National Coming Out Day Gallery! Here are 100 out and proud celebrities who took that very public step!
It was four years ago that I put together my first National Coming Out Day Gallery of famous out people and I remember thinking, ‘Boy, there sure are a lot!’
Well, that was nothing.
So many people have taken that public step of coming out since then that I cannot possibly include everyone in this post.
I settled on 100.
Since last year’s National Coming Out Day, among the people who are new to the gallery are Ricky Martin, Meredith Baxter, Chris Colfer and Chely Wright who have all not only come out, but become such eloquent voices in the fight for equal rights.
It’s so powerful to have these people come out and we have also learned in recent weeks, following a string of teenage suicides, how they have been willing to step up and speak out.
Wanda Sykes, Neil Patrick Harris, Tim Gunn, Chaz Bono, Jake Shears, Ellen DeGeneres, Nate Berkus, Lance Bass, Colfer and Wright made high-profile videos or statements or talk show appearances and spoke from their hearts.
Many of the faces here are household names from the worlds of television, movies, Broadway, television news, music and sports and some are on my radar for their work in LGBT independent film and TV series.
I admire them all for being out and for living their truth.
Who will be next to join this ever-growing group?
PICTURED, in order: Ricky Martin, Meredith Baxter, Chely Wright, David Burtka and Neil Patrick Harris, Jane Lynch, Jonathan Groff, Cynthia Nixon, Ellen DeGeneres and Portia DeGeneres, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Martina Navratilova, Adam Lambert, Wanda Sykes, Sean Hayes, Chris Colfer, Rachel Maddow, Elton John, Lily Tomlin, Tom Ford, John Barrowman, Nate Berkus, Dustin Lance Black, Alan Cumming, Cherry Jones, Scott Evans, Ryan Murphy, Sara Gilbert, BD Wong, Tim Gunn, Luke Macfarlane, Billie Jean King, Gavin Greel, Gareth Thomas, Rex Lee, Darryl Stephens, Charlie David, Brian Batt Matthew Mitcham, Cheyenne Jackson, Lance Bass, Chaz Bono, Amelie Mauresmo, Ian McKellan, George Takei, Thom Bierdz, Rosie O’Donnell, Nicholas Rodriguez, Nick Adams, Kelly McGillis, Suze Orman, Alec Mapa, Dave Koz, Michael Urie, Anthony Rapp, Chad Allen, Jill Bennett, Steve Callahan, Candis Cayne, Harvey Feirstein, Heather Matarazzo, Rufus Wainwright, Coco Peru, Jeff Lewis, Peter Paige, Clay Aiken, John Amaechi, Nathan Lane, Sarah Paulson, Robert Gant, David Hyde Pierce, George Michael, Michael Feinstein, Clementine Ford, Dr. Brent Ridge and Josh Kilmer-Purcell, John Benjamin Hickey, Alexis Arquette, Matthew Montgomery, Sheryl Swoops, Jonathan Slavin, Billy Bean, Jason Stuart, Greg Louganis, Melissa Etheridge, T.R. Knight, Randy Harrison, Michelle Wolfe, Thomas Roberts, Wilson Cruz, Ross Mathews, Jake Shears, Christopher Sieber, Sam Harris, KD Lang, Doug Spearman, Reichen Lehmkuhl, Leslie Jordan, Tab Hunter, Richard Chamberlain.
Comments
(All comments are reviewed before being published, and I review submissions several times per day.)
Max F Grump says:
Wow! Thanks Greg.
What a fantastic and diverse group of fine talent and true humanitarians. It really warms my heart to see so many people standing up for who they are and what they believe in. Although I am far from famous I sure am glad to be amount that glorious group.I certainly don’t feel alone! We have come a long way from the 1970′s.
Yes we have great soldiers in the ranks but unfortunately we have a long, long way to go to eradicate HATE and make people start thinking with and open mind and an open heart!
PS – On different note, what truly upsets me to the core is the way that the LGBT community have been made fun of over the decades in motion pictures. The endless wise cracks in the movies that clearly ridicule and make fun of gays and lesbians has got to stop once and for all. And they must end stereotyping completely.
Jeff Atwood says:
Inspiring!
K. Martinez says:
I never knew you posted these galleries every year on National Coming Out Day. The times are definitely changing and for the better. Many of these people make me proud to be a part of the LGBT community. I having nothing but admiration for all of you being out and sharing who you are. Thank you.
MK says:
AMAZING Group of People!
Brian says:
We are not alone. I wish we all could have communicated that to the young people that we lose in the last few weeks.
kali says:
Great,if one is to presume that we actually know who they all are! How ’bout some names please….also some pics didn’t load,only the pic title. Very lazy job.
Tim says:
This is a awesome spread although I do not know who a lot of them are, wish I would have had the balls years ago that these folkes did.
Thanks
Jymbo says:
My only wish is that you had included names. I’m sad to say there are some faces that I don’t recognize and would love to research them as this is one of my obsessive passions of late. But I nod to the gallantry of All. Thank you for being on my side!!
Greg Hernandez says:
Okay everyone, I have added names!!!
K. Martinez says:
Thanks for the names Greg!
Candice says:
There are a few Brits on the list but it’s missed out actors Rupert Everett, Ben Daniels and Jeremy Sheffield, sportsmen Mark Foster, Colin Jackson and the late Justin Fashanu, and singers Will Young and Joe McElderry.
frankie says:
Woopee, Dippy, Do, so some of them waiting til they were totally busted. What ever, come out before you get old and/or full of silicone like these celebrities..(well most of them anyway).
Jake; Edmonton, Alberta says:
Wow, is all I really have to say for these people to come out and stay strong makes me proud to be a gay man. Sexual orientation should not be an issue in the 2000s but it is. More people should come out (theres one in every family) and then perhaps, we can save some lives (current suicide issues with youth). Homophobia needs to come to an end, there are many contributers and we shouldn’t place blame on any of them; although when publicly critisizing gays, lesbians and transenders, then something must be said. I will add this short story:
My sister took her 16 year old son to church (Catholic) and teh priest said that all gay people are going to hell. On their way home my nephew asked if she belived everythinjg tat the priest said during his sermon and my sister said yes (she fell asleep during mass – lol). My nephew was liek so you think uncle Jake is going to hell, well lets just say they had a grown up conversation. Now here is my issue, I grew up Catholic and now mt nephew is questioning God and the church, powerfull words from a clergy-man and, well, my mom said if you havenothing nice to don’t say it…
Sorry for the rant but I feel this needs to be shared with teh current issues surrounding our youth today….take care all…
Becky says:
How wonderful that these people can finally live their lives as who they are. May the world continue to grow more tolerant and allow gay and bisexual and transexual people to be free.
Chuck Taylor says:
beautiful list, greg. but please remember darren hayes, lead singer of savage garden, who not only came out voluntarily, but got legally married to his honey in england. a proud gay that stands tall among our ranks! keep up the fine work.
i referred to your post on my blog: http://tinyurl.com/3yl78t3
Kathy Hill says:
it’d be nice if there’d be names next-to-the-pictures for those who don’t ‘recognize these ‘Stars’ – - – as I’ve already heard…..
Sami says:
first of all thanks u 4 every thing
second thing i noticed that u didn’t post in this gsllery (tiziano ferro)
he’s an italian singer and recently came out.
bye