“There’s something personal that I need to share with everyone. I’m a footballer and I’m gay,” Cavallo said in a video shared on his club’s social media accounts.
“Growing up, I always felt the need to hide myself, you know, because I was ashamed,” Cavallo said. “Ashamed I would never be able to do what I loved and be gay,” he added in the video entitled “Josh’s Truth.”
“All I want to do is to play football and be treated equally. I‘m tired [of] trying to perform at the best of your ability and live this double life. It’s exhausting. It’s something I don’t want anyone to experience,” he added.
I know this took a lot of courage Josh. Know that the entire football community stands with you. Enjoy this freedom now, enjoy your peace. So much respect for you brother 👏🏾👊🏾@JoshuaCavallohttps://t.co/A3eFubgPlr
Speaking with the BBC, Cavallo later said that after “fighting with my sexuality” for six years, he now “couldn’t be happier” with his decision.
“At the end of the day I just wanted to be happy. This is bigger than football, it’s my life. I’d go home and I wasn’t happy,” he said.
The Adelaide United midfielder is now the only openly gay male top-level professional soccer player in the world. His historic decision quickly reverberated throughout the world of international soccer, with many stars taking to social media to express their admiration and respect.
“Proud of you @joshcavallo,” France World Cup-winning striker Antoine Griezmann tweeted, adding a raised fist and a heart emoji, to symbolize solidarity and love.
“I know this took a lot of courage Josh. Know that the entire football community stands with you,” wrote Manchester United and England national team player Marcus Rashford wrote.”Enjoy this freedom now, enjoy your peace. So much respect for you brother.”
We stand alongside @JoshuaCavallo for proudly being true to himself and will continue to love and support him as a member of our beautifully diverse family.
Famed Barcelona defender Gerard Piqué, thanked Cavallo for this courage.
“Hey @JoshuaCavallo, I don’t have the pleasure to know you personally but I want to thank you for this step that you take. The world of football is far behind and you are helping us move forward,” he tweeted.
“You are a Champion,” Swedish soccer superstar Zlatan Ibrahimović wrote. “Football is for everybody. Big respect,” he continued, adding a rainbow flag emoji.
Australian soccer player Josh Cavallo, who plays for Adelaide United, recently came out as gay in a public announcement on his social media accounts this week. "It's been a journey to get to this point in my life, but I couldn't be happier with my decision to come out."
"Juno" and "The Umbrella Academy" star Elliot Page, formerly known as Ellen, came out as transgender in an inspiring statement on Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2020. "Hi friends, I want to share with you that I am trans, my pronouns are he/they and my name is Elliot. I feel lucky to be writing this. To be here. To have arrived at the place in my life."
"Road Trip" actor DJ Qualls, 41, announced he was gay on "The Jim Jeffries Show" Saturday, Jan. 11, 2020. "Yep, I'm gay. Been gay this whole time," Qualls tweeted after the show aired. "Tired of worrying about what people would think of me. Tired of worrying about what it would do to my career."
Actress Bella Thorne came out as pansexual during a recent interview with "Good Morning America" while discussing her latest book, "Life of a Wannabe Mogul: Mental Disarray," on July 22, 2019. The 21-year-old first came out as bisexual on Twitter back in 2016 but clarified her sexuality after learning more about what it meant.
After much speculation about her sexuality given her longstanding flirty relationship with Janelle Monae (including appearances in the singer’s “Dirty Computer” mini-movie and the videos for “Make Me Feel” and “Pynk”), Tessa Thompson came out as bisexual in the July 2018 issue of PorterEdit’s cover story on June 29, 2018. The “Sorry to Bother You” star, while talking about her and Monae’s relationship – the romantic angle of which she only briefly discusses – subtly brought up her attraction to men and women. “I can take things for granted because of my family - it’s so free and you can be anything that you want to be. I’m attracted to men and also to women. If I bring a woman home, [or] a man, we don’t even have to have the discussion,” she said. Thompson had stated earlier that because she and Monae "love each other so deeply" and “vibrate on the same frequency,” so people are free to speculate what they want about their relationship.
