Some Celebrities Who Are Out And Proud

Check out the many celebs who are gay and don’t give a fuck who knows about it.

Ellen PageJuno star Ellen Page gave quite a moving speech when she took the stage at the Human Rights Campaign’s inaugural gathering in Las Vegas last February. “I’m here today because I am gay,” she told the audience. “And because maybe I can make a difference, to help others have an easier and more hopeful time. Regardless, for me, I feel a personal obligation and a social responsibility. I am tired of hiding and I am tired of lying by omission.”

Frank OceanAfter a reporter questioned Grammy-winning rapper Frank Ocean about some of his song lyrics in July 2012, Ocean posted his thoughts on the subject on his website. He detailed the love he had for another man when he was 19: “I won’t forget you. I won’t forget the summer,” he wrote. “I’ll remember who I was when I met you.” Critics and fans applauded the announcement, but the rap community — not so much. Fellow rapper T-Pain shared in an interview seven months later that certain artists refuse to work with Ocean because they’re homophobic.

Portia de Rossi and Ellen DeGeneresHollywood power couple, Portia de Rossi and Ellen DeGeneres, have been together since the Arrested Development star publicly declared that she’s a lesbian in 2005. (DeGeneres famously came out on her sitcom, Ellen, in 1997.) The two have been married since 2008, and de Rossi has raved about her talk show host wife in interviews. DeGeneres’s “acceptance of me just the way I am was kind of lovely and surprising and made me rethink how I saw myself,” the Australian actress told AOL.

Raven-SymoneRaven-Symone, known to audiences for playing little Olivia on The Cosby Show and for her Disney Channel show That’s So Raven, was rumored to be in a lesbian relationship in 2012, but she refused to comment. However, she couldn’t contain her excitement when a Supreme Court ruling came down that paved the way for gay marriage in 2013. “I can finally get married!” she posted on Twitter. “Yay government! So proud of you.”

Neil Patrick HarrisNeil Patrick Harris played a womanizer on TV’s How I Met Your Mother, but in real life he’s long been a family man — and openly gay. He and longtime love David Burtka are the fathers of twins, Harper Grace and Gideon Scott, born via surrogate in October 2010.

Wentworth MillerFormer Prison Break star Wentworth Miller came out as a gay man when refusing an invitation to appear at the St. Petersburg International Film Festival in the anti-gay climate of Russia last August. “As someone who has enjoyed visiting Russia in the past and can also claim a degree of Russian ancestry, it would make me happy to say yes,” Miller wrote in an open letter to the festival director, Maria Averbakh. “However, as a gay man, I must decline. I am deeply troubled by the current attitude toward and treatment of gay men and women by the Russian government. The situation is in no way acceptable, and I cannot in good conscience participate in a celebratory occasion hosted by a country where people like myself are being systematically denied their basic right to live and love openly.”

Darren YoungWWE wrestler Darren Young went off-the-script — literally! — when he publicly announced to a shocked TMZ cameraman that he was gay in August 2013. His coming out to the public made him the first in the WWE to be openly gay. “I feel by coming out I’m going to make a big difference in a lot of people’s lives,” he said on the Today show. We hope he does.

Anderson CooperNewsman Anderson Cooper publicly confirmed his sexuality to blogger Andrew Sullivan in 2012, although he said that it had long been known among friends and family. He later shared that he believes being gay led him to a career in news. “If you feel like an outsider, you tend to observe things a lot more,” Cooper told the Huffington Post. “Early on I felt very much like an observer, because I knew I was gay, I knew I was somehow different.” Cooper was honored with GLAAD’s Vito Russo Award, for gay media professionals, in 2013.

Alan CummingThe Good Wife‘s Alan Cumming has been open about his bisexuality. He was married to a woman at one time, but has been married to a man since 2007. In fact, he and his hubby, Grant Shaffer, were so enthusiastic about their romance that they got married twice. They entered into a civil partnership in London in 2007, and then swapped vows in a second ceremony in New York City five years later. Just after his second wedding, Cumming explained the reasoning behind it: “I love the fact that I’m with someone I love, and that relationship is recognized by society as valid and legal, and has all of the benefits and protections that straight people get… In places where you can’t get married, gay people don’t have that really important ritual that straight people have of everyone they know — all your family and friends — coming together to celebrate your love as in a wedding.”

