All Rights reserved
When it comes to coming-out stories, 2021 has been quite the ride!
It's been quite the year!
2021 is wrapping up and these celebrities have decided to openly share their truths with the world, and you know what? We LOVE to see it!
Here are all the notable celebs who have come out in 2021!
Maddie Hasson
Taking part in the "Post a pic of..." trend that took over Instagram stories in January, actress Maddie Hasson (who fans mostly know from the Freeform series Twisted and the YouTube series Impulse) publicly came out as bisexual after sharing a selfie with the caption "Hi, I’m bi and proud!" when asked by a fan to post a pic that gave off a "gay/bi vibe."
Mr. Grim
Professional wrestler Chris Lewis — better known by his wrestling stage name Mr. Grim — rang in the new year in January by taking to Twitter to share a heartfelt coming-out message, letting his followers know that he is pansexual.
"For years, I've struggled with my identity, too worried about how others would feel or think about me," Lewis wrote in his tweet. "I've finally gained the courage to openly express that I'm pansexual."
Chris Stuckmann
Popular film critic and YouTube personality Chris Stuckmann came out as pansexual in an emotional January video posted to his YouTube channel.
"I am pansexual," the content creator said in his coming-out video. "If you don’t know what pansexuality is, essentially you are attracted to all genders. And that’s me."
Trending Stories
Mary Wiseman
The Star Trek: Discovery star publicly opened up about her sexuality in January and confirmed to the world that she is definitely "queer and proud!"
"I did say this!" Wiseman told StarTrek.com when asked to clarify a comment she made in a previous Zoom interview where she made the comment "I'm not straight." "It’s not a big deal at all, I just didn’t want to say I’m straight when I’m not! Before Noah (Averbach-Katz, Wiseman’s husband, and another actor on the show), I dated and loved people of all genders. I never liked it when straight-presenting women dominated conversations about bisexuality/pansexuality when I was with women, so I try not to do it now, but I also don’t want it to feel like I’m hiding anything because I’m queer and proud!"
Nats Getty
Artist and LGBTQ+ activist Nats Getty publicly opened up about their gender identity in January in a heartfelt and emotional social media post and in a video on their partner, popular beauty guru Gigi Gorgeous', YouTube channel.
"I am transgender, non-binary. I have spent my entire life not in sync with the body I was born with and confined by an outward appearance that did not match my mind of soul," Nats wrote in a letter on Instagram posted alongside a portrait with Gigi. "It wasn't until recently that I was even comfortable admitting this to myself, once I was able to look inwards and truly reflect on my authentic self."
JoJo Siwa
After online speculation from fans in January following several posts on TikTok where she was lipsyncing to Lady Gaga's iconic bop "Born This Way" and dancing with the members of queer social media collective Pride House LA, popular singer, dancer, and Nickelodeon star JoJo Siwa took to Twitter to confirm that she is queer, donning a shirt that he cousin gifted for her to wear that says "Best. Gay. Cousin. Ever."
Then, in an April cover story interview for People Magazine, Siwa said that although she's still figuring things out when it comes to what specific LGBTQ+ label to use and identify with, she does use and is comfortable with the pansexual label.
"I don't know, bisexual, pansexual, queer, lesbian, gay, straight. I always just say gay because it just kind of covers it or queer because I think the keyword is cool. I like queer," she said. "Technically I would say that I am pansexual because that's how I have always been my whole life is just like, my human is my human."
T.J. Osborne
The country music star and lead vocalist of the musical duo the Brothers Osborne publicly spoke his truth and came out as gay in a February interview with TIME Magazine.
"I’m very comfortable being gay," T.J. told TIME. "I find myself being guarded for not wanting to talk about something that I personally don’t have a problem with. That feels so strange."
Gabbi Tuft
Retired World Wrestling Entertainment superstar Gabbi Tuft publicly opened up about her gender identity in a powerful post on her Instagram account in February. The 42-year-old, California native came out as trans, saying that "I am no longer afraid and I am no longer fearful. I can now say with confidence, that I love myself for WHO I am."
