Out—and With Considerable Class

It’s interesting that Meredith Baxter this morning on the “Today” show announced that she’s a lesbian. Cause with that fantastic haircut of hers, she made me wonder if I might be straight after all
Nah.
But I liked Baxter. I’ve been liking Baxter for a few decades now, stretching back to when she was the mom with all the right answers on “Family Ties.” While I was impressed with the way she conducted herself this morning, getting out in front of the tabloid tale about her sexuality, I also kept thinking: this woman needs a weekly series. She has the kind of likable personality that makes me want to watch her on TV regularly. She’s more than aging gracefully—she’s aging beautifully. Smartly, too.
Baxter and Matt Lauer were both pretty good. They seemed to recognize the ridiculousness of the ritual in which they were engaged. And still they were able to go through it with an endearing awkwardness. He wondered aloud how to ask the question about why she was there. She stressed that she’s a private person who does not like to talk about her personal life. But she was smart enough to realize—and to state aloud—that there are political implications to the announcement of something that can feel so personal. Her remarks resonate all the more at this hour, as the New York State Senate debates whether to grand marriage rights to gay and lesbian couples in New York State.