After dabbling with indentifying as bisexual and pansexual, Amandla Stenberg officially came out as gay in an interview with Wonderland magazine on June 18, 2018. The actor, who also identifies as non-binary and uses they/them pronouns, starts off the interview by proudly stating their sexual preference before moving into their coming out story. "I’m grateful for how being gay has afforded me this ability to experience and understand love and sex, and therefore life, in an expansive and infinite way," they stated.
Amid accusations of sexual harassment by Anthony Rapp, the "American Beauty" star came out in a prepared statement on Twitter on October 29, 2017. "I have loved and had romantic encounters with men throughout my life, and I choose now to live as a gay man. I want to deal with this honestly and openly and that starts with examining my own behavior," Spacey said. The "House of Cards" actor was accused of trying to seduce Rapp when he was 14, which Spacey said he didn't remember and blamed on "what would have been deeply inappropriate drunken behavior."
Alia Shawkat, best known for her role as Maeby in "Arrested Development," came out as bisexual in an interview with Out Magazine and opened up to the publication about understanding her sexuality. "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," she said in the May 2017 interview. "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."
WNBA star Sue Bird came out as gay and was dating U.S. soccer player Megan Rapinoe in July 2017. The basketball player said that those around her knew of her sexual orientation, and she decided to come out then because it felt right. "So even though I understand there are people who think I should have done it sooner, it wasn't right for me at the time. I have to be true to that. It's my journey," Bird said.
"Stranger Things" actress Shannon Purser came out as bisexual in a heartfelt message on Twitter. "I don't normally do this, but I figure now is as good a time as any to get personal. I've only just recently come out as bisexual to my family and friends," she wrote in April 2017. "It's something I am still processing and trying to understand and I don't like talking about it too much. I'm very very new to the LGBT community."
Three years after sectretly marrying his longtime partner, Barry Manilow confirmed he was gay in April 2017. The award-winning songwriter admitted that he stayed quiet for so long out of fear that he would disappoint his fans. Yet the reaction was the exact opposite. "When they found out that Garry and I were together, they were so happy," he said to People Magazine. "The reaction was so beautiful - strangers commenting, 'Great for you!' I'm just so grateful for it."
CMT personality Cody Alan came out as gay in an emotional message he wrote on Instagram. "2017. As we start a new year, there is something I want to share with you. You see, I’m gay. This is not a choice I made, but something I've known about myself my whole life," he wrote. "Through life's twists and turns, marriage, divorce, fatherhood, successes, failures - I've landed on this day, a day when I'm happier and healthier than I’ve ever been. And I'm finally comfortable enough for everyone to know this truth about me." Alan was previously married to a woman who he shares two children with.
Former child star Mara Wilson opened up to fans on Twitter following the deadly massacre at Pulse Nightclub in Orlando. "I said I *used* to identify as mostly straight. I've embraced the Bi/Queer label lately," Wilson tweeted out on June 12, 2016. The "Matilda" actress continued expressing her opinions on the matter adding "But the LGBTQ community has always felt like home, especially a few years later when I, uh, learned something about myself." She also tweeted that she identifies as a "2," supposedly referring to the Kinsey Scale which would mean she is "predominantly heterosexual, but more than incidentally homosexual." Wilson later admitted she wished she hadn't come out following the tragedy because "I got accused of taking advantage of a tragedy for personal attention," she said in an interview. "Now clearly I like attention, but I am not so callous as to make a tragedy about myself, my life and my story. That isn't what I was going for."
After years of speculation, Colton Haynes came out in May 2016 after saying that before he did, he would go home and "was still acting." The 29-year-old actor became engaged to celebrity florist Jeff Leatham in March 2017.
