Wanda Sykes came out as gay, but only after her wedding

Sykes didn’t come out as a lesbian right away. She was married to a man (music producer Dave Hall) for seven years in the 90s, and only a month after her wedding to Alex did she publicly come out. It took place during a November 2008 gay rights rally in Las Vegas. 

She joked with talk show host Meredith Vieira, saying about the event: “It just came out, you know. Because I just got married, and so instead of speaking as a supporter, I was speaking as one of the, I guess, victims.”

Although the world celebrated Wanda Sykes revealing her true identity, it wasn’t the same for her family — at least not right away. Sadly, her mother asked that she remain in the closet, and both her parents refused to attend the wedding. 

However, after an intervention from other relatives, Wanda’s family is currently in full support of their daughter and her sexuality, fully embracing her relationship. 

Wanda told People Magazine, “But you’re making me a little nervous, though. Maybe I should go follow her on Instagram, see what she’s yappin’ about! But no, it’s all good here. Matter of fact, we were just talking about getting a new mattress!”