The break-out rap-country star Lil Nas X became an almost overnight global sensation with his song Old Town Road, which featured Billy Ray Cyrus. Not only that, Lil Nas X made history as the first openly LGBTQ+ musician to be nominated for a Country Music Association Award. He was the first musical artist to come out while his record was sitting at number one, where it stayed for over 19 weeks.
Even though the artist came out publicly early in his career, he worries about the well-being of his fans who may still be indecisive about coming out. In April of 2020, during an interview, he told the Guardian “I 100% want to represent the LGBT community. I don’t want to encourage them to do something they don’t 100% want to do.”
Famous for his role as Hikaru Sulu in one of the most influential shows of all time, Star Trek. Not to mention, he's also starred in tons of movies and Broadway plays. Takei courageously came out in 2002 and has been married to his husband, Brad Takei, since 2008.
Being LGBTQ+ wasn’t always an easy road for the actor, however. In a 2016 interview with the Guardian he said, “You live under the fear of being outed all the time. I played the game. I took a female friend to premieres and parties, and then I’d take her home and go to a [LGBTQ+] bar.”
George Takei -- American author, actor, and LGBTQ+ rights activist -- is best known for starring as Hikaru Sulu of the USS Enterprise on the pop culture TV series Star Trek. He works continually in state and local politics for LGBT rights as well as human rights and international relations between Japan and the United States. His partner, Brad Altman, is also an actor as well as a producer, notably working on Star Trek New Voyages: Phase II (2004).
Takei and Altman announced their engagement in 2008 and applied for West Hollywood's first marriage license a month later. The pair married in Los Angeles at the Japanese American National Museum's Democracy Forum later that year on September 14. In 2009, they were the first LGBTQ+ couple to appear on GSN's The Newlywed Game, winning the $10,000 grand prize, which they donated to charity.
You probably recognize him as Sheldon from the hit sitcom The Big Bang Theory. Parsons was fearless when he came out in 2012. Person's married his husband, Todd Spiewak, in 2017, and he's been working on LGBTQ+ activism and new shows since Big Bang concluded.
On the Ellen DeGeneres show in 2018, speaking of his marriage, he said, “It’s such a weird thing being a [LGBTQ+] couple at my age, because when we got together, you couldn’t get married. So now, this is our 16th year together, but it’s our first anniversary.”
Jim Parsons, best known for his role on the CBS sitcom The Big Bang Theory as the nerdy scientist Sheldon Cooper, has starred in everything from TV series to films and Broadway productions. In fact, his stint with CBS has made him the highest-paid television actor in the world. Producer and art director Todd Spiewak sure bagged a good one!
Not to say that money equals happiness, but they seem to be doing just fine. The couple have been married since 2017 after a New York wedding, but their relationship extends a decade before The New York Times revealed Parsons was LGBTQ+ in 2012. Parsons described his relationship to E! Online, saying it's made up of "an act of love, coffee in the morning, going to work, washing the clothes, taking the dogs out—a regular life, boring love." Sounds perfect!
Ezra Miller burst onto the Hollywood scene in 2008 when he appeared in the film Afterschool. That being said, it was his role as Patrick in The Perks of Being a Wallflower that really garnered him a lot of attention. Now he's part of the Justice League as the Flash.
In 2012, Miller had told The Daily Beast he identified as LGBTQ+, going on to say, "I've been attracted mostly to 'shes,' but I've been with many people, and I'm open to love whatever it can be.”
Wanda Sykes is considered one of the funniest stand-up comics by her peers and has ranked among Entertainment Weekly's 25 Funniest People in America. In addition to several comedy shows, she's starred in feature films such as Pootie Tang, Nutty Professor II: The Klumps, Down to Earth, and Monster-in-Law. Sykes came out in 2008 and has been married to her wife, Alex Sykes, since the same year.
In an interview with Piers Morgan on CNN in 2011, she was asked if being LGBTQ+ was harder than being black. Her response was “To a certain point, yes. I believe that. I’m not talking about the history of African Americans. I’m talking about this point right now.”
Wanda Skyes is an actress, writer, comedian, and activist who has won everything from a Primetime Emmy for her contributions to The Chris Rock Show to winning Entertainment Weekly's prize of 25 Funniest People in America. She met French businesswoman Alex Niedbalski in 2006 on a ferry to New York's Fire Island.
The couple held their wedding ceremony in Las Vegas in 2009, and then became parents in April 2009 when Niedbalski gave birth to a pair of fraternal twins: a daughter named Olivia and a son named Luca. Thanks to their mother, the children are both bilingual, speaking English and French fluently.
Carl Nassib, an NFL defensive end for the Los Vegas Raiders, made history in June 2021 with his coming out story. Not only did it take massive amounts of courage to publicly reveal he is LGBTQ+ while playing a male-centric sport, he is the first active NFL player to do so. He decided to come out during Pride Month through a video posted on his private Instagram: “I just wanted to take a quick moment to say that I’m [LGBTQ+]. I’ve been meaning to do this for a while now but finally feel comfortable getting it off my chest..."