Charlie Carver penned a powerful essay on Instagram, in which he revealed he self-indetified as gay. "I owe it to myself, more than anything, to be who I needed when I was younger," he wrote in one of a series of posts.
After years of leaving people guessing about his sexuality, James Franco finally admitted to New York Magazine that he is "a little gay." The 38-year-old actor spoke openly to the magazine about hsi sexual orientation adding, "I like to think that I'm gay in my art and straight in my life." He continued by mentioning that "although, I'm also gay in my life up to the point of intercourse, and then you could say I'm straight."
Miley Cyrus revealed she came out as bisexual at just 14-years-old. The star, who was rumored to be seeing Stella Maxwell, revealed in an interview with Paper magazine that she was attracted to girls as well as boys when she was still filming her hit television series, Hannah Montana. Cyrus also identified herself as "gender fluid" in an interview with TIME. "I'm just equal," she said. "I'm just even. It has nothing to do with any parts of me or how I dress or how I look. It's literally just how I feel."
Broadway legend Joel Grey recently came out in an interview with People Magazine. The 82-year-old Tony and Oscar-winner, who is widely-known for his role in 1972 film, "Cabaret" stated, "I don't like labels, but if you have to put a label on it, I'm a gay man."
Apple CEO Tim Cook proudly confirmed he is gay for the first time in an inspiring essay published in Bloomberg Buisnessweek on Oct. 30, 2014. "While I have never denied my sexuality, I haven't publicly acknowledged it either, until now," writes Cook. "So let me be clear: I'm proud to be gay, and I consider being gay among the greatest gifts God has given me." Cook, one of the highest-profile figures in technology, is the first openly gay CEO of a Fortune 500 company, according to gay rights group Human Rights Campaign.
"Juno" star Ellen Page came out as a gay woman in a moving personal speech at the Human Rights Campaign's Time to Thrive conference benefiting LGBT youth in Las Vegas, Nevada. "I'm here today because I am gay," Page, 26, told the audience, "I am tired of hiding and I am tired of lying by omission," she said on Feb. 14, 2014.
Good Morning America anchor Robin Roberts revealed that she is in a same-sex relationship with licensed massage therapist Amber Laign. "I am grateful for my entire family, my longtime girlfriend, Amber, and friends as we prepare to celebrate a glorious new year together," Roberts declared on her Facebook "like" page" on Dec. 29, 2014. Roberts and Laign have been in a relationship for ten years after meeting through mutual friends in San Francisco.
Sam Smith came out in 2014 with his album "In the Lonely Hour," telling Fader it was "about a guy that I fell in love with last year, and he didn't love me back."
Olympic gold medalist Brian Boitano has announced he is gay. Boitano's personal news comes two days after the figure skater was named to the official United States 2014 Sochi Olympics delegation by President Obama. "While I am proud to play a public role in representing the American Olympic Delegation as a former Olympic athlete, I have always reserved my private life for my family and friends and will continue to do so," Boitano, 50, said in an official statement. "I am many things: a son, a brother, and uncle, a friend, an athlete, a cook, an author, and being gay is just one part of who I am."
Maria Bello has come out as gay and has a girlfriend. The "A History of Violence" actress wrote about telling her 12-year-old son Jackson that she was romantically involved with a woman he knew, Clare. She revealed her sexuality in a piece entitled "Coming Out as a Modern Family," in the New York Times. The revelation was prompted by her son innocently asking her if there was something she wasn’t telling him, leading to his becoming curious about her love life. "He was right; I was with someone romantically and I hadn't told him. I had become involved with a woman who was my best friend, and, as it happens, a person who is like a godmother to my son," wrote the "Coyote Ugly" star.
Anna Paquin has been keeping a secret that may be quite a surprise for some people. The actress, who is married to her 'True Blood' co-star Stephen Moyer, revealed that she is bisexual a public service announcement for the True Colors Fund. In the video, the actress appears on-camera and identifies herself as being bisexual, saying, 'I'm Anna Paquin. I'm bisexual, and I give a damn.'