Adelaide Kane
Reign and Teen Wolf actress Adelaide Kane came out as bisexual in a February TikTok post.
"Me super nervous to come out publicly as bisexual to the people in my life & social media," reads the caption of Kane's coming-out TikTok, where Michael Bublé's song "Haven’t Met You Yet" can be heard playing in the background.
Lux Pascal
Game of Thrones and The Mandalorian star Pedro Pascal's little sister came out as trans to the world publicly via a February cover story Spanish-language, entertainment magazine Ya.
"My transition has been something that's very natural for everyone in my family," Lux said in the feature about how supportive the people in her life were, as reported by People. "It's almost something that they expected to happen."
And one of those most supportive people was none other than her older brother Pedro.
"Pedro has been an important part of this," Lux continued. "He's also an artist and has served as a guide for me. He was one of the first people to gift me the tools that started shaping my identity."
Robin Torkar
Video game streamer and Twitch personality Robin Torkar came out as a transgender woman in February Twitter and Instagram posts, sharing the news with fans while stating that he is still using he/him pronouns for the time being but is excited to share this journey with others.
"I’m becoming…a trans woman!" Robin wrote in his announcement. "It’s still very early on in the process, I’m still almost in disbelief."
He continued:
"For now I’m still going by the name Robin and I’m still using he/him pronouns but I’m choosing to bring you in the loop early and hopefully you’ll want to join me on this journey!"
Lily Jo Hanson
After a nearly three-year-long hiatus, YouTube star and comedian Lily Jo Hanson (who is well-known for creating the Joe Goes YouTube channel) posted a heartfelt video YouTube video in early March entitled "The Cost of Costumes" where she discussed the journey she's had over the years in discovering her truest and most authentic self, coming out as a trans woman.
"When you’re being authentic, your essence shines and people want to be around you," she reflected. "My story is not Joe became Lily. My story is Lily stopped pretending to be Joe."
Kayla Braxton
WWE's Friday Night SmackDown correspondent and interviewer Kayla Braxton posted a heartfelt message about her sexuality to her now-deleted Twitter account in early March. The 27-year-old media personality (who co-hosts the WWE's weekly social media talk show The Bump) proudly and publicly announced that she is bisexual, saying "my whole life, I’ve had to choose. Are you black? Are you white? Which bubble do you fill in on the SATs? I always filled in "other" because nothing applied to me. Tonight, I choose to be over having to choose. Hello world. I’m Kayla. Oh. And yeah – I’m Bi."
Ella Hunt
The 23-year-old English actress, who plays Hailee Steinfeld's best friend/love interest Sue Gilbert in Apple TV+'s super queer historical comedy series Dickinson, took to Twitter in March clarify comments she made about queerness in a recent interview with Square Mile, and how she, in fact, identifies herself as queer.
"I love the term queer," Hunt told the lifestyle publication. "I don’t think it is specifically about sexuality, I see it as a mindset and feeling empowered in the bizarre and the strange sides of myself. I think queer is a beautiful word in that sense. It’s an attitude. That’s how I identify to my friends in New York."
When a fan took issue with the suggestion that queerness is "an attitude," they reached out personally to Hunt on Twitter, and Hunt was more than happy to engage.
"I love you so much, and I loved your interview," Twitter user @Dashtin6 wrote to Hunt. "However, being queer isn't an attitude. I can't just change being this way like I can my attitude, when having a bad day. I still love you tho!"
"I actually completely agree with you and when the interviewer asked me directly if I was queer I got anxious and fumbled my answer (having not openly talked about my identity for long)," Hunt replied.
Demi Lovato
In a March interview with Joe Rogan on his popular podcast, the Joe Rogan Experience, the Grammy-nominated singer, who has been publicly open about being queer and talking about their sexuality (and their attraction to both men and women) in the past, was comfortable enough to label themselves as pansexual.
