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Out Magazines third annual list of the most powerful and influential gays and lesbians profiled some of the most intrinsic players of the present era.
As last year's were, these were determined by: (1)Political clout; (2) cultural resonance; (3) individual wealth; and (4) current personal profile.
From media mavens including Jodie Foster, Wanda Sykes and Rachel Maddow, to political advocates literally changing the course of history, such as Christine Quinn and Tammy Baldwin, right through to the America’s lesbian sweetheart, Ellen Degeneres here are the highlights of the Top 50 Most Powerful, strictly Lesbians:
46. Hilary Rosen- In her spare time, she's editor at large for the Huffington Post and a CNN political contributor.
42. Rosie O'Donnell- When it comes to advocating for kids, there's no one with a bigger heart -- or more power to enlighten.
40. Nancy Sutley - The principal environmental policy adviser to the president -- and the first prominent gay person to earn a senior role in his new administration.
36. Jodie Foster- Formerly 13, as the highest-paid openly lesbian actor in Hollywood -- she got $15 million for her role in The Brave One -- she's got a lot of sway. Oh, and then there's her upcoming biopic of Nazi filmographer Leni Riefenstahl (status still unknown), which might do for Foster what The Reader did for Kate Winslet.
35. New Addition: Wanda Sykes - In May, she'll perform at the annual White House Correspondents' Association dinner, making her the first openly gay person to headline the 89-year-old ceremony. Look out for her late night talk-show this fall s well.
27. Christine Quinn- When last we saw our heroine, speaker of the New York City Council, the conventional wisdom was that this was her year to make a run for mayor... Somehow we just know 2013 is going to be Quinn's year.
22. Suzie Orman- Personal finance guru Orman came out publicly in The New York Times two years ago… And we particularly liked that her TV show's Valentine's Day message was that California's Prop 8 is "taking away a birthright." These days Suze Orman's 2009 Action Plan, along with the advice she gives on The Oprah Winfrey Show and on her website, have made her the go-to gal for clearheaded thoughts about money.
11. Tammy Baldwin - As the first openly gay woman elected to the House of Representatives, Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) she co-founded the Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus, and she has introduced numerous bills promoting domestic partnership rights, the enforcement of federal hate-crimes legislation, and stronger protection against discrimination based on sexual orientation.
4. Rachel Maddow - Few could have predicted the rapid ascent of Rachel Maddow, a former Air America radio host, when she was gifted her own show by scrappy cable network MSNBC last fall. The channel quickly scored record ratings in Maddow’s 9 p.m. slot, doubling the audience figures of a year previous. It helped that we were in the midst of one of the most-watched elections in history, but the fact that the first openly gay host of a prime-time news show continues to best ratings for CNN veteran Larry King is a powerful reflection of shifting tides.
Currently writing a book about the influence of politics on the U.S. military, Maddow and her partner, artist Susan Mikula, live a low-key life in rural western Massachusetts where -- she told one reporter -- "people care about whether you have shoveled out your mailbox, and people don't really care whether you are beating Hannity."
2. Ellen Degeneres slips from first- Showing no signs of slowing down, The Ellen Degeneres Show, which has earned the Emmy for outstanding daytime talk show host for the past four years, is in its sixth and highest-rated season.
In the past year, Degeneres has succeeded in reaching the not-always--LGBT-friendly middle American demographic on topics like hate crime legislation, and she’s put a relatable face on the issue of gay marriage, as she chronicled her own to actress Portia de Rossi.
She also forced presidential candidates John McCain, Hillary Clinton, and Barack Obama to explain their stances on marriage equality better than any official debate did. And in January, the American Express pitchwoman signed her first beauty advertising campaign, for CoverGirl, just before her 51st birthday.
