Editing Lea DeLaria (section)

==Career==
[[File:Orange Is the New Black cast.jpg|thumb|L–R: [[Uzo Aduba]], [[Dascha Polanco]], [[Samira Wiley]], DeLaria, and [[Alysia Reiner]] from ''[[Orange Is the New Black]]'' in 2015]]
DeLaria's stand-up career began in 1982 when she moved to [[San Francisco]] and performed raunchy stand-up comedy in the [[Mission District, San Francisco|Mission District]].<ref name= atlanticcity>"[http://infoweb.newsbank.com/iw-search/we/InfoWeb?p_product=AWNB&p_theme=aggregated5&p_action=doc&p_docid=0EAEAAB96F9A272D&p_docnum=5&p_queryname=3 Lesbian Comic Delaria Is So Out That She's In]", ''The Press of Atlantic City'', March 7, 1994.</ref><ref>Guthmann, Edward. [http://infoweb.newsbank.com/iw-search/we/InfoWeb?p_product=AWNB&p_theme=aggregated5&p_action=doc&p_docid=0EB4F8305CBB0879&p_docnum=13&p_queryname=3 "'The Parker Posey of Queer Cinema': Stand-up comic Lea DeLaria is all over the lesbian and gay film festival"], ''The San Francisco Chronicle'', June 14, 1998.</ref> Discussing her stand-up, Delaria says, "This is who I am, when I'm up there. This is it. I'm a big [[Butch (lesbian slang)|butch]] [[Dyke (slang)|dyke]]. That's who I am. And I'm a friendly one. I'm a big butch dyke with a smile on my face."<ref name= atlanticcity/>

In 1986, DeLaria directed "Ten Percent Revue", a musical revue written by Tom Wilson Weinberg that celebrates gay and lesbian culture.<ref>Keating, Douglas J. "[http://infoweb.newsbank.com/iw-search/we/InfoWeb?p_product=AWNB&p_theme=aggregated5&p_action=doc&p_docid=0EB29BBEF5540F71&p_docnum=1&p_queryname=2 Musical Revue Looks at Gay Life]". ''The Philadelphia Inquirer''. October 17, 1986.</ref> "Ten Percent Revue" was performed in [[Boston]], [[San Francisco]], [[Provincetown, Massachusetts|Provincetown]], [[Philadelphia]], and [[Atlanta]].<ref name= atlanta>Crouch, Paula. "[http://infoweb.newsbank.com/iw-search/we/InfoWeb?p_product=AWNB&p_theme=aggregated5&p_action=doc&p_docid=0EB7C25EE576D3E2&p_docnum=2&p_queryname=2 It's a pickle's life in puppet comedy]". ''The Atlanta Journal''. November 14, 1986.</ref> Many shows were sold out.<ref name= atlanta/>

From 1987 to 1989, DeLaria starred in "Dos Lesbos", a musical comedy about two lesbians dealing with the issues of living together.<ref>Hicks, Bob. "[http://infoweb.newsbank.com/iw-search/we/InfoWeb?p_product=AWNB&p_theme=aggregated5&p_action=doc&p_docid=0EB084CC6B3CBDFD&p_docnum=4&p_queryname=2 Dos Lesbos]". ''The Oregonian''. January 8, 1988.</ref> The show received very favorable reviews nationwide.<ref>Hicks, Bob. "[http://infoweb.newsbank.com/iw-search/we/InfoWeb?p_product=AWNB&p_theme=aggregated5&p_action=doc&p_docid=0EB08551DB2E8A0B&p_docnum=6&p_queryname=2 Talented Comedians Slightly Offbeat]", ''The Oregonian'', January 7, 1989.</ref>

