The days of coming out via Time magazine covers are over. In 2016, celebs are coming out in their own way, and social media is giving them a lot of help. Ellen Page knew her coming out speech for HRC would go viral, and when Charlie Carver decided to come out via Instagram, he knew social media would take his message global. Since coming out via a splashy magazine cover or even a New York Times article would seem dated at this point, we ask you Queerty members: Is Social Media Changing The Way Gay Celebs Come Out?
Xzamilio
Well, duh. The internet changed the way we viewed porn and how we communicate as LGBT individuals. It’s a hell of a lot easier to have your boring ass anti-gay family on Facebook and be a full on gay on Twitter without worrying about them seeing you because you don’t use your real name or actual photo. For better or for worse, social media removes a lot of the anxiety of vocalizing it to every single person in your life. One “I’m gay” and everyone in your Friends/Followers list knows it.
Hillers
What’s especially great about it is that people can frame their coming out exactly as they want to. It’s coming straight from the horse’s mouth, so there is no editorializing or hearsay. I mean, with the caveat that some of these celebrities have publicists and handlers up the wazoo managing their every move, but yeah.
Captain Obvious
The media circus is what made it more of a show than need be. The lukewarm reception and congratulations are really closer to what it should be. Hopefully soon no one will even care anymore or make a big deal at all so young people who are gay don’t have to go through a lot of the internal crap the rest of us did.