Closet Celebrities - is it harder for famous people to come out?

[danny corvini]

http://www.samesame.com.au/support/1021/The_Celebrity_Closet

This feature on Same Same explores why so many celebrities remain in the closet instead of coming out to face the music. These people present a different private life to the one they really live for the sake of maintaining a successful mainstream career.

Of course, some sporting stars like Ian Roberts and TV stars like Molly Meldrum have always been open about who they are. But then there are the others like George Michael or Anthony Callea who would have remained in the closet if they weren't outed; and others still who never come out, who create elaborate li(v)es, which perhaps includes husbands or wives, to cover their same sex life.

Do you think it is harder to come out if you are famous than it is for everyday people? Do star's even owe it to us to come out, loud and proud?

Times have changed, but is coming out still a death knell for a career if you're a mainstream star, who appeals to the opposite sex?

[Tim D]

I think every gay public figure owes it to the rest of the community to stand up and be counted.

Stuff album sales and box office sales, if I was famous and in the closed I don't think I'd be able to sleep at night.

[robbie]

Of course it's harder to come out if you're a celebrity - you not only have to deal with parents and close family and friends but arrr, THE ENTIRE WORLD. No-one owes us (the gay community) anything. If they don't want to, they don't have to. Tell Tim D he's dreaming! :-)

[burgjo]

totally agree with robbie (papa smurf).... their life is their business and they don't owe us anything.

[Tim D]

Nup I disagree wholeheartedly. Every out celebrity makes it that little bit easiser for the next little kid to realise that being gay is ok and come out to their parents.

It's a social responsibility that if you're in the public eye and you're gay, you should say so. What kind of message are these famous people sending to the kid struggling with his sexuality by hiding in the closet due to fear?

[robbie]

It's not a social responsibility - not breaking the law, and acting like good citizens are social responsibilities. These people, while in the spotlight, also have the right to uphold the little privacy that they do have. We should respect that. Just because they have celebrity status does not mean their lives are owned by us.

It's up to the parents to raise a child and friends to provide support so they do not live in fear.

[Christian Taylor]

Now that I work for Same Same, does this mean that I'm gonna have to come out now? And here I was so cosy in the closet...

I remember my mother once yelling at me when I was a child, saying "one day you're gonna have to come out of the cupboard!"

[Tim D]

Legal responsibility is to obey the law, social responsibility is to do the right thing by other people.

It comes down to whether a celebrity wants to think only about themselves, or about the greater good of the entire community that they are a part of.

If they want to be selfish and think about their own money, family and career, then that's the decision they choose. But if they want to think about the effect that publicly declaring they're gay could have on hundreds of thousands of people, that's the road I think all celebrities should go down.

So Robbie if you have a choice of two "gay" celebrities - John Travolta who lives in the closet or Ian Mckellan who's 100% out, you'd say Travolta has made the right decision?

[burgjo]

what actually makes them a celebrity? people do - it's not always their choice. They have just as much right to a private life as you or I do!
Does it mean that "so-called celebrities" have to tell us everything about their life?

Assistance with coming out is the responsibility of our community, parents, friends and society in general. Not celebrities.

[Tim D]

The majority of time - and for the people we are talking about here - people are not placed in a public position by accident.

You don't accidentally decided to get paid $10mil for a movie, or accidentally release a major pop album. Celebrities know what they are getting in for when they seek out to become a celebrity (and yes, for the ones we are discussing it is 100% a choice they choose). If they go down that path then they must accept everything that entails - the perks, the money and the scrutiny of their private life.

If they were open about it in the first place - like Jake Shears, Freddie Mercury etc - then there is nothing newsworthy about it. It's when they lie that about it that they get in trouble. And that's exactly what it is. A lie.

I can't believe you are advocating people lying about their sexuality to the public.

[robbie]

Legal responsibility is to obey the law, social responsibility is to do the right thing by other people.

It comes down to whether a celebrity wants to think only about themselves, or about the greater good of the entire community that they are a part of.

If they want to be selfish and think about their own money, family and career, then that's the decision they choose. But if they want to think about the effect that publicly declaring they're gay could have on hundreds of thousands of people, that's the road I think all celebrities should go down.

So Robbie if you have a choice of two "gay" celebrities - John Travolta who lives in the closet or Ian Mckellan who's 100% out, you'd say Travolta has made the right decision?

