10 Celebs We Didn't Know Were Gay And 10 Who Play For Both Teams
Everybody loves and everybody wants to find that special person out there who is their meant-to-be partner-whether that person is a male or female, it does not matter. Due to the fact that the LGBT+ community growth and society becoming way more accepting has led to the coming out of a multitude of celebrities. A lot of famous people have been terrified to live their lives proudly because they have seen stars in the past become shamed and lose hundreds of fans just by announcing their sexuality. Now that the world is changing for the better, the celebrity community is starting to be more honest with themselves and they are becoming more open to their fans.
Most people have experienced the situation where a friend announces their sexuality and it is gag-worthy. Not gag-worthy from disgust but because it was completely unexpected! These kinds of things come as a surprise for some crowds. Have any of our favorite celebrities come out and shocked the nation? Oh, most definitely! There are so many movie stars, writers and submissions who have been stealthy about their sexuality for years. Below we have 10 celebrities listed whom we were shocked to find out were gay and 10 others listed that are bisexual.
20 Came Out As Gay: Wentworth Miller-A Prison Break Star
This one came as a shocker to some of the fans out there. Wentworth Miller, star of The Flash series, revealed his sexuality in his announcement of declination to attend a film festival in Russia. The former Soviet Union has had lots of issues lately for their LGBT+ community. They have passed a series of anti-gay laws and Chechnya even has gay concentration camps that are being started.
Wentworth used his coming out as a way of protest and wanted to use his honesty to inspire others to stand up to worldwide bigotry like the hate that is being spread in Russia. Wentworth even stated that he had visited the country before, so it saddened him that he could not attend, but he does not want to be present or celebrate in a nation where people like him are not allowed to live and love freely.
19 Plays For Both Teams: Shannon Purser-Not So Strange
This actress just got her start on the widely popular Netflix original series Stranger Things. In the show, she plays Barbara "Barb" Holland, a student who mysteriously vanishes. Shannon Purser told her fans that she is bisexual in April 2017 and has been smiling about her decision to share ever since.
Like many other celebrities who have announcements to make, she took her outing to Twitter and it went off very well. She explained that she is very new to being openly a part of the LGBT+ community, but is excited to see where she goes and is more than happy to be there for the people she's now connected to.
Purser wants to let people know that the anxiety of coming to terms with who you are is excruciating, but that it does get better and everything is going to be okay.
18 Came Out As Gay: Kate McKinnon-Did She Give Off The Right Impression?
Impressionist and actress that we all watch play Hillary Clinton on Saturday Night Live and we have all seen in the new Ghostbusters film is a lesbian! Kate McKinnon has never really seemed to keep this part of her life hidden like a lot of other celebrities do, but a lot of her fans were not aware of her sexuality.
Not that her sexuality defines who she is, this topic is just strikingly interesting for a plethora of fascinated aficionados. McKinnon was doing an interview with America's lesbian sweetheart-Julie Goldman-and both of them spoke a good while on queer and lesbian topics.
It is nice to see how comfortable the actress is talking about things that regard the LGBT+ community. Kate McKinnon is now dating Jackie Abbott, an actress who played in the film Murder, My Tweet.
17 Plays For Both Teams: Keke Palmer-She Is Who She Is
Keke Palmer played in shows like Scream Queens, True Jackson VP, and Just Keke. She has also been featured in several movies like Joyful Noise, Madea's Family Reunion and Disney's Jump In. Palmer has decided to be open regarding the details about her sexuality, but refuses to give herself a label. She said that only her happiness can define who she is, which thousands of people thought was a very inspiring thing to say.
Regarding a music video she released, Palmer told People Magazine, “The video was to represent the young women today-it's not the traditional woman anymore-and not the specifics of 'Am I gay? Am I straight? Am I bi?'” the 22-year-old says in the latest issue of the magazine. “I'm making the rules for myself, and I don't have to be stuck down to one label.”
16 Came Out As Gay: Holland Taylor-Age Does Not Matter
This 74-year-old Emmy-winning television and movie star known for her portrayal of Evelyn Harper on Two and a Half Men came out in 2015 in an interview she was having with Anna Sale of WNYC. During the interview, she even declared publicly that she was seeing a woman who also happened to be an actress-and this actress also happens to be quite a bit younger than Taylor. Around 31 years younger to be exact.
Holland stated that she has been dating the American Horror Story leading lady Sarah Paulson. The couple may have a large age difference but there is no questioning how adorable they both are together. Now that they are both living their lives without hiding their love for each other, it just warms their admirers' hearts.
15 Plays For Both Teams: Vanessa Carlton-A Thousand Miles
We all know her song that was so trendy in the early 2000s. It is the track used in the ever so popular driving scene from the flick staring the Wayans brothers-White Chicks. Vanessa Carlton is the voice behind the catchy song “A Thousand Miles” and she has revealed that she is in fact bisexual.
