Stand up comedian and supposedly well-known lesbian Tig Notaro has coming out on the brain this pride season. Her film Am I OK?has finally been released on Max after being shelved for two years during the streaming service’s restructuring. The film, which she codirected with her wife Stephanie Allynne, had originally premiered at Sundance 2022. Am I Okay? stars Dakota Johnson as Lucy, who is freshly out lesbian at 32-years-old. Tig Notaro is also freshly out, apparently! At least to her 7-year-old sons that is.
While on The Late Show with Stephen Colbertlast night to talk about her new special Tig Notaro: Hello Again, Notaro mentions that she is having a bit off an odd pride month. “Pride month, it- y’know, it’s been a little weird,” she says. She elaborates, “My wife and I found out recently that our sons didn’t know we were gay.” Colbert is just as stunned as the rest of us. They clarify that Notaro and Allynne’s twin sons are 7-years-old, turning 8 this month. Colbert then asks, “How did you miss that?” Truly the question of the hour.
Tig paints the picture of how it happened: during few minute drive to school in the morning she said to Allyne “something about gay,” to which one of her sons leaned forward and asked, “You’re gay?” I can get the point across, but as always it’s the delivery that really sells it. It’s worth watching the clip for the impression of her son, as well as Notaro and Colbert’s joint befuddlement at the whole miscommunication.
The Late Show (@colbertlateshow) on ThreadsShe goes on to mention how confusing it was because, “We’ve lived together almost 8 years. I’ve been gay the whole time- even prior, and will continue.” At this, Colbert is notably impressed. “That’s what I value about you,” he says, “Consistency.”
Tig explains she now has just 3 of their 6 minute car ride from home to school to give her children a basic understanding of what being gay is. “You know what gay is,” she says to her host and audience, not wanting to try and give a second homosexual rundown in 180 seconds or less.
She does also chuckle at the anxiety she felt in the moment explaining that she was insecure about what her son’s perceptions of the situation may be with this new knowledge. After the very brief debriefing, Tig asked her son, “What do you think about what I just told you?” His reply? “Oh, I love my family.”
Notaro pretends to wipe sweat from her forehead with relief of not having fundamentally messed up your kid when hit with a big one during a short drive in the car (incredibly relatable). Mission successful, the kids have been dropped off and now know that their two moms are gay.
Once alone and driving back home, Tig says she and Allynne drove home “at half a mile an hour going, ‘How on Earth do our kids not know we’re gay?’’ It’s hard to get your kids to understand you’re cool, but Notaro then drives home what really added insult to injury here, “Dare I say, [we’re] an iconic gay couple, okay?” “Top shelf gay,” Colbert reassures Tig.
Tig’s new special Tig Notaro: Hello Again is now streaming on Prime. Her full interview from The Late Show can be watched below.