Continuing, “I’m a pretty private person so I hope you guys know that I’m not doing this for attention. I just think that representation and visibility are so important. I actually hope that one day, videos like this and the whole coming out process are not necessary, but until then I will do my best and my part to cultivate a culture that’s accepting and compassionate…”
Brendon Urie, frontman for the super popular alternative band Panic! At the Disco, has long since been considered an ally to the LGBT community. However, in July 2018 he came out as LGBTQ+. Panic! At the Disco is hugely popular with younger audiences, so it isn't a surprise that they look up to Urie. In March 2019, Urie was honored for "LGBTQ Youth Advocacy".
In the July 6, 2018 issue of Paper Magazine Brendon officially came out. He said, “I’m married to a woman and I’m very much in love with her, but I’m not opposed to a man because to me, I like a person… I guess this is me coming out...”
If you were ever a big fan of American Idol, then you probably recognize his name. Adam Lambert is an American singer, songwriter, and actor who rose to fame in 2009 as the runner-up on American Idol's eighth season. Lambert publicly came out shortly after his stint on American Idol and was the first openly LGBTQ+ artist to top the Billboard 200 album charts in 2015. He has dated his boyfriend, Javi Costa Polo, since early 2019.
When asked about the difference between his coming out in 2009 versus what it’s like being an openly LGBTQ+ artist in 2019 in an interview with Variety in 2019 he said, “It’s a totally different landscape. There is much more visibility, so it doesn’t feel like a foreign or scary concept…Now it’s been proven that there is a market and an audience. It’s allowing a lot more diversity to be pushed through.
Angelina Jolie is a staple in Hollywood and is an acclaimed philanthropist, producer, and actress best known for her roles in Mr. & Mrs. Smith and Maleficent. Jolie has never been afraid of her identity and has always been out as LGBTQ+. Since splitting with Brad Pitt, she's had relations with both women and men.
In an interview with Barbara Walters on 20/20 in 2003, Jolie admitted publicly that she was LGBTQ+ stating, “I was surprised when I suddenly found myself having these feelings I always had for men, but for a woman, and wanting to kiss her and wanting to touch her.”
Known recently for his role in the hit Netflix original series The Umbrella Academy, Page came out as trans in Dec 2020 in a post across his social media channels that announced his preferred name and gender pronouns. Page was married to wife Emma Portner, a professional dancer and choreographer, since early 2018; however, they separated in September of 2020.
At the Toronto Film Festival in September of 2019, when asked if he fears being typecast in LGBTQ roles since he’s already played several of them, he replied, “You would never ask a [straight] actress that…Why would I not want to play those roles? Quite frankly, I would be thrilled if it’s every role I ever played again!”
Elliot Page, a trans actor and producer born in Canada, rose to fame as the titular role for the coming-of-age film Juno, receiving apt praise for his work, going on to star in countless other films and even a video game! He first publicly came out in 2014, but recently clarified his identity as trans in 2020, appearing in Time as the first openly trans man to be featured on the cover.
Page was married to professional dancer Emma Portner for three years until officially divorcing in early 2021, shocking fans who thought their relationship as steady as a rock. Page was also linked to surfer Samantha Thomas for years. They became official in 2015 but appeared to quietly separate in 2017 before Page very publicly flaunted Porner on his Instagram.
In May of 2021, singer Demy Lovato disclosed to the public during the beginning of their new podcast 4D with Demi Lovato with a “personal announcement.” This is a quote from Demi’s podcast: "Over the past year and a half, I've been doing some healing and self-reflective work, and through this work, I've had the revelation that I identify as non-binary. With that said, I'll officially be changing my pronouns to they/them. I feel that this best represents the fluidity I feel in my gender expression and allows me to feel most authentic and true to the person I both know I am, and still am discovering."
The singer has publicly shared thier struggles with addiction as well as their journey with mental health. During 2018, Demi had a brush with death at the hand of an overdose. Demi stated during the podcast that they are doing everything they can to live their life for themself and do what honestly makes them happy.
A child star who started out with a bang in E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial in 1982, Barrymore has become a household name and a Hollywood icon. Barrymore bravely came out as LGBTQ+ in 2003 and is famously known for saying, "I think a woman and a woman together are beautiful, just as a man and a woman together are beautiful."
In a now-famous 2003 Contact Magazine interview, she is quoted to have said, “Do I like women [redacted]? Yeah, I do. Totally. I have always considered myself [LGBTQ+].” While Drew Barrymore is often paired romantically with men on-screen, perhaps in the future there may be some romantic roles with a woman?
A renowned news reporter, producer, and actor (Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice and Chappie), Cooper has always been out and is considered the most prominent openly LGBTQ+ journalist on American television. He's also one of the most respected journalists on television as well, opening the door for other LGBTQ+ journalists.
He's also been a guiding light for other LGBT+ celebrities. Even current Apple CEO Tim Cook sought out Cooper's advice before coming out to the public. According to a blog by Time magazine, before Cook publicly came out in 2014, he called Anderson Cooper for his advice. Cook said, “I thought the way he handled his announcement was really classy.”
CBS broadcast journalist Anderson Cooper and nightclub owner Benjamin Maisani started a private dating relationship back in 2008, taking plenty of time to enjoy each other before Cooper decided to release a statement, subsequently outing his relationship: "It's become clear to me that by remaining silent on certain aspects of my personal life for so long, I have given some the mistaken impression that I am trying to hide something – something that makes me uncomfortable, ashamed or even afraid. This is distressing because it is simply not true... The fact is, I'm [LGBTQ+] , always have been, always will be, and I couldn't be any more happy, comfortable with myself, and proud."
