Kerry Washington has a new interview in The Advocate, which you can read here. Honestly, I go back and forth on Kerry. I never outright dislike her, but some days she’s not one of my absolute favorite people. She’s got a touch of Hiddleston – a bit too earnest, a bit twee, dorky in a way that can either be sweet or really annoying. I’m not saying she’s a bad person or anything, but it sometimes feels like she’s trying so hard to be inoffensive to the widest audience possible. Which I guess is a smart move when you’re a movie/TV star. Here are some highlights from the interview – I didn’t realize until just now that there’s a small contigent of people who think that Kerry is gay. ???

Whether she was ever bullied: “I was way too much of a flaky theater kid to pay attention. I definitely had periods of feeling like an outsider, but I’ve never experienced the terror that so many young people are experiencing today. I was lucky.”

On the rumors that she’s a lesbian: “It’s interesting how much people long to fill in the gaps when someone in the public eye doesn’t share their personal life. I understand their frustration. I like how people will post pictures of me with other women that I adore, hugging on red carpets, and say, “See?” Are we so uncomfortable with love between two people of the same gender that we immediately label it as sexual? But I’ve never been bothered by the lesbian rumor. There’s nothing offensive about it, so there’s no reason to be offended.”

The rumor that she would play Dusty Springfield’s lover in a possible bio-pic starring either Kristin Chenoweth or Adele: “Sure! Listen, I’m still a little partial to Kristin because she’s so amazing, but I’d be honored to play the lover of either one of those gorgeous, talented women.”

Who is her most good-looking co-star ever? “Oh, gosh! I can’t compare! It’s like asking a mother to pick her favorite child. I have been so lucky to work with the most amazing leading men in Hollywood, from James McAvoy to Jamie Foxx to Tony Goldwyn. How do you even begin to choose?”

LGBT support of Scandal: “For our show in particular, because it represents such diversity on so many levels, sexual orientation included, it means a lot. I always want to be a part of work that speaks to people across the lines that divide us. When fans came up to me, I used to play this game where I’d guess which of my movies they wanted to talk about. It was a totally horrible game based on outward appearances and assumptions about identity. Like, if it was an older black woman, I knew she wanted to talk about Ray. If it was a guy in his 20s, it was Fantastic Four. And if it was a lesbian, it was She Hate Me. But because it has such an amazing following that crosses age, race, gender, and sexual orientation, Scandal has changed the game completely.”

Homophobia within the black community: “Something that brings me great joy is knowing what Scandal’s audience looks like in terms of African-American households and knowing that so many African-American people and families are being introduced to our characters James and Cyrus. It’s really exciting that millions of viewers each week are living life with this amazing, complex couple, stepping into their gay marriage and adoption experience, which is such a vital storyline in our show.”

Tweeting support for LGBT communities worldwide: “When there are crimes against humanity being committed in the world, we are all so vulnerable. We have to look out for and protect each other.”

Twitter backlash: “Oh, all the time! I like when people express a difference of opinion on Twitter, because that’s so wonderful about the country we live in. You don’t have to agree with me, but if you come at me with hatred and slurs, I will block you.”

[From The Advocate]

Do you see what I mean? She’s a lovely person, very sweet and earnest and kind, but there is an element of “oh golly gee shucks” that I personally find a tad cloying. But that’s just me – I appreciate a dirty mind and a dirty mouth in men and women. But it’s good that Kerry is such a prominent African-American actress talking about LGBT issues and supporting the community.

Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet.