August 8, 2011 | Celeb Watch

Remembering Lucy

This past weekend marked what would have been Lucille Ball's 100th birthday. The comedian and actress, who died in 1989, helped establish the modern day, three-camera sitcom. Her show, I Love Lucy, lives on in syndication, proving that quality humor is timeless. And she was a proud supporter of gay rights, long before it was fashionable.  

During an interview with People in 1980, Ball commented on gay rights. "It's perfectly all right with me," she said. "Some of the most gifted people I've ever met or read about are homosexual. How can you knock it?" 

Her friend, Lee Tannen, wrote about his relationship with the star in I Loved Lucy: My Friendship with Lucille Ball. He detailed how Ball had become a gay icon, explaining that  "[Lucy] was the underdog who was always trying to prove herself, and I think many gay men can identify with that."

He added: "[She] was the perfect gay icon for the post-Stonewall generation. She wasn't a tragic victim like Judy Garland."

They certainly don't make them like they used to.

You can check out one of her most popular scenes after the jump!

Lucille Ball Found Gay Rights "Perfectly All Right" [The Advocate]