Here’s a Chinese riddle of sorts: if you’re famous, like boys and live openly gay in your personal life, but don’t announce your gayness on a magazine cover or talk show, does that mean you’re closeted? Let us ponder that while we gaze upon this photo of Big Bang Theory‘s Jim Parsons and Pushing Daisies’ Lee Pace, both currently acting in the revival of Larry Kramer‘s A Normal Heart, a gay play by a gay guy about gay guys being gay. What would Mr. Kramer have to say about their silence? Does it equal death? Or is this their artistic way of coming out?
Toban
Jim Parsons already came completely out at the Emmys last year…he’s out.
Cam
@Toban:
No, stories came out about Parson’s proposing to his boyfriend after the Emmys last year, but HE never officially came out. He is now in Anderson Cooperland. Everybody knows, and blogs will write, but he hasn’t said anything yet.
Erich
Love Lee Pace, porn stache and all.
Lefty
Surely the fact they’re acting in Kramer’s gay play about gay is more daring than being photographed with him. Being photographed with him is entirely unsurprising if they’re both acting in his gay play about gay.
Asking whether acting in his gay play is tantamount to coming out amounts to “actor plays A Gay… must be gay” – which is nonsense.
So the answer to the headline is: No.
Btw, Lee Pace looks totally do-able with that tache.
Bryan Harris
Love Lee Pace rocking that pornstache. I thought he was the guy in the porgressive commercials.
Bryan Harris
Sorry. “Progressive.”
Spike
How circa Perez Hilton to still be speculating about who’s out and who’s in.
Dick
See? if it wern’t for Queerty I wouldn’t have known about this Broadway event.
Cam
@Spike:
How typical Hollywood defender to try to pretend that having a bunch of closet cases running around doesn’t hold our rights back.
soakman
Lee Pace is amazing.
I feel head over heels with him first in Pushing Daisies, then The Fall, then again in Wonderfalls, and he was just plain amazing in Soldier’s Girl.
He’s gotta be ‘one-of-us.’
And I’m glad if he is. He’s very talented.
redball
Daniel, this was a hilarious post. And your Chinese riddle is an excellent distillation of debates that have happened on Queerty and other sites.
Indeed, who defines what “out” means? Instead of out vs. not out, I’d say there is actually a spectrum of outness.
Jock
@Spike: Exactly – who cares and none of our business
Jeff R
Attention Spike and the other “defenders:” It’s a question of irony. These alleged/rumored to be gay men are acting in a famous gay play that deals with, among other topics, gay men fighting to save their community, taking a stand, dealing with the trials and tribulations of being gay men, in the ’80s, which was written by a courageous, great man, albeit abrasive to some, who had the balls to stand up and fight for his community. They also posed for a picture with him. The current production does feature other out actors – Luke MacFarlane, et.al., who apparently are proud of who they are and have acknowledged the same. Just kinda sad, IMO, but to each his own. JeffR
James
why do people feel like gay people in Hollywood have to make some big announcement?as long as they don’t have fake girlfriends they’re not hiding.
Cathy
no matter what, it you can, RUN do not walk to see this play – it is as relevant today as it was 30 years ago
Joe
@Cam,
Jim Parsons thanked his boyfriend at the Emmys. He said his name – what more do you want.
Honestly, Parsons doesn’t do that many interviews, and they never focus on his sex life. Mainly because his character is so not a sex symbol, that it never comes up. He doesn’t seem in the closet like others, or even in the glass closet like Cooper.
Jimmy Fury
@Cam: Having closet cases running around, particular of the A-list variety, is an annoyance yes.
However, Mr. Pace and Mr. Parsons are not closet cases. Closet cases claim to be straight. Simply not discussing ones sexuality is not the same as actively denying it.
Secondly, celebrities in the closet do not hold back our rights. Increased visibility is always good but do not kid yourself into thinking the world would suddenly explode into a cacophony of rainbows and acceptance if Cruise or Gyllenhaal dropped the acts.
Politicians hold back our rights, not actors.
Jock
@Jimmy Fury: So true – well said. Attack those that beard and affect our rights, not those trying to earn a living and living their lives as they see fit! No one tells us what to do in our professional lives, who are we to demand that actors behave a certain way. The best actors are those whom keep their personal lives private. Nothing worse than celebs parading their love lives or babies on magazine covers.
michel
yeah, the same policy followed by Matthew Bomer, “i’m very happy in my personal life, and it concerns only me.”
