Cousin Geri comes out

s part of her publicity campaign in anticipation of the release of her autobiography, “I’m Walking as Straight as I Can,” actress Geri Jewell, best known for her role on “The Facts of Life” in the 1980s, has announced she is gay.

The actress, who spent four years on the sitcom as Geri Warner (Blair’s cousin), is probably best remembered as the first recurring cast member of a prime time series with a disability.? Jewell, born with cerebral palsy, used her chance on a sitcom as a forum to not only educate people on disabilities, but also to teach them that it is okay to laugh with those with disabilities.

While much of the writing and acting on that show was marginal to say the least (just HOW high-strung could Mrs. Garrett really get away with being in an all-girls school? In real life, she would have had at least one complete mental breakdown, requiring severe medication, per season), the episodes that featured Jewell were groundbreaking and ahead of their time in terms of educating people, not only on cerebral palsy, but other challenges, as well.

Another thing about the show that impressed me was that every episode featuring Jewell did NOT focus on her cerebral palsy. She was not the “freak” who was put on display solely for lessons on tolerance and bigotry. She was used as an integral part of other characters’ problems and storylines, an opportunity that many future characters with disabilities on other shows sadly did not have.

Jewell’s character was treated as GERI, not THE GIRL WITH CEREBRAL PALSY.

Now, the actress has made another bold move, announcing she is a lesbian, one of the first high-profile people with a disability to do so.

In an age of growing understanding, education, and diversity, Jewell has been a conscious and deliberate cheerleader for scores of races, creeds, challenges and orientations who still find they have hurdles to overcome in society. She is continuing to do so now.

“I’m Walking as Straight as I Can” will be released April, 1, 2011

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