Carlton came out as bisexual a while back but has brought up her sexuality recently in attempt to make the LGBT+ community feel safe. She said she wants to let Donald Trump know how proud she is to be bisexual. We are living in scary times-especially for the LGBT+ community-so any support they get means a lot. Any ally the community can obtain is worth it because they need voices and tons of positivity to keep the right of being who they are.
14 Came Out As Gay: Greyson Chance-Where's The Paparazzi?
This artist is known by a lot of millennials for receiving his claim to fame by appearing on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. Greyson Chance posted a video of himself singing Lady Gaga's hit song Paparazzi at a talent show and he obtained a lot of attention for it. DeGeneres saw the video and thought his talents deserved to be shared on a larger scale.
After living as a celebrity and traveling the world singing songs from his albums, Chance claims that he fully realized whom he was when he was 16 years old and decided to finally to tell the world about himself being a part of the LGBT+ community in 2017. He made the announcement on Instagram as a caption under a picture of the rainbow flag and we could not be prouder.
13 Plays For Both Teams: Bella Thorne-Time To Shake It Up
Bella Thorne received most of her attention and fame after she was cast as Cece in the Disney Channel dancing series Shake It Up. She was able to show off her moves and acting skills during the taping of the show, but after Disney lost her as an actress, she decided to come out as someone who swings both ways.
A fan asked her over social media if she were bisexual after she published a video on Snapchat of her kissing her brother's ex-girlfriend. It has been reported that she has even been dating her brother's ex after she broke up with her previous boyfriend in August 2016. Fans have been sending her lots of friendly vibes and have sent her lots of messages with uplifting words. Thorne said that she was so happy to see how accepting her friends and followers have been.
12 Came Out As Gay: Barry Manilow-This One's For You
Barry Manilow has released a horde of music to audiences everywhere and his fan base has grown more than any artist would ever imagine it could in the beginning of their career. Manilow admitted to putting his personal life on the backburner as he was living the life of someone with a music career, but he told People Magazine that he had been having a 40-year-long romance with his husband who also happened to be his manager.
Eyes are wide open now, aren't they? That was a bombshell for thousands of fans all over the world. Manilow said, "I'm so private. I always have been." It is nice to keep your private life out of the camera's focus but Manilow probably feels relieved to be able to live as openly as possible.
11 Plays For Both Teams: Mara Wilson-A 90's Child Star
After the tragedy that shook the world and caused every member of the LGBT+ community to be in tears-the shooting at Pulse Nightclub in Orlando-the star of the 1996 movie Matilda decided to announce that she was bisexual and stood with her people in mourning.
She explained that she finds comfort in numbers just like a lot of other LGBT+ people do, so she came out to let them know she is there for them and that fear is not an option in scary times like these. She even raised around $3.5 million for the families of the victims of the Pulse shooting. Wilson wants every person who is scared to come out to know that they are not alone and that coming out is worth it-no matter how intimidating it may be.
10 Came Out As Gay: Tyler The Creator-Rap About This
This hip-hop artist has had some very risqué and offensive lyrics written into a lot of his music, so it came off as jaw-dropping when he came out as gay. This rapper even used anti-gay language 213 times on his debut album. Well, Tyler the Creator came out of the closet in 2015 on Twitter and some of his fans do not even believe the coming out was legitimate.
In his post, he said, "I tried to come out the d*** closet like four days ago and no one cared." Hopefully people are starting to care because everyone deserves to live a happy life where they can love whom they love. Fans still deny his announcement and say he is just gay-baiting to receive more popularity. In Tyler the Creator's song Flower Boy, he even seems to be spatting rhymes about his own same-sex attractions.
9 Plays For Both Teams: Ke$ha-We Are Who We Are
It is not obscure at all to assume that this LGBT+ community beloved singer/songwriter would be bisexual. With songs like “Rainbow,” “We R Who We R,” and “Die Young,” it is safe to say that the LGBT+ community was completely happy to have gained a member such as Ke$ha.
In an interview the artist had in 2013 with Seventeen Magazine, she said, "I don't love just men. I love people. It's not about a gender. It's just about the spirit that exudes from that other person you're with." What a beautiful thing to say, right? Ke$ha said she loves to stand up against anti-LGBT+ bullying and has been so loved and inspired by the community that she feels like it is her duty to be there for them. We love you, Ke$ha!
8 Came Out As Gay: Colton Haynes-A Heartthrob
Jackson Whittmore is a name that a lot of his true-blue fans know him by because of his depiction on the werewolf-themed MTV series Teen Wolf. Colton Haynes has looks that make people sweat so we all know the gay community was cheering for joy when they found out he had spilled the beans regarding his sexuality. He said that he was forced to be in straight relationships in the beginning of his career to help grab attention, but is so glad he does not have to do that sort of thing now.