Three years later in March 2018, it was confirmed that the long-time couple had officially split up, but by April 2020, Cooper announced that his first son Wyatt Morgan was born via surrogacy. Despite their separation, Cooper and Maisani confirmed to the press that they are comfortable with co-parenting him.
In early 2018, Rita Ora, Charlie XCX, Cardi B, and Bebe Rexha all released a song called "Girls" which featured the line "Sometimes, I just wanna kiss girls, girls, girls." The song received a lot of backlash from the LGBT community until the British pop star tweeted and came out as [LGBTQ+] in defense of the song.
Shortly after she came out in 2018, in an interview with a magazine when asked about how she felt about coming out publicly she said, “This was a moment in time when I wanted to give confidence to girls who are trapped and feel like they can’t tell their parents that they are [LGBTQ+].”
Nathan Lane has been a famous Hollywood actor best known for his roles in The Producers and The Lion King. He heroicly came out in 1999 and has been married to X-Files actor Devlin Elliott since late 2015. The couple couldn't be happier and Nathan Lane remains a successful actor.
Although Lane found the courage to come out publicly in 1999, he wasn’t so ready to discuss it in an interview with Oprah Winfrey in 1996. He told his publicists, “I’m not ready to discuss whether I’m [LGBTQ+] or not with Oprah. I can barely deal with meeting Oprah, let alone telling her I’m [LGBTQ+].”
Green Day was one of the most famous rock bands of the '90s and 2000s. The lead singer, Billie Joe Armstrong came out as LGBTQ+ in 1995, just after the band broke into the mainstream music scene. In Green Day's early years, many teens were encouraged by Billie Joel Armstrong to be themselves, so it's no wonder he's still loved today.
During the interview with The Advocate in 1995, Billie Joe came out saying, “I think I’ve always been [LGBTQ+]… I think people are born [LGBTQ+], and its just that our parents and society kind of veer us into this feeling of ‘Oh, I can’t.’ They say it’s taboo. It’s ingrained in our heads that it’s bad when it’s not bad at all. It’s a very beautiful thing.”
Rumors about the former One Direction bandmate's private life have swirled for years, and he finally (kind of) addressed them in an interview with Guardian: "Who cares? Does that make sense? It’s just: who cares? ...In terms of how I wanna dress, and what the album sleeve’s gonna be, I tend to make decisions in terms of collaborators I want to work with."
Harry went on to say, “I want things to look a certain way. Not because it makes me look [LGBTQ+], or it makes me look straight, or it makes me look [LGBTQ+], but because I think it looks cool... Honestly? I can’t say I’ve given it any more thought than that."
Known for her roles in The Hunger Games and The Hate U Give, Amandla Stenberg came out as [LGBTQ+] in June 2018. She took to Instagram with a photo of her in a rainbow plaid jacket and rainbow hair with the caption "OUT & PROUD. So happy to say the words Yep, I'm [LGBTQ+] in official print."
Although Stenberg officially declared herself attracted to both genders in 2016 in an interview with Wonderland magazine in 2018, she said she realized that she was actually only attracted to women. “I was so overcome with this profound sense of relief when I realized...”
You probably knew this actor's face before you knew his name. Victor Garber is known for starring in films like Titanic and Argo, along with several TV series. In 2013, Garber confirmed that he was LGBTQ+, though it had long been suspected seeing as he hadn't really hidden his 20-plus-years relationship with Rainer Andreesen. Garber and Andreesen have been happily married since 2015.
In that famous interview with Greg in Hollywood on January 14, 2013 when he was asked if he had confirmed publicly Garber said, “I don’t really talk about it, but everybody knows.” And of course, he doesn't have to talk about it, as nobody is entitled to know about his personal life.
Canadian actor and singer Victor Garber stars in everything from television shows to films to theatre productions. While he's seen in many film productions, he keeps relatively quiet about his personal life, except for when he came out in 2012, stating a year later in 2013 to the Los Angeles Times, "I don't really talk about it, but everybody knows."
He's held a decades-long relationship with Canadian model and artist Rainer Andreesen, who's he's dated since the turn of the century. Andreesen has also starred in film productions, including Pretty Boys (2002) and Salvage (2015). The Hollywood couple officially married in Canada on October 10, 2015, when Andreesen announced the union on his Instagram page.
In 2015, Stewart came out as LGBTQ+ and has been in an on-again-off-again relationship with Stella Maxwell. Supposedly, Stewart and Maxwell have broken it off completely, and Stewart is rumored to have moved on to screenwriter Dylan Meyer. Stewart has known Meyer for six years, so she's ready to get married to her new girlfriend to make it official.
In a 2017 interview with the Guardian when she was asked about who she's attracted to and how she’s been accepted since she said, “all the prejudice: it’s going for sure. I mean, yeah, it’s definitely still there…But it’s cool that you don’t have to nail everything down anymore. That whole certainty about whether you’re [LGBTQ+] or straight or whatever.”
