And I was congratulating you, because I am so proud of you for coming out, and I'm happy for you.

I know what a scary thing that is.

Your speech was incredible.

I just thought it was the most brilliantly written speech.

- Thanks.

- I want to show... I want to show a little tiny bit of it right now.

- Here I am, an actress.

Representing, at least in some sense, an industry that places crushing standard on all of us.

Standards that, I hate to admit, have affected me.

And I am here today because I am gay, and because

- I know how scary that is.

You still get emotional?

- Yeah. - Yeah.

I can see that you're emotional just watching that.

I was like that for a couple of years after I came out.

It's a scary thing to verbalize, to say it out loud.

How nervous were you?

- Uh, the most nervous I've ever been in my life, for sure.

I think my biggest fear of doing it was even just having a panic attack, quite frankly.

- Uu-huh.

- But, you know, I was just so ready to do it, and, quite frankly, so excited to do it, so it was a combination of just such thrill to finally be at that place in my life ...

where I was able to do that and grateful to have that moment, and grateful to you, because you did it in a time when it was much harder and much scarier.

So it's--

- It's, um--

It doesn't feel like it at the time, but it's a very selfish thing to do.

It really is just the most-- I mean, I can speak forever on it, but how do you feel since you've done it?

- You know, I knew I would be a happier person.

I knew that I was gonna feel better, and I did not anticipate just how happy I would feel.

And just every aspect of my life, just an ease and a comfort, and it's-- it's really been quite extraordinary to feel just the shift.

It was pretty much overnight too.

- Yeah, it is. Because you're releasing shame.

I mean, and anyone-- It doesn't matter what it is, what you're carrying around that's your secret.

Everyone has something that you're carrying around that you're ashamed of.

And to carry shame around is a--

First of all, it causes disease.

It's you just can't-- It's a horrible thing to be ashamed of yourself.

- Yes, it's toxic, and I think we talked about this a bit ...

where, you know, you think you're at a place where you're like,

"Oh, I'm happy to be gay."

"I'm so comfortable being gay."

"I love being gay."

And, honestly, It wasn't until making that choice and doing that where I realized, like, no.

I was carrying a tremendous amount of shame and guilt for not being out and felt isolated from the LGBT community.

And now I don't, so...

- Yeah, It's-- You know, I think you seem more relaxed, and I think there's something about just not having to worry about somebody catching you in a lie.

I know what that's like when you're on a show and you're just-- You just feel like you're waiting for someone to go, "You're gay!"

"I know you are!"

- Yeah, yes, absolutely.

It's so nice to just, you know, be at work and talk about an ex, or you know, get to wear what you want,

and not have a conversation about it and to feel like you're being yourself, and then connect with the people in the world.

You know, It's so nice to have people come up to me and tell me their story...

or, you know, say, "Hey, I'm closeted. Do you have advice?"

And, you know, those are really beautiful moments to get to share with people.

- Yeah, yeah, and to know that you're another face that someone has hope for,

'cause there are a lot of teenagers out there--

Your talk about in your speech--

That are getting bullied every single day

or taking their own lives.

Because they're, you know-- They can't handle it.

And so it's a really cool thing.