Gays Mean the World to Oprah

Oprah Winfrey: global gay icon.

Oprah Winfrey may not be gay, be she and her team are savvy and cosmopolitan enough – adjectives that no doubt describe all gay people – to air the program, “Gay Around the World,” tomorrow. How timely of her, on the heels of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran's comments last month about the non-existence of gays in his country, to present the face of the global gay community in that introspective, sensitive way that only the Queen of Talk can deliver.

In addition to a glimpse behind the lavender veil of Tehran, the show's trailer promises that viewers on Wednesday can expect to see the United Kingdom’s John Amaechi, the former basketball player who came out after his career in the NBA; the Indian prince, Manvendra Singh Gohil, who came out to the consternation of his royal family last year; and the feminist spoken word poet, Staceyann Chin, who will explain that being a lesbian in Jamaica made her so fearful that she moved to a different country, aka, New York City.

Thanks to Oprah for showcasing that gay people do exist outside American vodka and airline advertisements, appreciated though those may be, and to the brave individuals who stepped forward to tell their stories in these dangerous times.