In October 2016, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints updated their guidelines on homosexuality. Since he had already known from her, I guess it made it easier [for me] since she had kind of ripped the bandaid off. "But I'm bi/gay/still figuring it out. Below, are five of our friends and their very important, unique coming out stories. I didn’t really think about it in that way at the time — I was just doing what one would do when a person they love has just won a big fat acting prize. In a conversation with PEOPLE, she talked about the importance of Booksmart's only romance scene. That being said, if I am forced to pick a gender I identify with more, it is female. Coming out is never easy, but as you can see below, is totally worth it. Alejandro Ibarra "I never planned on coming out. on the most popular television shows, and the worldwide circuit of parades is bigger than ever. I remember being confused for such a long time about who I was, especially when it came to my sexual orientation. Photographer Alejandro Ibarra's portrait series Coming Out Stories shares the emotional stories of how people came out to their loved ones. ", "I felt rejected by my own parents, but I remember my Aunt Natalie making me feel safe.". ), "First and foremost, I'm an athlete. "It is a part of who I am—but it is not at all my defining feature.". And, in 2019, there's a lot to be proud of: Same-sex marriages have proliferated since the 2015 Obergefell v. Hodges ruling, it's common to see LGBTQI characters kissing (and more!) "But, over time, with more representation, hearts and minds have been changed. Many of her friends and classmates wrote letters back—all of which were supportive. According to Kenworthy, the question shook him, and he went on to lose the contest. It was great. The Olympian told GQ: “It took a lot of courage… I knew one other person in my school who was the same and we talked. She said: "It was the hardest thing that I ever had to do in my life, and I would not change one moment of it because it led me to be exactly where I am today, standing in front of you, which is a joy." "The reason I decided to share this with you and with the world is because even though me telling you I'm queer might not be a big deal these days, things are still pretty bad out there for people like me," she wrote, before detailing some of the myriad abuses LGBTQ people face, around the world, on a day-to-day basis. Bella Thorne Low-Key Comes Out as Bisexual, "I Am a Woman": Bruce Jenner Finally Opens Up in Emotional Diane Sawyer Interview, A New Kind of Coming of Age Story: Ariel Schrag's Adam. Blonsky is currently loved-up with her partner Dani, who is non-binary and uses they-them pronouns. “By doing that, you’re asking that to be the norm. "But I'm not in a relationship. "What am I gonna do, pat her on the back and say 'good job, dude?' She partnered with advocacy group interACT to even further peel back the curtain. So that’s just what we did. ©2020 Yolla Media, LLC, All rights reserved. [It’s important to me to be] multifaceted and not have my sexuality not be the sole aspect of my identity that people acknowledge; it should be a piece of you, but not the only thing people see. We were just sitting on the couch. The episode included a series of overt ‘jumping out of the closet’ gags and although humorous, the message was clear. Because I had so many people in my life saying, ‘You need to get rid of all expectations — you need to cut them out.' ", He continued: "We need respect for our humanity. American Horror Story star Sarah Paulson came out at the 2005 Tony Awards. From Ellen DeGeneres's brave reveal on her sitcom 20 years ago, to Colton Haynes' emotional and inspiring coming out speech... By From Ellen DeGeneres's brave reveal on her sitcom 20 years ago, to Colton Haynes' emotional and inspiring coming out speech at the Human Rights Campaign conference (which didn't leave a dry eye in the room), here are 14 celebrities recalling their coming out stories... Ellen DeGeneres’s coming out story is probably one of the most famous of all. Speaking to NoTofu, she said: “She won a Tony Award, I kissed her, and all of a sudden I was outed. These celebrities were brave enough to publicly share their coming out stories with the world, and they are so touching. I want everyone else to have that freedom and support that I have from my loved ones," she said to Porter magazine. Jun 29, 2020 Getty Images. My spirit suffered, my mental health suffered and my relationships suffered. "I never would have done that if I wasn't in a way pushed by the universe," he said. We have to stay woke.”