DeLaria conceived, wrote, directed and starred in ''Girl Friday: We're Funny That Way'', a musical comedy, in 1989.<ref>Valdespino, Anne. "[http://infoweb.newsbank.com/iw-search/we/InfoWeb?p_product=AWNB&p_theme=aggregated5&p_action=doc&p_docid=0EAF3D3EA87F8E14&p_docnum=8&p_queryname=2 A Latin American original brings her steps to OC]". ''The Orange County Register'', January 25, 1989.</ref><ref>Hunt, Phil. "[http://infoweb.newsbank.com/iw-search/we/InfoWeb?p_product=AWNB&p_theme=aggregated5&p_action=doc&p_docid=0EB085E1B541C535&p_docnum=10&p_queryname=2 'Girl Friday' Provides a Gay Time for All]", ''The Oregonian'', January 12, 1990.</ref> The show won the 1989 Golden Gull for Best Comedy Group in [[Provincetown, Massachusetts]].<ref name="AMG">{{cite web|url={{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p43372/biography|pure_url=yes}}|title=Lea DeLaria|last=Post|first=Laura|work=[[AllMusic]]|publisher=[[All Media Guide]]|access-date=June 28, 2011}}</ref>

When DeLaria appeared on ''[[The Arsenio Hall Show]]'' in 1993, she was the first openly gay comic to appear on a late-night talk show. While appearing on the show, DeLaria said, "Hello everybody, my name is Lea DeLaria, and it's great to be here, because it's the 1990s! It's hip to be queer! I'm a big dyke."<ref>Holden, Stephen. "[http://infoweb.newsbank.com/iw-search/we/InfoWeb?p_product=AWNB&p_theme=aggregated5&p_action=doc&p_docid=0EAC50CB27DE8C3D&p_docnum=10&p_queryname=3 Left-leaning Singing Comic Caught a Ride on Rising Star]". ''The Times Union'' (Albany, New York).</ref> DeLaria later said she had been told that she should not have used the term dyke on the air.<ref name= tohide>Richmond, Dick. "[http://infoweb.newsbank.com/iw-search/we/InfoWeb?p_product=AWNB&p_theme=aggregated5&p_action=doc&p_docid=0EB04E5622FF336D&p_docnum=3&p_queryname=3 Lea Delaria: She's Got Nothing to Hide]". ''St. Louis Post-Dispatch''. November 25, 1993.</ref> Hall later defended her, saying, "If she wants to call herself a dyke, that's her business."<ref name= tohide/>

In December 1993, DeLaria hosted [[Comedy Central]]'s ''[[Out There (comedy specials)|Out There]]'', the first all-gay stand-up comedy special.<ref name="EW 1993-12-10" />

DeLaria has released two CD recordings of her comedy, ''Bulldyke in a China Shop'' (1994) and ''Box Lunch'' (1997). She has also written a humorous book entitled ''Lea's Book of Rules for the World''.

DeLaria appeared as Jane in the 1998 [[Off Broadway]] production of [[Paul Rudnick]]'s ''The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told'', "a gay retelling of the Bible."<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://ew.com/article/1999/04/23/most-fabulous-story-ever-told/|title=The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told|last=Cagle|first=Jess|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|publisher=[[Time Warner]]|date=April 23, 1999|access-date=June 28, 2011|archive-date=September 29, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120929070521/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20014533,00.html|url-status=live}}</ref> ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' said "a star is born with Lea DeLaria" of her "showstopping" performance as Hildy Esterhazy in the 1998 Broadway [[revival (theatre)|revival]] of ''[[On the Town (musical)|On the Town]]''.<ref name="NYT 1998">{{cite news|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C06E1D71639F93AA15752C1A96E958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=2|title=THEATER; An Exhilarating 'On the Town' Spreads Some Joy|last=Canby|first=Vincent|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=November 29, 1998|access-date=2011-06-28}}</ref><ref name="EW 1998-12-4">{{cite magazine|url=https://ew.com/article/1998/12/04/little-me/|title=Little Me|last=Cagle|first=Jess|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|publisher=[[Time Warner]]|date=December 4, 1998|access-date=2011-06-28|archive-date=April 25, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090425224833/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,286011,00.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="EW 1999-06-04">{{cite magazine|url=https://ew.com/article/1999/06/04/handicapping-1999-tony-awards/|title=Handicapping the 1999 Tony Awards|last=Wontorek|first=Paul|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|publisher=[[Time Warner]]|date=June 4, 1999|access-date=2011-06-28|archive-date=September 29, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120929070535/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,273601,00.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