The Twilight Saga actress Kristen Stewart has been linked with multiple partners since her very public cheating scandal against co-star and then-boyfriend Robert Pattinson with director Rupert Sanders. Aside from the controversy, Stewart has received wavering support from her statements about her LGBTQ+ identity, stating in 2017, "You're not confused if you're [LGBTQ+]. It's not confusing at all. For me, it's quite the opposite."
From 2013 to 2018, Stewart dated both producer Alicia Cargile and model Stella Maxwell, the later of whom she had a very public relationship. However, she has since found love away from her on-again, off-again relationship with Maxwell from the screenwriter Dylan Meyer and have been steadily dating since late 2019.
Though he may be long passed, the late Marlon Brando was outed by several posthumous biographies. To be fair, he was open about his identity during his life, even saying, "like a large number of men, I, too, have had [LGBTQ+] experiences and I am not ashamed."
In the same interview in 1976, when LGBTQ+ identity was still considered taboo to discuss, let alone something to admit to Brando said, “I have never paid much attention to what people think about me. But if there is someone who is convinced that Jack Nicholson and I are lovers, may they continue to do so. I find it amusing.”
Best known for her time on Disney's That's So Raven and several movies such as Doctor Dolittle and The Cheetah Girls, Raven-Symone is a star that most millennials have loved for years. She came out in 2012. Now, Raven-Symone encourages people to approach others without being labeled anything other than a "human who loves humans." How admirable!
In a 2019 interview, Raven told Variety, “While it was a selfish thing for me to keep my secret to myself for as long as I did, I am very happy that I’m out, if only to help someone else feel comfortable.” And as a role model for many young people, it is certainly admirable that she has.
Raven-Symoné is an actress, singer, and songwriter who is best known for her acting stints in The Cosby Show, Hangin' With Mr. Cooper, and That's So Raven who has won awards ranging from five NAACP Image Awards to three Young Artist Awards. She proposed to her now-wife, social media manager Miranda Maday, during quarantine.
The pair held a low-key ceremony on June 16 in the garden of Grey's Anatomy star Debbie Allen's L.A. home dressed in Gucci sweatsuits, at the request of Raven. Miranda gave Vogue some important insight on their marriage as well as some advice for others: “I think for anyone getting married at any time... remember why you are doing what you are doing, remember why you are choosing to commit, and connect to how strong love and partnership is. Something I realized during this pandemic is that family is so important and sometimes family isn’t the people that gave birth to you, it’s different."
Known as the heartthrob of the '60s, Chamberlain is remembered for his role as the suave and handsome titular character Dr. Kildare. In 2003, Chamberlain bravely came out in a tell-all biography. Many were surprised to learn this but it really doesn't change anything. He's still the Dr. Kildare we know and love.
However, as recently as 2010, Chamberlain felt that LGBTQ+ identities was still widely unaccepted and advised leading man-type actors to stay in the closet. He said, “Despite all the wonderful advances that have been made, it’s still dangerous for an actor to talk about that in our extremely misguided culture.”
In June 2018, Westworld and Thor: Ragnarok actress Tessa Thompson came out. Thompson has also been speculated to possibly be romantically involved with singer Janelle Monae, though nothing has ever been confirmed by either Thompson or Monae.
For Thompson, defining her relationship publicly isn’t really important. In the same interview with Net-A-Porter the actress said, “I can take things for granted because of my family—it’s so free and you can be anything that you want to be. I’m attracted to men and also to women. If I bring a woman home, [or] a man, we don’t even have to have the discussion.”
Disney star turned pop sensation Miley Cyrus came out as LGBTQ+ in 2015, and in 2017, admitted that she was gender-neutral (not particularly identifying with either gender). Cyrus has been an outspoken advocate for the LGBT community, even long before she came out.
On October 21, 2019, Cyrus took to her Twitter account to clear up some controversial statements she had made about men tweeting, “I was talking…about sucky guys, but let me be clear, YOU don’t CHOOSE [who you're attracted to]. You are born as you are. It has always been my priority to protect the LGBTQ community I am a part of.”
Best known for his role as the homophobic villain Adam Carrington on Dynasty. Thomson announced in a September 2017 interview with The Daily Beast that he is an LGBTQ+ man at the age of 72. That must have taken a lot of courage.
Growing up LGBTQ+ in a time of repression, Thomson says he never told anyone because it was first defined as a crime and then a mental illness. “So, you’re dealing with that. And the shame, the breathtaking lack of self-esteem, has only just begun to seep out of my soul.”
Born Stacy Ann Ferguson, Fergie is a famed actress and musician. She's best known for her time with the Black Eyed Peas and her role in Quentin Tarantino's Grindhouse. In 2009, Fergie confirmed she was LGBTQ+, though she admitted that she'd never had a steady girlfriend.
In the singer’s landmark interview with the Advocate in 2009, while she was married to Josh Duhamel, Fergie said, “I’ve had a lot of fun with women, and I’m not ashamed of it. The problem is that I also love a [redacted] man.” So it stands to reason to ask: why not both?
Quinto is probably best known for his role as Spock in Star Trek and his Emmy-nominated performance as Dr. Oliver Thredson in American Horror Story: Asylum. Quinto came out in 2011, after playing Louis in Signature Theater's restaging of "Angels in America." The actor came out softly and subtly, telling New York magazine writer Benjamin Wallace while speaking about that role.
