Hot off the wires...

July 17, 7:08 PM ET

Oprah Winfrey is not, she repeats, not gay. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

In a lengthy article in the August issue of O magazine, the Queen of Daytime and her best friend, Gayle King, dissected their relationship and came to the conclusion that while they're not lesbians, they can see why people might think they are.

"I understand why people think we're gay," Winfrey said in the article. "There isn't a definition in our culture for this kind of bond between women. So I get why people have to label it--how can you be this close without it being sexual?"

The platonic pals said they have been friends for more than 30 years and still talk to each other on the phone "three or four times a day." They have seen each other through failed relationships, diets, career highs and lows and much more, but in the end, they say they're still "more or less the same people."

"The truth is, if we were gay, we would tell you, because there's nothing wrong with being gay," King, who is an editor of O magazine, added.

"People think I'd be so ashamed of being gay that I wouldn't admit it?" Winfrey asked. "Oh, please."

It's not the first time Winfrey has declared herself straight. In 1997, she issued a similar proclamation after an appearance on        Ellen DeGeneres' defunct sitcom, Ellen, sparked rumors about her sexuality.

"I am not in the closet. I am not coming out of the closet. I am not gay," Winfrey said at the time. Apparently, nothing's changed.

The talk show host has been together with her longtime partner Stedman Graham for more than 20 years, but has said she has no plans to wed. The twosome were engaged at one point, but called off the wedding.

"I do believe that had we gotten married, we would not be together today," Winfrey told Extra last year. "The traditional role of marriage would not work in this relationship."

As for her friendship with King, Winfrey said she can't quite pinpoint what makes her bond with her friend so unique.

"Something about this relationship feels otherworldly to me, like it was designed by a power and a hand greater than my own," Winfrey said.

"Whatever this friendship is, it's been a very fun ride."

Oprah and her girlfriend are trapped in the closeeeet...

I hate when people have to comment on their sexuality because misguided people mistake being close with being gay.  A lot of people have really close friendships that span decades......it doesn't mean they're homosexuals.  It means they're really close friends.  Apparently to some people, that can't exist. 

Why is this the type of thing that even matters?

I personally cound not care if Oprah or anybody else is homosexual, heterosexual, bisexual, metrosexual, omnisexual, or transsexual.

The way I see it, that is their own personal business, and nobody else has any right to comment on it.  If they want to talk about it, fine.  If they do not, respect their privacy.

I am sure that most of you would not want your sexuality discussed on open forums.  And to be honest, I could not care less about the sexuality of anybody else in here either  :P

Why is this the type of thing that even matters?

I personally cound not care if Oprah or anybody else is homosexual, heterosexual, bisexual, metrosexual, omnisexual, or transsexual.

The way I see it, that is their own personal business, and nobody else has any right to comment on it.  If they want to talk about it, fine.  If they do not, respect their privacy.

I am sure that most of you would not want your sexuality discussed on open forums.  And to be honest, I could not care less about the sexuality of anybody else in here either  :P


It's mostly so tabloid reporters can have jobs and non-billionaires can feel better about themselves :P

I hate when people have to comment on their sexuality because misguided people mistake being close with being gay.  A lot of people have really close friendships that span decades......it doesn't mean they're homosexuals.  It means they're really close friends.  Apparently to some people, that can't exist. 
My best friend and I have been friends for 26 years now :)  Although, noone's ever even hinted that we might be lesbians :(

I still have to explain to my buds that gay is when you like men and don't like women.  Not when women don't like you.  You call that, unlucky with women.

My best friend and I have been friends for 26 years now :)  Although, noone's ever even hinted that we might be lesbians :(


You guys are so gay.  But only because you're happy :)

Why is this the type of thing that even matters?

I personally cound not care if Oprah or anybody else is homosexual, heterosexual, bisexual, metrosexual, omnisexual, or transsexual.


You left out asexual  :P

My best friend and I have been friends for 26 years now :)  Although, noone's ever even hinted that we might be lesbians :(


Not to your face.  ;D

Why is this the type of thing that even matters?

I personally cound not care if Oprah or anybody else is homosexual, heterosexual, bisexual, metrosexual, omnisexual, or transsexual.

The way I see it, that is their own personal business, and nobody else has any right to comment on it.  If they want to talk about it, fine.  If they do not, respect their privacy.

I am sure that most of you would not want your sexuality discussed on open forums.  And to be honest, I could not care less about the sexuality of anybody else in here either  :P

Why is this the type of thing that even matters?

