Jane Lynch may be one of the most recognizable out celebrities after she was catapulted into the mainstream aboard the SS Glee, but the 54-year-old actress says she never had a “coming out moment.”
“I’m an actor and when people started taking an interest in me, where they wanted to write about me, I didn’t say I wasn’t gay, so — I never had that,” she said in an interview on SiriusXM Progress. “And I have to give kudos to people like Melissa Etheridge and k.d lang and Ellen Degeneres and Rosie O’Donnell, all of those people who came before and at the height of their career, when they had a lot to lose, stood up and said this is who I am. And the world kind of went [gasps]…and then, nothing happened. That was really great and they kind of cleared a path for me to just stroll down.”
She’ll be appearing in a new CBS comedy series, Angel from Hell, in the fall, and is currently promoting the third season of NBC’s Hollywood Game Night. Lynch says she’s happy that other out celebrities like Zachary Quinto and Jesse Tyler Ferguson regularly appear on the show.
“There are still parts of the country where it’s hard, when you realize you’re gay, it’s like a death sentence,” she said. “And to give those kids some hope, I love that.”
Turning her attention to the infamous Hollywood closet, she said, “Everybody has their own way to deal with it. I don’t concern myself with other people’s — whether or not they want to come out, it’s not something for me think about.”
And yet there are many anecdotal stories of performers still being pressured not to come out. Asked what it says about the industry as a whole, Lynch said:
“I don’t know what it says. That says more about them than it does about anything, [or], I think, a meta statement to be made. Everybody has their own psychology, their own issues, their own subconscious material. For me to make a broad statement — it’s like outing people. I think that was a horrible thing. You might be dealing with a very fragile part of someone’s psyche. So I think everybody has to go their own path…That’s ridiculous, in this day and age, if somebody’s telling somebody not to [come out].”
h/t: HuffPost
Cam
“”Melissa Etheridge and k.d lang and Ellen Degeneres and Rosie O’Donnell, all of those people who came before and at the height of their career, when they had a lot to lose, stood up and said this is who I am.””
__________________-
Let’s not rewrite history here. Yes, Theridge, Lang, and Degeneres all came out at the height of their careers. Rosie O’Donnell said there and kept telling her audience she was in love with Tom Cruise, gave interviews about what it was like to be a single working mom, when she really had a long term partner who was home with the kids, and wouldn’t even say the word gay.
It was only after Rosie announced she was stepping down from her show, that she came out, and that was only after she had basically been outted by a few groups and a few radio folks.
jwtraveler
The Hollywood closet door is opening, little by little. I agree that no one should be outed or forced to come out before they’re ready, with the exception of anyone who is doing anything to hurt other LGBT people or benefit from something detrimental to LGBT people. This is more often the case with politicians than Hollywood celebrities.
Charli Girl
I disagree with her, and agree with Harvey Milk, come out come out wherever you are!! Closets are the exact reason there is so much violence towards the LGBT population. The recent victories are evidence that being OUT and visible is strangling the opposition!!
AtticusBennett
while i don’t agree with Outing anyone, save for the specific anti-gay “leaders” in religion, politics and culture who actively work against us as part of their disguise, there’s an intellectual dishonesty when people use phrases like “you can’t force someone to come out” – the TRUTH is that those people, and i’m talking adults and not at-risk youth here, are already allowing others to “force them to STAY IN”
Ladbrook
Also not a fan of outing (outside of politics), but we are getting to a tipping point where not coming out gives the bigots more ammo.
Case in point: this 2% or less number that Rush has been promoting lately is getting more traction. Not that percentages matter when it comes to civil rights, but the LGBT community is clearly larger than that. Hollywood celebrities, media types, and athletes could really help a lot if they would just come out. Personally, I’m getting sick of the Kevin Spaceys of the world going thru life as ‘eunuchs’ or asexuals. It’s disturbing, and it’s NOT helpful to anyone.
lykeitiz
@Cam: Exactly! And she’s also re-writing history by saying “nothing happened” when the others came out. Ellen DeGeneres didn’t work for years after coming out. There was actually a period where it looked like her career was through.
