A-List: Amy Poehler

After eight seasons on Saturday Night Live (for which she earned an Emmy nomination -- a rare honor among cast members), Amy Poehler is ready for prime time. The 37-year-old now plants herself on NBC's Parks and Recreation , a mockumentary-style sitcom from the executive producers of The Office about an ambitious mid-level bureaucrat in the Pawnee, Ind., parks department. The show premieres April 9, two days after her girly vacation comedy Spring Breakdown drops on DVD. The Baby Mama star shares the queer scoop on these projects and explains why she'd want her baby boy to grow up gay -- with or without Liza Minnelli's blessing.

Tell me about your character Leslie Knope in Parks and Recreation . Could she be a lesbian?
She's this deluded, somewhat fragile person who doesn't have any real power but wants to change the world. Sweet Leslie would probably attempt lesbianism just to have that experience and open her mind, but it would be really fumbly and awkward. There would not be anything sexy about it.

Any quirky gay characters or subplots on the show?
I'm sure there will be. In very local politics, you want to make sure everyone's voice is represented in the town hall meetings. I'm sure Leslie would want to reach out to the gay community to ask about different things -- like how to obtain a liquor license.

Will Leslie's parks fall prey to George Michael-style recreation?
That's funny, because the show starts with Leslie thinking, "I'll turn this disgusting pit into a park, and everyone will want that." Right away the town is like, "No, because people are going to be partying and having sex there."

When did you get your first taste of gay culture?
I had an interesting and rather unorthodox experience at Boston College, which was a very Jesuit, sports-heavy school. I lived off-campus with, like, seven other people, including three gay guys, and we were known for having super-fun parties. This will date me, but we threw a "Goodbye to the '80s" party, and my gay roommates dressed up as the Robert Palmer girls. I dressed up as "Baby Jessica," the little girl who fell down a well. I went to a lot of gay clubs in Boston, and I spent a lot of time getting to know that scene.

Who's the most important gay person in your life now?
Shane from The L Word . She just can't get her shit together. She's a broken bird, and she needs someone to fix her. Just when you think she's ready for love, she sabotages it. And the woman gives a rock 'n' roll haircut. [ Laughs ] There are a lot of amazing, really talented gay writers at SNL who I'm proud to call my friends, and our times together have meant a lot to me. There are tons of gay people who work in all departments of that show.

Then why haven't there been more openly gay SNL cast members?
That's a really good question, but I don't know. Someone should pick that up as a thesis at Hampshire College.