Though actress and comedian Wanda Sykes has never “come out of the closet” publicly, the passage or California’s Proposition 8 has got her speaking out about her rights as a gay woman. She appeared on The Ellen Degeneres Show shortly before the vote to let America know her thoughts on the issue- that gay marriage is a civil right just like African Americans or women being able to vote. Now that the vote didn’t swing her way, she has a lot to say about it.

“You know, I don’t really talk about my sexual orientation. I didn’t feel like I had to. I was just living my life, not necessarily in the closet, but I was living my life,” Sykes told a crowd at a gay rights rally in Las Vegas on Saturday.

“Everybody that knows me personally they know I’m gay. But that’s the way people should be able to live their lives,” she said.

Sykes, who is known for her feisty and blunt style, said the passage of California’s Proposition 8 made her feel like she was “attacked.” “Now, I gotta get in their face,” she said. “I’m proud to be a woman. I’m proud to be a black woman, and I’m proud to be gay.”

Sykes’ appearance at the rally surpised organizers. She stopped in while in Vegas performing at Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino.

[images: WENN]