Culture Roundup: Celebrating National Coming Out Day

Every year since 1988, National Coming Out Day (NCOD) is observed on October 11 to encourage lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people to “come out of the closet.”

A discovery of the late psychologist Robert Eichberg and gay rights activist Jean O’Leary, one of the core beliefs NKOD is that homophobia and shame thrive in silence, and “coming out” is an important act of self-discovery and activism. This can be a wonderful experience—in some cases, LGBTQ+ people do it many times—but for others, it can still be a traumatic event that isolates them from family and community.

NCOD encourages you to consider all aspects of coming out and work to make coming out a joyful experience.

Participation in the event includes celebrating those who have come out, sharing stories, offering support through participation in outreach events and workshops, and most of all, advocating for LGBTQ+ rights and groups that fight against discriminatory laws and policies.

Here are some of the most memorable celebrity coming out stories that have served as inspiration for many to fight stigma, given that life in the spotlight means embracing your true self can be challenging when it comes to job opportunities and public opinion. .

Ellen DeGeneres

Ellen’s name has been making headlines for all the wrong reasons lately, with allegations of bullying and creating a toxic workplace environment. There’s no doubt, however, that the comedian and talk show host’s 1997 Time magazine cover was a huge deal. She may have come out to the world in the groundbreaking “Pup Episode” on The Ellen Show in 1997, but the “Yes, I’m Gay” cover and subsequent interviews with Oprah and Diane Sawyer were crucial because she was one of the first celebrities to speaking publicly.

Sarah Paulson

American Horror Story actress Sarah Paulson made a mistake in public. In 2005, her Broadway co-star Cherry Jones won a Tony Award, and when she walked up to receive it, he kissed her. The actress told NOTOFU magazine: “She won a Tony Award, I kissed her, and suddenly I was exposed. the person they love just won a big acting prize.”

Lance Bass

As a member of the boy band *NSync, many teenagers considered Bass a heartthrob. In an interview with People magazine in 2006, Bass came out and showed that members of the LGBT community can disclose their sexual orientation regardless of the labels that the media and the public impose on them.

Cynthia Nixon

Cynthia Nixon, who famously played Miranda in Sex and the City, decided to get married after replacing a publicist who urged her not to. She spoke about her relationship with activist Cristina Marinoni and told The Advocate in 2010: “I was like, ‘Really, can we just confirm?’ Here’s what we did. It was so fantastic.”

Ricky Martin

The Latin pop star “Livin’ La Vida Loca” came out as gay in a 2010 blog on his official website, writing that he is a “lucky homosexual.” He continued by saying that years spent in silence and reflection made me stronger and reminded me that acceptance must come from within and that such truth gives me the strength to overcome emotions I didn’t even know existed.

Frank Ocean

In a 2012 blog post, R&B singer-songwriter Ocean opened up about a whirlwind romantic relationship with another man. This came right before the release of his debut album Channel Orange and was an important moment for the Black LGBTQ+ community as it also challenged the stereotypes associated with rappers. He told GQ about the experience: “The night I posted it, I cried like a damn baby. It was as if all the frequencies just clicked, causing a change in my head. All the receptors now received a different signal, and I was happy. I haven’t been happy for so long. I’ve been sad again since then, but this is a completely different way of looking at sadness. There is some magic in truth, honesty and openness.”

Elliot Page

Juno And Origin star Ellen Page spoke as part of the human rights campaign Time to Thrive in support of LGBTQ youth in 2014 and surprised audiences with her revelation. “I’m tired of hiding and lying and keeping quiet,” Page said. “I suffered for years because I was afraid to leave the house. My spirit, my mental health and my relationships suffered. And today I stand here with all of you, on the other side of all this pain.” Six years later, Page clarified their identity: “I wanted to share with you that I am transgender, my pronouns are he/they and my name is Elliot.”

Amandla Stenberg

Actress known for her roles in The Hunger Games And The hate you give in 2016, she came out as bisexual in a Snapchat video. “It’s very, very hard to silence and very painful to struggle with your identity and mold yourself into shapes that you just shouldn’t be in,” she said in the Video. “As someone who identifies as a black bisexual woman, I’ve been through this and it’s painful and awkward and uncomfortable.”

Shannon Purser

Stranger Things and Riverdale actress Shannon Purser said on Twitter in 2017 that she was struggling with her sexuality. A few days after that, she admitted that she identifies as bisexual. “It’s something I’m still processing and trying to figure out, and I don’t like to talk about it too much,” she said. “I’m very new to the LGBT community.”

Rebel Wilson

Pitch perfect And Bridesmaids The actress had a tough time last year when she was “outed” by a Sydney Morning Herald journalist who gave her two days to comment on her new relationship with her partner. Wilson took control of the narrative by posting a photo of herself with her partner with the caption: “I thought I was looking for a Disney prince… but maybe what I really wanted all along was a Disney princess #loveislove.”

Jake Daniels

We leave Hollywood last on this non-exhaustive list and go in for sports. In May 2022, British professional footballer Jakes Daniels came out as gay at the age of seventeen, becoming the only male professional footballer in the UK to come out publicly at the time, and the first since Justin Fashanu in 1990. His decision to come clean was praised by the FA. President Prince William and England captain Harry Kane.