British Olympic diver Tom Daley revealed in a YouTube video that he is currently dating another man. In the 5-minute clip he released on Dec. 2, 2013, the 19-year-old athlete says "come spring this year, my life changed massively when I met someone and it made me feel so happy, so safe ... That someone is a guy." "Of course I still fancy girls, but right now, I'm dating a guy, and I couldn't be happier," he added.
WWE wrestler Darren Young revealed to a TMZ cameraman -- and subsequently the rest of the world -- that he is a gay man. While leaving LAX airport on Aug. 14, 2013, the pro-athlete was hounded by an enthusiastic shutterbug and quizzed on his thoughts about the wrestling industry. Somehow, the photographer thought to ask Young, 29, if he thought a gay wrestler "could be successful" within the WWE. "Absolutely," Young responded. "Look at me. I'm a WWE superstar and to be honest with you, I'll tell you right now, I'm gay. And I'm happy. I'm very happy."
Wentworth Miller has come out as gay in a letter to the organizers of a film festival in Russia. The "Prison Break" star was invited to appear at the St. Petersburg international Film Festival, but declined due to Russia's recent anti-LGBT legislation. "As someone who has enjoyed visiting Russia in the past and can also claim a degree of Russian ancestry, it would make me happy to say yes," Miller wrote in the letter, posted on GLAAD's website. "However, as a gay man, I must decline."
Former "Kyle XY" star Matt Dallas has announced that not only is he gay, he's also engaged! Dallas announced his engagement to musician Blue Hamilton on Twitter with this post: "Starting off the year with a new fiance, @BlueHamilton. A great way to kick off 2013!" It may only be a week into 2013, but it's already a huge year for the actor.
Raven-Symone is putting long-standing rumors to rest ... sort of. "I can finally get married! Yay government! So proud of you," the former child star posted to Twitter on Aug. 2, 2013. The tweet seems to reference the Supreme Court's decision to overturn The Defense of Marriage Act in June 2013, paving the way for same-sex marriages across the country. "I was excited to hear today that more states legalized gay marriage. I, however am not currently getting married, but it is great to know I can now, should I wish to," Symone told E! News. Symone has commented on her sexual orientation before on Twitter. "My sexual orientation is mine, and the person I'm datings to know. I'm not one for a public display of my life," the actress posted in 2012.
Former "Glee" star Charice officially came out to fans during an emotional television interview in her native Philippines on June 2, 2013. When asked about her sexuality on her country's popular "The Buzz," the 21-year-old pop star responded, "Opo, tomboy po ako" -- which translates from Filipino as, "Yes, I'm a lesbian." Charice broke down in tears after the admission, adding that she was now estranged from her mother and brother. Though the interview was visibly painful for Charice, she added that "Now I feel free."
NBA player Jason Collins is making history. The Boston Celtics center is the first active athlete in a major American professional sport to publicly identify himself as homosexual. "I'm a 34-year-old NBA center," Collins writes in a Sports Illustrated story announcing his sexuality. "I'm black. And I'm gay." "I didn't set out to be the first openly gay athlete playing in a major American team sport," Collins adds. "But since I am, I'm happy to start the conversation. I wish I wasn't the kid in the classroom raising his hand and saying, 'I'm different.' If I had my way, someone else would have already done this. Nobody has, which is why I'm raising my hand."
Clive Davis used his autobiography, "The Soundtrack of My Life," to let the world in on a little secret. Clive comes clean about his bisexuality in the book. Married twice, and many times a father, he has, it seems, been exclusively involved with men for the last 20 years. That's one of the rare personal glimpses into Clive's life. He's more so credited as being the man who found Whitney Houston and he's the current chief creative officer of Sony Music Entertainment.
