During one section of the interview, Etheridge is joined by fiancée, writer and producer Linda Wallem, and the conversation turns to the strides made in gay rights during their lifetimes and their reactions to the Supreme Court’s rulings regarding gay marriage. “There’s a little bit more sense of I’m not so afraid to hold her hand. I’m not so afraid to go to the school and, they have two mommies, you know? It’s not so strange anymore. It’s starting to be a part of the American fabric.”

Ethridge also talks about when she first realized she was a lesbian.  ”When I finally realized when I’m about 15 that all my friends are, ‘Oh, Joe, Bobby, Mike,’ you know, and I’m ‘Jodie,’” Etheridge tells Rather. “You know, I’m like — ‘Wait a minute, what am I doing?’ – that it’s a scary thing. It was scary for my generation, but you realize, the first time I kissed a girl I was 17 and that’s when it was like, ‘Oh,’ it was a huge difference.

“Well, it’s funny, you don’t try to hide it, it’s hidden because it doesn’t exist. And so you know what you’re doing is wrong and everyone’s gonna be freaked out by you.”

“This is the first record I have ever made and owned myself,” Boy George explained to Complete Music Update. “It’s very exciting to be a bit more in control of my work and to be doing this independently feels very liberating. Working with Kobalt adds to the excitement. I feel that I’m going to get more personal involvement from them, and have been very impressed with their work with Pet Shop Boys recently.”

This Is What I Do, which happens to be his first new album of original material in 18 years, was written by George and longtime writing partners John Themis, Kevan Frost and Richie Stevens. The LP will also feature guest spots from DJ Yoda, Kitty Durham of Kitty Daisy & Lewis, Scottish guitarist Ally McErlaine of Texas, Dreadzone’s MC Spee and Nizar Al Issa.

The first single from This Is What I Do is “King Of Everything”. The single, which is out now on iTunes, is about a wife-beating boxer trying to make amends with his victim. It’s an absolutely beautiful song. I am not a fan of Boy George as a person, but his new music sounds fantastic!