"I was engaged to a man last year," Lovato told Rogan when asked about their prior engagement to actor Max Ehrich and whether or not they want to have children in the future. "I totally thought I'd be married, maybe pregnant by now. And that's not the case."
They continued:
"I also don't know if I'm going to end up with a guy, so I can't really see myself maybe getting pregnant. I'm so fluid now — and a part of the reason why I am so fluid is because I was super closeted off."
"You mean sexually fluid?" Rogan asked. "You like girls? You like boys?"
"Yeah, anything, really" Lovato responded.
"What do they call that? Like pansexual or something like that?" Rogan asked.
"Yeah, pansexual," Lovato confirmed.
Then, in a series of tweets they posted in May, they talked openly about their journey with their gender, identifying as nonbinary, and how they now use they/them pronouns.
"Every day we wake up, we are given another opportunity and chance to be who we want and wish to be. I’ve spent the majority of my life growing in front of all of you...you’ve seen the good, the bad, and everything in between," Demi wrote. "Not only has my life been a journey for myself, I was also living for those on the other side of the cameras."
They continued:
"Today is a day I'm so happy to share more of my life with you all: I am proud to let you know that I identify as nonbinary and will officially be changing my pronouns to they/them moving forward."
Corey Walsh
The 27-year-old pro BMX rider and Vans spokesperson took to Instagram in late March to pen an emotional post about his journey to self-acceptance and what it was like coming out as a gay man to the people closest to him in his life, especially since there are still not that many out and proud role models in the BMX industry.
"If you were to tell me a year ago that today was going to be the day where I said f*ck it and let the world in on my personal life I would have told you that’s never going to happen," Walsh wrote. "But thanks to the support of my family, friends, and sponsors I can finally accept the fact that I am gay and be open about it."
He continued:
"Trust me, I’m not the person who wants to let people in on my personal life and in a perfect world I would not have to. But the reality is there are a lot of people still struggling with the same situations and I just wanted to let people know that they are not alone. I feel like the world is shifting into a more understanding place and now is the time to open up the conversation within our communities every chance we get. So here we are."
Kehlani
During an Instagram Live in April over Easter weekend, the 25-year-old R&B singer-songwriter (who has long been a member of the LGBTQ+ community and has identified as both queer and bisexual in the past) said, "You wanna know what’s new about me? I finally know I’m a lesbian!"
In their cover story for the April/May issue of The Advocate, they talked also opened up about how their queerness is seen by others. "I have a lot of privilege," they said, as a “"cisgender-presenting, straight-presenting person."
"I didn’t even really have to come out in my private life. I don’t walk down the street and people look at me and go, Oh, I bet she’s queer. Or I bet that she’s into women or anything like that because of the way I present. That’s all privilege and I think that there are quite a few artists who were truly at the forefront but weren’t able to make the strides that I was able to make being 100 percent myself because of the way they present and the biases and the phobias of the American public and the world...I’ve been lucky, super lucky."
Kehlani then confirmed their identity as a lesbian in a TikTok later in April, saying, "I finally know I'm a lesbian. I am gay gay gay gay gay."
Emma Corrin
The British actress, who plays Princess Diana on Netflix’s critically-acclaimed series The Crown, referred to herself as "ur fave queer bride" in an April Instagram post where she shared a photo of herself from a feature in Pop Magazine, and many fans took that as Emma's very own public coming-out moment.
Ronen Rubinstein
Actor Ronen Rubinstein, best known for playing gay firefighter/paramedic T.K. Strand on FOX's LGBTQ-inclusive TV series 9-1-1: Lone Star, publicly opened up about his bisexuality in an April interview with Variety.
"I fully identify as bisexual," Ronen told the trad pub. "I literally just got goosebumps saying that. It feels so good to talk about it, it feels so good to finally be comfortable with it."