I personally cound not care if Oprah or anybody else is homosexual, heterosexual, bisexual, metrosexual, omnisexual, or transsexual.

Yay! Finally something we can agree on!

I'll bet she pops pills in the hot tub with Rush Limbaugh. That's probably what she doesn't want her viewership to know!
http://www.inthe00s.com/smile/10/urcool.gif

I know Oprah is gay because she likes to slam the beef ;D

Funny how she has to tell the world every few years she isn't gay. Its not like there's this huge demand wanting to know.

Funny how she has to tell the world every few years she isn't gay. Its not like there's this huge demand wanting to know.


When I hear celebrities denying their gayness or that their marriages are falling apart, it reminds me of the line from (I think) Shakespaere:  "Methinks thou doth protesteth too much."  :-\\

My best friend and I have been friends for 26 years now :)  Although, noone's ever even hinted that we might be lesbians :(


My best friend and I have been friends for 20 years and she has two ex-husbands that blame me for their divorces.  I guess we aren't gay because she is currently on #3. ;)

When I hear celebrities denying their gayness or that their marriages are falling apart, it reminds me of the line from (I think) Shakespaere:  "Methinks thou doth protesteth too much."  :-\\



So if Oprah has to constantly tell people she's not gay because stupid people think she is.......she's really gay but can't admit it?  Sounds like faulty logic to me.  That may be true for some people who feel that coming out would destroy their careers, but if you are always being accused of being something you're not, wouldn't you make comment on it?

So if Oprah has to constantly tell people she's not gay because stupid people think she is.......she's really gay but can't admit it?  Sounds like faulty logic to me.  That may be true for some people who feel that coming out would destroy their careers, but if you are always being accused of being something you're not, wouldn't you make comment on it?


My point is that the more she denies it the more people are gonna think it is true.

I mean, most of the time that you read about some couple announcing that "the rumours of our breakup are not true, we are stronger than a rock", it almost ALWAYS turns out that they break up within a few months.

What's peculiar in this Oprah case is she keeps saying "I am not gay", "But there is nothing wrong with it" and "If I were gay I would be happy to admit it".  Seems like a rather curious way to approach all of this.  If it does not matter to her as she says then she would not feel compelled to "announce" her non-lesbionic state.  Thus my Shakespaerean citation.  :-\\

What's peculiar in this Oprah case is she keeps saying "I am not gay", "But there is nothing wrong with it" and "If I were gay I would be happy to admit it".  Seems like a rather curious way to approach all of this.  If it does not matter to her as she says then she would not feel compelled to "announce" her non-lesbionic state.  Thus my Shakespaerean citation.  :-\\



Some people are very touchy about their sexuality.  I wouldn't like someone I don't know calling me a lesbian.  To me, that would be a lie and I don't like lies told about me.  So, I would make it a point to set that person straight.  I think there's a misconception that if you don't like people accusing you of being gay, it means you have a problem with homosexuality.  I don't believe that to be true.  For someone who's in the public spotlight as much as she is, rumors fly at a faster pace than they would for us common everyday folk.  If someone spreads a rumor she's a lesbian and some bigoted studio head finds out about that, she might not be aired in that region anymore.  That would be damaging to her career.  That is also one big reason why people who are gay, never come out.


I think people make too much out of stuff like this.  She said she's not gay, and until I see something that would otherwise change my mind, I believe her. 

I don't really care if she is gay or straight...she is just annoying, IMO. ::)

I don't really care if she is gay or straight...she is just annoying, IMO. ::)



Agree.  She seems to be a perfectionist of the worst type. 

Agree.  She seems to be a perfectionist of the worst type. 




ya, and she also seems to be the type that (even though she does donate to charity, etc) has to announce everything that she does that is worthwhile. Another thing that annoyed me about her. I recently caught a few moments here and there of a special she had where these number of families were trying their hardest to get out of debt...and I didn't like the fact that she had to throw around numbers of wages that she earns, while in the meantime, these people didn't have two pennies to rub together. ::)

The one thing I don't like about Oprah is how much power she seems to have over people ...

"Oprah said that book is bad, so I won't buy it because Oprah knows what she is talking about and whatever Oprah says goes because Oprah is the best"  ::)

The one thing I don't like about Oprah is how much power she seems to have over people ...




You shouldn't dislike Oprah because some of her fans are sheep, you should dislike the fans.

If you want to dislike Oprah, don't dislike her for her gayness or lack thereof.