Social responsibility might be doing the right thing by other people, but should that be done at the cost of their own privacy? I think not. No-one should have to sacrifice their own happiness for the good of others. Let's say a child was born with some rare DNA that could eradicate cancer. Is it our right to demand that baby be sacrificed for the good of millions? No it's not. While it would be a great idea, no-one should be forced to give up their life (or privacy in this matter) for others.

You might be willing to jump out of the closet with your rainbow flag, but that does not mean everyone is a bad, selfish person for not wanting to do the same.

As for your gay celebs, no-one has made the right or wrong decision. Travolta has his reasons for hiding, McKellan obviously couldn't hide it. Maybe Travolta is not gay but likes boys on the side, should he have to announce that to the entire world?

[burgjo]

Definatly not advocating people lying about their sexuality..... I only believe that every person has the right to privacy. The only reason why they would lie is because the question is asked...

Do you go up to everyone you meet and question their sexuality publicly or even ask them are they gay? So why must it be questioned on every semi good looking male celebrity? When was the last time someone questioned a female celebrity in this way?

[burgjo]

And yes Christian - time to come out and be that role model! :-) alot of young'ns are looking up to you!

[Tim D]

Staying in the closet publicly while living a gay lifestlye is lying about your sexuality, no matter which way you put it.

And yep, I'd kill the kid to save millions of people. Does that make me bad?

[burgjo]

nobody is a bad person - they just have different opinions or act in different ways

[Tim D]

Yes, everyone has the choice, but this discussion is about what we think they should do, hence why we have to take sides.

Celebrities who lie about their sexuality are cowards.

[timmeyboy]

wow
this has certainly gone a little crazy!!!

very heated discussion...I've got splinters again so am keeping out of this one....lol

[robbie]

Take sides? I'm simply saying it's the individuals right to come out or stay in. I don't think they're cowards. What happens if they don't like the Gay label? What happens if they're bi? Do they have to explain the exact circumstances surrounding their sexual habits?

[burgjo]

WHY do we have to label everything?

[robbie]

exactly Burgjo, that's why people with high status don't want to come out.

[Tim D]

Now we're just getting into pedantics. I don't care if they are gay or bi or trans or what, but they should stand up and be counted.

If people in the public eye don't come out of closet, then why don't we just encourage everyone to lead double lives and never be honest? Why do we bother to help people come out at all then?

Maybe we should all just follow their lead and lie to our family and friends. It would save a lot of heartache, eh?

[robbie]

We're not getting pedantic Tim, we're mentioning reasons why people may not be coming out.

I think we're going to have to agree to disagree here. It's an individuals right to come out or not and there are many variables that keep people in the closet.

Now take your rainbow flag and Mika CD and begone with you! hehe

[burgjo]

nobody should be forced or obligated to "come out" - it is a personal choice. I personally would think no less of someone who chose to stay closeted or chose to keep their life private... why then should i expect more from someone with popularity or "celebrity". Was anyone with an opinion here forced to come out - or was it left to you to make your own choice?

[Tim D]

Well at least I'm going to sleep comfortably wrapped in my rainbow flag tonight...

:)

[timmeyboy]

I was forced to come out, i was caught getting off with a lad in the back of a taxi, the taxi driver knew my dad

hahahahahaha

[robbie]

Classic Timmey..

[taylor-dayne]

i guess there's still a stigma about gayness in the public sphere. but at the end of the day, we didn't get this far along the gay rights path by hiding. the closet can't be a nice place to be, regardless of how public your life is. quite frankly, just being at peace with who you are is probably the best thing for you and for the people who look up to you.

it's not about being a gay role model, it's about being true to yourself. privacy is one thing, but lying is another.

[danny corvini]

I was asked by my mum, because I was telling her how I hated my dad's attitude about gays!

[burgjo]

thanks danny and when you spoke with your mum about it - did she pressure you to tell everyone that you knew? Or... did she leave it up to you to decide?
(You opened a can of worms with this one.. ;))

[robbie]

It's all very well for us to be jumping on our soap boxes preaching about what celebrities should and should not be doing for "US" but I wonder what we'd all be like if we were in their situation. The real possibility of losing income via sponsorship, losing movie roles, breaching contracts, losing fans all due to our outing, because it's the right thing to do by "US". I don't know whether I would give up my biggest passion for life in exchange for outing myself. As long as I'm at peace within myself who gives a fuck, let the peasants gossip and whisper.

