Gay Market News has reported on the increasing number of gay celebrities who come out as gay. Ellen DeGeneres. Elton John. Rosie O'Donnell. Sir Ian McKellen. Jodie Foster. Now, you can add REM lead singer Michael Stipe to the list of gay out celebs.
Ian Johnson, Out Now
March 20, 2008
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TOPICS: Gay and lesbian celebrities. Gay stars. Anderson Cooper. Ellen DeGeneres. Rosie O'Donnell. Elton John. Michael Stipe. REM lead singer, Michael Stipe, comes out as gay and grows growing list of openly gay celebrities.The world of stardom and modern day celebrity continues to change for lesbian and gay celebs.
Whereas once it was considered almost impossible to be out as gay in the times of Liberace, things started changing some years ago, and the rate at which gay stars come out as gay seems to continue to accelerate.
Sir Ian McKellen came out as gay 20 years ago in 1988 -- at a time when many actors stayed resolutely in the closet.
Since that time gay stars such as Ellen DeGeneres, Sir Elton John and Rosie O'Donnell have joined him in a growing list of gay celebs unwilling to keep such an important part of themselves a secret. Jodie Foster came out as gay to Hollywood, and the world, just last December.
Jodie Foster and Anderson Cooper were famously pictured together as gay stars in the closet on a gay magazine cover before Ms Foster decided to announce she is gay.
Now another well known celeb can be added to the growing list of openly gay stars.
Micheal Stipe, lead singer of one of the music industry's leading bands of the past several decades -- REM -- can now be included as being an out gay star.
Stipe, 48, feels comfortable now telling the world he is gay.
"It was super complicated for me in the '80s," said Stipe. "I was totally open with the band and my family and my friends and certainly the people I was sleeping with. I thought it was pretty obvious. Now I recognise that for public figures to be very open about their sexuality helps some kid somewhere. I didn't always see that. But I see now, of course that's the case, of course that's needed. I'd just never felt strongly enough about a particular relationship to say, 'Yeah, he's my boyfriend, that is what it is.' "
Michael Stipe's remarks are important for acknowledging that gay celebrities coming out as openly gay can be responsible for putting positive gay role models into the public arena, in a way that helps young gays and lesbians.
Being gay can sometimes be difficult for many young people to understand as they come to terms with their own sexual orientation, but the presence of out gay public figures -- such as the lead singer of a musically very significant rock band -- as positive role models to younger gays and lesbians is most definitely something to be applauded.
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