The Other Clinton

In addition to writing a few books, you have penned some very serious articles for magazines.  Do you think it’s hard for comedians to be taken seriously due to the nature of their work?
It’s hard for a comedian who is trying to be serious to not try too hard. An example is Robin Williams. Sometimes he is just oozing, like, “Doesn’t anybody care about this?” It’s a delicate balance, but I do think that comedy can hold the weight of serious, much easier than serious can do comedy. At times, in a serious discussion, a political discussion or a speech, if someone throws in a funny line, people get completely thrown off. The audience may think he or she may not be serious about the topic. But in comedy, I love it when people laugh their head off but then realize that they are actually laughing about very serious things.

You are involved in a lot of LGBT organizations. Which one is the closest to your heart?
I recently did a fund-raiser for in Provincetown for Gays and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders. When you look at some of the really important things — like marriage in Massachusetts and domestic partnership debates, adoption, and immigration issues — they are right in the beginning of it.  I really love what they do.