He said that the role was “the most challenging thing I’ve ever done as an actor and the most rewarding. And at the same time, as a [LGBTQ+] man, it made me feel like there’s still so much work to be done, and there’s still so many things that need to be looked at and addressed.”
Actor and producer Zachary Quinto officially came out to the public in October 2011 after he "realized that living a [LGBTQ+] life without publicly acknowledging it is simply not enough to make any significant contribution to the immense work that lies ahead on the road to complete equality," as reported by the Huffington Post.
Before dating model and musician Miles McMillan, Quinto was with actor Jonathan Groff from 2010 to 2013. After their split, Quinto moved on to McMillan that summer, moving in together in New York early 2015. Unfortunately, their relationship was put to rest in 2019 despite Vogue's dubbing them "a power couple whose domain extends across the film, fashion, and art scene."
Meredith Baxter is an actress best known for her roles in All the President's Men, Family Ties, and A Woman Scorned: The Betty Broderick Story. She was fearless when came out in 2009 and has been married to her wife, Nancy Locke, since late 2013.
After almost being “outed” by a tabloid magazine in 2009, Baxter decided to make the ‘media rounds’ to confirm the rumors about her. “I didn’t want some tabloid to take the story and make it up. I wanted it to be in my own words.”
Lady Gaga is a pop music star, fashion icon, philanthropist, and acclaimed actress. Gaga came out in 2010 and has since been an activist for LGBT+ people across the globe, especially with her second album "Born This Way" which touched on hot social topics.
In a 2009 interview with Barbara Walters, Gaga had admitted to being LGBTQ+ when Walters asked her point-blank. “Um. Well. I do like women… I’ve never been in love with a woman. But that was what that song [Poker Face] was about… I’ve certainly had [relations] with women.”
David Hyde Pierce is a TV star thanks to his role as Dr. Niles Crane in the series Frasier, which got him nominated for an Emmy Award each year (he won four times: 1995, 1998, 1999, and 2004). Although he didn't come out until 2009, he has been with his husband, Brian Hargrove, since 1983.
When asked in 2017 by Vulture about how he felt about coming out to his parents Pierce said, “You know, there’s this whole panoply of who people are, and maybe we shouldn’t force them to say ‘I’m this’ or ‘I’m that. Maybe it’s okay.” But at least now he can live freely.
American actor and director David Hyde Pierce is famous for his role in the NBC sitcom Frasier as Dr. Niles Crane, leading him to win four Primetime Emmy Awards for his skill. Brian Hargrove also works in the film industry as a television writer and producer, creating the show Titus alongside Christopher Titus and Jack Kenny.
Pierce and Hargrove collaborated on the musical It Shoulda Been You, with Hargrove writing the script and lyrics while Pierce directed. Pierce publicly confirmed his LGBTQ+ identity in 2007 before shortly announcing his partnership with Hargrove. The pair were married on October 24, 2009, just before California banned all LGBTQ+ marriages.
Another history-making athlete, Jason Collins, was the first NBA star to come out and continue playing the game. Collins came out in 2013 when he played for the Boston Celtics and then the Washington Wizards. Now, Collins is standing up for the rights of LGBTQ+ athletes. Good for him!
In an unprecedented interview for Sports Illustrated in April 2013, Collins said, “I’m a 34-year-old NBA center. I’m black. And I’m [LGBTQ+],” setting the sports world on fire. While the number of LGBTQ+ athletes may be few and far in-between, this certainly opens the door for more of them.
Fans theorized about Mraz's identity after he released a poem in June 2018 that ended with the line "I am bi your side." In July of 2018, Mraz came out as LGBTQ+ in an interview with Billboard, saying "But I've had experiences with men, even while I was dating the woman who became my wife."
The singer may have officially come out as recently as 2018, but speculation about his LGBTQ+ identity has been in play since 2005 when he told Genre that he was “open-minded.” While we aren't sure exactly what that means, at least it's something and it was a pleasant surprise to be sure.
Lynch is probably best known for her time on Glee, and her roles in the movies Wreck-It-Ralph and Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby. She came out as LGBTQ+ first to her parents when she was 32 years old and credited Ellen DeGeneres for helping her publicly come out in 2005.
In an interview for “The Last Laugh” podcast in 2019, Lynch said that Ellen’s coming out in 1997 “made my being a []LGBTQ+] person in Hollywood a no-brainer, not a problem at all, because she basically took one for the team, if you will.”
This former NFL star made history as the first out player to be drafted. Sam came out in 2014 and has since briefly played with the St. Louis Rams, the Dallas Cowboys, and Canadian Football League's Montreal Alouettes. He has since claimed that coming out ruined his career in the NFL and has actively fought against racism in the LGBT community.
In a 2013 interview with Edge of Sports, Sam said, “I think if I never would have came out, never would have said those words out to the public, I would still be currently in the NFL. But because of me saying those words, I think it could have played a huge part in my current situation.”
Neil Patrick Harris has been a massive star since he broke onto the scene. He reached TV fame with his time on How I Met Your Mother and has had significant roles in movies such as Gone Girl, The Next Big Thing and Undercover Brother. Harris came out in 2006.
