Wilson Cruz gets political

Besides being a regular presence in film, theater and television, actor Wilson Cruz loves politics; and he is committed to not only being an advocate for LGBT youth, but to making sure the Obama administration keep its word on a variety of gay issues.

Cruz was among those invited to attend the Stonewall Reception at the White House on June 29 where President Obama, with wife Michelle at his side, addressed questions and criticism about the actions - or lack thereof - thus far in his first term.

EDGE's Jim Halterman talked to Cruz about that experience and what we all need to do to keep the administration on task.

Honored by the invitation

EDGE: How did it feel to be included in the reception at the White House last week?

Wilson Cruz: I was torn about it at first. Just like anybody, I was honored to have been invited. It was overwhelming to have been on the list. But at the time that I got the invitation I was a bit torn because I was upset about what had been going on in recent months with the non-action of the administration and I thought 'Is it a better message to send by not going?' I had conversations with people that I trust and they advised me that the best thing you can do is to show up. And so I went in the spirit of bearing witness and going there was a message of urgency and obviously representing the people whom weren't lucky enough to get the invitation.

I'm a very huge supporter of the administration, obviously. I actually worked on the campaign and I have great faith in this President but I thought the last two months they had made some very big mistakes, especially in regards to the DOMA (Defense of Marriage Act) and their lack of acting upon Don't Ask/Don't Tell. Being in the actual White House was overwhelming for a political junkie like myself it was...there's no better word than overwhelming.

EDGE: How did you feel about what President Obama had to say?

Cruz:That's the thing. I think he really set quite a high bar for himself. He said in his speech, 'Don't judge me by my words, judge me by my actions' and, as a community, we have to hold him to that. Yes, it's only been six months since he's been in office but I think we do have a responsibility to hold his feet to the fire and I think he charged us with that on that day and now it's up to us to make sure he keeps his word. I thought it was probably one of his most impassioned speeches on the subject.

I'm not sure if it came across on camera but in person he was quite emotional in his delivery and I don't know if you could see Michelle on camera but she was very much in our corner and I think she's our best friend in the White House, I really do. But he also said a few things that I thought were really great. He was sensitive to the fact that he was in a position to ask us to be patient so I think in another way he was asking us to not rest on our own laurels but that this impatience and this drive that we have can be used in a very useful way. It's up to us to motivate our forces and our organizations and really start changing hearts and minds because that's what's going to help him help us. So, I think that he's asking us to be partners with him in this and I think we should take him up on that.

Shifting attitudes

EDGE: Could you believe he talked about his HIV testing? When was the last time a President so freely talked about that?

Cruz:They did that during the campaign, actually, because when they went to Africa, they had HIV tests done in public in order to get more people in Africa to get tested. It was done publicly.

EDGE: During the reception last week when he talked about shifting attitudes taking time, how do you gauge what is or isn't enough time?

Cruz:That's a great question. If I had the answer to that we could solve all of this now. I think there is a sense of urgency now. I think we should take full advantage of this moment. We have a friend in the White House. I think we have friends in the legislature. I think the reason why people are feeling so impatient and are feeling so sensitive to the lack of action that has been happening is the fact that we feel that if it doesn't happen now, when will it ever happen? I completely understand that. I think I'm one of those people that feel the same way. I mean, if we couldn't do it when Bush was in the White House, we can understand that but if it doesn't get done now, there's no excuse for it. I completely understand people's frustration and I think he does, too, but I think what he's trying to tell us is that he can't do it by himself. We have to get Congress on our side and legislatively there are things that need to happen in order to help him help us.

EDGE: What's the best thing that people - gay and straight - can be doing to push all this along?

Cruz:I've always said that the most powerful thing we have at our disposal is our coming out stories. I think that as we continue to do this work we have to remind ourselves that the hardest work and the most powerful work is done one person at a time face to face and its about coming out to our families and telling our stories. It's about going to our churches and synagogues and our boss and opening ourselves up and telling people how these laws effect us and how the lacking of these responsibilities effects us on a daily basis. I think that's making it sound easy but I think it's one of the most powerful things we can do.

I think we need to keep supporting our national organizations especially the Task Force, which is doing the real grass roots. I'm a fan of HRC but I think that the Gay and Lesbian Task Force is on the ground. They're in the small towns and that's where the hard work is being done. I think it's really our responsibility as citizens to keep ourselves informed and spread the word. I think that we have to be doing our own homework and really keeping this administration on task. We can't be sitting back and waiting for things to happen. We have to be very vocal. I really felt that [President Obama] understood that. I think he took a really big risk by drawing a correlation between the civil rights movement in the 60s and 70s to our struggle today. I think he is getting a lot of heat for that in the African American community but I think that's what he intended to do. He is having these conversations that are not easy to have and we need to be doing the same thing. It's easy for us to have a parade in West Hollywood. That's easy. What we need to be doing is have them in Peoria and in small towns across the country. That's where the real work needs to be done.

Love the show, love the music

EDGE: On the performing side of things, you're appearing in the Jonathan Larson musical Tick, Tick...BOOM at the Westport Country Playhouse in Connecticut. How's it going?

Cruz:It's been amazing. It's a beautiful theater and the audiences have been great. They've been taking good care of us.

I love the show. It's my third production of the show and I continue to come back to it because I love it.

EDGE: Do you feel a connection to it because you've also been involved with Rent?

Cruz:I feel a connection to it and I feel a responsibility to it. I think telling Jonathan's story is important but also the fact that the show itself is a reminder to all of us to really continue to chase our dreams even when it's difficult. I have to be reminded of that often, as well, when times are tough. I love the show and I love the music.

EDGE: Any chance you're going to be back on Raising the Bar this year? You did a great job last season.

Cruz:I loved doing it and I loved that character but I don't think I am. I think it's possible for me to come back in the future but I don't think they're going to bring me back this season. I was only supposed to be in one episode and they ended up making it three.

EDGE: You have some movies coming out, right? What are your roles in them?

Cruz:Convincing Clooney and The People I've Slept With, which I loved but I'm not sure when it's going to be done. It's going to be in the Festival circuits first. In both of the movies I play the lead female protagonist's best friend. In The People I've Slept With, it's a bigger and better role. Essentially, she and I are looking for our husbands and we're looking to get married by the end of the film. I don't want to ruin it but there is a wedding involved. It's a very cute movie.

Wilson Cruz can be seen in Tick, Tick...Boom at the Westport Country Playhouse in Westport, CT through July 18th. For information on the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, go to http://www.thetaskforce.org.