Openly Gay Celebrities

[ryan8029]

The other day I was reading Out at Borders and I came across this article about Guillermo Diaz and him being openly gay for the entirety of his career.

I don't know if any of you watch Weeds but if you do you'll know that on the show Guillermo Diaz portrays Guillermo, a battle hardened drug trafficer working for the mexican Mafia. Hardly the role the public would expect him to take. In interviews and public appearances he's just as masculine, based on my own limited exsposure. Does anyone know of any other un stereotypical openly gay actors/celebrities?

[Feroz]

Well, the only one that comes readily to mind for me (and who is definitely the mos obvious) is Neil Patrick Harris. I mean, on How I Met Your Mother he plays a womanizer, albeit a pretty metro one. Lots of his other roles are quite masculine as well, though I can't think of any off the top of my head due to it being 2 in the morning. As far as I know he's been out his whole career, too.

[butterbridge]

He played the straight character Dr. Horrible in Joss Whedon's Dr. Horrible's Sing-A-Long Blog (which is AMAZING!)
I don't know much about openly gay/lesbian entertainers :( The only ones that come to mind off the top of my head are Neil Patrick Harris, David Hyde Pierce, Ellen DeGeneres and Nathan Lane. I'm pretty sure I know of more but my mind is scrounging in the dark.. unfortunately, I am somewhat out of the loop when it comes to the entire entertainment industry.

[ElectricKoolaid]

He was also in both Harold and Kumar movies in which they made him exaggeratedly heterosexual. Neil Patrick Harris is the best.

This is going to become the NPH Lovefest Megathread isn't it

[Nomenclature]

The other day I was reading Out at Borders and I came across this article about Guillermo Diaz and him being openly gay for the entirety of his career.

I don't know if any of you watch Weeds but if you do you'll know that on the show Guillermo Diaz portrays Guillermo, a battle hardened drug trafficer working for the mexican Mafia. Hardly the role the public would expect him to take. In interviews and public appearances he's just as masculine, based on my own limited exsposure. Does anyone know of any other un stereotypical openly gay actors/celebrities?

Holy crap. . .I seriously had NO idea he was gay!! That's awesome.

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Most of these are going to be a major duh, but it's just for the sake of completion:

(In no particular order)

Ian McKellen

Neil Patrick Harris

KD Lang

Ellen DeGeneres

Rosie O'Donnell

Alan Cumming

Bryan Singer

Martina Navratilova

Barney Frank

Elton John

Boy George

Jodie Foster

Clay Aiken

Michael Stipe

George Michael

Elton John

John Amaechi

Chad Allen

Meredith Baxter

Amanda Bearse

David Geffen

Reggie Veljohnson


(feel free to expand the list by adding more)


A lot of people didn't know this, but Marlon Brando, James Dean and a few other classic male Hollywood actors were gay or bi, though mostly closeted. Brando was open about his bisexuality, however. Though a little before our time, Rock Hudson and Tab Hunter were closeted homosexuals who were considered somewhat of a sex symbol for women in their day. People were completely shocked to find out that Rock Hudson was gay; he was a very masculine, "straight acting" man.

[ElectricKoolaid]

^Good list Nomenclature. I seriously didn't know that Alan Cumming was gay until about four days ago. My mom claims it's super well-known, not sure how I completely missed out on that information before.

Also want to add Rufus Wainwright. I posted about him in another thread about gay musicians, but I think he needs mention again because he is awesome. Much of his music is so unashamedly about being gay and his relationships with men, plus he caters to a really diverse fanbase, not just the LGBT community.

Monty Python's Graham Chapman was also openly gay, although I don't think he came out until maybe the early 80s?

This one's tentative but I'm pretty sure well-known voice actor Billy West is gay. He was the voice of Stimpy from Ren & Stimpy, as well as Fry from Futurama, and he used to be the Honey Nut Cheerios Bee. He does a lot of incidental voices too, so if you've ever watched any animated show you've probably heard him. Again, haven't confirmed that he's gay but I think I remember hearing he was.

[Nomenclature]

^Good list Nomenclature. I seriously didn't know that Alan Cumming was gay until about four days ago. My mom claims it's super well-known, not sure how I completely missed out on that information before.

Actually, I made a mistake; he openly identifies as bisexual, but is married to man. He was married to a woman up until the early '90s, but has said the "pendulum has swung" regarding his sexual preference.


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This one's tentative but I'm pretty sure well-known voice actor Billy West is gay. He was the voice of Stimpy from Ren & Stimpy, as well as Fry from Futurama, and he used to be the Honey Nut Cheerios Bee. He does a lot of incidental voices too, so if you've ever watched any animated show you've probably heard him. Again, haven't confirmed that he's gay but I think I remember hearing he was.

Actually, he's mentioned his wife passingly in interviews. Billy West has however, voiced gay characters and is tolerant of gay people:

"'[2003 Spike TV show Ren & Stimpy Adult Party Cartoon] was one big long stupid gay joke that no one got,' West told TVSquad.com. 'Gay people like good gay jokes. I like good gay jokes because I like funny. But it better be frickin' funny, or you're dead.”

http://www.afterelton.com/askmonkey/06-29-2009


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Darren Hayes

Clive Barker

Sandra Bernhard

Graham Norton

Little Richard

[ElectricKoolaid]

Thanks for clearing that up about Billy West. And I had no idea about Little Richard, wow.

EDIT: Adding Portia de Rossi to the list as well.

[ryan8029]

Little Richard? Really? Is there any conclusive evidence regarding Cary Grant? I keep reading conflicting accounts.

[Nomenclature]

Is there any conclusive evidence regarding Cary Grant? I keep reading conflicting accounts.

Well, he was kind of a campy guy in some of his roles, so there were a lot of rumors that he was bisexual; He was married (to women) five times, but there was a rumor that he and costume designer Orry Kelly were living together was a couple. There's absolutely no evidence that they were a couple, unless you count them always attending parties together, and fan pictures of them preparing dinner together at home.

However, there is solid evidence that Marlon Brando was bisexual; A picture was leaked of him back in the mid '90s of a young Brando performing. . .well. . .a certain act on a male friend, allegedly Yul Brynner.