[Tim D]

I'd put my dignity above money.

[danny corvini]

Haha .. No I instictively felt that coming out further was something that I had to do.

[Nevarro]

i was talking about this little heated session with a co-worker and they posed the above topic "closet celebs? who are they?"

she has a feeling that perhaps Paul Keating (x PM) and Nick Seymour (crowded house) are closeted .... apparantly a few rumours have gone around over the years but nothing concrete ...

what are your thoughts??

any others to add??

[Tim D]

Ok so these are the rumours:

John Travolta (I've got really good goss on this one)
Paul Keating (have heard it but don't really believe it, he just likes nice suits!)
Thorpie (counting down the days)
Wentworth Miller (please let there be a god)

[robbie]

Nick Seymour's lips would be good for something. Come on Timmy spill the goss on Travolta then..

[danny corvini]

A friend of a friend can confirm the case of the ex PM.

[Tim D]

I'll tell my story if Danny tells his.

[danny corvini]

I've sworn to secrecy, but the evidence is pretty watertight.
And Tim, I've heard your story!

[Aries Fairy]

Yeah come on Tim, you can't keep teasing us like this.

[Tim D]

Let's just say it involves John Travolta, a well known Sydney spa and a friend of mine who is a masseuse there.

[robbie]

I think that's enough information Tim... lol..

[Tim D]

And that's only the half of it...

[GenesisInVain]

OMGSH.. well i know the goss on Thorpie. My current lover's friend was being begged for sex by Thorpie. Thorpie was all over this guy..

[danny corvini]

And what's he like? What sort of guys does Thorpie go for?

[taylor-dayne]

thorpie needs to crawl up and DIE. i mean, seriously - can he just fuck off? what a revolting little trog he is... running around designing pearl necklaces and fragrances and knickers, claiming he's a metrosexual... and that he's FLATTERED to be mistaken for being gay, but no, he's not... and all the while he's raking in the cash and taking it up the arse. he makes me fucking sick. he's been exposed to too much chlorine in his lifetime.

[burgjo]

ok taylor......... now tell us what you really think of him.... lol

[Tim D]

So does someone have a secret crush on Thorpie then Taylor-Dane?

[infinity]

My my my, didn't this argument get a little heated in here.

[robbie]

Thorpey's ok... he's not hurting anyone.. leave him be I say...

[Tim D]

Don't get me started on Thorpie.

I tell you what, given the major, major denials he has repeatedly made about being gay, if he ever does come out I don't think he'll ever be able to dig himself out of the huge hole that he has put himself in.

So for his sake, I really do hope that's he straight.

[burgjo]

so is there anyone else doubtful? or have we run out of labels :D

[jackie87]

William McMahon was definately gay

[Cheetah77]

I've heard several stories about Lachlan Murdock (what a hottie) from a friend who had a relative who worked for the family.

[Tim D]

Here's another good one, and it's true: Queen Latifah

See here - http://perezhilton.com/?p=1719

[danny corvini]

Don't get me started on Thorpie.

I tell you what, given the major, major denials he has repeatedly made about being gay, if he ever does come out I don't think he'll ever be able to dig himself out of the huge hole that he has put himself in.

So for his sake, I really do hope that's he straight.

Couldn't agree more! There is a point where if you don't come out you just make yourself look weak. Thorpe has crossed it (if he is gay).

[hotstuff]

Oprah and Gayle.

[Cheetah77]

Oh, they totally eat each other out.

[mjm078]

I love this celeb gossip shit.....

I have heard credible stories about Murdoch......He is a damn hot man and has a hot wife for that matter I really like them both.....Also heard he has curbed his male fraternisation ways.....except he still has one "mate" who seems to follow him around the world from business venture to business venture.... you be the judge......

Also there are quite a few members of the Sydney Roosters past and present from the village of homo.....apparently they have Rooter parties (I mean rooster parties).....Members include a former coach and current coach combo, the wing man and the mini full back.....i wouldn't mind joining that scrum!

