Sandi Toksvig still has to deal with discrimination because of her sexuality.
Sandi Toksvig says her fame doesn't stop her from experiencing discrimination because of her sexuality
The 66-year-old comedian-and-broadcaster maybe one of the UK's most famous TV stars but her fame doesn't protect her from micro-aggressions due to her being a lesbian.
Sandi - who came out publicly in 1994 - says these incidents can happen at any time, even when she is just enjoying a quiet dinner with her psychotherapist wife Debbie.
In an interview with Diva magazine, she said: “My wife and I experience microaggressions on a daily basis, and I'm sure that's true for lots of people in the queer community. Oh my god, you go for dinner and some drunk comes over, goes, 'What are you two ladies doing on your own?' First of all, go away. Second, we're not on our own. I don't know if you know what ‘on your own' actually means."
Sandi insists the representation and treatment of gay characters on television also has a long way to come, as she can predict the story arc of a lesbian character on screen within minutes of watching a show.
She said: “If you see a lesbian in a drama, she's probably going to die. Best thing to do, at the moment she first appears, is make a bet with whoever you're watching it with, and say, ‘Bet she's going to die?’ Or, subsection: serial killer. It's heightened and silly, isn’t it?”
Sandi is always pushing for progress and after a glittering career which has spanned five decades and seen her host 'QI' and 'The Great British Bake Off' she is still ambitious for new jobs and challenges, and she has her eyes set on fronting a late night chat show.
She said: “We still don't have a woman late night chat show host. Why not? Are we not able to stay up late? Does it interfere with our cycles?"
Explaining why her drive remains so strong, she added: “As far as I know, this is the only chance we get. This is our moment, so why would you not grab it? Why would you not try everything?"
Sandi and her wife Debbie - who does a lot of therapy work with members of the LGBT+ community - have been married for 18 years and the comedian insists they are still as much in love as ever before.
She said: “I was hit by lightning when I met her and I still feel like that every second. I think our friends find it nauseating. We are besotted with each other.”
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