He continued:
"The biggest thing for me is where I come from, it’s like people like me and people who have identified as bisexual or gay or as any part of the community, you’re just not welcomed. It’s as brutally honest as that. It’s either you faced insane amounts of profanity, like the F-word was thrown around all the time or you would get your ass kicked if you were gay. So there was definitely a fear of sort of embracing how I felt. I was definitely more aware of it in high school. I was aware of my feelings and how I started looking at men, but I couldn’t talk to anybody about it."
Erin Kellyman
Although it wasn't a secret, many Marvel fans only just learned in April that actress Erin Kellyman (who plays radical Flag Smasher leader Karli Morgenthau in Disney+'s hit series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier) was queer and in a relationship after pictures posted in a tweet from Twitter user @civiiswar went viral, confirming that Erin is indeed a part of the LGBTQ+ community and is in a loving relationship with her girlfriend Jordan O’Coy.
"IDK why it took you gays so long," Erin wrote on IG stories to cheekily address the fans' newfound revelation.
Courtney Stodden
The model and reality TV personality, who rose to online infamy at the age of 16 back in 2011 after they married then 51-year-old The Green Mile actor Doug Hutchison in a Las Vegas ceremony, came out as nonbinary in an April Instagram post. The now 26-year-old Washington state native and former beauty pageant competitor shared with their followers a heartfelt message about how they use they/them pronouns now, and how they felt like they didn't really fit in anywhere while they were growing up.
"They/them/theirs. I don’t identify as she or her," Stodden wrote. "I’ve never felt like I ever fit in anywhere."
They continued: "I was bullied horribly in school because I was different. The other girls never understood me. It got so bad that my mom pulled me out of school. And still, I don’t fit in. I never really connected with anyone my age. My spirit is fluid with a kaleidoscope of color."
Trisha Paytas
Internet personality Trisha Paytas opened up about their gender identity and publicly came out to the world as nonbinary in an April video posted to their YouTube channel. The infamous vlogger, mukbanger, and former Celebrity Big Brother contestant credited popular social video app TikTok and the young, upcoming generation of creators — specifically Generation Z — with helping them learn more about the nonbinary identity and how it feels most right for them.
"I'm nonbinary and I have to give credit to TikTok and Gen-Z," they said. "That seems like the perfect label for me."
When a fan on Twitter asked which pronouns they use now that they've come out as nonbinary, Trisha confirmed that they use they/them pronouns now.
Colton Underwood
The Bachelor star opened up about his sexuality in an exclusive and emotional April interview with Good Morning America's Robin Roberts. The 29-year-old reality TV personality and former football player came out as gay, saying he's ready to finally live in his truth.
"I've ran from myself for a long time. I've hated myself for a long time," he said. "I'm gay. And I came to terms with that earlier this year and have been processing it. And the next step in all of this was sort of letting people know."
Speculation about Underwood (who is most known for being a contestant on the 14th season of The Bachelorette and the lead of the 23rd season of The Bachelor) and his sexuality has come up multiple times in the media over the years, and he has oft-denied his queerness publicly.
"I'm still the same Colton everybody met on TV," he continued. "I'm still the same Colton to my friends and my family, I just happen to be able to share with people now all of me. And I am proud of that, you know? I am proud to be gay."
Billy Porter
Billy Porter publicly came out as HIV-positive in a May interview with The Hollywood Reporter. The Cinderella actor, Broadway legend, and Emmy winner garnered acclaim for his performance as Pray Tell in the popular FX ballroom series Pose (a beloved character, who is also living with HIV), revealed that he first got his positive diagnosis back in 2007 and kept it private for years due to the shame and stigma that is, unfortunately, still associated with the condition.
"I survived so that I could tell the story," Billy said. "That's what I'm here for."