[Tim D]

How about Robbie Williams and his "best friend" Jonathan Wilkes who he shares a house with and follows him on every tour where they sing show tunes.

[mjm078]

Oh yes Robbie I think he just likes to fuel the fire though....He does surround himself with very hot men - the piano player Max Beasley is another one of his chums....All of them are hot.....

My gaydar goes into overdrive with Andrew O'Keith (spelling) the Deal or No Deal host....Most Sunday mornings on Weekend Sunrise he comes across as overtly camp, I don't know if it is just for show or something but I get the feeling "the force is strong in that one" (excuse the star wars pun - i don't even like star wars). Recently, in a newspaper interview he did list his favourite way to relax was to visit the Ginseng at the Crest Hotel in the Cross....hmm - he has a lovely hairy chest on him though....i have seen pictures of him at the beach in his sluggo's....playing with his kids mind you....he wouldn't be a bad recruit to the clan though...

[mjm078]

yup that's him - see even looking at him now my gaydar is going crazy....or maybe i am crushin' on him......omigod!!

[mjm078]

well he was here a second ago.....

[Nevarro]

OH MY GOSH!!! :eek: :eek: :eek:

ok so this girl i work with is curious about all the Celebs that may or may not be and i just showed her the previous posts etc and she saw the Andrew O'Keef part... she swears blue he isnt gay as her friend was picked up by him a few months ago and they did the dirty... thing is, He is Married with Kids:eek:

lying cheating BASTARD!!!!

im so not watching Deal or No Deal ever AGAIN hahaha

[Tim D]

Do you reckon he picks up chicks with the come on line: "Deal? Or no deal?"

[jackie87]

I always had a suspicion that Johnny Young may be a pedophile but I wouldn't want to speculate further and demean my own community as one that embraces pedophilia

[Tim D]

Here is one which has just been confirmed:

http://www.samesame.com.au/news/local/1092/Deborah_Hutton_Outed

[GenesisInVain]

OMGSH.. i knew she was a lezzo!

[robbie]

So what do we think of her not bowing to ransom and replying to the "vicious" rumours. I say good on her. People don't have the RIGHT to demand her side of the story - she's not a politican and her private life is her own.

[Tim D]

She's the one who's making them "vicious". I don't think there's anything "vicious" about them.

[mjm078]

By saying nothing she is saying something. She is saying I do not want to be a role model for young lesbians who need someone to look up to (I assume there must be some Martha Stewart esque lesbians out there?!?)......

Saying nothing also ensures her homewares range continues to sell in Kmart stores Australia wide rather than just at the Bondi Junction and the Broadway stores.

I always thought she was a woman who would not compromise herself for the sake of the dollar but she is slowly slipping into the land of Thorpe in my books

[Tim D]

By saying nothing she is saying something. She is saying I do not want to be a role model for young lesbians who need someone to look up to (I assume there must be some Martha Stewart esque lesbians out there?!?)......

Saying nothing also ensures her homewares range continues to sell in Kmart stores Australia wide rather than just at the Bondi Junction and the Broadway stores.

I always thought she was a woman who would not compromise herself for the sake of the dollar but she is slowly slipping into the land of Thorpe in my books

You took the words right out of my mouth.

[Lynda Dowling]

My son and his partner are celebrities ...both very much in the public eye. Both are fiercely protective of their private lives. Both however are gay and proud. They do not lie about their sexuality.... they feel entitled to their right to privacy in their personal lives. When asked by journalists, both will claim same sex orientation proudly. They just do not elaborate or go into the private details. There is a limit to what the public is entitled to know and if it is not relevant to their careers and their future aspirations in their future roles, it is off limits.

[Tim D]

That's a great position for your son to take - if only all celebrities were that forthwright.

[MelbLouie]

I agree.

Although i think Management is partly to blame, because they didnt want to lose $$$$ or have controversy from the so-called religion organisations, like Lance Bass keeping quiet until the band broke up etc...

[waterrat]

I'm a celebrity...get me outta here!

[waterrat]

Most Sunday mornings on Weekend Sunrise he comes across as overtly camp, I don't know if it is just for show or something but I get the feeling "the force is strong in that one" (excuse the star wars pun - i don't even like star wars). ...


ROTFL! Thankyou thankyou thankyou...this shall forever be a euphemism for me and friends, love it!