Bea Arthur died. This is really sad, of course. But what an incredible woman. Hilarious, classy, liberated and sharp. I almost don't feel as bad when great people die, because they were so great and did such great things for us - we almost can't be sad about it. We were so lucky to have them. Dorothy Zbornak is up in heaven with her mother, Sofia.
What I think is really interesting about Bea Arthur's life is not that she was the first woman who openly debated (and went through with) an abortion on television, as Maude. It's not that she was on a show that broke down myths about homosexuality in the 80's. It's that when I logged on Facebook on Saturday, nearly every single gay male I was friends with mentioned something about Bea's death. I mean, I knew The Golden Girls were gay icons. I guess I never knew how much they connected with gays my age. I guess being fabulous never gets old.
Dorothy was my favorite Golden Girl. (Keep in mind we're not talking about this Dorothy.) I identified with her biting comebacks, even if I could never think of one or deliver it as well as she did. Without knowing shit about Bea Arthur, other than her role on that show and her killer appearances at various celebrity roasts, I felt connected to her. And it's not because we're virtually the same height or have the same voice. Once I read about all that she's done for feminism, animal rights, and gay rights makes me want to say...yep, you know it: thank you for being a friend.
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