“I’ve been a professional lesbian for 30 years,” Lea DeLaria, who plays Big Boo in the hit Netflix series ‘Orange is the New Black,’ said to a crowd of 500 students in Memorial Hall last Wednesday night.
Lea came to Chapman to talk about her views on feminism, homosexuality, and where her role in OITNB fits into all of this.
She started the night by discussing the correct term to call her girlfriend. After going through titles such as “lover,” “significant other,” and “wife,” she decided on “traveling companion” which was met with audience laughter.
Lea shared a story about a time when she went shopping with her “traveling companion” and a German store clerk, assuming Lea was a man, told her she wasn’t allowed in the dressing room.
Lea explained that she was, in fact, a woman, to which the store clerk responded, “But you dress like a man, you have short hair, and you have tattoos!”
Enraged at this point, Lea answered, “You would know a lot about tattoos, wouldn’t you?”
This raunchy humor remained throughout Lea’s talk, but students appreciated it and what she had to say.
“Her stories are really inspiring,” said freshman Kevin Huynh. “She has a broad perspective on everything that’s going on. She opened my eyes.”
Lea discussed the boxes that society puts everyone in.
“We put each other in these boxes and I think gender is the worst one,” she said. “You don’t have to apologize to anyone for who you are.”
The second half of the night was filled with audience questions, which ranged from dealing with being lesbian, her favorite episode of OITNB, and preparing for her role in the show.
“What I did to prepare for the role is basically be born,” she said.
Juniors Adrienne Nichelini and Mariah Witt came to listen to Lea because they are OITNB fans.
“She was blunt and honest. She tells it like it is,” Adrienne said. Mariah said that she admires Lea for being secure in who she is.
“You can tell she is comfortable with herself. She inspired me to follow things that I believe in,” Mariah said.