In an article for Huffpost in 2013, Harris explains why he went public when he did. “For me, I fell in love with a dude and started spending all my time with him. And therefore, you don’t want to be suppressive of that. I didn’t want to disrespect David. I didn’t want to make David feel like he didn’t exist in my life, and at the same time I didn’t want David’s identity to be, ‘The guy that’s dating me.’”
Acting duo Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka have been an item for years, married in 2014, and have two kids together. Harris is best known for his role in popular sitcom How I Met Your Mother as the womanizer Barney, but he has a large range. From the set to the Broadway stage, Harris has enormous talent as a performer. David Burtka similarly stars in Broadway roles and guest starred in How I Met Your Mother, which actually isn't when their iconic love story began
Harris clarified that they first met via a mutual friend and happened to keep stumbling into each other until they finall started dating in 2004. He confessed to Out that he "initially fell for David harder than he fell for me. I was in love with him before he was comfortable saying it, and I think that speaks to our past experiences. I remember saying, 'I think I love you,' and he was like, 'That’s really nice,' which is not necessarily what you want to hear. But I appreciated his honesty in not jumping the gun and saying something because he felt obliged to. "
Cynthia Nixon is most recognizable from her role as Miranda. Initially, Nixon stated that she was attracted to both genders, though she later clarified that she was only attracted to women. Nixon has been married to her wife Christine Marinoni since 2012.
In a 2017 interview with RadioTimes, Nixon said, “Marriage was never a goal of mine. I was with my boyfriend for 15 years and we never got married. But it seemed like Christine and I did fight really hard for it and we had a lovely wedding. Why wouldn’t I have done it?”
Cynthia Nixon is an American actress and activist who played the lawyer Miranda Hobbes a hit TV series, winning a Primetime Emmy award for her performance in 2004. She also acts in films, on Broadway, and has attempted to breach the political sphere on the basis of progressive agendas. Her wife, Christine Marinoni, is similarly motivated as an education activist.
Nixon and Marinoni met in 2004 and married in 2012 after a three-year engagement. Nixon was in a previous relationship with teacher Danny Mozes, with whom she shares two children. Regarding her LGBTQ+ identity, Nixon told The Daily Telegraph in 2007, "I don't really feel I've changed. I'd been with men all my life, and I'd never fallen in love with a woman. But when I did, it didn't seem so strange. I'm just a woman in love with another woman."
In 2013, Jodie Foster ambiguously came out and married her current wife, Alexandra Hedison, a year later in 2014. Foster started as a child actress in 1968, and since then, she has starred in films such as Home for the Holidays and Panic Room. She is also proudly outspoken about being LGBTQ+ and the roles of women in Hollywood.
When Foster came out in 2013, it was to mixed feelings in the LGBTQ+ community as some thought she was more cryptic than open. Foster’s coming out speech went like this, “I guess I have a sudden urge to say something that I’ve never been able to air in public that I’m a little nervous about… So, I’m just going to put this out there, loud and proud. I’m going to need your support on this,” leaving the public to wonder if she had, indeed, come out at last.
Heavily awarded American actress Jodie Foster has won almost everything including two Academy Awards, three British Academy Film Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, and the Cecil B. DeMille Award. Best known for her roles in Silence of the Lambs and Taxi Driver, you might not know her wife Alexandra Hedison. Hedison is a celebrated artist in her own right as a photographer, director, and actress herself.
While Hedison had a successful career as an actress in the '90s in Prey and The L Word from 2006 to 2009, but she ultimately left Hollywood for a more satisfying career in photography. She told The New York Times, "I was supporting myself, but I was miserable. Actors need to be front and center all the time. That's not me." That's definitely true, as it's rare to see an appearance from her unless Foster has won another award.
Kate McKinnon is probably known best for her years on Saturday Night Live and her starring role in the 2016 Ghostbusters all-female remake. McKinnon made show history as the first cast member solely attracted to women on Saturday Night Live. McKinnon has been with her girlfriend, actress Jackie Abbott, since late 2017.
Mckinnon is another celeb who credits Ellen DeGeneres with the ability to be out of the closet and not be scared of the impact it may have on their acting career. In 2020, when presenting the Carol Burnett Award to Ellen, Mckinnon said, “if I hadn’t seen her on TV, I would have thought, ‘I could never be on TV. They don’t let LGBT people on TV. And more than that, I would have gone on thinking that I was an alien and that I maybe didn’t even have a right to be here. So thank you, Ellen, for giving me a shot.”
Ian Thorpe is a famed Olympic freestyle swimmer with five gold medals, three silver medals, one bronze medal, and a broken Olympic record under his belt. In 2014, after years of publicly denying it, Thorpe came out as LGBTQ+ in an interview with Australian talk show host Michael Parkinson.
Just two years after releasing his autobiography in 2012 which he vehemently denied being LGBTQ+, during his interview with Parkinson he said, “I’m comfortable saying I’m a [LGBTQ+] man, and I don’t want young people to feel the same way that I did. You can grow up, you can be comfortable, and you can be [LGBTQ+].”
Gilbert is best known for her roles in The Big Bang Theory, Poison Ivy, Light It Up, and as the producer of the attempted Roseanne reboot. Gilbert came out in 2010 and has been married to her partner Linda Perry since March 2014.
