For Gay Celebs, 'Out' Is A Matter Of Definition
Anna Paquin, who is engaged to her 'True Blood' co-star Stephen Moyer, has explained the thinking behind her surprise decision to come out as bisexual in a gay rights
public service announcement this April.
"I'm not someone who endlessly talks about her personal life for no reason, but obviously, as someone who identifies as bisexual, those are issues I really care about," she told
Zap2it on Tuesday. "It wasn't like it was a big secret. It was just a cause I cared about and privately supported, but not one that I had ever had an opportunity to speak out about in a way that would be useful."
In a year of coming out stories, some more surprising than others (
Sean Hayes,
Ricky Martin,
Chely Wright), Paquin's case casts light on the constantly shifting politics of how we view celebrities and sexuality.
Like
celebrity pregnancies, the matter of whether a gay star is "out of the closet" or not is one of those things that should be black-and-white, but isn't. If a star is openly gay among friends and family but hasn't issued a press release, are they considered "out"?
For years, Neil Patrick Harris occupied that middle ground that so confounds journalists who want to stick a label on people. He would attend public events with his boyfriend, but given that they stubbornly refused to have the word "gay" tattooed on their foreheads, it was hard to know what to call the relationship in print.
Reporters are in a similar situation right now with a prominent singer and actress that often goes to media events with the same lady by her side. But because there has been no press release, respectable outlets will not report what seems to be the blatantly obvious conclusion: That the couple is in a public lesbian relationship. (Needless to say, many blogs and tabloids do not exercise that restraint.)
So are relationships like that, to use Paquin's words, "a big secret"? Hardly anyone was surprised when Ricky Martin came out as a "fortunate homosexual man," but that didn't mean the press could call him that before he made his statement. (In 1956, Liberace successfully sued the London Daily Mirror for
implying that he was gay. He won $22,000 in damages because the paper called him "fruit-flavored.")
Clearly, celebrities feel more comfortable coming out in 2010 because it is not the career-ending revelation that it would have been for an earlier generation of stars, like Montgomery Clift (who never came out) and Tab Hunter (who did). However, even gay-rights supporters would probably agree that the world is not yet ready to accept a publicly gay actor playing a heterosexual romantic lead in a Hollywood blockbuster. Sean Hayes's credibility was recently questioned by a
Newsweek reporter (who is also gay) for playing straight in a Broadway musical.
From a journalist's perspective (at least this journalist, who is gay), sexuality should be reported on as merely a fact, like marital status or hair color or whether they own a dog. However, a rising star who could potentially lose an eight-figure paycheck if he or she were disqualified from a leading role would reasonably look at the matter differently.
The only thing which is certain is that attitudes toward gay celebrities are changing to be more tolerant. Perhaps the next generation's Anna Paquin won't have to do a PSA about gay rights, because it won't be necessary.
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PopScene: Week's Hottest Pics
Jaden Smith, Trey Smith, Willow Smith, singer Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith arrive to the premiere of "The Karate Kid" after party on June 7th in Westwood, California.
Alberto E. Rodriguez, Getty Images
Alberto E. Rodriguez, Getty Images
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"even gay-rights supporters would probably agree that the world is not yet ready to accept a publicly gay actor playing a heterosexual romantic lead in a Hollywood blockbuster." I disagree with this statement. To watch Neil Patrick Harris play a sleezy (hilarious)womanizer each week you would never be convinced that he is truly gay if he hadn't told us. We have known Rock Hudson was gay now for years and if I watch a movie with him as the romantic lead that fact just fades into the background. Isn't that why they call it acting?
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I agree, a good actor is a good actor. Does a actor have to have a cancer to play a person with cancer. Really, I don't really care about their personal lives if they just do their job well. E
No I dont buy a gay man as a romantic lead with a woman at all. You know they are not feelin it that they actually cant . Maybe they pretend its another guy but it just doesnt ring true. Neil Patrick Harris is working hard to play a very over the top character he is just searching for every male dog cliche he can find . Forget it . As a man I can see through it and it distracts from taking the character seriously
Huh? So you didn't buy Rock Hudson, Montgomery Clift, et al as straight romantic leads? What moon are you watching movies/TV from?