"This is what HIV-positive looks like now," he added. "I’m going to die from something else before I die from that. My T-cell levels are twice yours because of this medication. I go to the doctor now — as a Black, 51-year-old man, I go to the doctor every three months. That doesn’t happen in my community. We don’t trust doctors. But I go to the doctor, and I know what’s going on in my body. I’m the healthiest I’ve been in my entire life. So it’s time to let all that go and tell a different story. There’s no more stigma — let’s be done with that. It’s time. I’ve been living it and being in the shame of it for long enough. And I’m sure this will follow me. I’m sure this is going to be the first thing everybody says, 'HIV-positive blah, blah, blah.' OK. Whatever. It’s not the only thing I am. I’m so much more than that diagnosis. And if you don’t want to work with me because of my status, you’re not worthy of me."
Larry Saperstein
Taking to TikTok to celebrate the start of Pride Month, the 23-year-old actor (who is probably best known for playing Big Red on Disney+'s hit musical show High School Musical: The Musical: The Series) addressed his sexuality, casually coming out as bisexual!
"Is it really that unexpected tho?" Saperstein captioned the post, which is basically just a selfie video where the words "Plays a character with a girlfriend on TV, is bi irl" show up on screen as the Backyardigans' viral hit "International Super Spy" plays in the background.
Alexandra Shipp
The X-Men: Apocalypse and Love, Simon star has come out as a member of the LGBTQ+ community in a vulnerable new post on social media.
"Hi," the actor wrote on Instagram. "I didn’t come out until I was 28. Though I don’t believe in regrets, this would definitely be #1 for myself. I denied denied denied. I struggled with not only my sexuality, but my femininity."
"Today I’m happy in ways I don’t think my kid self could imagine," she continued. "I get to be exactly who I want to be EVERY FUCKING DAY and it feels incredible!! It’s never too late to be you. If I don’t work because of a flawed, racist and homophobic system, then it was never the right thing for me. I KNOW multiple someone’s love me and I’m so fortunate and grateful for the love they show me on a daily basis. I’m not denying anything anymore. I’m not scared anymore."
Carl Nassib
Las Vegas Raiders footballer Carl Nassib came out to the world on Instagram during Pride Month.
"I just wanted to take a quick moment to say that I’m gay. I’ve been meaning to do this for a while now but finally feel comfortable getting it off my chest. I really have the best life, the best family, friends and job a guy can ask for."
Nassib's coming out marks the first time an active NFL player has publicly opened up about his sexuality. Since then, he's posted photos of him and his rumored boyfriend Erik Gudzinas, captioned with two heart emojis. “Oh, I met an awesome guy. He’s the best,” he's said of his relationship.
David Archuleta
"Crush" singer David Archuleta opened up about his struggles with his sexuality and faith.
"I’ve been open to myself and my close family for some years now that I am not sure about my own sexuality," the 30-year-old wrote. Archuleta has struggled to find balance with his Mormonism and at first thinking he was gay, then bisexual, asexual, and currently, unsure. While he's still saving himself for marriage, he continues working to understand himself.
"There are people experiencing the same feelings of being LGBTQIA+, (i know that’s a lot of letters that a lot of people don’t understand, but there are a lot of unique experiences people feel and live that make them feel isolated and alone that are represented) who are wrestling to follow their beliefs that are so important to them, just as I have. Idk what to make of it and I don’t have all the answers. I just invite you to please consider making room to be more understanding and compassionate to those who are LGBTQIA+, and those who are a part of that community and trying to find that balance with their faith which also is a huge part of their identity like myself."
Casey Frey
Vine star turned internet sensation, Casey Frey, opened up about his relationship with a guy in a recent interview and in it, he describes the types of people he likes to date. "I'm into the teddy boys, you know," he said. "I like girls too though."
Many fans believe this was Frey's very casual coming out as bisexual.
Laganja Estranja
Laganja Estranja, star of season 6 of RuPaul's Drag Race, has come out as transgender.
"I'm not going to live my life in fear anymore," said the 32-year-old. Estranja hopes her story can give others permission to explore their gender and deconstruct the binary so many of us bound ourselves in. "As more people like Elliot Page coming forward as trans, like Demi Lovato coming forward as nonbinary, the more the landscape can change, and the more that people have to accept the truth," she said. "Gender is a construct, and we're all tearing it apart."
