Rosie O'Donnell addresses "the gay thing"

Comedian and talk show host Rosie O'Donnell quashed speculation over whether she was planning to come out as a lesbian on TV or in her new memoirs by doing so at a benefit event Monday in New York. TVGuide.com reports O'Donnell called herself "a dyke" during a stand-up performance at an Ovarian Cancer Research benefit, adding, "I don't know why people make such a big deal about the gay thing...like this is a big revelation to somebody."

The Web site also reported that O'Donnell has asked Barbra Streisand to sing "People" on the last Rosie O'Donnell Show, scheduled to air May 22. Streisand's manager, Marty Erlichman, said, "Yes, Rosie has asked Barbra to perform. But I don't know if she can do it. Barbra is currently off on holiday, so I haven't had a chance to talk to her about it." A spokeswoman for Rosie would not confirm or deny reports, saying only, "We're hopeful that a lot of our favorite guests will stop by before the end of the season." Streisand appeared on O'Donnell's show in 1997 and then again in a two-part interview in 1999 but has never sung on the program.