Over the course of her decades-long career, queer comedian Judy Gold has won acclaim on the stand-up circuit and carved out a niche for herself in film, television and theater. Along the way, shes picked up two Emmys for her work as a writer and producer on The Rosie ODonnell Show, written two books and launched a podcast.

In the new documentary Outstanding: A Comedy Revolution , Gold is granted a rare opportunity to reassess her own professional trajectory alongside that of her contemporaries, including Sandra Bernhard , Margaret Cho , Wanda Sykes and Rosie ODonnell herself. She also gets to share her thoughts on comedys oft-overlooked role in advancing LGBTQ+ visibility.

Great comedians make you laugh, but they can also make you think. They can make you change your mind, Gold told HuffPost. When kids come up to me and say, I ran to my basement to watch you, and I couldnt believe this big, loud lesbian was screaming about her family. You made me realize that, oh, I can have a family, too that makes it all worth it.