Hikaru Utada
Hikaru Utada, one of the biggest selling artists in Japan, shared that they are nonbinary. “You know, it’s the month of June, and I’m nonbinary. So, Happy Pride Month!” Kotaku reports. They also shared that they don't go by Miss or Misses, but Mys. Utada instead, "an alternative option, one that anybody of any gender or social standing could use."
Hugh Sheridan
The Australian actor came out as nonbinary earlier in June on Instagram alongside of a photo of them kissing their husband. “Given that’s it IS #pridemonth & I am beyond honored to share the most coveted DNA cover of 2021 with the greatest lover/HUMAN of all time,” Sheridan wrote. “FYI I AM still a human (nonbinary/bi/me/Hughman) but I’m in a monogamous relationship with another human, who I love. I don’t accept a label cause it limits me… if you want it; take it. I chose zero labels for no other reason except the exclusion, limitations, separation, I believe are all one, deeeeep down. &…who knows? Why chose?!! Be you. Be true. Be free: to BE, to JUST BE… you, a human, same as me.”
Linsey Godfrey
Days of Our Lives Linsey Godfrey kept it simple when she came out as bisexual on Instagram in June. “LGBTQ Proud,” she wrote alongside the #bipride.
Tommy Dorfman
This 13 Reasons Why star came out as a transgender woman. "For a year now, I have been privately identifying and living as a woman—a trans woman," she told Time Magazine in July. "Coming out is always viewed as this grand reveal, but I was never not out. Today is about clarity: I am a trans woman. My pronouns are she/her. My name is Tommy."
Dorfman doesn't exactly think of all this as a transition, just her coming into her own and growing into herself. As for what lies ahead, she's "thinking about how I can infuse my trans body into film and television. Lena Dunham gave me my first role as a girl last year—it was so exciting and validating."
Ultimately, Dorfman is "aligning my body with my soul. Yet as a result of that, I am losing some things. I have to reckon with the fact that I brought along a lot of people and things who might not end up being there for this part of my journey. All I can do now is look to a future where I am, hopefully, just radically honest. That’s the person I am becoming."
Marvin Cortes
America's Next Top Model star Marvin Cortes opened up about his bisexuality earlier this summer.
“Hey guys I want to let you guys know that I’m coming out as openly bisexual,” he said on Instagram. “I’ve been in love with both men and women and I’ve been proud to be a part of the gay community in my personal life and just want to share it now publicly, online.”
In a release, Cortes specified that while he had relationships with women all his life, when he was 21 he had his first sexual experience with a man. Now 28, he’s ready to share that information with the world.
“I look forward to living more of an authentic life and sharing that with you.”
Cara Cunningham
The creator of the viral "Leave Britney Alone" video has opened up publicly about their transition on Instagram.
"It’s been 33 years coming and I’m happy to be in a place where I can embrace who I am,” Cunningham wrote. “I have put my identity and personal happiness aside for so long, out of fear of rejection or me not wanting to embarrass my family.”
Earlier this year, Cunningham sold an NFT of their iconic video for $41,000 and used some of the money in her transition.
Kacy Boccumini
Real L Word star and filmmaker Kacy Boccumini has opened up about their transition on Instagram earlier this year.
“When the world went on lockdown in 2020, I found myself living alone for the first time in my adult life,” he told The Advocate. “Living alone and working from home provided the backdrop for my transition for a few reasons.”
This past Valentine's Day, Boccumini said the words outloud for the first time. “Kacy, you’re a boy. You always have been a boy. You’ve always known this. Isn’t it time to just give this to yourself?”
And that's what he did. “Once I came out to myself, and once I got through my friends, I came out at work. Then from work it was time for family. My dad was the last person I told. He will still get my pronouns wrong but corrects them when he realizes. He loves me and has been 100 percent clear about that.”
