Melissa Etheridge: My Songs 'Aren't Gay Enough' for 'Glee'

By Nicki Gostin Posted May 17th 2010 01:34PM

Melissa Etheridge's eleventh studio album, 'Fearless Love,' is dropping at the same time as she's rebuilding her love life from the ground up. The 48-year-old songstress recently broke up with Tammy Lynn Michaels after nine years and having twins together in 2006. Etheridge spoke extremely candidly to PopEater about the painful timing of the split, the "sexphobia" behind the 'Glee'/Newsweek debacle and the absurdities of being called "too gay" or "not gay enough."

Did you separate from Tammy before writing this album?
It was written before we actually physically separated, but you know, breakups just don't happen overnight.

It must suck having the album and the separation emerge at the same time. Do you wish the timing was different?
[Laughs] Absolutely! When I saw these things were about to collide for a while there I thought, I don't want this to come up on top of the album, and then I started doing interviews and they're like, "You're such a family girl, your marriage is great, what's the key to a great marriage?" and I was like, "Oh, I can't sit here and lie." But I would have definitely made the timing different.

So is the song 'Miss California' about Tammy?
That's a political song. It's about California passing Proposition 8.

Watch the Video for 'Fearless Love' >>

Have you been following the Newsweek controversy?
No I haven't. Give me the scoop!

A Newsweek writer said Sean Hayes was too gay to be in 'Promises Promises.' Kristin Chenoweth wrote a letter in his defense and Ryan Murphy from 'Glee' called for a boycott of the magazine.
Oh, the gays are getting miffed! Don't tell us we're too gay or not or whatever. Oh lord, what is gay, anyway? Find me the line -- find me the defining line between gay and straight. Find me the defining line between male and female. There is no line. You cannot draw this line in the sand. Yes, there are plenty of people way over there who will never partake in anything straight and there are people way over there who will never partake in anything gay, but there's a whole lot of gray in the middle. Where's the line? Behind all of it is sexual insecurity. It's sexphobia.

Have you been accused of not being gay enough?
Oh sure. I've had the gay community say, "Why don't you write a song saying 'her'? Your lyrics are non-gender." They're never happy. And the straight folks, they just assume the lyrics are about a woman, and they assume that if they go to a concert it's going to be all gay people. There are stereotypes we all have. But there's no us and them. Good God, we're all the same.

Have you ever been approached to have your songs on 'Glee?'
No, I don't think they're gay enough. [Laughs]

You're a greenie.
Yup, no plastic bottles in my house. My car runs on bio-diesel, which is reclaimed vegetable oil from restaurants.

Do you compost?
I did for a while, but I was horrible at it. I had rats.

I reckon someone could start a business in LA tending compost heaps.
I can see it! Compost-For-You. Let's do it! I'll invest.

Do you like touring?
Touring is the payoff after all the days of being alone in my room writing these songs. I get to see people singing them. It's wonderful.

You must have tons of groupies.
Well, this will be the first time I'm touring and I'm single. But I am not interested in groupies. I don't need that in my life right now. I have my oldest kids with me on tour -- they're 13 and 11.

How do you embarrass them?
It's funny because they've drawn a line between what I do for a living, getting up there and singing for people. They allow that because they know that's my work, but if I'm standing around at school and I hum or sing something, they're like, "Oh mom, don't!"

I think you are quite the sex symbol.
Aww, you're sweet, and you're helping this gal. Thank you so much.

Aren't you best pals with Brad Pitt?
Not for a while. He's a family man. I haven't spoken to him in a while.

How's your health?
My health is great. I've been six years free of cancer. I figured out health is about balance. It's what you eat, what you feel, how much you sleep. It's really common things that western society doesn't teach us how to do. You've got to take responsibility; you've got to say, "You know what? I don't need to work that hard. I don't have to buy this." It's not what it's all about.