Even though Gilbert is happy in her life and she is grateful for all she has, she is still scared about what being out can do to her career. In a 2013 statement Gilbert said, “I have an amazing life, but I want people to know that there can still be a struggle with it and that’s OK.”
Emmy Award-nominated actress Sara Gilbert is known for her role in the sitcom Roseanne as well as her work as a director, producer, and co-host of daytime talk show The Talk. Gilbert is romantically linked to 4 Non Blondes lead singer and 2015 inductee to the Songwriters Hall of Fame Linda Perry.
After Gilbert separated from Ali Adler, she sparked a relationship Linda Perry, eventually announcing their engagement in April 2013 and subsequent marriage on March 30, 2014. They share a son Rhodes Gilbert Perry, whom Gilbert gave birth to on February 28, 2015. Four years later, Gilbert filed for divorce, ending their love story for now.
Known best for her recurring role on the hit TV show American Horror Story and her recent success with 12 Years a Slave, Paulson is a growing star in the Hollywood community. In 2013, Paulson came out as LGBTQ+, and she began dating her current partner, Holland Taylor, in early 2015. They've been extremely happy since.
In an interview with NoTofu regarding coming out, Paulson said it was unplanned. In 2005, when her then partner, Cherry Jones, went to accept her Tony, Paulson and Jones shared a kiss by habit and then Paulson was outed, just like that. When asked about how it happened, Paulson said, “What was I gonna do, pat her on the back and say ‘good job dude?’ It didn’t occur to me to do anything but what I did.”
We doubt that we really need to explain who Sarah Paulson or Holland Taylor are specifically, but it might be a shock that they've been coupled up since 2014. Sarah Paulson, 46, is an award-winning actress who has stars in various horror and action pieces. Most famously, she's a recurring actress for American Horror Story, and has recently embarked on her own disturbing series Ratched. Holland Taylor, 78, has won her own slew of acting awards and has a long resume of hit roles from over the years.
Paulson told The New York Times about the critics of her relationship: “My choices in romantic partners have not been conventional, and therefore the idea that it's ‘other’ makes it compelling. If my life choices had to be predicated based on what was expected of me from a community on either side, that’s going to make me feel really straitjacketed, and I don’t want to feel that. What I can say absolutely is that I am in love, and that person happens to be Holland Taylor.”
In 1994, Wilson Cruz waltzed into the hearts of TV viewers as heartthrob Rickie Vasquez in My So-Called Life. He also made history while he did it, as the first openly LGBTQ+ man of color on a network television show. Cruz came out as LGBTQ+ to his parents in 1992 when he was 19.
In an Entertainment Weekly interview in 2018, Cruz described what it was like to grow up LGBTQ+ on television. He said when he found out he had gotten the role of Rickie on My So Called Life, “The moment I was told that I was playing [Rickie,] it felt, to me, that it came with the responsibility of coming out—and I was excited about it. Now, I can’t say it was exciting for everyone who was representing me, but I didn’t really care.”
Singer Janelle Monae's identity was something of speculation for quite a while. In early 2018, during an interview with Rolling Stone, Monae confirmed that she identified as LGBTQ+. Monae's close friendship with actress Tessa Thompson has long been in question, many fans believing that the pair are actually hiding a romantic relationship. Only time will tell.
In the interview with Rolling Stone magazine, Monae said that as she read more about the different LGBTQ+ identities, she felt like ‘Oh, these are things that I identify with, too. I’m open to learning more about who I am.”
In 2010, UK tabloid News of the World reported that after ending a tumultuous marriage, Winehouse came out to a friend that she was LGBTQ+. The friend, with Winehouse's permission, told News of the World that Winehouse had said, "there is something about being with a woman that is very satisfying. I don't care what people think about me being [LGBTQ+] – I do what feels good."
Tragically, Winehouse died in 2011 of alcohol-related issues before the world could see what kind of LGBTQ advocate she could have been. Asif Kapadia, director of the documentary about the singer’s life posthumously said in an interview in 2015 cryptically said about Winehouse’s intimate lyrics, “The clues were in the songs. The songs tell you everything.”
You've probably seen their name in the news in the past. Sam Smith, a famous singer-songwriter of Stay with Me among other hit songs, came out in 2014 and as nonbinary in September of 2019.
Smith took to Instagram with a caption that announced their decision to go by they/them pronouns. "After a lifetime of being at war with my gender I've decided to embrace myself for who I am, inside and out."
Sam Smith is best known for their jaw-dropping vocals as a high-profile singer/songwriter. The Englishman rose to international fame after the release of their debut album In the Lonely Hour and the landslide success of the single "Stay With Me," leading them to win four Grammy awards. Their partner Brandon Flynn is an actor who starred in Netflix's controversial TV series 13 Reasons Why as the troubled teen Justin Foley.
Smith came out in 2014 after winning their Grammy awards, acknowledging during their acceptance speech that the heartbreak was the only reason they had such success. They later revealed in 2017 that they are also nonbinary. In 2017, Smith revealed to Ellen DeGeneres that they were dating Flynn, but the two unfortunately split in 2018 after nine months together.
A TV legend as Scully from The X Files and the star of several movies such as The Turning and Playing by Heart. Gillian Anderson bravely came out in 2012. She has been dating screenwriter and dramatist Peter Morgan since 2016.
