Comedian Margaret Cho is an openly bisexual, Asian-American woman and has been a vocal supporter of the LGBTQ community for decades. Cho recently lended her voice to episode one in a new series on Discovery+, The Book of Queer. The show looks back on forgotten queer figures of the past and their impact today.
Cho exclusively tells E! News that she was “surprised” by some of the “lost history” unearthed on the Discovery+ show, though she admittedly can relate since she, too, has felt unseen by society at times. In an interview with E! Online, she candidly discusses her experience with discrimination and providing a platform for LGBTQ voices for not just the month of June but all year-round.
“The biggest discrimination that I felt is really invisibility,” the actress shares. “This lack of representation and lack of leading by example, lack of seeing who’s out there that I can relate to in terms of being Asian American and a queer woman. There are so many things that society has not offered until now.”
Cho emphasizes that her mission to support the LGBTQ community is an effort she is passionate about.
“It’s not really just about one month of a year or one parade. I think that more than ever we have to celebrate ourselves and look to protecting our rights—whether that’s protecting trans kids, trans legislation, or increasing our own visibility throughout the media. It’s really about making sure we maintain and advance our own rights and abilities to continue to exist and to thrive.” In regard to resources for those who may feel more isolated than others, Cho says social media is a great place to start. “There are so many places to look to find that support, even by watching people lead by example. People like Lil Nas X are doing such great work. Different stories are being told out in social media that you can just look to see how many people are really enjoying and living a very proud life.” For those who are struggling with coming out or living authentically in their identities, Cho reminds them that, “You have a safe place to come out to. There is a world that is meant to be discovered and you’re not alone in your journey. So many people can help you and are very sincere in our effort to assist.” Reflecting on The Book of Queer, Margaret hopes the take-away for audiences is that “they really learn a lot about the history of our contributions to society as queer people, as really formative members of society in science, art, and entertainment. That we’ve been creating culture since we’ve been around and will continue to.”
The Book of Queer is streaming now on Discovery+. New episodes drop weekly. Photo courtesy of Margaret Cho on Facebook
