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At age 62, after three marriages and five children, Meredith Baxter is making public the fact that she is a lesbian. The beloved television mom Elise Keaton from “Family Ties” and the former wife of her “Bridget Loves Bernie” co-star David Birney appeared on the Today show this morning, speaking with Matt Lauer about her late-in-life discovery. People magazine is also reporting the story this week.
While she has been dating women for seven years and has been with her partner, building contractor Nancy Locke, for four years, only now is Baxter discussing her sexual orientation publicly.
“Some people would say, well, you’re living a lie and, you know, the truth is — not at all,” she told Lauer. “This has only been for the past seven years.”
And the admission might not have come now except for a National Enquirer story reporting that Baxter and Locke took a Caribbean cruise sponsored by a lesbian travel company last month. They knew the possibility existed that they would be outed, but they took the trip anyway.
“I don’t want to be worried all the time,” she said. “I knew I was pushing it.”
From the Today story:
“Baxter says that her relationship with men was complicated, and it took her decades to understand why.
“In 1966 she married her first husband, Robert Lewis Bush, and they divorced five years later; she married her second husband, David Birney, in 1974, and they divorced in 1989; she married her third husband, Michael Blodgett, in 1995, and they divorced in 2000.
“She explained that she deliberately chose to be with men with whom she clashed, so that she could blame them for the end of the relationship. “It never occurred to me to think, oh, [the problem is] me,” she said.
“Then, seven years ago, she had a relationship with a woman and concluded that she was homosexual. Suddenly, things seemed to make sense.
“I got involved with someone I never expected to get involved with, and it was that kind of awakening,” she said. “I never fought it because it was like, oh, I understand why I had the issues I had early in life. I had a great deal of difficulty connecting with men in relationships.”
Baxter also spoke about coming out on Sirius XM’s Frank DeCaro show:
“What impact do you think your coming out is going to have?” he asked her.
“I have to take a deep breath again. You know, I don’t know.
“I meet the public, I work with the public a lot, and I’m always thrilled at the kind of recognition I get. You know I haven’t been on prime time for 20 years, so to have that kind of recognition still is very moving for me. I guess I’m hoping that because so much of the … research indicates that people who know a lesbian or gay guy will, when they have to address political issues, when they have someone gay or lesbian in their lives they think a little more openly about these issues and they tend not to vote people’s rights away...
“So I’m hoping that, OK, if I’m that familiar face and you kinda like me, I say OK, I’m the same person, I’m lesbian, hello. Maybe I can make it a little less scary for them. There’s so much misunderstanding and fear around issues that they don’t know, that maybe I can cross that over in some way, give someone else the courage to say, you know, I’ve been thinking about that too, and I’ve been afraid.
“I was afraid for a long time.”
Baxter’s children, who range in age from 25 to 42, have all been supportive, she said.
“I said, ‘I think I’m gay,’ and my oldest boy said, ‘I knew,’ ” Baxter laughed. “The support from my family and anyone close to me has been so immediate and unqualified. I’ve really been blessed.”
The Today Show interview:
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/34228231/ns/today-today_people/
The Sirius XM interview:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WK0_m3huUO0
YOUR THOUGHTS?
Do you have thoughts about Baxter’s announcement? Does it change her at all in your eyes? Or are we moving past the need for such announcements in society today?
Add a Comment43 Comments
Anonymous... if your proud to be a lesbian, why are you still anonymous? ;-D
December 2, 2009 - 10:32amThis Comment
I'm not anonymous; I'm just not a member of this site. Why are you anonymous?
December 2, 2009 - 10:58amThis Comment
If having complicated relationships with men makes you a lesbian... then aren't we all? Relationships are complicated. But, congrats to her nonetheless!
December 2, 2009 - 10:04amThis Comment
YES!!!!!!!!
December 2, 2009 - 9:41amThis Comment
Let me qualify my original post of "YES!!!!!!!!". I'm glad that Meredith had the courage to come out on national television; I'm kinda disgusted by JohnLa's post of altering his fantasies about her. Makes me think, "That's the kind of man who makes me PROUD TO BE A LESBIAN!"
December 2, 2009 - 9:45amThis Comment
We're proud you're a lesbian too, and can be included in our fantasies!
January 25, 2010 - 8:53amThis Comment
So you look at other people, male or female, then compare them to your values and then exclaim in capitols you are proud you are not them or like them. Hmmm if you had power and weapons I'd be scared.
December 10, 2009 - 6:16amThis Comment
I'm glad you are proud to be a lesbian! You should never be ashamed of being yourself. I'm sorry you were disgusted by my comment. You're the kind of person that makes me proud I have a sense of humor!
December 2, 2009 - 11:50amThis Comment
I'm glad that you have a sense of humor... you make me laugh.
December 2, 2009 - 11:56amThis Comment
I'm a 40 something guy who has always thought Meredeth was very sexy and attractive. Now after reading this... even more so. I just have to rearrange my fantasies a little. JohnLa
December 2, 2009 - 9:40amThis Comment