Tatum O'Neal Opens Up About Her Sexuality

In a recent interview, Tatum O'Neal made what some may see as a major confession, but the cool thing is, she doesn't seem to think it's a big deal at all. Tatum O'Neal said she is dating women now in a new interview with People. The 51-year-old actress said she doesn't want to be labeled as "one or the other" in regard to her sexual orientation, but she does like women. As she told the magazine,

I think women are the most amazing creatures on earth. They're gentle, and also more intelligent than the men that I've met recently. I don't have a steady right now, but I look forward to it.

Of course, it is worth applauding her for speaking up, something that is unquestionably still a brave thing to do — celebrity or not. It is also worth noticing that while O'Neal has spoken up about about her preferences, she did not made some giant declaration.In the same interview, she also talked about the special bond she shares with her son and her excitement over his new book. It is awesome that the change of direction in her love life is simply part of the conversation; something that she can be open about before moving on to the next topic in her life, as would be the case with anything else. It almost seems like a sign of the times, which is definitely worth celebrating.

After all, this reveal comes not too long after Miley Cyrus opened up about dating women in the past. For the most part, it seemed like Cyrus' audience let out a collective shrug and moved on to the next news event after hearing about it. And this follows what seems to be a continuing pattern from other stars, for instance, Lady Gaga who casually mentioned that her attraction to women made her boyfriends uncomfortable back in 2009. Nowadays, Gaga's bisexuality is a footnote overshadowed by her singing talent, world tour performances, and of course, all of her crazy outfits — as it should be.

These stars opening up about the complexity of their sexuality does not seem to get as much negative attention as it might have in the past, and that, in of itself, is a big deal — in a good way. It is a sign that the general population is at least beginning to accept people whose love lives don't match their own. Though there will always be those who hate, it seems like the more exposure people have to those with different sexual orientations, the more willing they are to, well, shrug. And in this case, it's a good thing to shrug.

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