Thora Birch Opens Up: 90s Icon Reveals She's Bisexual, Calls for Community Love

At 44, Thora Birch is still using her platform exactly how it matters — to lift others up. The American Beauty and Hocus Pocus star revealed she’s bisexual during an appearance at The Abbey’s 35th Anniversary celebration in West Hollywood on Wednesday, May 20, sharing a deeply personal piece of her identity while doubling down on the importance of showing up for the LGBTQ+ community.

Growing up walking distance from The Abbey — the legendary West Hollywood institution that’s been celebrating LGBTQ+ pride since 1991 — shaped who Birch is today. For her, the venue isn’t just a nightspot; it’s hallowed ground. That history informed her message at the anniversary event. She didn’t lean into politics or grandstanding. Instead, she offered something more grounded: Find your people. Stand with them. Share that love outward. It’s a simple philosophy, but it’s the antidote to the noise right now.

Beyond the personal revelation, Birch also weighed in on Los Angeles’s mayoral race and the city’s ongoing recovery from the 2025 Pacific Palisades fire — a race that includes The Hills alum Spencer Pratt, who lost his home in the blaze. While she acknowledged the passion surrounding leadership decisions tied to the fire response, she kept her take measured:“strong leadership is always advisable,”but she’s reserving judgment on who delivers it best.

What really caught her attention, though, was the possibility of revisiting her iconic 90s characters. When asked about a Now and Then sequel — the 1995 coming-of-age classic that reunited Birch’s younger self with an all-star cast including Christina Ricci, Demi Moore, Rosie O’Donnell, Melanie Griffith, Gaby Hoffmann, and Rita Wilson — she lit up.“I love Rita, and bless her heart, and I feel like all of us would love that,”Birch said.“I have no idea what that would look like, but it’s a shared dream for sure.”

There’s also Dani from Hocus Pocus, the character she hopes to reprise in the recently announced Hocus Pocus 3. Birch was notably absent from the 2022 sequel despite Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy returning as the Sanderson Sisters, but she’s keeping the door open.“I’d like to know what they land on for how Dani wound up. I’m super open to the idea,”she told Entertainment Tonight back in October 2025.

What strikes you about Birch’s openness — both about her identity and her willingness to step back into beloved characters — is how grounded it all is. She’s not chasing nostalgia for its own sake or using her platform for empty gestures. She’s showing up as her whole self, inviting others to do the same, and leaving room for the stories that matter to come back when they’re ready.