Another day, another celebrity coming out of that
ever-crowded (but super-fabulous) closet. But where’s the shock value? Where’s
the TIME or People magazine cover? Where is the scandalous story in the
salacious gossip columns? In this day and age, no one is really phased by a
celebrity coming out anymore. Some people in fact are frustrated and annoyed
with the fact that others make it a bigger deal than it needs to be. But it IS
in fact a big deal, and here’s why:
Long ago, it was a national headline when it was announced
that Rock Hudson was gay and had died of AIDS. Who remembers where they were
the moment they saw Ellen DeGeneres on the cover of TIME, or even when they saw
the episode of her show where her character came out? And let’s not forget the
scandal that was George Michael being outed in a public bathroom. These outings
(and countless more) were the breaking point for what has now becoming a
socially acceptable thing. Actors, celebrities, and public figures alike
started to come out left and right it seemed, declaring who they were to the
public. Some had even expressed how much of a relief it was, or they chose to
proclaim why they kept it a secret for so long (even though most people usually
have a suspicion about it all). A lot of times, it was the pressure and fear
that if they came out as gay or lesbian, they wouldn’t be accepted or they
would lose work because of their sexuality. We now have come to realize that in
2014, this is not the case so to speak.
Look at the number of twitter followers Anderson Cooper has.
Pay attention to how many times Neil Patrick Harris has hosted a major awards
ceremony. Keep in mind how many viewers Ellen has for her talk show every day.
It’s not that being gay is what is “in” right now. It seems
to me that the only thing “in” are nonchalant outings, celebrities and public
figures simply telling the public who they are. But why do they need to announce
anything at all, even if it is just a simple tweet or a speech in public?
Let me tell you the story about a little boy, going to
school for 6+ years everyday being constantly ridiculed and teased for his
sexuality (even though he didn’t really understand what "being gay" was). There was no
one his age at the time that he could look up to, that he thought of as a role
model, someone who had publicly announced that they had gone through the same
thing. Imagine feeling all alone, and the only thing you really want is someone
to say that they’ve been where you’ve been. Sure there was Ellen at first, but
she was practically lynched for coming out. I mean, how many years did it take
for her until she found success with Finding Nemo and her own talk show?
Not everyone idolizes celebrities because of their good
looks, fit bodies, and pretty teeth. Some people actually admire a celebrity
because they stand up for good, they do what’s right, and they are just like
you and me (shocking, I KNOW).
It’s not just a little Mexican boy wanting to relate to
someone famous in that sense. It’s also a closeted high school football player,
afraid of what his team would think or do and wants to tell people, “hey, if
Michael Sam can be gay and play football, then so can I!” It’s an aspiring lesbian
actress, afraid of not getting good roles because of her sexuality who may say,
“wow, if Sarah Paulson can get amazing roles in film and TV, then so can I!” It’s
an aspiring rapper who lives in fear of coming out in the hip-hop community and
jeopardizing his potential career who says, “well, if Frank Ocean can nab so
many Grammy nominations, then so can I!” The list can go on forever, but do you
see my point? It’s something to aspire to, to be able to relate to someone
publicly like that. It’s a source of inspiration for some people to know that
they are capable of great things in life too. It IS in fact possible. And for
me, Ellen Page is just one more extraordinary public figure making a difference
by coming out, helping millions of quirky girls like herself believe that
anything is possible.
Sure, wouldn’t it be great to one day live in a world where
coming out in public doesn’t feel like a necessity? To one day live freely and
just be accepted for who you are without a public declaration? I mean, you don’t hear straight people coming
out as straight. But until that day comes, it’s important coming out with your
sexuality as a public, no matter what line of work you’re in.
You’ll never know how many people will be inspired or motivated, or just how
many lives will be saved.
Take it from me, it feels good to know that there IS in fact
someone out there like me, and that I am capable of greatness and pure joy too.