Jodie Foster is out and proud -- well sort of. The actress came as close as she ever has to publicly outing herself as a lesbian during her acceptance speech for the Cecile B. DeMille Award for lifetime achievement at the 70th annual Golden Globe Awards. Foster, 50, who's been working in the industry since she was just three years old and has always remained guarded about her private life, gave an emotional and honest speech that elicited many tears from the audience. “I guess I have a sudden urge to say something that I've never been able to air in public that I'm a little nervous about," Foster said, before joking about being single. She continued, "I already did my coming out a thousand years ago, in the Stone Age. Those very quaint days when a fragile young girl would open up to friends and family and co-workers then gradually to everyone that knew her, everyone she actually met."
Frank Ocean has finally found his own personal freedom this Independence Day. The Odd Future rapper and Kanye West's protege came out in a message on July 4, 2012, confessing that his "first love" was with a man. "4 summers ago, I met somebody," he wrote. "I was 19 years old. He was too. We spent that summer, and the summer after, together. The singer's post comes hot on the heels of speculation about his sexuality after a writer from BBC1 Xtra's Max wrote a review pointing out his use of the pronoun "him" instead of "her" on several tracks on his upcoming album "Channel Orange." The confession marks a groundbreaking moment in the hip hop world, as Ocean is one of the first artists to come out about his sexuality.
Anderson Cooper's famously private life just became the latest breaking news. He is, in his own words, "gay, always have been, always will be" and he "couldn't be any more happy, comfortable with myself, and proud." The respected CNN journalist, who has long dodged questions about his sexuality in the public eye, opened up to The Daily Beast columnist Andrew Sullivan in a recent email exchange.
Jim Parsons, star of 'The Big Bang Theory,' quietly came out of the closet on May 23. The New York Times revealed that the actor is gay and in a long-term relationship. Parsons, who is set to play the starring role of Elwood P. Dowd in Broadway’s 'Harvey,' isn't directly quoted in the interview and doesn't divulge any other details about his personal life or the identity of his partner. The only detail he divulged is that he's been in a 10-year relationship with a man.
Against Me! front man Tom Gabel rocked the music world by coming out as a transgender with plans to physically become a woman. The 31-year-old Gabel made the announcement in an interview with Rolling Stone magazine, revealing that she has suffered from gender dysphoria, a recognized medical condition involving a person's self-perception of their gender. Before going public, Gabel first broke the news to her wife, Heather, to whom she will remain married. Gabel's announcement marks a first in rock history, especially in the machismo world of punk music.
Matt Bomer has played many diverse roles in his career, but the 'White Collar' star has never been more proud of who he is off-screen. During an acceptance speech at the Steve Chase Humanitarian Awards, Bomer publicly confirmed that he is gay. 'I'd really especially like to thank my beautiful family: Simon, Kit, Walker, Henry,' he told the audience as he accepted an award. Bomer's partner, Slate PR publicist Simon Halls, currently represents 'Glee' co-creator Ryan Murphy and 'How I Met Your Mother' actor Neil Patrick Harris, who are both openly gay.
Sean Maher, star of the new NBC series 'The Playboy Club,' revealed on Sept. 26 that he's gay. 'I was nervous coming here today because I've just never talked about it,' Maher told Entertainment Weekly. 'But, it's so liberating. It was interesting to be coming to have a conversation that I was always afraid to have.' 'This is my coming out ball. I've been dying to do this,' added the actor, who has two children, Sophia Rose, 4, and Liam Xavier, 14 months, with his partner of nearly nine years.
Comedian and journalist Mo Rocca has come out of the closet and it makes him finally feel 'comfortable.' Speaking to The Six Pack in a podcast interview, Rocca said 'I'm just more comfortable with myself now. It's taken me until 42 to begin to feel this way.' Rocca is a CBS Sunday Morning contributor and a panelist on NPR. He's worked as a contributor to 'The Daily Show with Jon Stewart' for 5 years and also was a correspondent for 'The Tonight Show.'
