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.

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.

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

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.

When I was anorexic it just seemed like I literally wanted to disappear. And now I would like to reappear.

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.

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

The most important thing for me was to never, ever, ever deny it. But I didn't really have the courage to talk about it. I was thinking, The people who need to know I'm gay know.

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

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

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

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.

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.

I thought, I'm out in my life, that doesn't involve my public life.

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.