Magda Szubanski announces that she is gay on national television. Photo: Channel Ten
Adam Cooper, The Sydney Morning Herald, reports
Magda Szubanski has admitted to having suicidal thoughts while struggling with her homosexuality as a teen and has rejected claims by the tennis great Margaret Court that sexual preference was a choice.
The day after the comic actor announced publicly she was gay, Szubanski called for greater respect to be shown to homosexuals, although she said Australia was overwhelmingly a tolerant society on the issue.
Court, a former world No.1 tennis player and now a pastor with the Perth-based evangelical Victory Life Centre, last month claimed people chose to be gay. She later claimed homosexuality was often the result of sexual abuse.
Szubanski said today that, while she respected Court's sporting achievements, she did not hold the same view on Court's opinions on homosexuality.
"All this notion of choice, the notion you can terrorise or frighten - they used to give people electric shock therapy," she told radio station 3AW.
"I think all you can do is respect what people are and [show] the most compassion and empathy that you can bring to the situation, trying to foster in people who they really are and help them be their best self."
Szubanski said she was relieved at coming out publicly, although she had previously done so "thousands of times" to family, friends and colleagues.
She said she had struggled with her feelings when she first realised she was gay and, while she wouldn't elaborate, admitted she had felt suicidal.
"Oh yes, yeah, absolutely ... people will say 'Why did I take a while to do this [come out]?' I needed to be as solid as I could be so I could do this in the strongest possible way and be really clear about myself," she said.
"I didn't want to come out and botch coming out, as it were. I wanted to be effective and useful for other people, and to get on really solid ground yourself can really take a while. It can really take a while - it can be a journey - so that's why I think it's really important to respect people's journey, whatever that is."
Szubanski said gay people often struggled to come to terms with who they were or be accepted by their families, and pointed to high rates of substance abuse, depression and youth suicide as associated factors.
She said she was lucky she had a supportive family, but still endured her emotional struggles as a teen.
"Oh my god. I know how those kids feel. Believe me, I know how those kids feel," she said.
"I was in my teens when I started to kind of realise, and we're talking the 1970s, and we're talking living in Croydon in the Sharpie era [of suburban youth gangs].
"I have a Scottish-Irish mother and a Polish father and there is a certain wisdom in keeping your head down sometimes. Those cultural influences also have an impact, no doubt about it."
Szubanski said she had been "absolutely overwhelmed and so moved by the beautiful response" by the Australian public since she came out publicly and discussed her sexuality on Channel Ten's The Project last night.
The Kath and Kim star became a trending topic on Twitter last night as people almost unanimously praised her courage at coming out on national television.
Today Szubanski joined the social networking site to communicate directly with her fans, tweeting: "Words cannot express how I feel today. Am so grateful and so moved by msgs of support. Heartfelt thnx xx".
On her Twitter profile, the 50-year-old introduces herself with the words "it's gay gay gay gay lil bit not gay gay gay gay gay me", mirroring the words she used on the the Ten Network’s The Project last night when she made her announcement.
Ruby Rose, a television presenter and DJ who is also openly gay, tweeted that she was "proud of your week my love".
"@MagdaSzubanski now we don't get to have deep and meaningful conversations about coming out in the car hehe.Girl!!So proud," Rose wrote.
Others said they hoped Szubanski's courage would have an impact on Australia's political landscape.
Melanie B tweeted: "my hope - when my kids grow they can love and freely marry whomever they want without judgement. U'll B part of that freedom."
Another person tweeted: "Wonderful news. Be proud of who you are. Sexuality is irrelevant, it changes nothing. From the dad of a murdered gay son."
Support is available for anyone who may be distressed by phoning Lifeline 13 11 14; Mensline 1300 789 978; Kids Helpline 1800 551 800.
