Lea DeLaria

Lea DeLaria is an American comedian, actress, and jazz musician who in 1993 became the first openly gay comic to appear on a late-night talk show in the United States, performing stand-up on The Arsenio Hall Show and declaring, "It's the 1990s! It's hip to be queer! I'm a big dyke." Later that year she hosted Comedy Central's Out There, the first all-gay stand-up comedy special. She is best known for playing Big Boo on Orange Is the New Black (2013), one of the signature queer roles in streaming television's early era. DeLaria has been loudly, unapologetically out as a butch lesbian throughout her entire career and has spoken about the history of gay visibility in American comedy. She has released multiple jazz albums.