Haynes came out in 2016 and since his coming out, he even played a gay character on American Horror Story and claims to be happier than he has ever been in his whole life. We're happy for you, too, Colton!
7 Plays For Both Teams: Alia Shawkat-Living Her Life Proudly
Another person who came out of the closet with a smile on her face last year was Arrested Development and Search Party star Alia Shawkat.
She told Out Magazine that she identifies her sexuality as bisexual and that she would even be portraying a part in a queer-themed movie that she helped write later that year. Shawkat said, “I was a tomboy growing up, and I remember my mom asking me when I was 10, 'Are you attracted to boys or girls?' I said, 'I don't know,'” Shawkat said. “Now I consider myself bisexual, and I think balancing my male and female energies has been a big part of me growing as an actor.”
Having that connection between her personal life and acting career is really cool. Hopefully by doing so, she will inspire a large variety of younger people who are too afraid to express who they are.
6 Came Out As Gay: Daniel Newman-Red Hair, Don't Care
In a 2017 YouTube video announcement, this The Walking Dead star told his fans he was gay. Daniel Newman also announced his sexuality on Twitter. The actor, who also played in Falling Up and The Great Gatsby's #OUTandProud video, lasted almost 7 minutes as he told his story of struggling and learning to accept who he is.
Newman said he was inspired to release the video after he was assisting people at a homeless shelter and a young girl thanked him and explained that if he were to come out, he could be saving lives. He is now out and he is proud! He explained that he did not feel keeping his private life a secret was him hiding. He says it was just that he did not feel like speaking about it.
5 Plays For Both Teams: Drew Barrymore-She Couldn't Bare Hiding It Anymore
Drew Barrymore (get the pun in the title?) said in a 2003 interview with Contact Music that she does find women attractive and that she has always considered herself to be a bisexual woman. Then she went on to speak of several relationships she has had in the past with other women.
Fans started a rumor that Barrymore had even dated her Charlie's Angels co-star Cameron Diaz. These rumors were determined to be false, but Barrymore did date the Boogie Nights and The Hangover actress Heather Graham for a short amount of time.
When they were together, people could see them holding hands with each other at red carpets and other public places quite often. It is even rumored that Barrymore had even dated the famous radio personality Jane Pratt.
4 Came Out As Gay: Jodie Foster-The Brave One
Jodie Foster has been the main showcase in a lot of films like The Silence of the Lambs, The Brave One, and the 1997 sci-fi drama Contact. No one can deny that she is an amazing actress, but she was extremely phenomenal at playing the part of a heterosexual because when she gave her speech at the 2013 Golden Globe Awards, she came out as gay and the audience was so shocked. She did receive an amazing round of applause.
It truly is brave when you choose to live your life authentically because it can be frightening for most of the people in the world. This speech has inspired tons of fans to be themselves and we are sure Foster is so happy with her choice of coming out. She is now married to the beautiful Alexandra Hedison and they are living their little happily ever after.
3 Plays For Both Teams: Nyle DiMarco-Time To Dance
This blue-eyed hunk with a smile to die for got his big break after he became the winner of America's Next Top Model and shortly after won the ABC competition Dancing with the Stars. Nyle DiMarco has been a leading man for fighting for the awareness of the deaf community and has brought a lot of attention to the subject.
If people did not already love him for his sweet soul and gorgeous personality, he came out as "sexually fluid" and says he accepts everyone for who they are. Now, he is a voice for the deaf community and the LGBT+ community. He does not care if someone is male or female. Being sexually fluid means that a person can have a preference in genders but they are flexible. The preference can change over time.
2 Came Out As Gay: Kristian Nairn-Hold The Door
Thousands of Game of Thrones fans might find it extremely unexpected to see this next actor on the list. With all of the homosexual erotic scenes that are shown within the show, we would expect some of those actors to be the ones coming out as gay, but they are not who we are talking about. Kristian Nairn from Northern Ireland is famous for playing Hodor in the beloved HBO series.
Nairn came out as gay to a fan website for the popular show by stating if anyone were to be talking about the gay community, they would be talking about him as well. It is comforting to know that the man playing Hodor is willing to not only hold that door for his people within the show, but he is also willing to stand up for his people in the real world.
1 Plays For Both Teams: Keiynan Lonsdale-Came Out In A Flash
In May of 2017, this supporting actor from The CW's The Flash announced that he himself is bisexual as well. Keiynan Lonsdale said, "I like to change my hair, I like to take risks with how I dress, I like girls, and I like guys (yes)." Lonsdale explained that everyone should take their own time coming out because it can take a while to embrace who they are-which is true.
Sometimes we have trouble owning ourselves and we need to learn to love us for us. It could be the key to living a happy life. Maybe Lonsdale got that sort of advice from the famous drag queen RuPaul Charles. RuPaul always says, "If you can't love yourself, how in the H*ll are you going to love somebody else?"