Tags: Melissa Etheridge

Comments

(314)

Saturday 22 May

By Spaceman Eddie

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Here's the Double Standard explanation: Hetero Guys exponentiate. What's better than a cheeseburger? A double cheeseburger! A truck? A bigger truck! A beautiful naked woman making love? Two beautiful naked women making love! Brussel sprouts? Ugh. A naked guy? Ugghh. Two naked guys making love? Ugggggggggggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

By RobbieK

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Two beautiful women making love is just as sick as two guys making love. Never seen it, never want to. But the laws of nature dictate homosexuality is wrong. AIDS is spread 99.8% of the time by gay lifestyle, what does that tell ya?

By CeCe

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Hey, I know no one cares but just in cse, I'm heterosexual! There it is! I like guys!!! Can I get in the news with this?!?

By sportspromaster

Where the line????? When a woman likes a big piece of huMAN meat insidw of her instead of a piece of rubber. What moronic TWIT she is.

By Irving Nelson Canfield

Pul-LEEZE - I'm overdosing on homo promo.

By Art

not a wife... just a partner and they didn't have kids together unless one of them is hiding something.. just a surrogate. so if one is the wife whats melissa the husband? why would they take those handles instead of being mothers and partners?

By Peggie

First off, I have to say I like most of ME music so this is not a rant on that.
I went through Chemo at the same time ME did and followed her treatments because of that.
She stopped Taxol because of the numbness she was getting, saying "I need my hands to play the guitar, it is my livelihood" I finished chemo and can't work as a nurse anymore because my hands are numb.
She says she eats right and gets enough sleep. I can't afford to eat right, on disability all you can afford is processed foods and pasta, and then I stay up late worring about how I will pay the bills.
I resent hearing all these celebrities telling us how to live, they should try living without money and then preach.

By vinnie

Please try to find a support group... You sound way too bitter and angry to be left to your own devices.

By Leslie Machinist

Melissa--you're smokin'.Call me .

By Crope

hummmm,,,
''Melissa Etheridge'' and 'her' wife.......
That sounds very queer to me.

By marie

I don't agree with the idea of being gay, but she seems like a really nice person, and people really shouldn't judge.

By susan

We can have an opinion, and I think its gross! One man and One woman,is normal! Not two women, or two men. Or three men or two women and one man. Its gross and definitely not healthy.

By sonya

being gay is wrong! no one is judging God Himself says its wrong. He destroyed cities over sexual immorality. not just same sex couples but also people who have sex outside of marriage, pornography and whatever else people engaged in at that time. God said one man and one woman. those of us who are Christians are just repeating what God says not judging. i'll will stand before God and be judged on my life. if God says its wrong than it is wrong you cant argue with the Creator. ive tried that it doesnt work

By Jan

Oh for gosh sakes people...That isn't her "wife". That's why this country is in the shape it's in. Anything goes!!! I don't care what kind of spin you put on it. A MAN and a WOMAN are a married couple. 2 men can NOT make a baby...2 women can NOT make a baby. It's not Adam and Adam or Eve and Eve. It just isn't right!!! But all the puking liberals make it right. Quite shoving this crap down our throats. Makes me wanna puke! When are we going to say enough is enough already!!!!

I agree. A woman can't have a "wife". It is physically impossible. Just like a man can't have a husband. I rest in the fact that gays can't procreate, so their species will always be a major minority without descendants. Nature's way of keeping them in check.

By jak

fir-traders and carpet-munchers...........how nasty.

By lep

Just as nasty as rump-rangers and knob-slobbers.

Oh, so you're okay with LESBIANAS, but GAYS are a WHOLE different matter?!?!?!?!?!?!

By Brenda

I agree with Tami. SHUTUP!!!

By jeff

I don't agree with homosexuality and I believe it is wrong morally. I see a lot of intolerance to my belief. Those of you who support homosexual behavior are intolerant to my belief. Where is the tolerance in that? Homosexuality is a choice, if it is morally right, one must also agree that murder is morally right because it also is a choice. "No moral wrong should ever be a civil right."

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