Meeting Rufus Wainwright...

Rufus Wainwright's speech at the GLAAD Media Awards last weekend was so honest and meaningful. I gained a lot of respect for this artist - regarded as one of the great male vocalists and songwriters of his generation - who I didn't really know very much about before. I was winging it during our red carpet interview:

Q. Sharon Stone is presenting your award. Wow!
Rufus: I asked her to so when she accepted I was extremely honored and felt somewhat almighty in my gay celebrity back pocket situation (laughs). We'd hung out a couple of times, not extensively but we will after this for sure.
Q. How do you feel about being honored tonight?
Rufus: "I'm honored to be honored. I must say though that I've been gay for a long time now and I understand why they are doing so. I've always made a real effort to be completely honest about who I am and to sing about boys and about my life as a homosexual so it's the right match.
Q. There are a lot more artists who are out now so you were maybe something of a trend-setter.
Rufus: I was technically, if not the first I was one of the first gay singer-songwriters who was out from the very beginning.
Q. Are you happy to have some company now?
Rufus: Yes, very happy. It is wonderful.

Then, during his acceptance speech, he said: "An artist's decision to live an authentic life should go hand-in-hand with success. The more honest you are and more willing to share, the more gratifying it will be for your audience."

He also touched on something that I have heard friends of mine express and I to some degree also feel (but much less so after my years of therapy!): "We have to work so hard to be so brilliant and be so fabulous all the time, we often forget that we are damaged and we are hurt. To allow gay people to think everything is fine - it's not."

I love how this man has been true to himself from the very beginning and has such openness and honesty.