One of the keys to being a great journalist is transparency. And so, Don Lemon has finally decided to come clean. The CNN anchor reveals in his memoir, 'Transparent,' that he is gay. "People are going to say: 'Oh, he was molested as a kid and now he is coming out," Lemmon said in an interview with The New York Times, acknowledging that details about his personal life will probably garner more headlines than his insights on the journalism industry. Lemon, 45, recognized that while his sexual orientation won't be news to his colleagues, it will be to his audience – a fact that has left him 'scared.'
Tiffany, you're off the hook. Jonathan Knight has officially come out of the closet, just a week after the pop star accidentally outed him on Bravo's 'Watch What Happens Live' in January. In a blog post published on a members-only section of the New Kids on the Block website, Knight confirmed his sexual orientation for the first time publicly but claimed he had actually privately revealed he was gay 'almost twenty years ago.'
Johnny Weir admitted on Jan. 6 what he's tried half-heartedly to hide all these years: He's gay. The flamboyant figure skater, who has danced around questions regarding his sexuality throughout his career, officially came out of the closet in his soon to be released autobiography, 'Welcome to My World.' 'I'm not ashamed to be me,' writes Weir. 'More than anyone else I know, I love my life and accept myself. What's wrong with being unique? I am proud of everything that I am and will become.' Weir's admission is revealed in an excerpt of his book featured in the Jan. 17 issue of People magazine.
'Facts of Life' star Geri Jewell revealed she's a lesbian in her new memoir.
Amber Heard has publicly come out of the closet, making her red-carpet debut with her girlfriend of two years, photographer and artist Tasya van Ree, at GLAAD's 25th anniversary celebration.'I think GLAAD is one of the many reasons that I, as a 24-year-old, can come out,' the 'Pineapple Express' actress told AfterEllen.com following the event. The actress explained that if she continued to hide her sexuality, she was inadvertently admitting it is wrong. 'I don't feel like I'm wrong,' she told the website. 'I don't feel like millions of people are wrong because they love who they love or they were born how they were born.'
After years of speculation, actress Sara Gilbert finally addressed her sexuality during a press conference on July 28 at the Television Critics Association in Los Angeles. According to Entertainment Weekly, the former 'Roseanne' actress openly spoke about her life as a lesbian, raising two children with television producer Allison Adler. When Gilbert, who is the executive producer and co-host of the upcoming talk show 'The Talk,' was asked if she was comfortable being 'out,' she replied, 'This is a whole new world for me.'
It's no ordinary day for Vanessa Carlton. The 29-year-old singer-songwriter came out at the Nashville Pride Festival over Father's Day weekend to a crowd of 18,000, the Huffington Post reports. 'I've never said this before, but I am a proud bisexual woman,' she told the audience as she hit the stage on June 19.
In 1976, Elton John (pictured left with music impresario Clive Davis) came out as bisexual in a Rolling Stone interview.
Country music superstar Chely Wright has never been keen to publicly discuss her sexuality. Until now. 'There had never, ever been a country music artist who had acknowledged his or her homosexuality,' she tells People.com. 'I wasn't going to be the first.' But that's exactly what's transpired, and Wright couldn't be prouder. 'Nothing in my life has been more magical than the moment I decided to come out,' she says.
Ricky Martin, the hip-shaking Puerto Rican pop star, confirmed years of rumors by coming out on March 29 - and fans weren't surprised in the least. 'I am proud to say that I am a fortunate homosexual man. I am very blessed to be who I am,' he said in a statement posted on his Web site. The 'Livin' la Vida Loca' singer and dad of two said writing his memoirs pushed him to stop denying his romantic preferences. "The word 'happiness' takes on a new meaning for me as of today."
Canadian country singer K.D. Lang was among the first celebrities to come out as a lesbian publically back in 1992 during an interview with The Advocate. "I'm proud that I was one of the first ones out, singing loud and proud," Lang said.
