It’s National Coming Out Day. If you’re reading this, chances are you’ve already come out—so congrats on that!
The past twelve months have seen a number of big-name outings—athletes, journalists, actors. None is more important that the disclosure of everyday people like you, of course. But just the same, we’ve made a list of notable folks who announced they’re LGB or T since last National Coming Out Day.
Did we forget someone? Sound off in the comments!
COME ON OUT!
SoloZach
Didn’t Ezra Miller also kind of come out? Asking for a friend…
defsteve
Lana Wachowski, formerly Larry Wachowski of the Wachowski brothers, director of the Matrix movies, came out as trans this year.
Cam
Congrats to all of them!!
ginasf
“So we’re gonna take the time now to congratulate all the gays and lesbians in the Armed Forces”
There are people in the military who are gay or lesbian AND trans. Don’t congratulate them because they still have to be in the closet or they’ll get kicked out.
tlezfemme
Very astute of the two people who have mentioned trans inclusiveness. It’s very telling that this important coming out of a transwoman was ignored or that they didn’t mention transpeople in the military having to stay in the closet. This site needs to learn how to be more trans friendly. The very profiles that we are asked to fill out lists trans as a sexuality. Big clue folks. Trans is about gender not who you are intimate with. Gender & sexuality are on different spectrums. That is a simple thing that anyone who has been in a trans 101 session must have heard.
Niall
You should just have said people who came out. The term “celebrity” is used very loosely here.
Mr. Enemabag Jones
What about Paul Iacono from “The Hard Times of RJ Berger”?
KirkR
Glad for all! Especially glad for Bomer, we finally have an out and proud sexy leading man in show business that both straight women and gay men adore and his orientation matters none to the straight women. Milestone!
boring
Charles Bobuck.
So awesome.
Reality101
Thank you on behalf of every LGBT for being someone in the public eye and being openly a member of pur community.
My cousin looked up to Anderson Cooper all his life. My cousin is a broadcast journalism major in college now. He came out directly as a result of Anderson coming out. He felt if Anderson can be open and accepted ad loved, so too can he. He’s SUCH a happier person now because of it. Everyone around him notices it. He may have eventually come out, but not for manyy many years (he was very closeted) seeing an icon of his open that door inspired him to be himself.
Never underestimate the power of visibility.
NotStr8Acting
After years of not understanding or accepting me being gay, my 78 year old devout religious grandmother wrote me a letter A.) apologizing for not understanding me better and B.) for attributing her new found understanding to Ellen Degeneres and Ellen being out. You see, my grandmothers only exposure to gay people was what her Church described us as. It wasn’t until Ellen’s show that she watched every day, and Ellen speaking on our rights, and speaking about our struggles that my grandma got it. And boy did she get it. She wanted to be a part of my partners life and I truly attribute it all to the exposure her favorite celebrity promoted for our movement. It makes a profound difference when people in the spotlight come out, and my family is living proof of that.
Steve007
Who?
Jeremy L
@KirkR: Bomer may be out but it’s very doubtful if he’s proud. Bomer is the same one that put gag orders on interviewers not to mention the fact that he’s gay for fear of upsetting his straight female fans. That’s hardly a “milestone”!
KirkR
@Jeremy L: Matt has been out and proud living a private life for years hosting gay community charity events with his husband. Never lied about his orientation, never bearded, just lived his lif e on his own terms. Just because he didn’t come out on a flatbed full of drag queens and girly dancing boys doesn’t mean he is not out and proud. Some old Queerty whiners still stuck in the past.
girldownunder
Kristy McNichol, was a crush. We are the same age nearly.
How I wish she had come out when it would have mattered- like when all of us were going through what she was? Can you imagine if the “stars & celebrities” could have just come out together, en-force, and gave us some idea that we weren’t the only ones going through this?
For her to step forward now- 20-30 years too late? Why? No young girl knows her.
I have zero idea why she came out, to be honest. Other than to make herself feel better.
However, at least she did it- Sally Ride denied gay pride to multiple gens. of girls. Shame she never offered something like that, considering her supposed caring. She had many years post-NASA to do so.
Jeremy L
@KirkR: Bomer has been living a glass closeted life for years because he’s afraid of losing his straight female fan base. It isn’t any more complicated than that. It has nothing to do with living a “private life” or “living on his own terms”. Imposing ‘do not mention that I’m gay’ gag orders on those who want to publicly interview you, as Bomer has repeatedly done, is NOT being an out and proud gay man. It just isn’t.
Oh, and to compare not imposing a restrictive ‘don’t mention that I’m gay’ gag order on a publication that wants to publicly interview you with “coming out on a flatbed full of drag queens and girly dancing boys” is simply ridiculous. But not surprising coming from shallow and silly Bomer worshipers.
KirkR
@Jeremy L: Hmmm, shallow worshiper vs. Web Troll, I’ll take the former. Good news for Matt is that he is almost universally loved so trolling has zero impact.