She mentioned her partner, whose surname is the middle name of Foster's children. She mentioned it in an open forum with journalists present while accepting a high-profile award. What's the big deal? The only thing unseemly seems to be CNN's jump on Foster's statement. Perhaps it would be been more appropriate to ask the actress herself to comment, but it does appear that she's already done that. So why is everybody getting hot under the collar? Does it change anything at all? She's a swell actress, an apparently devoted mother, and seriously intelligent and independent. Lesbian or not, she's an individual worth looking up to.