Curty
Once you think about it, its becoming more and more increasing unnecessary for them to be closeted with glbt victories happening. And for people on t.v. like David Muir why the hell is he closeted? Everyone knows if someone is fired for being openly gay that it is the wrong side of history, plus people now days will back you up against the discrimination. But it should be a personal choice and not execs choice.
enlightenone
The closet is a SELF-IMPOSED prison. Being what you are isn’t criminal or a crime. You can’t be an adult and be in the closet. You can’t be a MAN and be in the closet. You can’t be a tough athlete and be in a closet. Stop rationalizing as a defense for feeling shamed or afraid. A ship is made to sail, not sit in a harbor! If you are NOT BEING YOU, who are you being????? FULL STOP!!!!!!!!!
jason smeds
Jane Lynch speaks from a female perspective. I don’t think she understands the extra stigma placed on male homosexuality as opposed to female homosexuality.
At the end of the day, you’ve got to realize that Hollywood is a money-making scheme. One of the ways it makes money is by selling romance to women. Women don’t want to look at their idol’s face on the screen while in their mind’s background runs the line “he also enjoys having sex with men”.
Women tend to live in a fantasy world where they want to be the center of attention. Male homosexuality deflects from that.
petensfo
Well, I’m not a celebrity that needs to parse my words so as not to earn the resentment of my closeted friends… but let’s face it, NOT coming out is about homophobia, plain & simple; your own, the homophobia of others, etc.
For these celebs it’s a calculated equation; is my value & career trajectory increased or decreased if I market myself as a gay person. That’s about auditions & hiring, product endorsement, privacy, etc…
The disappointing part of it is how many young people are desperate to see themselves represented in media, especially kids in isolated regions, are denied that visibility… not the celebrity’s problem, for sure… but it definitely separates the heroes from the good for nothings.
enlightenone
@petensfo: “…not the celebrity’s problem, for sure…” Actually, it is, it’s all ours problem. Otherwise, I very much appreciate your perspective!
lauraspencer
@Curty:
I agree about David Muir. When he lived in Boston he was on Manhunt and in NYC he was on various apps. He has been dating Gio Benitez for quite sometime (hence Gio’s increased role at ABC News even though he has limited abilities). ABC has embraced Robin Roberts coming out and Sam Champion. Both were on GMA and GOOD MORNING AMERICA makes a lot more money for ABC than the 6:30pm News. I found it hard to watch David reporting on gay marriage knowing that at 40 something years old he is still closeted.
jc6594
@lauraspencer: David was in the closet when he started @ WTVH 5 in Syracuse. It was an open secret then in our gay community~~~
jwtraveler
I like David Muir. If it’s true that he’s gay, I’d like him more if he came out.
Captain Obvious
There are too many rich predators cashing in on keeping their forced closet on all the desperate wannabe actors who are willing to trade their booty for a minor role on a tv show.
If you really pay attention to the newbies(especially the ones in their very early 20s) you’ll notice they’re being pimped out by high profile gay men who are age 50+.
A certain Queerty darling who gets posted about here regularly for his little Instagram photos was/is basically passed around consistently in exchange for a minor acting career.
It’s almost comical that people think the closet that is forced on young actors is about these people thinking their sexuality won’t sell. It’s really just leverage because those in charge know they can sleep with(and sell/pimp out) any young thing they want if they wave a career over their heads.
The rumors about pimping guys out in Hollyweird go all the way back to the very start of cinema. Hollywood is more akin to sex trade/trafficking than actual acting(unless acting like a wrinkly creeper for “fame” and “fortune” counts as real acting).
For that reason alone people should really stop expecting Hollywood actors to come out. They usually have contracts to keep them from doing so. I mean mixed actors(especially half black ones) even have clauses that keep them from revealing their freaking race/ethnicity even if they themselves aren’t ashamed of it.
Simply put when you sign up for Hollywood you give up who you are in exchange for a face created by someone else and under contract you’re not allowed to change that public face.
