Cyndi Lauper talks about gays and slams President Bush...

God bless Cyndi Lauper. I love this woman. I love her honesty, courage to speak out, and boundless energy to entertain and to do good works on behalf of LGBT people.

Here is an excerpt from her new interview with The Times in the UK that I just found stunning because of its forthrightness. So many people try to be politically savvy or correct when really all we want is to hear what is in their heart.

Here is some of what is in Cyndi's:

Lauper, of course, is very popular with gays. "But I hate that expression," she says. Like they are not quite real people." Unlike some artists, who turn up at GAY or produce an album for the gay fans whenever the hits dry up, Lauper's commitment to the cause is genuine. Her sister Elen is a lesbian, and for a few years in her teens Cyndi tried to convince herself that she was, too. "My sister was gay, my best friends were gay, so I figured I had to be gay. So I did everything they did. I tried kissing girls. But it didn't feel right for me and eventually I was forced to come out as a heterosexual."

In 2007 she launched an annual True Colours tour, which this year features artists including the B52s and Andy Bell, and helps to raise awareness of homophobia. "This community for me is my beloved community," she says. "This is not a money-making venture. I have been running with this community all my life, and when I hear people like George Bush talk about the gay community being antiAmerican it makes my blood boil.

"The guy who saved the White House, one of the heroes who crashed that plane on 9/11, was gay - the rugby player Mark Bingham, who died on United 93. And does Bush ever mention that? Does he f***! That gay guy saved his lousy ass. And this guy who says he prays to God, this guy who promotes hate and fear, this guy we call our President . . . This guy is the true anti-American."