DeLaria subsequently played Eddie and Dr. Scott in the 2000 Broadway revival of ''[[The Rocky Horror Show]]'', and can be heard on the [[cast recording]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ibdb.com/person.php?id=69841|title=Lea DeLaria|work=[[Internet Broadway Database]]|publisher=[[The Broadway League]]|access-date=2011-06-28}}</ref> DeLaria appeared in a number of films, including ''[[Edge of Seventeen (film)|Edge of Seventeen]]'' and ''[[The First Wives Club]]''.

DeLaria integrates musical performance into her stand-up comedy, focusing on traditional and modern [[be-bop]] jazz. In 2001 she released a CD of jazz standards called ''[[Play It Cool (Lea DeLaria album)|Play It Cool]]''. This was followed by the album ''Double Standards'' in 2003,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/release/bh9x|title=Lea DeLaria Double Standards Review|last=Reynolds|first=Nick|publisher=BBC|date=November 3, 2003|access-date=2011-06-28}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.com/Double-Standards-Lea-Delaria/dp/B0007QJ1F2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1309283417&sr=8-1|title=Double Standards|website=Amazon|access-date=2011-06-28}}</ref> and by ''The Very Best of Lea DeLaria'' in 2008.

In 2001, DeLaria was the voice of Helga Phugly on the short-lived animated sitcom ''[[The Oblongs]]''. In 1996 DeLaria played the part of a woman friend of Carol and Susan in the ''Friends'' episode The One with the Lesbian Wedding.  In 1999 DeLaria played the recurring role of [[Madame Delphina]] on the [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] soap opera ''[[One Life to Live]]'', returning in 2008 as both Delphina and [[Madame Delphina|Professor Delbert Fina]]. She continued to portray Delphina on a recurring basis until 2011.<ref name="SOAPnet.com 2008-07">{{cite web|url=http://soapnet.go.com/soapnet/print/path-contentID_7452?lid=printerFriendly&lpos=article_7452|title=Madame Delphina Sees All|last=Murray|first=Jesse|work=[[SOAPnet]]|publisher=[[The Walt Disney Company]]|date=July 1, 2008|access-date=2011-06-28|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120314104420/http://soapnet.go.com/soapnet/print/path-contentID_7452?lid=printerFriendly&lpos=article_7452|archive-date=March 14, 2012|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

In 2008, Warner Records released ''The Live Smoke Sessions'', DeLaria's first recording focused on "timeless pop standards" such as "Down With Love", "Night and Day", "Love Me or Leave Me" and "Come Rain or Come Shine." She noted, "I styled this CD on the old school live recordings ... It is my hope that this CD will take you back to 1948 and the Village Vanguard. So please let me invite you to mix a cocktail and enjoy a smoke while you sit back and soak up the swing."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://broadwayworld.com/article/Lea_Delaria_Live_Smoke_Sessions_To_Be_Released_99_20080909|title=Lea Delaria: Live Smoke Sessions To Be Released 9/9|website=BroadwayWorld.com|date=September 9, 2008|access-date=2011-06-28}}</ref>