The future is looking up for Boccumini. “From where I stand now, I can see that I covered up a lot of hurt for a long time, and no amount of testosterone will fix that. No surgery will remove it either. Transitioning for me is just the beginning of starting over. It’s step one and taking that first step will simply allow me to access the life and gender identity I was denying. It will not teach me to love myself. That is the real work.”
Robin
In the latest Batman comic, the iconic sidekick shows his interest in men. In the conclusion of Batman: Urban Legends #6, Robin (aka Tim Drake) has a “lighbulb moment” realization while fighting side by side with his crush Bernard against the Chaos Monsters. "It's in the heat of the battle that Robin realizes what he wants, which leads him to accept a date with Bernard after the fighting ends. The comic concludes with Tim showing up at Bernard’s door, opening up about his feelings, and the two of them planning a romantic rendezvous.
Elvira
In Elvira's new memoir, the Mistress of the Dark reveals that she's been in a 19-year-relationship with a woman and identifies as bisexual.
Titled Yours Cruelly, Elvira, Cassandra Peterson (the person behind the stage name) opened up about her relationship with Teresa “T” Wierson, which began at a Gold's Gym. According to The Advocate, "They had to keep the relationship quiet because, as Peterson writes, the couple felt they had to protect the Elvira brand. 'Would my fans hate me for not being what they expected me to be?' she shares in the book, adding, 'I’m very aware that there will be some who will be disappointed and maybe even angry, but I have to live with myself, and at this point in my life, I’ve got to be truthful about who I am.'"
Elvira says she’s never been happier. "For the first time in my life, I’m with someone who makes me feel safe, blessed, and truly loved."
Arkano
Spanish rapper Arkano revealed he's sexually open-minded in his stint on MasterChef Celebrity 6.
Another contestant asked Arkano about a photo with a rainbow flag he recently shared on Instagram and the rapper replied that he’s “open to everything,” except on Tinder that is. “Only girls on Tinder,” he said. “Other than that, I have done everything. I am open to everything.”
Roberto Manrique
Ecuadorian actor Roberto Manrique, star of telenovelas Doña Bárbara, Victorinos and El Clon, has come out as gay.
Manrique opened up about his identity in an Instagram post. “It had never seemed important to me to say that I am homosexual because I really considered that it is irrelevant, that there are other aspects of who I am and that is the priority,” he shared in the video.
At the age of 42-years-old, he's ready to be vulnerable with the world. He's long let go of the shame and guilt that made him hide his sexuality and Manrique has been out to his friends and family for a while.
“I have a beautiful partner, I have a beautiful boyfriend,” he said. “I have been in love for seven years, in an incredible relationship. They cannot imagine how we have grown, how we have driven ourselves. He is an amazing man who works in activism. It has been my support from a distance.”
Kieran Lovegrove
Minor leage baseball player Kieran Lovegrove came out as bisexual.
The 27-year-old pitcher plays for the Rocket City Trash Pandas and opened up about his sexuality in a recent interview. “Baseball is a game of statistics,” Lovegrove told ESPN. “And if you want to tell me that I’m the only queer person in baseball, I’m just not going to agree with you.” According to Queerty, Lovegrove is "one of only two publicly out LGBTQ players in professional baseball."
When he was keeping his sexuality his secret from his teammates, Lovegrove says he suffered from depression, anxiety, and alcoholism. But not anymore. He's been with his girlfriend sinec 2018 and came out to those around him in 2019.
Now that he's in a comfortable place, he hopes he can be the rock other closeted LGBTQ+ players lean on. “Someone is terrified because it’s a terrifying prospect to come out,” he says. “I do encourage any one of them to reach out to me.”
Kristie Mewis
Olympian soccer players Kristie Mewis and Sam Kerr, who played for Team USA and Team Australia respectively, set Twitter abuzz when their teams faced off against one another in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Photos of them went viral of the pair hugging after the game, and sitting near one another.
In the days to follow the viral images, Kerr confirmed that she and Mewis were in a relationship. She posted a photo of the pair to Instagram kissing with a heart as the caption, tagging Mewis. Mewis then uploaded a photo of the two to Instagram stories.
