Gay Celebs. & the coming out question

[Thomas D]

So for the past few weeks two co-workers (Both Straight but supportive of gay rights)and I have had an on going debate about the topic of Gay celebrities. Specifically, if they have an obligation to publicly declare that they are not heterosexual.

My take: LGBT people are denied basic human rights in a large majority of the world today, And even here in the United States it's still legal in many states to fire or evict someone because of their sexual orientation. A lack of visibility can be pointed to as one of the reasons these problems persist in 2014. That taken with the fact that LGBT youth are 3 times more likely to attempt suicide begs out for those who can use their voices to make a difference to do so. But I will say I don't think people should be forced to come out. Just very strongly encouraged.

To quote Frank DeCaro: "When teenagers are no longer killing themselves because they think they're 'the only one' then you can be quiet about it. But until then you need to be F***** loud.

Their take: It's none of your business, It's a private matter. If they don't want to share that with people that's their right and you need to respect that. It's great that people like Ellen and Neil Patrick Harris have come out. But if other famous gay people want to stay in the closet that's up to them.

And so I'm handing off this exchange of Ideas to this wonderful political forum, with our barley Hetero majority. :-)

Question: Do LGBT celebrities have an obligation, to anyone, to come out publicly.

I will close with a quote from Harvey Milk that I'm sure many of you know:

"If a bullet should enter my brain, let it shatter every closet door."

[angus]

Is LGBTQA a man's name or is it a country?

[Oakvale]

No (straight). I guess if you're some fascist Republican Senator who wants to deport gays and is secretly hanging around airport bathrooms there'd be an exception but no-one has a "moral obligation" to tell people about their sexual preferences.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

No. It's nobody’s business to know about anyone’s sexual orientation unless you want to be open about it. If you’re willing to come out, then come out, but private people or introverts should not be obligated to do so. I feel for closeted gay teenagers, but I’d imagine that if I were gay, the sexual orientation of somebody I am a fan of wouldn’t be much assistance to me. So I don't see how this is an issue.

[DemPGH]

No (Straight). In the arts they would not have to worry about it, but in sports they certainly might. Now more basic than that, I don't think anyone has any obligation to reveal really anything about their personal lives. It depends upon how comfortable a person is. If they want to, though, they should not hold back.

[RosettaStoned]

 Yes, of course. As Harvey Milk once said, if every gay person came out, we would not have a problem.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

I think it does the person good - but no one should be OBLIGATED because of their profession to come out if they don't want to.

[Potatoe]

I think it does the person good - but no one should be OBLIGATED because of their profession to come out if they don't want to.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

I think it does the person good - but no one should be OBLIGATED because of their profession to come out if they don't want to.

To add to that, if there is a gay teenager who thinks they are "the only one", then I doubt hearing yet another celebrity come out will convince them otherwise.  For one such as that, I suspect it will take someone they know personally to come out to convince them otherwise, not some celebrity they have no personal knowledge of.

[H.E. VOLODYMYR ZELENKSYY]

They should, but they shouldn't have to.

[Thomas D]

Okay, 24 hours in and I'm getting buried in a landslide. Fair enough.

Let's go back in time. To February 24, 2004. The President of the United States addresses the Nation and says he supports amending the Constitution of the United States to single out gay people for discrimination 

If you're gay, and on that day you had a voice that could have brought attention to how awful that is, and you kept quiet. That to me is borderline unforgivable.

In a perfect world no one would have to come out. But we're not there yet. We will be someday. But until then, if you're a person of note, you really should come out.

[muon2]

The problem with the question is that there is a presumption that celebrities are role models for society. I'm certain the vast majority of celebs never imagined that there would be any expectation that they would be societal role models merely because they are exceptional at their profession. The issue reminds me of the controversy Charles Barkley waded into with his quotes like "I'm not a role model... Just because I dunk a basketball doesn't mean I should raise your kids."

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

No. They need to shut up and sit down and live their lives 

[Cranberry]

It should of course be no obligation, but until we are not further with that issue, I would encourage them to do so. You can't know how much tales of other, famous people can help you with accepting your own sexuality. (I'm gay, so I speak of personal experience)

[Chancellor Tanterterg]

The only people who should be forced to come out (i.e. outed) are politicians who are in the closet, but vote against LGBT rights.  You have a right to privacy, not hypocrisy.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

Okay, 24 hours in and I'm getting buried in a landslide. Fair enough.

Let's go back in time. To February 24, 2004. The President of the United States addresses the Nation and says he supports amending the Constitution of the United States to single out gay people for discrimination 

If you're gay, and on that day you had a voice that could have brought attention to how awful that is, and you kept quiet. That to me is borderline unforgivable.

In a perfect world no one would have to come out. But we're not there yet. We will be someday. But until then, if you're a person of note, you really should come out.

I think people should for their own well-being, but I genuinely don't feel anyone should be put in a position of being compelled to come out for any other reason that their own feelings and needs.

2004 was a very different space to now, a lot of people with a profile remember the Ellen example where her career turned to crap and it took until 2004/5 for it get back on track. I don't think people who rely on their image to make a living are bad people for not coming out. I mean protestations of straightness are one thing, actively coming out is another. There are LOTS of people in public life who are gay, everyone knows, but because they're not pretending to be straight, or living in a hypocritical way... they're respected and left alone, and I believe they should be.

Outing, as X says, should be reserved for hypocrites.

[windjammer]

The only people who should be forced to come out (i.e. outed) are politicians who are in the closet, but vote against LGBT rights.  You have a right to privacy, not hypocrisy.

Globally what X has said. Seriously, coming out can be dangerous in some countries (Russia,...). Everyone has the right to have a private life.

[publicunofficial]

No (Bi). Celebrities have to deal with the same stuff everyone else does when coming out ("Will my friends and family accept me, ect.), they shouldn't be forced to come out until they are comfortable.


Like others have said, the only exception are people like Larry Craig or George Rekers, who actively make gay people's lives worse while being closeted. Looking at you, Marcus Bachmann.