Betty White Explains Her LGBT Appeal

TV icon Betty White attributes her huge following in the LGBT community to her racy characters and her love of animals, in an interview with Frontiers LA magazine.

"Throughout my career, I’ve always portrayed characters that were humorous, but also weren’t afraid to speak their minds, especially when it came to racy or controversial topics," says White, whose résumé includes The Mary Tyler Moore Show's sardonic Sue Ann Niven and The Golden Girls' naive Rose Nyland. "I think this struck a chord with the LGBT community. We both also share a very strong love for animals. When you combine the two, it’s a very strong match."

White granted the rare interview while promoting the Lifeline Program, which began aiding patients with HIV or who were terminally ill assists in selling their life insurance policies to pay medical bills and be able to live out their lives with dignity. The organization now assists seniors and White is their spokeswoman. The veteran actress will also appear with singer Luciano in a music video for the single "I'm Still Hot." A portion of the net proceeds from sales will go to benefit another of White's favorite charities, the Los Angeles Zoo.