Conversation so far:
When did Rosie O'Donnell come out?
In 2002  Rosie O'Donnell came out as a lesbian, announcing I'm a dyke!“
A month later from Rosie O'Donnell's guest appearance on Will and Grace, what happened?
In 2002 as part of her act at the Ovarian Cancer Research benefit at Caroline's Comedy Club, Rosie O'Donnell came out as a lesbian, announcing I'm a dyke!“
What was Rosie O'Donnell's reason for coming out?
Although Rosie O'Donnell cited need to put a face to gays and lesbians, her primary reason was to bring attention to gay adoption.
What else did Rosie O'Donnell say about her coming out?
Rosie O'Donnell said I don't know why people make such a big deal about the gay thing. ... People are confused, they're shocked like this is a big revelation.“

Question: How did her fans react?
Self-contained rewrite: How did Rosie O'Donnell's fans react to her coming out?