Stevie Laine
Eminem’s youngest child came out as bisexual and genderfluid on TikTok.
The 19-year-old shared their journey on the social media app in a video captioned, “Forever growing and changing.”
"Watch me become more comfortable with myself," the on-screen captions read.
In June, they asked their followers to call them Stevie and that they use she/he/they pronouns.
Eminem hasn't publicly commented on their child's transition, but they seem to be supportive of Stevie's journey from behind the scenes.
Luke Prokop
The professional Hockey player made National Hockey League history after coming out as gay this past July.
The 19-year-old opened up about his identity on social media. "While the past year and a half has been crazy, it has also given me the chance to find my true self," Prokop wrote. "I am no longer scared to hide who I am."
According to ESPN, Prokop is "the first active player signed under an NHL contract to come out as gay."
"From a young age I have dreamed of being an NHL player, and I believe that living my authentic life will allow me to bring my whole self to the rink and improve my chances of fulfilling my dreams."
Gigi Goode
RuPaul's Drag Race star Gigi Goode has come out as trans/nonbinary in a moving post on Instagram.
"Without beating around the bush, around eight months ago in January, right at the beginning of the year, I decided to begin the process of hormone replacement therapy," the 23-year-old who prefers she/her pronouns shared on Instagram in August. "For those of you who don't know, [that is] the process of taking estrogen and testosterone blockers — differing on the person — as a means of bringing in the woman and pushing out the man."
Goode says they came into their identity during the lockdown. That time alone "was so crucial for me to have that time to myself. It gave me a lot of time to think and reflect." The HBO Max show Veneno also helped Goode understand herself and it "completely opened my mind up to who I am and who I'm supposed to be and, to me, that's a trans nonbinary person."
Kal Penn
The actor and comedian most known for his role in the Harold & Kumar franchise has opened up about his romantic life in his new memoir You Can't Be Serious. In it, the 44-year-old reveals that he's been in a relationship with a man named Josh for 11 years and that the couple is now engaged.
"I discovered my own sexuality relatively late in life compared to many other people," he wrote. "There's no timeline on this stuff. People figure their s--- out at different times in their lives, so I'm glad I did when I did."
Julian Morris
The English actor most known for his appearances in New Girl, Pretty Little Liars, and Once Upon a Time, celebrated his 18-year anniversary with his partner, effectively coming out to the public.
"18 years together, and they were the best ones because they were with you," Morris wrote on Instagram, tagging his partner Landon Ross. "I love you."
Both Morris and Landon have photos of each other all over their Instagram profiles, though it looks like neither ever explicitly confirmed the two were romantically involved as gossip sites were speculating on Morris' sexuality as recently as August of this year.
Hunter Schafer
Hunter Schafer, who plays trans teen Jules Vaughn on the hit HBO series Euphoria, has set the record straight about her sexual identity. One viral post on Twitter wrote,
“Hunter Schafer is a lesbian. congratulations lesbians. you’ve taken from me the one thing that matters most.” She then replied, “As much as I wish this were true I would like to vaguely clarify that unfortunately, I am like bi or pan or something.”
The actor was then dubbed, “Hunter Schafer bi or pan legend."
Mae Martin
Mae Martin, the star and creator of Netflix's Feel Good, came out as nonbinary and bisexual this year, then worked their gender identity into the second season of the show.
Candace Parker
Candace Parker, a WNBA all-star and the first woman basketball star on the cover of NBA2K, has opened up about her marriage and family with fellow Russian basketball player Anna Petrakova on Instagram, effectively coming out to the world.
"2 years ago, I got to marry my best friend in front of our close family and friends," she wrote. "My heart could have exploded. I cried like a baby….To know me or you is to know our love. This journey hasn’t been easy. I am proud of us and what we have built and who we have grown to become both individually and together."
Parker then announced that she and her partner are growing their family with a baby! "I can’t wait to embark on this next chapter in life with you!"