Although she is dating a man at this time, when asked in 2015 by the Guardian if she would be interested in having a relationship with a woman again, she said, “I wouldn’t discount it, I did before and I’m not closed to that idea. To me a relationship is about loving another human being; their gender is irrelevant.”
Richard Wayne Penniman, known as Little Richard, was the self-proclaimed "Architect of Rock' n' Roll." With rock hits like Tutti Frutti and Good Golly Miss Molly, Little Richard lived a life full of LGBTQ+ ambiguity. He eventually came out as LGBTQ+ in 1995 and has been an icon ever since. However, the icon denounced the LGBTQ+ identity nearly two decades after publicly coming out in an interview with Christian TV Network in 2017.
He said, “But God, Jesus, he made men, men, he made women, women, you know? And you’ve got to live the way God wants you to live…I’m a sinner but we have all sinned. You know, all these things. So much unnatural affection. So much of people just doing everything and don’t think about God.”
Robin Roberts is an acclaimed actress and producer, known for her roles in Pitch Perfect 2 and He Got Game. Roberts also spent time as a host on Good Morning America. In 2013, she came out and has been with her partner, Amber Laign, since 2005.
Regardless of being in an LGBTQ+ relationship for 13 years and being completely open about her battle with breast cancer, Roberts wasn’t forthcoming about her identity until 2013 when she publicly came out on Facebook, saying, “I am grateful for my entire family, my long time girlfriend, Amber, and friends as we prepare to celebrate this glorious new year together.”
Good Morning America anchor Robin Roberts began her career as a sports news broadcaster for her local Mississippi TV news and radio stations before transitioning to ESPN reporting and subsequently landing the co-anchor job for ABC's morning program. In 2012, she received both a Peabody Award and a spot in the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame. So what about this wife of hers?
Roberts reportedly met Amber Laign, a professional massage therapist, in 2005 while on a blind date. It's always amazing to think of how such random encounters turn to love! Their close circle knew that the pair were romantic, but Roberts only made the relationship public in late 2013.
In an interview in August 2013, Young made history as the first professional wrestler to ever publicly come out while still signed to a major promotion. Young came out as LGBTQ+ and was met with acceptance and encouragement from the WWE as well as several fellow wrestlers who tweeted their support.
Although Young was not sure how the news about him being an openly LGBTQ+ wrestler would be received, he was relieved at the amount of support he actually received. Young recounts an interaction with fellow wrestler CM Punk: “Hey, man, I heard your story and I’m very proud of you for being so courageous to make that move to come out. If anyone has a problem with it in the locker room, you let me know, and I’ll take care of it.”
Of Guardians of the Galaxy and The Hobbit fame, actor Lee Pace publicly came out as LGBTQ+ in a series of tweets in March of 2018. He was originally accidentally outed by co-star Ian McKellen (another Hobbit star), though Pace never made any comments about his romantic life until 2018.
In an interview with Buzzfeed in 2019, when he was asked about how life has been since he decided to come out publicly, Pace said, “I never felt like I was in [the closet], so I don’t know what to say about it. It didn’t really feel like that much of a change.”
Collin Martin, a star Major League Soccer player, came out in June 2018. When he came out, he was the only active openly LGBTQ+ male professional soccer player. Martin took to Twitter to say, "Today, I'm proud that my entire team and the management of Minnesota United know that I am [LGBTQ+]."
A year after his public announcement, Martin looked back at the changes in his life since his coming out. He told mlssoccer.com, “I’m definitely glad I did it. And I’ve been saying, like, I didn’t do it for myself, necessarily—Just for me to be open and honest and obviously then be, hopefully, an example for some kids that are looking up to me.”
You might know her as an actor, producer, and the first-ever black woman to win an Emmy for writing a comedy series, Waithe is also an outspoken member of the LGBTQ+ community. Waithe makes history as a proud "[LGBTQ+] black female" and acts as an inspiration to LGBTQ+ people of color.
In 2017, Waithe in an article for Bustle magazine said (of being LGBTQ+), “Don’t worry about making society feel comfortable. It’s OK if they squirm, it’s OK if they feel that they don’t understand you. You gotta live your life out loud. That’s when you’ll find happiness and yourself.”
Kal Penn is an actor and former White House staff member, known for roles in Harold & Kumar and House. He publicly came out as gay in 2021 through his memoir You Can't Be Serious, revealing his 11-year relationship with his partner, Josh. Penn's coming out was celebrated for its openness and positive reception.
In his book, he opened up about realizing his LGBTQ+ identity a lot later in life than other people. He said, "There’s no timeline on this stuff...People figure their [stuff] out at different times in their lives, so I’m glad I did when I did."
Pitch Perfect and Bridesmaids star Rebel Wilson has recently come out as being in an LGBTQ+ relationship. Rebel Wilson had recently told People that she met her partner through a friend and the courtship involved some long phone calls. The identity of her partner is none other than Ramona Agruma, a sustainable clothing brand owner.
On June 9, 2022, the comedian, singer, and actress shared a photo of her partner in an Instagram post. In her post, Rebel Wilson caption her photo, complete with rainbow emojis, “I thought I was searching for a Disney Prince, but maybe what I really needed all this time was a Disney Princess #loveislove.”
