Lesbian 'Sex and the City' Star on Her Sexuality: 'For Me it's a Choice

It's a widely-known fact that "Sex and the City" star Cynthia Nixon is a lesbian. The popular 45-year-old actress came out in 2004 and has since been in a long-term relationship with education activist Christine Marinoni. While the actress is content with the way her romantic life has progressed, a New York Times interview that came out last week seems to be catching some members of the gay and lesbian community by surprise, as she said that her sexuality is a choice.

In Nixon's interview with the Times, she addressed her mid-life switch from a heterosexual to a homosexual -- something that is apparently a point of contention among some who don't believe she's being genuine. She said:

"I gave a speech recently, an empowerment speech to a gay audience, and it included the line 'I've been straight and I’ve been gay, and gay is better.' And they tried to get me to change it, because they said it implies that homosexuality can be a choice. And for me, it is a choice. I understand that for many people it's not, but for me it’s a choice, and you don't get to define my gayness for me. A certain section of our community is very concerned that it not be seen as a choice, because if it’s a choice, then we could opt out. I say it doesn't matter if we flew here or we swam here, it matters that we are here and we are one group and let us stop trying to make a litmus test for who is considered gay and who is not."

These comments, in themselves, are controversial for a variety of reasons. Nixon is clearly claiming that she has made a conscious decision to be gay. While she has experimented with heterosexuality, it is homosexuality that best suits her, she says. While critics who maintain that being gay is overwhelmingly something that one cannot help may find offense in these statements, Nixon did proclaim that "for many people it's not" a choice.

Understanding her past may provide a lens into why she feels this way. Before meeting Marinoni, the actress was with Danny Mozes, an English professor. She has two children from Mozes, with whom she split in 2003 -- Samantha, 15, and Charlie, 9. The two remain on good terms. In addition to these children, Marinoni conceived a child in Feb. 2011 named Max Ellington Nixon-Marinoni (Nixon and Marinoni are now engaged).

Nixon's comments about her sexuality continued in her Times interview, as she went on to explain that some peoples' perceptions of her past relationships are "offensive":

"Why can’t it be a choice? Why is that any less legitimate? It seems we’re just ceding this point to bigots who are demanding it, and I don’t think that they should define the terms of the debate. I also feel like people think I was walking around in a cloud and didn’t realize I was gay, which I find really offensive. I find it offensive to me, but I also find it offensive to all the men I’ve been out with."

Not everyone agrees with this logic, though. Blogger John Aravosis wrote, "every religious right hatemonger is now going to quote this woman every single time they want to deny us our civil rights." Gay gossip blogger Perez Hilton mirrored this sentiment, writing, "We totally hear her out and true, we cannot define her 'gayness,' but it wasn’t a choice for us. We were BORN gay. And millions of gay people around the world feel the same way."

Judging from the ferocity of her comments, it's not likely she's going to appease critics by apologizing or retracting. Let us know what you think in the comments section.

(H/T: Huffington Post)