Today would have been comedienne Lucille Ball’s 100th birthday.
As people celebrate in their own way — Google changed their homepage to honor the legendary entertainer — I’ve stumbled upon a 1980 interview Ball did with People magazine in which she says she’s no fan of Lily Tomlin, believes in women’s rights, but doesn’t participate because “I’ve been so liberated I have nothing to squawk about,” and comes out for gay rights, still a relatively taboo subject those thirty-odd years ago.
How do you feel about gay rights?
It’s perfectly all right with me. Some of the most gifted people I’ve ever met or read about are homosexual. How can you knock it?
If only Ball were alive today to see how far LGBT people have come, and how many of us still adore her.
In honor of Ball, watch once of her most famous scenes — working at the chocolate factory — AFTER THE JUMP…