Everything you see celebrities do is fake and manufactured by a team who decide what character you’ll be to the public. Gay, non-white, short, big nose, small boobs, doesn’t matter… they’ll change your public image to fit their mold until your contract is up.
There’s a reason actors with children leave Hollywood and ALWAYS say they don’t want their kids to go into the business(except for the extremely crazy ones who most likely pimp their own children out too… yes there are a great deal of pedophiles in that industry).
s312g
Also, part of-if not the biggest-reason they stay in the closet is because if they’re a high profile name and a “Sex symbol”, coming out means they lose the majority of their fan base. For example, George Clooney. He’s obviously gay. He’s great at hiding it. All those flings with models half his age. But when you looked at out he acted (and continues to act with his *cough*beard*cough* wife) with them in public he has zero chemistry with them. Not to mention he’s had the same gay male hair stylist for every movie of his since the mid nineties… So if he were to come out, women wouldn’t be able to fantasize about him. His entire appeal is his looks. Plus, it may be okay for a huge celebrity to come out in liberal areas where people would be perfectly fine with it, but the midwest and deep south will vilify them. They need to keep up this macho, hypersexual image.
Hollywood is a publicity machine. Movies and TV are not important to them. What’s important is maintaining the image of the A-list celebrities so that they can make as much money as possible. They put a lot of money into movies nowadays. Most movies nowadays are major blockbusters with $150-200 million dollar budgets and are making billions of dollars. The stars with top billing coming out of the closet would destroy their business.
Oh, and my George Clooney example isn’t without merit. My therapist used to work PR for LucasFilm in LA and her friend there saw him making out with a dude on a private beach. Plus, if you just observe his relationships. He was married to a woman for about two seconds in the eighties and he “dated” no name up and coming actresses for twenty five years, then he expresses interest in politics so he marries a highly accomplished, world-renowned human rights attorney who would make the perfect first lady after around 6 months of dating? I mean, really.
Saint Law
@jason smeds: “Women tend to live in a fantasy world where they want to be the center of attention.”
No, that’s you. You never get it that’s all.
Except when you’re playing human toilet for the local winos that is.
NJjoe
I love, love, love Jane!
NJjoe
@jwtraveler:
Though I agree with you the Hollywood door is opening little by little, there are so many closeted celebrities, some are “married” gay men and lesbian women (to each other) celebs with children who will never come “out.”
Cam
@Captain Obvious: said…
“A certain Queerty darling who gets posted about here regularly for his little Instagram photos was/is basically passed around consistently in exchange for a minor acting career.
It’s almost comical that people think the closet that is forced on young actors is about these people thinking their sexuality won’t sell. ”
_______________
If you don’t support the closet, then why are you hiding the person you are talking about?
Cam
@s312g: said… “Also, part of-if not the biggest-reason they stay in the closet is because if they’re a high profile name and a “Sex symbol”, coming out means they lose the majority of their fan base.”
________________________
That is Hollywood Old Man bigotry talking, there has NEVER been any proof about that. They also claim that any movie with a gay theme or with women leads won’t make money.
Brokeback Mountain years go made a huge amount of money worldwide, but no other major gay themed movies were made after. And the Heat, Bridesmaids, etc… all made big bucks, and yet they still keep using the same old lies in Hollywood.
LeMagnifique
@Captain Obvious: You are spot on Captain Obvious.
Masc Pride
“Everybody has their own way to deal with it. I don’t concern myself with other people’s — whether or not they want to come out, it’s not something for me think about.”
This is why Jane is a total class act. Sexuality is unique to each individual, so there’s no universal way to handle things “the right way” (especially when it comes to career opps).
s312g
@Cam: Not ‘Hollywood Old Man’. I’m eighteen, but I’m still realistic about the movie business. There’s a difference between a gay movie with “straight” actors playing gay characters and actual gay actors. The point is is that straight actors have sex appeal. Women want them. That’s why they see their movies. If they’re an action star then they lose their entire primate-I mean teenage male fanbase. Brokeback Mountain was revolutionary and was arguably the most influential LGBT film ever made, but it still got a lot of controversy that studios probably don’t want to risk, even in this day and age.