Lena Dunham jokes it was a disappointment to turn out straight

LGBTQ rights advocate Lena Dunham was honored by the Point Foundation during a gala in New York City on Monday. During a speech, the Girls actress/creator spoke about having a gay sister and the “huge disappointment” she experienced upon realizing she was attracted to men.

“I have always felt a strong and emotional connection to members of the LGBTQ community. It was actually a huge disappointment for me, when I came of age and realized that I was sexually attracted to men,” Lena joked, according to Vanity Fair. “So when my sister came out, I thought, ‘Thank God, someone in this family can truly represent my passions and beliefs.'”

Lena went on to talk about her experiences growing up in Brooklyn and attending galleries with her parents, who are both professional artists.

“We were raised in an environment—the art world of downtown Manhattan—where no one hid their sexual orientation,” said Lena. “A common question from four-year-old me was ‘Mom, are those ladies gay together?’ I was always very jealous of any child who had two dads.”

^ Lena and Grace Dunham in 2010. Grace appeared in Lena’s film Tiny Furniture.

Still, she said — on a more serious note — that her sister’s coming out was a “huge turning point” in her own understanding of the issues LGBTQ people face. She added her parents’ open-mindedness was a real blessing during that time.

“Because of our parents’ deeply held commitment to acceptance and equality, my sister’s process of coming to terms with her sexuality was as angst-free as anything involving sex can really be,” Lena said of her young sister, Grace, who came out as a gay woman when she was 17. “She was assured by the adults in her life that she was not only accepted, but adored for who she is. I am so happy that this is the way she was able to enter the world as a woman and an LGBTQ person.”

Lena, who is dating Fun’s Jack Atonoff, said she’s honored to be in a position where she can promote diversity.

“Our goal on Girls is to show you non-stereotypical examples of the range of people who inhabit this amazing city, and we are learning more about what that means every day.”