Steve
@Cam: We have the right to be just us and not have to be Icons and Role Models. So do they…
bill forsyth
Why should actors or entertainers of all people have to be role models,surely one of the reasons serious actors do not want to go into detail about their private lives is that they enjoy playing different roles without having the audience focusing on them and not on the character they are portraying.
J Stratford
I dont need my favorite actor, Sheldon, to announce that he is gay. I know he is. He has not denied that he is (unlike ammm Tom Cruise). As long as he is not
1) denying it
2) hiding it by having a beard
3) opposing/neutral about gay rights
Then I am fine leaving his private life private.
Same with my favorite opinion news guy, Anderson Cooper. He is pro-gay rights and lives alone or with his partner. I don’t need him to come out and announce to the world. I just need him to announce to the world that he is madly in love with me!
g
if Lee Pace aint gay, I’d like to know who fucked me all those years ago when I was a set PA on a promo and met him at the hotel after…..
Throbert McGee
@Steve:
Testify!
Some may recall that just days after Sally Ride’s death, the reliably appalling Andrew Sullivan wrote: “But the truth remains: [Sally Ride] had a chance to expand people’s horizons and young lesbians’ hope and self-esteem, and she chose not to. She was the absent heroine.”
Of course, what Mr. Sullivan really meant was: “Young LGBT people need role models to look up to, but I’m not personally able to step up to the plate and be one of those role models because — well, because of absolutely everything about me and my life-choices. Since no sane person would accept a barebacking pot-smoking trainwreck like myself as someone for LGBT Youth to emulate, I consider it my duty to attack Sally Ride because the lazy bitch wouldn’t take up my slack.”
And, sadly, many other gay people [waving at Cam!] have been drinking from the same village-idiot glass as Andrew Sullivan.
Throbert McGee
P.S. Damn, I really wish I could rock a ‘stache like Pace does.
Texasbear
I agree that coming out is sort of a right of passage for anyone gay or lesbian. If a celebrity or any person who is dealing with the issue of coming out decides to do so, it is their business. No one should be asked or forced to be out until they are ready to make this life changing decision on their own terms. They may never decide that they want to tell the world and that’s also their option to do so. It’s a very big decision and once the words “I’m gay” cross their lips, it can’t be taken back. Just as mentioned above, actors and actresses are humans just as everyday average people are. They are just as entitled to privacy as much as me and my partner or any one else. Just because someone is in the spotlight doesn’t make them a target or an activist. They can still be role models without telling the world their business. I don’t parade the fact that I am gay to everyone, but if asked, I have no problem telling them, ” yes, I am actually”. It’s not something I am ashamed of at all. If it’s a stranger and they become persistent about the issue, I simply walk away as it’s my business and no one else’s unless I want them to know the one big thing about me that is different. I am the same person now as I was before coming out many years ago. I just prefer sex with the same gender, otherwise I like pretty much the same things my straight and gay friends like.
I will admit that I am very disappointed that there are a number of closeted politicians in this country that have the power and are in a position to help overturn these archaic laws that affect our community. These are people that are actually hurting our progress and they are also part of the problem that makes living in the United States at the moment like living in two separate countries. Republican or Democrat, staying closeted in a political position still hurts the progression of equality and anti discrimination laws, especially in my state, Texas. I know several individuals who have lost very good jobs as a result of coming out. I wanted to come out because it’s pure hell trying to live a double life. Keeping the lies straight is quite exhausting. Luckily I am self employed and the boss.
In regards to Andrew Sullivan, I don’t always agree with what he has to say, but you have to remember that he is from Great Britain where this whole issue we are dealing with currently is obsolete. His views are different and, yes I do think he steps out of line on occasion. If I lived in London or Manchester, I would probably agree with more of his statements as he is a very smart man. I am very much a liberal where as I think Mr. Sullivan is more conservative, but that is the main underlying problem in this country. Neither party will work with the other, and President Obama is blamed for everything. It takes more than 6 years to undo the mess “The Bush’s” left behind to resolve all of the issues he is up against. I honestly think that racism is still alive and thriving in this country as it seems that President Obama can’t get any support from either party.