Rose McGowan is a fierce advocate for the gay community. After all, if it weren't for the care of its members, the course of her entire life may have changed.
Born in Italy as a member of the Children of God cult, McGowan had a rocky childhood that included a return to the US at age 10. As she tells The Advocate in a new interview, she left home a few years after that.
"At 13, when I was a runaway, I was taken in by the most amazing drag queens in Portland, Ore," McGowan says. "We didn’t always know where our next meal was coming from, but there was so much camaraderie and love. Not to mention, those girls could paint a face, and I learned how because of them."
The "Charmed" star, who next stars in "Conan the Barbarian," details fun times that she had with her guardians -- and the way in which they impact her to this day.
"I could finagle my way into lots of different places," she says about whether she could get into night clubs despite her young age. "Whether it was how I danced or the way I looked, I was always quite celebrated in the gay clubs. To this day, I only go to gay clubs. I’m perfectly at home there. I also like watching hot boys and hot girls who can dance."
That being said, as hard as she tries, she doesn't find herself attracted to women. Off-screen, at least.
"I disappoint myself. I’ve never even kissed a girl. Isn’t that funny? The girls I think are cute look like guys, but then I think, But if they open their shirt, they’ll have breasts," she muses. "I’d be stoked to do a lesbian love scene. When asked if I’ve kissed a girl, I could finally say, ‘Why, yes, I have. And I got paid.’"
McGowan is in the middle of a busy period in her career; she's set for a guest role on "Law & Order: SVU," will lead in the thriller, "Rosewood Lane," star with Heather Graham and Kim Basinger in the comedy, "Fortune," and star in the big screen adaptation of the Sylvia Plath novel, "The Bell Jar," with Julia Stiles.
CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story indicated that McGowan was born into the Church of God. The correct name is the Children of God.
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