Sykes, who had not discussed her sexual orientation publicly, chose to share the news with more than 1,000 people at a rally outside a Las Vegas community center because of her concern about the recent passage of a referendum that outlawed same-sex marriage in California.

“I felt like I was being attacked, personally attacked — our community was attacked,” she reportedly told the crowd, according to an account in Sunday’s New York Times.

The measure, known as Proposition 8, was passed on November 4 by California voters, sparking an outcry from gay and lesbian activists who have taken to the streets and the airwaves in protest. The new law only recognizes marriages between a man and a woman and may invalidate thousands of marriages performed in California during the months when the practice was legal in the state.

Sykes, who reportedly divorced her husband of seven years in 1998, said she married her wife on October 25.

“You know, I don’t really talk about my sexual orientation. I didn’t feel like I had to. I was just living my life, not necessarily in the closet, but I was living my life,” Sykes reportedly told the crowd, according to an account by the Associated Press.

Sykes, 44, said her sexual orientation was well known among her friends even if she hadn’t spoken about it with her fans. “Everybody that knows me personally they know I’m gay. But that’s the way people should be able to live their lives,” she said. “Now, I gotta get in their face.”

After weeks of bitter protest that seemed to pit some gay activists against blacks who supported Prop. 8, Sykes appeared to bridge the divide. “I’m proud to be a woman. I’m proud to be a black woman, and I’m proud to be gay,” she said, according to AP.

Even before she came out publicly, Sykes has been outspoken in her support of same-sex marriage and has posted a video from her comedy routine on the subject on her web site. “Government shouldn’t be involved in this,” she says in the video. “It’s very simple. If you don’t believe in same sex marriage, then don’t marry somebody of the same sex.”

By coming out, Sykes instantly became one of the most visible African American public figures in support of same-sex marriage. The Emmy Award-winning performer recently appeared in the feature film Evan Almighty, the sequel to Bruce Almighty, and his starred in numerous other films and television series. She’s also the author of a book called Yeah, I Said It, published by Simon and Schuster in September 2004.

“The Debtor has every reason to believe that upon his release, he will be reinstated into the NFL, resume his career and be able to earn a substantial living,” Vick’s attorneys wrote in a disclosure statement filed before a hearing Thursday in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Norfolk.

The former Atlanta Falcons star is serving a 23-month sentence in a federal penitentiary for bankrolling a dogfighting ring in rural Virginia and is scheduled to be released on July 20.

Once the NFL’s highest-paid player, Vick has assets of $16 million and liabilities of $20.4 million, according to the court filing in which attorneys wrote in extraordinary detail about Vick’s dizzying financial mess - listing a fleet of vehicles, properties, businesses and the extended family he supported.
A Vick attorney said a committee representing all his debtors has proposed a plan to pay off his debt. A judge scheduled a hearing for mid-December on the appointment of a trustee, which Vick’s attorneys oppose.

“The committee attorney acknowledged that there’s been a lot of progress, so we’re hopeful,” Peter R. Ginsberg told The Associated Press.

Vick still faces two state felony counts - dogfighting and animal cruelty. They carry maximum prison terms of 10 years, but under a plea deal, Vick would serve a suspended sentence and a year of probation.

He is scheduled to appear in Surry County Circuit Court on Nov. 25.

Paul K. Campsen, another Vick attorney in the bankruptcy proceeding, said he had not had any contact with the NFL, nor had Vick. While Vick still has a contract with the Falcons, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell would have the final say on his return, which he is counting on after he is released.
“That’s the hope,” Campsen said in an interview. “I think efforts will be made once we get past this.”

The attorneys laid out a payment plan to Vick’s creditors that includes expected NFL earnings and possible signing bonuses.

Campsen said the reorganization plan involves those expected payments and liquidation of his larger assets.

The assets include four homes in Virginia and Georgia valued at a total of $6 million; an interest in two farms; and an interest in more than 20 businesses, from a horse farm to liquor stores.