I absolutely agree. It's called Acting. Are the kids in "Twilight" or "True Blood" REALLY vampires? Is Brent Spiner REALLY an android? Does anyone question when the 20-something actors on any given show are playing teenagers? Tehy're actors playing a part. All the more creidt to them for convincing us that the part they play is REAL. My personal philosophy is "If I'm not sleeping with them I don't care what their sexuality is"
Who gives a crap. Go away AOL stop posting the same articles over and over and over.
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Stop reading it.
It's high time everyone accepted the fact that humans are sexual creatures, gay, straight or bi. Once we do that then the so-called gay lifestyle won't be "forced down anyones throat", because it won't matter any more.
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When I pay to see an actor act, I don't give a rat's rump who he or she sleeps with . As long as it's between consenting adults, it's NO ONES GD BUSINESS. People who do get their knickers in a knot over such a thing only prove that THEY have issues. Not the one/s their stressing over. And just because you THINK a favorite actor of yours in straight doesn't mean it's true. Remember Rock Hudson? Millions of women drooled over him. And then, SUPRISE!. What I get sick of is straight men winning awards for playing gay , yet openly gay men aren't 'fitting' to play leading roles?? 2010 and some are still stuck on stupid. Amazing.
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I agree w/ you, its all about the acting. I do believe that a straight actor should give a very powerfull performance as a gay character before given an award and the award should be for the performance itself not because it was a straight playing a gay, and I definately think it should be vice versa. An award should be about the performance not the personal preference of the actor OR the character that he/she is playing.
TO SUM IT ALL UP, THE GAYS, JUST HAVE DIFFERENT TASTES AS TO THE THINGS THEY PUT IN THEIR MOUTHS.
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Hey, I'm happy for them, I'll be dating their potential G.F.'s!
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I don't see why we should be talking about someone's abberation all the time.
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The only aberration I see around here is you, Juli. Who peed on your M&M's? Now, why don't you run along and color or something along the lines of your mentality.
The word is aberration. I think that's a harsh term for someone that is gay. It literally means a person whose beliefs or behavior are unusual or unacceptable or a departure from someone's usual moral character or mental ability, typically for the worse. However, I think that people should keep their preferences to themselves and just act, sing or whatever they do. Sexual orientation has nothing to do with your job unless you're a hooker, stripper, etc.
The BIBLE also says we cannot eat shellfish. A man may not plant two (2) different crops side by side, the NFL may not work on the Sabbath, etc., etc.,. Which ones count? Why is this the only one we must enforce? I, for one, have no intention of discriminating against homosexuals or lesbians until the full range of bans listed in the Judeo/Christian Taliban (J/CT) Handbook are uniformly enforced. Maybe I should consult my Catholic pastor on homosexuality. He (it must be a "he") would certainly be familiar with both the J/CT Handbook and, would also be VERY familiar with several homosexual colleagues.
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I don't speak with illiterates. Obviously you were not raised as ANYTHING. I have nothing but pity for you. Let's see now, in order to help you Google "What does the Bible say about Homosexuality?" That might help you understand. Also, you should look up all religions as far as sinning/ then you would know how many of us Rabbi's, Ministers, etc. have sinned also and yet the public doesn't care about us at all. All they do is seek out the Catholic priests and leave us alone. I don't care what you think, Gay is wrong. Not my words but I teach and believe those words. Amen
Bravo...And when the conversations turns to Gay shellfish then we will talk about it too..
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Gays don't bother me..... hateful judgmental b-stards do!!!
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Well, I see the homophobes are out in force as usual. Ignorance is bliss and the blisters love to demonstrate their stupidity where everybody can see them for what they truly are. Don't you have a cross you could be burning on someone's lawn or something?
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