Just a few weeks after denying reports that she was in a lesbian relationship, 'Real Housewives of Atlanta' star Kim Zolciak finally came clean about her sexuality in an interview with Life & Style magazine. In the interview, Zolciak admitted to being in a relationship with DJ Tracy Young, the woman behind the remix of her one-hit wonder, 'Tardy for the Party.' The 'Real Houswife' says of her new relationship: 'There were sparks, but [physically] it was a gradual situation. Tracy made the first move. Our first kiss was passionate and exciting.'
Sean Hayes never publicly acknowledged his homosexuality during his 8-year stint as flamboyant neighbor Jack on the hit TV series 'Will and Grace.' Now, in an interview some fans have waited nearly 12 years to read, Hayes comes out in the April issue of The Advocate.
Meredith Baxter, best known for her role as the free-spirited mom on hit '80's television sitcom 'Family Ties, revealed she is a lesbian to 'Today' host Matt Lauer in December 2009. Baxter, 62, says of her coming out: 'It was a later-in-life recognition.'
Financial guru Suze Orman revealed she is a lesbian in a February 2007 issue of the New York Times Magazine. Orman told the magazine, 'I have never been with a man in my whole life. I'm still a 55-year-old virgin.'
Mary Cheney's sexual orientation had been a longtime source of public attention. As the daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney, she is often asked in interviews about the difficulties of growing up gay in a Republican family. When asked about her father's reaction to her coming out at the age of 16, Cheney once told Time magazine that he said, 'You're my daughter and I love you and I just want you to be happy.'
In April 2008, 'Brothers and Sisters' star Luke McFarlane, whose character, Scotty Wandell, is also gay, came out to Canada's Globe and Mail. 'I don’t know what will happen professionally,' MacFarlane said. 'That is the fear, but I guess I can't really be concerned about what will happen, because it’s my truth. … There is this desire in L.A. to wonder who you are and what’s been blaring for me for the last three years is how can I be most authentic to myself - so this is the first time I am speaking about it in this way.'
MSNBC political pundit Rachel Maddow talked about coming out in an interview with WowoWow.com. Maddow says she was openly gay by the time she was about 17, throwing herself into AIDS activism work that eventually led to a career in politics.
He may not have won 'American Idol,' but runner-up Adam Lambert did nab himself the cover of music bible, Rolling Stone. And what a cover story it is! After months of speculation regarding his sexual orientation – spurred further by Lambert’s vague comments on the subject – throughout the competition, the singer finally officially 'comes out' in the latest issue of the mag. 'I don't think it should be a surprise for anyone to hear that I'm gay,' Lambert tells the mag. 'I'm proud of my sexuality. I embrace it.'
Lady Gaga recently revealed her bisexuality to Rolling Stone as well. She describes her attraction to females as 'purely physical,' and something that makes her boyfriends feel uncomfortable.
Ellen DeGeneres came out on the cover of Time magazine in 1997, followed by a special episode of her sitcom 'Ellen,' in which her character (above, left) falls for a friend played by Laura Dern. But several years later, she would fall for another actress in real life ...
Degeneres married actress Portia de Rossi in an August 2008 ceremony. In a December 2009 interview with the ladies of 'The View,' actress Portia de Rossi admitted, 'It took me quite a while [to come out] because I was one of those actors who was very afraid that my career would be over.'
'Top Gun' actress Kelly McGillis confirmed she is a lesbian in an intimate interview, telling SheWired.com that her next partner 'would definitely be a woman.' The 51-year-old Gillis, who has been married twice and has two daughters, told the magazine that accepting her sexual orientation was an 'ongoing process from the time I was probably 12.'
Comedian Wanda Sykes, who can be seen on 'The New Adventures of Old Christine,' joined other protesters in Las Vegas at a rally against the passage of Proposition 8, which bans gay marriage in California. The actress not only came to the rally, but she also came out, revealing to the crowd that she had married her female partner in late October 2008.
Clay Aiken came out on the cover of this People magazine in August. The 'American Idol' singer said that welcoming a baby into the world had helped him come to terms with his sexuality and the need to be open about the truth.
