Sally Field's Advocacy For The LGBTQ+ Community Has Always Been Personal For Her

Sally Field may be known for films like "Mrs. Doubtfire" and "Steel Magnolias," but when she's not acting, she's fighting for what's right. Not only has Field been outspoken about reproductive rights, sharing the story of her own illegal abortion she had in 1964, but she was also arrested in December 2019 while participating in one of Jane Fonda's "Fire Drill Fridays" climate change protests. Because Field has always been on the right side of history, it should come as no surprise that when her son, Sam Greisman, came out as gay at 20 years old, she added LGBTQ+ advocacy to her list of causes worth fighting for.

"My coming out was definitely different to a lot of people," Greisman told The Leader in September 2018. "My family is so extremely supportive, my mom especially. The question of it causing a problem or even having to sit down and talk to them was never part of it." Field's advocacy for her son and the LGBTQ+ community has been so unwavering that, in 2012, she was honored with the Human Rights Campaign's Ally for Equality Award. Greisman presented the award. "When I came out, she didn't even bat an eye. In fact, she was overjoyed," he said (via People). "Being gay was just one more thing she loved about me. She couldn't be more supportive of me[ -- and,] if anything, I wish she was a little less supportive of me." Since Greisman's coming out, the two have worked on various projects together, and Field has shone a bright light on ways to support the LGBTQ+ community as an ally.

In 2019, the Equality Act was proposed to prohibit discrimination against people based on their gender identity and sexual orientation. It was essentially meant to expand the protections set forth in the Civil Rights Act of 1964, with a big focus on the LGBTQ+ community and their rights. Although it was passed by the House in May of 2019, the Senate (which was Republican-controlled at the time) blocked it. In the months leading up to the day the federal bill would be either confirmed or denied, Sally Field and Sam Greisman created a video for the Human Rights Campaign to highlight the importance of the Equality Act.

Field and Greisman have an adorable interaction in the video — including Field trying to get her face in front of the camera during a FaceTime call, à la every Boomer that has ever existed — while talking about what the proposal entails. As Greisman pointed out, without federal protections, LGBTQ+ rights vary from state to state — which isn't just problematic, but dangerous. Field also explained that the Equality Act wouldn't just be a governmental change, but one that could ultimately affect how people see the LGBTQ+ community, ideally opening more minds and hearts to the reality that love is love. "As long as I am upright, I will fight for this to be," Field said in the video. Since 2019, other versions of the bill have been introduced, though none of which have been made into law.

To prove just how personal her advocacy for the LGBTQ+ community is, Sally Field, who makes transitioning to gray hair looking stunning and effortless, has tried to find her son love. In 2018, Field did what any mom of a single son would do, setting her sights on Olympic figure skater Adam Rippon as a potential match for Sam Greisman. After all, when it comes to choosing the right partner for your son, you only want the best.

In February 2018, Field and Greisman were texting each other while watching Rippon perform. After admitting to his mom that he had a crush on Rippon, Greisman shared Field's advice to him via X. "Sam... he's insanely pretty. Find a way," read the text that Field sent her son. When she saw Greisman's tweet, she reposted it while tagging the skater. "Sam was mortified... but I would like to see Adam [Rippon] in the family," Field later told Buzzfeed.

Although Greisman and Rippon finally met in March 2018, there wasn't any romantic chemistry, which became apparent as Field was still trying to find her son a partner years later. When she talked to The Advocate in December 2022 about her film "Spoiler Alert," Field brought up her son, saying how she'll always fight for his future and right to love whomever he wants. "Oh, God, would he please find somebody, for Christ sake?" Field asked the publication. While we don't know Greisman's romantic status (it has been four years since Field's last matchmaking attempt), if he's still single, maybe we can expect Field to shoot her shot at a new heartthrob sometime soon.