The fact that she's given Rachael Ray her own talk show is reason enough.  ;D

Seriously though, I think Oprah is cool.  A bit quirky but who isn't?

If you want to dislike Oprah, don't dislike her for her gayness or lack thereof.

The fact that she's given Rachael Ray her own talk show is reason enough.  ;D

Seriously though, I think Oprah is cool.  A bit quirky but who isn't?


I think Oprah very cool.  She does some really good stuff with her money, and hasn't forgotten where she came from, that puts her one up with me.  As for the books, there isn't any doubt that she has gotten people back into reading, and as an avid reader I love it that there are more people involved with reading more than formulaic romance and self-help books(not that they don't have their place, but enough is too much)

I think Oprah very cool.  She does some really good stuff with her money, and hasn't forgotten where she came from, that puts her one up with me.  As for the books, there isn't any doubt that she has gotten people back into reading, and as an avid reader I love it that there are more people involved with reading more than formulaic romance and self-help books(not that they don't have their place, but enough is too much)




yes she does...BUT, it's never a selfless act for her...she always has to let everyone know that she did a good thing by donating that money. That is what turns me off about her.

I think Oprah very cool.  She does some really good stuff with her money, and hasn't forgotten where she came from, that puts her one up with me.  As for the books, there isn't any doubt that she has gotten people back into reading, and as an avid reader I love it that there are more people involved with reading more than formulaic romance and self-help books(not that they don't have their place, but enough is too much)


That's the major reason I respect Oprah, her popularization of great literature through her book club. Though I have other issues with her. I don't think she's a lesbian. It's a misconception that any successful, powerful woman has to be a lesbian.

yes she does...BUT, it's never a selfless act for her...she always has to let everyone know that she did a good thing by donating that money. That is what turns me off about her.


I dunno, I think she deserves a little bit of publicity for that...I mean, if you throw tens of millions of dollars at charity, you've got to feel pretty good about yourself afterwards.  Maybe I'm looking at it from a different perspective.  And if you think about it, rich-folk being ego-cows, Oprah's "bragging" might force the other rich-folk to step it up a notch in the charity department.

i wanted to take this opportunity to tell everyone here that i'm not gay.

I dunno, I think she deserves a little bit of publicity for that...I mean, if you throw tens of millions of dollars at charity, you've got to feel pretty good about yourself afterwards.  Maybe I'm looking at it from a different perspective.  And if you think about it, rich-folk being ego-cows, Oprah's "bragging" might force the other rich-folk to step it up a notch in the charity department.


No to take a "fundamentalist Bible thumper" position or anything like that, but I recall when I was growing up that somewhere in the Bible it states that it is a sin do do charity work and then "brag about it".  In other words really doing charity work for your own publicity benefit instead of for the benefit of the recipient.  Does anybody know if this is true, and what section of Bible calls it out?

I'm not saying that Oprah is doing this stuff for the publicity, but it always disturbs me when businesses run glossy ads bragging about how they "give back to the community" when they coulda spent tha ad money "giving even more back to the community".  Especially when they run a $5000 ad to brag about the two $1000 scholarships they gave out.

Way back when there was a local charity that was raising money at my place of business.  I had recently gotten a bonus, so I offered (on the Q.T.) to the fundraiser organizer at my offices that I would match $ for $ anything that was raised at our company.  I was happy to do that, was a worthwhile cause.  Later I found out that the fund raising person with whom I made the deal "won" a microwave oven because she raised the most money.  I was incensed because the oven money coulda gone to the cause.

As a result of all above, I usually contribute as "anonymous" when I contribute to a worthy cause, and I never donate money to any causes that offer "prizes" to the biggest contributor, etc.

i wanted to take this opportunity to tell everyone here that i'm not gay.


Dang, there goes $50 i'll never see again ;D

I could not care less about something.
Oprah really needs to take a break. I"m sick of that cow.

I could not care less about something.
Oprah really needs to take a break. I"m sick of that cow.


But you cared enough to make a post about it? ???

But you cared enough to make a post about it? ???


well, yeah. i get that annoyed by media junk like that.
so i cared enough to post about my not caring.
my not caring is very special to me.
:)

well, yeah. i get that annoyed by media junk like that.
so i cared enough to post about my not caring.
my not caring is very special to me.
:)


'Tis good that you empathize with your apathy :D

'Tis good that you empathize with your apathy :D

thanks for your support! http://www.inthe00s.com/smile/09/smheart.gif

Dang, there goes $50 i'll never see again ;D
hoping to buy some favors from me?

not for less than a cool C, pal!