In November 2008, DeLaria completed a tour of Australia, playing [[Sydney]], [[Melbourne]], [[Adelaide]] and [[Brisbane]]. She also frequently collaborates with comedian [[Maggie Cassella]], most notably on an annual Christmas cabaret show in [[Toronto]] which also sometimes tours to several other North American cities. In July 2010, her version of "[[All That Jazz (song)|All That Jazz]]" was used on ''[[So You Think You Can Dance]]''. DeLaria performed in ''[[Prometheus Bound]]'' at the [[American Repertory Theater]] in [[Cambridge, Massachusetts]]. Since 2013, she has appeared in the [[Netflix]] Original ''[[Orange Is the New Black]]'' as the recurring character prison inmate [[List of Orange Is the New Black characters#Carrie "Big Boo" Black|Carrie 'Big Boo' Black]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.arte.tv/fr/videos/060648-002-A/tellement-gay-une-perle-de-la-culture-lesbienne-par-lea-delaria|title=Tellement Gay! Une perle de la Culture lesbienne par Lea DeLaria|website=ARTE|access-date=November 18, 2017|archive-date=December 1, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201182914/https://www.arte.tv/fr/videos/060648-002-A/tellement-gay-une-perle-de-la-culture-lesbienne-par-lea-delaria/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.arte.tv/fr/videos/048627-001-A/tellement-gay-homosexualite-pop-culture|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170624075708/http://www.arte.tv/fr/videos/048627-001-A/tellement-gay-homosexualite-pop-culture|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 24, 2017|title=Tellement gay ! Homosexualité & pop culture - Inside &#124; ARTE+7|date=June 24, 2017|access-date=December 6, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.arte.tv/fr/videos/048627-002-A/tellement-gay-homosexualite-pop-culture|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170624075108/http://www.arte.tv/fr/videos/048627-002-A/tellement-gay-homosexualite-pop-culture|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 24, 2017|title=Tellement gay ! Homosexualité & pop culture - Out &#124; ARTE+7|date=June 24, 2017|access-date=December 6, 2019}}</ref>

In December 2014, DeLaria voiced EJ Randell, the lesbian mother of Jeff in the [[Cartoon Network]] animated series ''[[Clarence (American TV series)|Clarence]]''.<ref>{{cite web|first=Christopher|last=Rudolph|url=http://www.newnownext.com/clarence-lesbian-moms/06/2016/|title=Cartoon Network's "Clarence" Features Loveable Lesbian Moms|website=NewNowNext|date=June 7, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|first=Juan|last=Barquin|url=http://www.yam-mag.com/blog/clarence-episode-jeff-wins-has-some-pretty-cool-queer-representation/|title=Clarence Episode "Jeff Wins" Has Some Pretty Cool Queer Representation|publisher=YAM Magazine|date=January 15, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200412024225/https://www.yam-mag.com/blog/clarence-episode-jeff-wins-has-some-pretty-cool-queer-representation/|archive-date=April 12, 2020}}</ref>

On February 14, 2015, DeLaria received the [[Equality Illinois]] Freedom Award for her work as "a cutting-edge performer who has used her talent to entertain and enlighten millions of Americans," said Bernard Cherkasov, CEO of Equality Illinois. On receiving the award at the 2015 Equality Illinois Gala in Chicago, DeLaria said, "As an out performer for over 33 years who has made it her life's work to change peoples perception of butch, queer and LGBT, it is an honor for me to receive such recognition from my home state. I feel I'm doing Belleville proud. Go Maroons!".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.equalityillinois.us/2015/01/eqil-honors-lea-delaria-with-freedom-award|title=EQIL Honors Lea DeLaria with Freedom Award|work=equalityillinois.us|access-date=June 21, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.boom.lgbt/index.php/equal/143-non-profit/443-2015-equality-illinois-freedom-award-to-honor-lea-delaria|title=BOOM|work=boom.lgbt|date=January 23, 2015 |access-date=June 21, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chicagoactivism.org/archives/18874|title=EQIL Honors Lea DeLaria with Freedom Award|work=chicagoactivism.org|access-date=June 21, 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150626105318/http://www.chicagoactivism.org/archives/18874|archive-date=June 26, 2015|df=mdy-all}}</ref>{{better source needed|date=January 2021}}

In 2021, DeLaria starred in [[Wes Hurley]]'s autobiographical dramedy [[Potato Dreams of America]] earning rave reviews, praise from [[John Waters]] and the Outstanding Supporting Performance Award from [[Tallgrass Film Festival]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3513522/awards/?ref_=tt_awd |title=Potato Dreams of America (2021) - Auszeichnungen |access-date=2025-02-17|website=IMDb}}</ref>

In 2022, DeLaria returned to [[Broadway (theatre)|Broadway]] in the comic play ''[[POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive]]'' where she received positive acclaim from critics.