Matt BomerWhite Collar hottie Matt Bomer surprised many when he came out publicly by thanking his partner, publicist Simon Halls, and their three children while delivering an acceptance speech at February 2012’s Steve Chase Humanitarian Awards, where he picked up a trophy for his work in the fight against AIDS. “I’d really especially like to thank my beautiful family: Simon, Kit, Walker, Henry,” he shared with the audience. “Thank you for teaching me what unconditional love is. You will always be my proudest accomplishment.” Even more surprising, though, was his 2014 revelation that he and Halls had been secretly married for three years.

Jane LynchOn Glee, Jane Lynch portrays the track suit-wearing, androgynous-acting villain Sue Sylvester. When asked if gay actors would ever be cast in straight, romantic leading roles, the Emmy/Golden Globe-winning actress said, “I don’t know when or if that will ever happen,” in an interview with AfterElton.com. “It’s everybody looking at the bottom line … I think they want their young Romeo/Juliet archetypes to be straight.” Jane married clinical psychologist Dr. Lara Embry in May 2010, but sadly they split three years later.

Jason CollinsJason Collins made headlines — and history — by being the first major American athlete to come out as gay. And the NBA player didn’t do it quietly! In a Sports Illustrated cover story, he opened up about his sexuality and how he intended to pursue another pro contract after his current one, with the Washington Wizards, expired. Sure enough, Collins signed to play with the Brooklyn Nets the following season.

Elton JohnSinger/AIDS activist Elton John and his partner, David Furnish, entered into a civil partnership in 2005, after a dozen years together, and have two young sons born via surrogate. Although supporters of gay marriage were disappointed when the legendary artist failed to get behind the cause at first, John later changed his mind. “As a gay man, I think I have it all,” he said at a 2010 benefit to oppose California’s measure to ban gay marriage. “I have a wonderful career, a wonderful life. I have my health, I have a partner of 17 years, and I have a son. And you know what, I don’t have everything, because I don’t have the respect of people like the church, and people like politicians who tell me that I am not worthy or that I am ‘less than’ because I am gay.”

Boy GeorgeWhen asked by The Hollywood Reporter if he wishes he had been more open about being gay earlier in his career, Boy George replied, “I think you do things in your own time. My family knew I was gay when I was 15, long before I got famous. But it’s a very different thing coming out to your family and coming out to the universe. That’s a big step,” the pop singer said. “Maybe without me there wouldn’t be Adam Lambert. Without Bowie, there wouldn’t be me. Without Quentin Crisp, there wouldn’t have been Bowie. So everything is part of a big daisy chain. A lot of people come up to me all the time and say thank you for helping me be who I am. So my thing wasn’t just about sexuality. It was about anyone who felt different; anyone who felt out of place. Being gay was one part of it.”

Amber HeardActress Amber Heard, of Pineapple Express and Zombieland, came out as a lesbian at a GLAAD event in December 2010. “I personally think that if you deny something or if you hide something, you’re inadvertently admitting it’s wrong,” Heard said, explaining her decision. “I don’t feel like I’m wrong.” But since her announcement, Heard found love with and got engaged to A-lister Johnny Depp, her co-star in 2011’s The Rum Diary. Think their relationship will last?

Zachary QuintoFormer Heroes hottie Zachary Quinto has been an ardent supporter of the LGBT community for years as a donor to the Trevor Project, one of the many celebs who participated in the 2010 viral video series “It Gets Better,” and a cast member in productions of Angels in America and The Laramie Project. However, the actor didn’t publicly come out until the fall of 2011 — a few weeks after the tragic suicide of bullied gay teen Jamey Rodemeyer. “In light of Jamey’s death, it became clear to me in an instant that living a gay 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,” Quinto wrote on his blog. “Our society needs to recognize the unstoppable momentum toward unequivocal civil equality for every gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered citizen of this country.”

ChariceSongstress Charice was an Oprah Winfrey discovery and YouTube singing sensation before landing a part on Glee, where she quickly gained attention when she went head-to-head with Lea Michele in a version of Lady Gaga and Beyoncé’s “Telephone.” In June 2013, the rising star made headlines for her speaking voice, when she confirmed she’s a lesbian in a heartfelt interview with a Filipino TV show.

