Meredith Baxter

[Bicuriousity]

Thought it was a bit strange that after two marriages and now she's dating a woman that she identifies as gay now.

Wouldn't it be more correct for her to say she's bi? I can understand if she never intends to date men again that maybe she's gay now.

I don't know. Then again I hate labels, but sometimes it seems people don't think bisexuals exist.

[Fire Lotus]

Her on the Today Show:
http://www.afterellen.com/blog/stubbs/meredith-baxter-says-shes-happy-and-gay

Sounding rather certain she fits as lesbian and not bi.

[Long Duck Dong]

the key is the person themselves...... we would id them as bi as they have been with males and females.....

they id as lesbian.....and they choose to be with a female

its like the age old ruling, that once a criminal, always a criminal.....and thats not always true..... I have a friend that was jailed way back in 1953 for a short time..... he is not a criminal in my eyes, just a person that did time for something a life time ago.....and its the same with meredith..... do we judge her as bi for her past, or judge her as the person she is today

[JP1986UM]

or do we simply not care and just move on....

[cand86]

Sexual orientation has always been primarily about attraction, not behavior, and like LetMeHitItFromThBack said, plenty of folks come out after one, or even several, opposite-sex relationships. It doesn't make them bi; bisexuality is about desiring both sexes, not of feeling confused/in denial and going with the flow and getting married out of social expectations and because it's "what you do".

Of course, it could always be the case that she's identifying as lesbian because it's easier than identifying as bi, but I just don't see any reason to doubt her, you know?

[mikey3000]

I just don't understand how someone, being married twice and both marriages being happy and relatively legnthy, be in "denial" all those years and then suddenly be gay. To me it gives more creedence to the fluidity of human sexuality and the right to choose their preferencial partner. I think the more we make excuses for our decisions, the less value those decisions are given. What's so wrong with saying, "I choose to be a lesbian now," and not, "I was born this way, but denied it my whole life." What is so wrong with freedom of choice? After all, homosexuality has not been proved to be totally genetic, has it?

[rissababynta]

I just don't understand how someone, being married twice and both marriages being happy and relatively legnthy, be in "denial" all those years and then suddenly be gay. To me it gives more creedence to the fluidity of human sexuality and the right to choose their preferencial partner. I think the more we make excuses for our decisions, the less value those decisions are given. What's so wrong with saying, "I choose to be a lesbian now," and not, "I was born this way, but denied it my whole life." What is so wrong with freedom of choice? After all, homosexuality has not been proved to be totally genetic, has it?

I still don't think one can just choose it unless they are doing it for reasons other than being themselves. I can understand changing overtime and then at some point, you just don't feel the same way for the opposite sex, but as for choosing it? No, I don't think that's how it works. People can't just wake up one day and say "Ya know what, I think that from now on I'm gonna start getting turned on by just women/men."

[mikey3000]

But how many bi curious people do you think choose to not act on their biness and remain straight? Does that count? I really don't know anymore.

[handlebar]

I know a lot of people hate labels but they are something that will always be with human society. Bi,gay,lesbian,black,white,etc. They are descriptive and no matter whether one likes it or not, they will be used.
Our politically correct society (at least right now) makes it almost a crime to "label" one as something or to call it how they see it.

If Meredith wants to be a lesbian, then fine. She knows in her own heart what she wants and came out to tell the planet. I give her credit for not hiding.

[goldenfinger]

She came out to beat the media, good for her. Her right, her choice. It.s not up to us label her in any way(with the exception of GAYAZN):bigrin:.You all, in the US at least, need a friend like that in Hollywood. If it can happen to someone like her, it can happen to anyone.

[open2both]

Fine with me!
Stop squabbling about labels!
Bfd!
The more "out" folks, the BETTER!

[goldenfinger]

I know enough.

You are still rather closeted and came out to yourself later in life after decades of denial and being closeted.
You just can't move on, can you.

Do you really want me to treat all gay men like you, total jackass, I can if you will. So next time I meet a gay man, I call him a jackass, just like I call you a jackass. That should make you feel good. Just tell me if I should treat them like you.

[raistkit]

troll alert: time to move on and create a new profile. you're boring me kid. next time around could you cum up with some new material. you seem to know a lot about closets . "me thinks thou dost protest too much".

:2cents:kit

[goldenfinger]

If sexuality is genetic, then if all gay men stopped sleeping with women..in two generations we would have no more gay men. That's how genetics work. So, breeders are necessary for gays to exist. Yay breeders!

As for sexuality, both it and gender are far more fluid that we have previously thought. They are on a spectrum and I honestly believe that people shift where they are on that spectrum as they grow. Some never move more than a degree or two either way. Others shift dramatically.

I don't see that it is unlikely that MB is correct that she was in denial and now knows that she is a lesbian. Is it choice? Perhaps. Was it genetic? Perhaps. Were there social issues at play? Most likely. The depts of what we don't know about this have yet to be plumbed.

Pasadenacpl

Many people can be carrier, not getting it them self. It can show up 2 or 3 generations down the line.