. Come spring this year my life changed. "It's a really, really hard thing to be silenced and it's deeply bruising to fight against your identity and to mold yourselves into shapes that you just shouldn't be in," she said in the video. ", The soon-to-be Princess Diana addressed her sexuality in her opening monologue while hosting Saturday Night Live in 2017. This is why being called ‘queer’ is important to me. While Thompson never commented on their relationship, she did explain how they felt about opening up about their sexuality and how they came to that decision. To take it from recent posts on Neumann's Instagram account, it appears the couple are still going strong. "I can take things for granted because of my family—it's so free, and you can be anything that you want to be," the Westworld actress said. When I came out I felt awkward. Then I told the rest of my friends. "The only love scene in the film is a queer love scene, and that’s so radical,” Feldstein emphasized. Looks like your browser doesn't support JavaScript. BuzzFeed News spoke with Ibarra about what this project means to him and why he started it: "I was out drinking one night with some friends and a friend was telling me about how he had recently come out to his family. When I met someone and they make me feel so happy and safe; everything just feels great. “She knew when I was six apparently,” she said. Do COVID-19 Symptoms Happen in a Certain Order? But I have privilege and power and a large following to bring to this show…sometimes it takes those with more power to help a show get off the ground so we can elevate marginalised stars that deserve the limelight and give them a chance. It's my hope this project can do that for people the same way shows like Glee helped me come out. [My decision to come out was inspired by] a lot of things. "I will never get mad at him for barking—ever again.". Below, are five of our friends and their very important, unique coming out stories. “They always say, “it’s darkest before the dawn.” It’s so cliché, but it’s always darkest right before you come to a point of acceptance. A Joe Biden Beauty Sponge, Chelsea on What Ended Her Friendship With Ivanka, The Coziest Vests to Bundle Up In This Fall. ", In a 2015 interview with ELLE UK, Cyrus opened up about where she found herself on her sexuality spectrum. People want to know your stance on politics, your favorite hobbies, your relationship status, and how you might choose to label your sexuality and gender identity. Cold, hard proof that the earth isn't entirely a cold, hard place. The Chuck actor then decided to write a letter to his parents who were devoutly religious, and what followed was six months of silence. ", "One morning, my mom overheard me playing 'Reflection' from Mulan on the piano. "My choices in romantic partners have not been conventional, and therefore the idea that it's 'other' makes it compelling," Paulson said. After Kenworthy's third run in down the halfpipe, at the 2018 Olympics in Pyeonchang, cameras captured a candid kiss between the skier and his boyfriend, actor Matt Wilkas. Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27, You must be logged in to post a comment ", "I always knew that when I hooked up with girls, it was the happiest I’d been in any sexual dynamic," she told Seventeen in 2018 on her self-discovery. ", "The last night I lived at home, my mother gave me a going away gift: a gay travel guide. ", The actress who starred in The Hate U Give to the Hunger Gamescame out as bisexual in a Snapchat video in 2016. Make sure the tissues are within reach! "I had anxiety. After struggling for self-acceptance throughout much of my childhood, I eventually understood that who I loved had nothing to do with whether I was a good person, and that other people’s prejudices stemmed from their own ignorance and fear. Let’s all just enjoy life & have no regrets :)” What followed was countless tabloid headlines which speculated about Haynes sexuality, and finally, an interview with Entertainment Weekly by the actor that confirmed it. I struggled with being in the closet the first two years of college, and I kick myself for it everyday. Explaining to the publication that the craziest part of it all was that she fell in love, not that it was with a woman. And I'm like, "No, I'm not gay. 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At a Las Vegas conference held by the Human Rights Campaign to support LGBTQ+ youth, the Juno actress gave an emotional speech. She said to the magazine, "Being a queer black woman in America, someone who has been in relationships with both men and women–I consider myself to be a free-ass motherf**ker.”, She told the publication she initially identified as bisexual, “but then later I read about pansexuality and was like, ‘Oh, these are things that I identify with too.’ I’m open to learning more about who I am.”, In a cover story for them, Monáe said she was "terrified," and worried people would think her coming out was a publicity stunt. It felt really cool," she explained of the experience.”. I grew up in a very religious Southern family. It’s the only way you will survive. It’s a Week long celebration of important stories all about coming out as an LGBTQ individual. He started, “Does that mean that you’re…?” But he couldn’t finish, and for the first time, I couldn’t speak either. It’s definitely a place of refuge for people who feel like they don’t fit in. I was flying home to visit my family for Christmas, and I decided early on that telling my family would have to be done in person – no over the phone sob story crap, so I decided this was the time to do it. By Bianca Rodriguez. 25 years, a product line, and many barbershops later, Rudy’s is still championing the cause of identity. This is thanks to an administration (*not-so-subtle cough* Donald Trump and Kool-Aid drinkers) that has alienated and targeted ethnic minority groups, disabled persons and members of the LBGTQ community, sadly among very many others. These coming out stories are heartwarming and inspirational.