hollywood's closet

People Forgot to Mention Anything Gay About ‘Sexiest Rising Star’ Matt Bomer

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Now that the whole gay world knows Matt Bomer, star of USA’s White Collar, is a happily partnered-with-kids ‘mo, it’s lovely to see People magazine name him 2009’s “Sexist Rising Star” in the same issue Adam Lambert hits the sexy list. This superlative means Matt is hot, but not a big enough celebrity that anyone knows him for his real name, and not the con-man character Neal Caffrey. Funny, then, that in celebrating Bomer’s sexiness, People opted not to mention that Matt is “in a relationship,” as they did with other actors. And instead of focusing on Bomer’s, say, first kiss with a guy — or any kiss with a guy — they get his first kiss with a girl story: “My first kiss was in the fourth grade with a girl named Darcy on the end of a diving board. We were on the swim team together.”

But don’t think for a second that People doesn’t know about Bomer’s sexuality. These puff pieces are carefully scripted press-friendly blurbs to help raise a star’s profile — and actors’ teams actively lobby to get their clients featured like this.

Curiously, before People‘s issue went to press, AccessHollywood.com named Bomer their “rising star.” And they opted for much gayer copy:

“If that opportunity ever presented itself again, it would definitely be something I would be interested in,” Matt said, adding he would trade in his suit for spandex. “I would love to do a comic book role.”

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