do not know how to get a handle on them. I, myself, and everyone else around me are happier now than when I was being a FAKE. When you do not allow the people around you to know the real you, you are a fake. Being comfortable in your own skin and being accepted for who you are is extremely liberating. If those who know you do not accept that, it is THEIR PROBLEM, not yours. There are others who DO care. And, Yes, It does get better!
B-Rock
“I think that he’s confusing our country, which is a country that separates church from state, with a religious dictatorship, and that he should reexamine what it means to be an American.”
YAAYYY!!!! I love you Fran…
Cam
“”
On Christie, Drescher said we need to be mindful of the national arc of marriage equality: “I am fairly confident that within this decade we’re going to see a significant shift.””
_____________
I”m just guessing she wouldn’t be so patient if this was a situation where laws against women voting or working were involved.
That said, I think Queerty was wrong to say that she went easy on the Bachman’s she said when asked about Marcus and Michelle….”
And of Michele and Marcus Bachmann, she would not comment except to say that she wishes all closeted gays would just come out.”
She basically called them both out as closet cases. LOL
TASTEY GOODIES
@BigBlowJob: THANX 4 THE VERY EMPOWERING MESSAGE, BBJ. OH, I JUST HAVE 1 MORE COMMENT- YOUR NAME ROX, DUDE!
InscrutableTed
@Cam: And of Michele and Marcus Bachmann, she would not comment except to say that she wishes all closeted gays would just come out.”
She may have been referring to their “ex-gay” patients, no?
Or maybe not.
Darwin
Kirk Cameron is thought by many to be a closet case. Why else would someone in their teen years suddenly want to be an evangelical (living with the ideas of hellfire and damnation every day). Especially when you are a teen idol in the eighties and I’m sure that women and girls were throwing themselves at him?????
These far-right Christians (often called the Christian Reich) spend so much time and energy just trying to keep the gays down. Not just down, but telling them that they are the root of all evil. Do you know how many starving kids (even is this country) could be fed with all the money the Reich folks raise and spend to combat this Big Gay Threat to civilization. How many people could use homes or good medical care, why they raise and spend millions so the damn gays don’t get hitched and bring down the country.
What Bible are they reading that tells them this is their primary mission while on earth, to keep millions of people from full equality.
Neal Summers
it’s possible that Cameron’s anti-gay stance comes from being gay himself, much like Marcus Bachmann. it’s also possible he’s mentally ill. In any case, he needs our prayers.