It turns out Marcia Cross is the gay Housewife. I was hoping it was her, but suspected it was Eva Longeria, who was a bit more “plucked from obscurity” than the others.

I’ve loved Marcia Cross ever since her halcyon days on Melrose Place. The moment when she removed her wig to reveal a huge scar, and the subsequent “good girl gone to hell” plotline, was by far the best thing to happen to that show since Heather Locklear. That wig-reveal was forever burned into my “what? I’m different than the other boys?” thirteen-year-old retinas. And after that brief stint on Everwood (where she had AIDS), I think Marcia has found her ideal role on Desperate Housewives.

Knowing she’s a lesbian makes her character Bree’s uber-femme / Stepford wife personality work more, I think. Desperate Housewives is all pulp and camp, and works best when it remembers that. (Bree’s first retina-burning moment? Staring at her marriage counselor’s loose button, and every so stealthily retrieving her sewing kit to her knee. Staring. Will she? The suspense! Session over, loose button escapes for another day.) Now, I’m not saying real-life Marcia is not an uber-femme (I hope she is), but there’s an understanding and exploration of gender stereotypes that’s unique to queer culture.

In many ways, the best person to play the role of a somewhat typical 50’s housewife dropped into a modern soap opera is a lesbian. Through her own coming out, she’s been forced to grapple with those stereotypes and expectations in a way that straight people can sometimes avoid confronting head-on. I know there are straight people who do, but it’s often not intrinsic to their experience. The notion that the best person to play a part is one whose life experience is the furthest removed is not a bad one. Even the most irresponsible actor would be forced to work her butt off to figure out what makes the character tick.

Anyway, all of this to say: I love Marcia Cross; I’m glad we’re on the same team; I’m happy that she’s coming out. Oh, and rumor has it that she’s dating a leading actress from another series. I’m placing my bet on Evangeline Lilly from Lost…

|Update|
The denial has come down. I suppose all we can do now is wait for the Advocate cover. Defamer also has quotes from Marcia on ::shudder:: The View, denying her sapphic tendencies.