Lindsay Lohan (right) confirmed her relationship with Samantha Ronson Monday on the call-in radio show 'Loveline.'
Neil Patrick Harris addressed his sexuality in a 2006 People magazine interview.
Best known for her role as President Allison Taylor on hit TV series '24,' Cherry Jones has been openly gay throughout most her career.
T.R. Knight and Cynthia Nixon (pictured above, co-hosting the 2007 Obie Awards). Knight came out in People magazine in 2006 after his 'Grey's Anatomy' co-star Isaiah Washington allegedly used an anti-gay slur. The same year, Nixon discussed her relationship with Christine Marinioni in New York magazine.
Michael Stipe, lead singer for the rock group R.E.M., came out as a 'queer artist' in a 2001 interview with Time magazine.
Lance Bass also went the People magazine route in 2006.
Melissa Etheridge came out publicly during a concert celebrating Bill Clinton's inauguration in 1993.
After years of hints and speculation, Rosie O'Donnell came out in 2002, two months after the last episode of her talk show, pictured above.
Openly gay among his theater colleagues, Sir Ian McKellen came out publicly in a BBC Radio 3 interview in 1988.
"Orange is the New Black" star Ruby Rose came out as gay when she was only I am very gender fluid and feel more like I wake up every day sort of gender neutral."
The first professional soccer male player to come out while still playing was Justin Fashanu in 1990. Unfortunately, the English striker — who was also the first Black soccer player to be traded for 1 million pounds — never found acceptance in the sport and tragically died by suicide in 1998 at the age of 37.
He was posthumously inducted into the English Hall of Fame at the National Football Museum in Manchester in February 2020.
![After much speculation about her sexuality given her longstanding flirty relationship with Janelle Monae (including appearances in the singer’s “Dirty Computer” mini-movie and the videos for “Make Me Feel” and “Pynk”), Tessa Thompson came out as bisexual in the July 2018 issue of PorterEdit’s cover story on June 29, 2018. The “Sorry to Bother You” star, while talking about her and Monae’s relationship – the romantic angle of which she only briefly discusses – subtly brought up her attraction to men and women. “I can take things for granted because of my family - it’s so free and you can be anything that you want to be. I’m attracted to men and also to women. If I bring a woman home, [or] a man, we don’t even have to have the discussion,” she said. Thompson had stated earlier that because she and Monae "love each other so deeply" and “vibrate on the same frequency,” so people are free to speculate what they want about their relationship.](https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/uMlgYXwXiU0JUlIAYKDBww--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD0xODYz/https://media.zenfs.com/en/aol_ny_daily_news_10/0d2c0ce806938261e045da9161f38d90)
![Just a few weeks after denying reports that she was in a lesbian relationship, 'Real Housewives of Atlanta' star Kim Zolciak finally came clean about her sexuality in an interview with Life & Style magazine. In the interview, Zolciak admitted to being in a relationship with DJ Tracy Young, the woman behind the remix of her one-hit wonder, 'Tardy for the Party.' The 'Real Houswife' says of her new relationship: 'There were sparks, but [physically] it was a gradual situation. Tracy made the first move. Our first kiss was passionate and exciting.'](https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/TXCI9iyRN0YVAjvYkKGSGg--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTczMw--/https://media.zenfs.com/en/aol_ny_daily_news_10/b2d9267e78604b33f6124c2c90bba399)
![Degeneres married actress Portia de Rossi in an August 2008 ceremony. In a December 2009 interview with the ladies of 'The View,' actress Portia de Rossi admitted, 'It took me quite a while [to come out] because I was one of those actors who was very afraid that my career would be over.'](https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/y7HLI8Vj0xXjKMFj9KQaZQ--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTY0MDtoPTkzMA--/https://media.zenfs.com/en/aol_ny_daily_news_10/46f2f7ffb4eff8f22724fae61a4095b6)
