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TV audiences know her as Abby, the kooky goth chick that works in the forensics lab and helps solve murders on the top-rated CBS procedural NCIS. But in real life the only thing that Pauley Perrette shares with her television alter ego is a tendency toward hyperactivity...and right now Perrette is pretty hyper over Proposition 8, the proposed constitutional amendment that would eliminate the right of same-sex couples to marry in the state of California.
Long a fan of the gays -- Perrette has said in interviews that she was virtually “raised” by the drag queens that worked in the bars she would sneak off to as a teenager growing up near Atlanta -- Perrette recently began a grassroots online effort to convince people to vote no on Prop. 8. She composed a heartfelt and passionate letter challenging the religious right’s allegations that legal same-sex marriage would negatively affect church rights and would be taught in schools, then sent it out to everybody in her address book.
Perrette, who recently got engaged to longtime boyfriend Michael Bosman, sat down with Advocate.com to talk about why the issue is so important to her, and how the outcome of the next election may influence her own decision to get married.
Advocate.com:
What compelled you to write this essay?
Pauley Perrette: I’ve recognized for a long
time that the discrimination of the gay community in so many
ways mirrors that of the women's suffrage movement and
the racial civil rights movement of the '60s. It's the
same thing -- one group wanting to keep rights away
from another group in the land of equality. When the
government has the power to take away the rights of any
group, all are vulnerable. We have given the
government the power to strip anyone of their rights.
I believe the civil rights challenge of the gay community
is our generation's issue to fight and make right, just as
brave Americans before us have changed the plights of
women and people of color, and it’s important
for evolved, intelligent, and passionate straight
people to speak out strongly against the iniquities forced
upon out gay brothers and sisters.
Who were you looking to speak to or reach with it?
Well, I would love for women, people of color,
and churchgoers to read what I wrote. Women and people
of color should relate completely to being
discriminated against and should continue to always fight
for the civil rights of all. The religious
community...well, they try to accuse supporters of gay
rights of being heathens, et cetera. Nope, I've read
the same book, and I am in church on Sunday. I speak their
language, and they are using the beauty of God and
love to promote hate. For all those "Christians" out
there who think they are doing the Lord's work with
their campaign of hate and intolerance, I'm a Christian,
churchgoing, Bible-quoting, praying, thinking civil rights
activist, and I support gay rights and civil rights
for all. Bring it on; I'm ready.
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