Bette Midler reflects on the gay rights movement

The divine Bette Midler has a new comedy coming out on Christmas Day called Parental Guidance with Billy Crystal and it looks like it could be her biggest box office hit in years.

I’m always rooting for this great star who in an interview with PrideSource.com talks about many things, including the early days of the gay rights movement when she became a star as a headliner at The Continental Baths in Manhattan.

“I remember I had a wonderful time.” she says. “I remember I made a great mark. I remember that I had a lot of friends in the gay world. I mean, I remember friends more than I remember instances. Unfortunately, a lot of those people are gone, and I think about them often. They would’ve just been hitting their stride at this point. It’s very bittersweet.”

She adds: “I will say that in the old days when all of this was all so underground, the excitement in the gay community now about gay marriage and coming above the ground, older people (must) think, “Wow, look how far the gay community has come by sticking together and toughing it out.” You know, gay marriage, being able to adopt children, being part of the mainstream as opposed to always being sub rosa – it must be so fascinating and such a strong validation.”

“I watch and I’m fascinated and I’m interested. And I’m enthusiastic. I’m all those things,” she says. “I try to help where I can. I just think it’s just fantastic for the gay community. Just fantastic. And I know they’re happy. I know there’s a lot of joy in the community. I know there are a lot of people who are very, very excited about the change that all this acceptance has given them. I know it’s a real thrill. At the same time, there’s also the part that was exciting because there was nothing that they were allowed to do. There was all this stuff about doing things under the radar that was also exciting in a whole other way. So it’s interesting to watch. Very interesting to watch. And I’m happy for those who are happy. I really am.”

BETTE ON ADELE: To read what Midler has to say about Adele being a gay icon, see my post over at Gay Star News.