It sounds so trite, but my private life is mine.

People might find me attractive, but it's also my job to prove that I can be intelligent.

Supermodels are over, and the new picture girl has become the television actress.

We must be able to inspire. That's my goal in acting.

When you have the paparazzi hiding in the bushes outside your home, the only thing you can control is how you respond publicly.

I didn't choose the fact that I was gay, but I did choose whether to live my life as a gay woman-that was the terrifying thing for me. Especially being a gay actress.

I saw Ellen and my knees were weak. It was amazing. And it was very hard for me to get her out of my mind after that. Then when I saw her that night, we started talking, and that's that.

I've had so many interviews where the last question is, Are you gay? I had to find very creative ways to say that I was gay, but that I wasn't going to talk about it.

Just look at all the awards shows now. It has turned into a catwalk. You have to be wearing a certain designer, a certain dress, and everyone's critiquing.

When I was 15, I changed my name legally. I think it was largely due to my struggle about being gay. Everything just didn't fit, and I was trying to find things I could identify myself with, and it started with my name.

When I watched Ellen come out in '97, my jaw was on the floor. I thought, There are some people who break the doors down, hold them open, and some people who walk right through.

You live with the fear people might find out. Then you actually have the courage to tell people and they go, I don't think you are gay. It's enough to drive you crazy.

Everyone is their own kind of lesbian. To think there's a certain way to dress or present yourself in the world is just one more stereotype we have to fit into.

My feelings for Ellen overrode all of my fear about being out as a lesbian. I had to be with her, and I just figured I'd deal with the other stuff later.

I love being able to wear dresses and clothes that make me feel feminine and beautiful, and I love the fact that I don't have to all the time; I can wear a tank and jeans.

I'm living by example by continuing on with my career and having a full, rich life, and I am incidentally gay.

In high school I had sex with girls quite a few times. They were straight women who I convinced to jump in the sack with me.

My sexuality is a part of me that I really like. But it's not the totality of me.

I married him for a green card. We had a really great, caring relationship; it just obviously wasn't right for me.

I try to be feminine, yet intellectual and smart at the same time. You don't see enough of that.