By Kathy Belge From Curve, Vol. 14, No. 5

When Tammy Lynn Michaels, former Popular star, was a teenager deep in the homophobic Midwest, she could not have imagined the divine contentment of her current life. Nightly she would implore God to make her straight. Like far too many GLBT teens, suicidal thoughts plagued her.

She poured her heart into journals, which she keeps to remind her of how far she?s come.


At age 18, she left Lafayette, Indiana for New York City and acting conservatory school, ready to make her mark on the world. ?[My mom] dropped me off and as she drove away, I said, ?Okay, I?m going to be gay now.??

Unfortunately, at one of her first attempts to be out, she had the Hollywood closet door slammed in her face. Not yet able to shed the fear of stepping out into the light, Michaels lived the classic double life.

I caught up with Michaels, three years out and three years in love, while she was in Tampa with wife Melissa Etheridge on tour. We chatted about those dark years, her lesbian bar-tending days, her new sit-com, married life and living life out in the open.

K: I read somewhere that you were waitressing in New York City and a talent scout found you and that?s how you ended up in Popular. Does that really happen?

T: Wow, wouldn?t that be nice had it been that easy? You know what happens is people ask questions and you give them the shortest answer and then they make it even shorter. I was bartending at Ruby Fruit Bar and Grill on Hudson Street.

K: A lesbian bar?

T: Yeah. I was the Wednesday and Thursday bartender. There was a woman who worked there as a host She used to be in the acting agent business. She was incredibly sweet and she set me up with this [talent manager.] I went and met her and she started sending me out on auditions. I booked the very first one I went on which was for Law and Order. I spent a year shooting tons and tons of commercials all over New York.