( PEOPLE.com ) -- Since she decided to come out about her sexuality to help kids who have been bullied , Kristy McNichol says the response has been tremendous . `` I 'm overwhelmed with the love and support of my family , friends and fans , '' McNichol , 49 , tells PEOPLE exclusively . Last week , McNichol , best known for her Emmy-award winning roles as Buddy Lawrence in `` Family '' and later as Barbara Weston in `` Empty Nest , '' shared a photo of herself with her longtime girlfriend Martie Allen and revealed to PEOPLE : `` As I approach 50 , I want to be open about who I am . '' The openness , she hopes , will help others . `` Kristy feels strongly about fighting bullying and intolerance , '' says her publicist Jeff Ballard . `` She realizes that kids do n't always have the coping skills to manage their fear and pain when they feel 'different . ' And in her own way , she wants to help others by telling people who she is . She hopes that all these small steps together can make a difference . '' See the full article at PEOPLE.com . © 2011 People and Time Inc. All rights reserved .
Kristy McNichol says the response to her coming out has been tremendous . She shared a photo of herself with her longtime girlfriend Martie Allen . `` Kristy feels strongly about fighting bullying and intolerance , '' her publicist says .