Ricky MartinAlthough Ricky Martin kept mum about his sexuality for years, the “Livin’ La Vida Loca” hunk — who is the proud father of twin boys — came out in 2010, and couldn’t be happier about his decision. “Today, I’m in touch with who I am and I have the opportunity to be in front of a camera and talk to millions of people,” he said in a 2011 interview with Parade. “After I wrote [my memoir] and went on Oprah Winfrey, so many people have come to me, telling me, ‘Ricky, thank you because I understand what acceptance is today.’ ‘Ricky, thank you. I feel better about myself because you have a very beautiful family and the words dysfunctional family don’t exist in your life.'”

Don LemonCNN anchor Don Lemon officially came out in May 2011 in his autobiography, Transparent. Although he had never really hidden his sexuality, he also never made it a point to be open about it until his book, which is meant to be inspirational, was released. “I think it would be great if everybody could be out,” Lemon told The New York Times. “I think if I had seen more people like me who are out and proud, it wouldn’t have taken me 45 years to say it, to walk in the truth.”

Adam LambertAmerican Idol breakout star Adam Lambert — who happens to be gay — made Billboard.com’s “20 Great Gay Moments in Music” for firing up viewers with his “glam rock stylings, sexed-up stage persona, and multi-octave range.” Watching Lambert rock out on the show was exciting, much better than another blah rendition of Mariah Carey’s “Hero.” Billboard’s list included moments that “were pivotal in advancing the understanding and acceptance of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people.”

Nathan LaneBroadway actor Nathan Lane came out to his mother when he was 21. Unfortunately, she responded with a less than accepting, “I’d rather you were dead.” Somehow, Lane was able to keep a sense of humor about the situation. “I knew you’d understand,” he retorted.

Jim ParsonsThe Big Bang Theory star Jim Parsons was outed when a 2012 New York Times profile noted that he was “gay and in a 10-year relationship.” Soon after, Parsons was one of several celebs featured on the cover of Entertainment Weekly’s issue on “The New Art of Coming Out,” in which Mark Harris wrote about the response to the revelation about Parsons. “Fifteen years ago, when Ellen DeGeneres decided to come out of the closet, it was big news,” Harris wrote. “Not just big: It was the cover of Time magazine, and a major story on Oprah, Primetime Live, and CNN. Last month, another star of a popular TV comedy went public with his homosexuality. But the news that The Big Bang Theory Emmy-winner Jim Parsons is gay was reported with such matter-of-fact understatement that many people’s first reaction was a quick Google search to see if maybe he was out already and we’d all just failed to notice.”

George MichaelAfter living through a tumultuous decade, which included arrests for DUI and crack possession, George Michael finally decided he was ready to turn things around. In May 2011, he held a press conference in London announcing his intention to release a new album and to apologize to the gay community for his past behavior. “I have a serious problem with the fact that every time I made a mistake and every time I let myself down that I was letting young gay kids down,” he said. “Because they would then witness the homophobia that is thrown at me and the language that we use in this country. There are things I want to do with my next album to make up for the damage that I have inadvertently caused by making myself so newsworthy and putting myself on the back foot enough that I couldn’t defend gay children from some of that language.”

Cheyenne JacksonBroadway actor Cheyenne Jackson has been openly gay as long as he’s been famous. The former 30 Rock star came out to his family at the age of 19, and though his evangelical, born-again Christian parents were initially devastated by his announcement, eventually they came around. “It took awhile, but now it’s great,” Jackson told Metro Weekly in 2009. “After a few years, they started to realize I was the same person. It’s really a testament to their open-mindedness and my patience, and both of those things together.”

Jodie FosterJodie Foster gave an emotional (and head-scratching) speech as she accepted the Cecil B. DeMille award at the 2013 Golden Globes. Largely centered on her search for privacy and reflecting on a 47-year career, Foster came out … subtly. “I’m … single,” the actress joked while thanking her former partner of 20 years, Cydney Bernard. Foster also said she did her private coming out to friends, family, and peers years ago.

Michelle RodriguezFast and Furious star Michelle Rodriguez got candid about who she’s sexually attracted to during a 2013 interview. “I’ve gone both ways,” she revealed to Entertainment Weekly. “I do as I please. I am too fucking curious to sit here and not try when I can. Men are intriguing. So are chicks.” Rodriguez later told Latina magazine why she had decided to share that detail about her private life. “I’m getting older. Eventually it’s going to wrinkle up and I’m not going to be able to use it. I wanted to be honest about who I am and see what happens.” Any more questions?

