Let’s face it, 2012 has been a great year for lesbians. The sky is the limit when it comes to being a woman interested in women and having a highly successful career that people look up to.
Here’s a list of the top five lesbian role models of 2012 and why we chose them.
1. Rachel Maddow.
American television host, Emmy Award-winning political commentator and author, Rachel Maddow is the host of “The Rachel Maddow Show,” which airs on MSNBC five nights a week.
Maddow became the first openly gay anchor of a prime-time news program in the United States, and for that, we put her at the top of the list.
2. Cynthia Nixon.
Best known for her portrayal of Miranda Hobbes on the HBO series “Sex and the City,” Cynthia Nixon has received two Emmy Awards, a Tony Award, a Grammy Award and a GLAAD Media Award.
After nearly a decade of marriage to photographer Danny Mozes, Nixon came out of the closet in 2004 and is now married to education activist Christine Marinoni.
Nixon has taken a public stance in support of marriage equality and, for that, we rank her as one of the top lesbian role models.
“Being a successful lesbian in the U.S. can make
you are one of the best role models for the youth of our country”.
3. Ellen DeGeneres.
Easily the most famous lesbian in American society, Ellen DeGeneres came out publicly in a 1997 appearance on “The Oprah Winfrey Show.”
A comedian, television host and actress, DeGeneres has won 13 Emmy Awards and, in 2011, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton appointed her as Special Envoy for Global AIDS Awareness, making DeGeneres an incredible role model for lesbians everywhere.
4. Cherry Jones.
A Tennessee native best known for her portrayal of President Taylor on the Fox series “24” and Dr. Judith Evans on the current NBC drama “Awake,” Cherry Jones has been a regular fixture in gay Hollywood.
She is an Emmy and Tony Award winner and the Point Foundation, the largest organization that awards scholarships to deserving lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students, will present Jones with its Courage and Inspiration Award.
5. Chely Wright.
As the first major country music performer to publicly come out as gay, Chely Wright rounds out our list of the top five lesbian role models.
A gay rights activist, Wright has sold more than one million albums in the United States, as well as written songs that have been recorded by Brad Paisley, Richard Marx, Indigo Girls and Mindy Smith.
Wright has said that the reasons for coming out about his homosexuality is a concern about harassment and hate crimes toward homosexuals, particularly gay teens.
Whether she’s a news anchor, actress, talk show host or country music sensation, being a successful lesbian in America, especially one who takes on important causes and activism, can make her one of the best role models for our country’s youth.
