Miss Cleo Steps Out of the Closet

Miss Cleo, who rose to fame with her psychic infomercials a few years ago, has come out of the closet. In the new issue of The Advocate, Miss Cleo tells that she is a lesbian and that she now works as a "spiritual adviser" and performs weddings for gay and lesbian couples.

In the interview, Miss Cleo says she was inspired to come out by a gay, teenage family member: "He and I started talking when he was concerned about coming out. He was 16. When he made the decision I told him I'd be there 100%, and he embraced [coming out] whole-heartedly. It's a different vibe than when I was his age, being raised Catholic in an all-girls boarding school. But he was afraid of nothing and I thought, 'I can't be a hypocrite. This boy is going to force me to put my money where my mouth is.'"

Miss Cleo tells The Advocate that she has been afraid of coming out: "The reason it's scary is because in my personal experience, black cultures throughout the world have a more difficult time accepting homosexuality in their family. I have family members who will be shocked; they don't know. I have some family members who are very close to me, and they know. But I've been afraid of the wrath, of the exile. When I came out to a number of friends in the late '80s, I had a number of friends who turned their backs on me and walked away That was really intense. I really believed they were my friends."

Miss Cleo says she has been in two serious, long-term relationships but is currently single and looking for love: "Things aren't sagging too badly. I still look pretty decent, and I'm faced with the second half of my life. I've been out to two clubs in the area in the last three years. I got mad love. They said, 'Miss Cleo! We love you.' So how do I take back my power? I take it back my stepping up to the plate and saying, 'You know what? This is me.' I don't want to hide. Fear only impedes you on your journey."