Jesse Tyler FergusonLike his character Mitchell Pritchett on ABC’s Modern Family, Jesse Tyler Ferguson is openly gay. The actor just doesn’t have an adopted baby girl … yet. He does, however, have a husband, actor Justin Mikita, who is 10 years his junior. The duo — who have been together for nearly four years — made their first public appearance as a couple back in January 2011, when they hit the red carpet at Elle magazine’s Women in Television soiree holding hands. They tied the knot in July 2013 during a small ceremony officiated by screenwriter and playwright Tony Kushner in downtown NYC.

Lance BassIn 2006, former NSYNC member Lance Bass decided it was time for him to come out. “The thing is, I’m not ashamed,” he told People magazine. “I don’t think it’s wrong, I’m not devastated going through this. I’m more liberated and happy than I’ve been my whole life. I’m just happy.” Longtime boyfriend Michael Turchin may have something to do with that! The pair announced their engagement in September 2013. Bass revealed the following May that he and his groom will film their wedding for an E! special that will likely air around Valentine’s Day 2015.

Ian McKellenSir Ian McKellen has been out since 1988, but feels that gay stars are still pressured to stay in the closet in Hollywood. “I don’t think any gay person is going to be happy and bring joy to themselves and other people unless they can be honest about their sexuality,” he said at the Savannah Film Festival in 2010. “And if other people don’t like that honesty, that’s a comment on them and not on the person who is being honest.”

Victor GarberActor Victor Garber, who was a mentor to Jennifer Garner while co-starring on her show Alias and has appeared in movies such as Argo, came out at 63 in 2013 when a blogger asked about his 14-year relationship with artist Rainer Andreesen. “I don’t really talk about it but everybody knows,” he told Greg Hernandez.

Cynthia NixonSex and the City star Cynthia Nixon took the plunge in May 2012 when she married her longtime partner Christine Marinoni. In addition to their infant son Max, whom Marinoni gave birth to in February 2011, Nixon has two other children — teens Samantha and Charlie — from her 15-year relationship with ex-boyfriend Danny Mozes. “Maybe I’m just lucky, but I feel like Christine is so amazing with our kids — because they’re our kids,” she told The Advocate.

Sean HayesSean Hayes played the out and proud character Jack McFarland for eight years on hit TV sitcom Will & Grace. However, the actor didn’t confirm his homosexuality until The Advocate put him on the cover of its April 2010 issue with the headline: “The interview you’ve waited 12 years to read.”

Wanda SykesFunny lady Wanda Sykes, who came out in 2008, made a bold statement on Piers Morgan Tonight when she said, “It’s harder to be gay than black. I’m not talking about the history of black people, of African Americans. I’m talking about at this point right now … I don’t know of organizations and groups like Focus on the Family and such anti-gay organizations who are putting up so much money — millions and millions of dollars — into stopping me from, you know, being black or telling me I can’t exercise my blackness.” Sykes added, “There’s no equality. There’s no equality for the LGBT community.”

RuPaulRuPaul changed the world’s perception of the drag community in the early ’90s when his song and video “Supermodel (You Better Work)” became an international hit. In the 20 years since, the fabulous entrepreneur has continued to push the envelope while remaining an accessible, mainstream success. In 2009, Ru’s popularity peaked once again with the debut of his campy Logo TV show, RuPaul’s Drag Race. Thanks to the success of the reality competition, Logo greenlit a spin-off, RuPaul’s Drag U, in which Ru and his faculty members (otherwise known as former Drag Race contestants) help downtrodden women unleash their repressed inner divas. The network reportedly ordered a seventh season of the original show before the sixth season even aired.

Rosie O’DonnellFormer TV talk show host Rosie O’Donnell has been an advocate for the adoption rights of gay parents since coming out in 2002. The star and her ex-wife, Kelli Carpenter, have four kids (three were adopted), and she and her current wife, Michelle Rounds, announced a new addition, an adopted baby girl named Dakota, in January 2013. The comedian feels so strongly about the issue that in 2004 she created Rosie’s Family Cruise, so gay families can vacation and feel comfortable being together.