Openly Gay Celebrities
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Robbie Rogers
(credit: Jamie Sabau/Getty Images)
American soccer player Robbie Rogers posted a blog on Feb. 15, 2013 announcing that he is gay and leaving the sport: "Football hid my secret, gave me more joy than I could have ever imagined."
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Jim Nabors
(credit: Evan Agostini/Getty Images)
Jim Nabors, best known for playing the TV character Gomer Pyle in the 1960s, married his male partner of 38 years on Jan. 15, 2013. Nabors says he's been open about his homosexuality to co-workers and friends but never acknowledged it to the media before.
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Victor Garber
(credit: Paul Hawthorne/Getty Images)
Actor Victor Garber confirmed to columnist Greg Hernandez that he is gay. He has been with his companion Rainer Andreesen for 13 years.
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Jodie Foster
(credit: Paul Drinkwater/NBCUniversal via Getty Images)
Accepting the Cecil B. DeMille award at the Golden Globes on Jan. 13, 2013, Jodie Foster said: "I already did my coming out about a thousand years ago, back in the Stone Age, in those very quaint days when a fragile young girl would open up to trusted friends and family and co-workers and then gradually, proudly to everyone who knew her, to everyone she actually met.."
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Matt Dallas
(credit: Steven Henry/Getty Images)
"Kyle XY" actor Matt Dallas came out on Twitter when he tweeted a picture of his new fiance, musician Blue Hamilton.
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Nate Silver
(credit: Paul Zimmerman/Getty Images)
Out Magazine named sabermetrics statistician Nate Silver its "person of the year." He described his identity as "sexually gay but ethnically straight."
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Frank Ocean
(credit: Karl Walter/Getty Images for Coachella)
R&B singer Frank Ocean posted a message on his Tumblr page in which he said the first person he fell in love with was a man. It read: “4 summers ago, I met somebody. I was 19. He was too. We spent that summer, and the summer after, together. Everyday almost. And on the days we were together, time would glide … It was my first love, it changed my life.”
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Anderson Cooper
(credit: Mark Mainz/Getty Images)
In a letter to Daily Beast blogger Andrew Sullivan (which Sullivan said he was given permission to publish on July 1, 2012), journalist and talk show host Anderson Cooper said: "The fact is, I'm gay, always have been, always will be, and I couldn’t be any more happy, comfortable with myself, and proud."
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Gareth Thomas
(credit: Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
Welsh rugby star Gareth Thomas (better known to some as "Alfie") came out as gay in 2009. According to Sports Illustrated, he was at the time of his announcement the world's only then-current professional male athlete in a team sport who was openly gay.
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Jim Parsons
(credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
Emmy-winning "The Big Bang Theory" star Jim Parsons was outed in the New York Times in May 2012. The newspaper wrote: "Mr. Parsons is gay and in a 10-year relationship."
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Gillian Anderson
(credit: Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images)
Gillian Anderson, star of the cult TV show "The X-Files," told Out Magazine she has been in relationships with both men and women.
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Matt Bomer
(credit: Michael Buckner/Getty Images for DIRECTV)
Actor Matt Bomer ("White Collar") thanked his partner Simon Halls and their children after being given the New Generation Arts and Activism Award at the Steve Chase Humanitarian Awards.
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Zachary Quinto
(credit: ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images)
Actor Zachary Quinto came out as a gay man in an interview in October, while discussing his eight-month run in the recent New York stage revival of Angels in America.
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Mo Rocca
(credit: Jason Kempin/Getty Images)
Former "Daily Show" correspondent and current "CBS Sunday Morning" contributor Mo Rocca came out as gay in a podcast called "The Six Pack," and added he would like to find "a really cute dentist from Minneapolis."
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Don Lemon
(credit: CNN)
CNN anchor Don Lemon came out in an interview with the New York Times. He said, "I, like most gay people, lived a life of fear. Fear that if some employers, co-workers, friends, neighbors and family members learned of my sexuality, I would be shunned, mocked and ostracized. It is a burden that millions of people carry with them every single day."
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Will Sheridan
(credit: Elsa/Getty Images)
Will Sheridan, a former basketball player for the Villanova Wildcats and current pop musician, came out of the closet, saying, "I'm trying to have a voice and I want that voice to reach as many people as it can," he said. "I mean, look at me. I'm black. I'm gay. I'm like a quadruple minority and I feel like a little piece of me resides in everybody."
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Jonathan Knight
(credit: Bryan Bedder/Getty Images)
On Jan. 29, 2011, singer Jonathan Knight of New Kids On The Block blogged: "I have never been outed by anyone but myself! I did so almost twenty years ago. I never knew that I would have to do it all over again publicly just because I reunited with NKOTB!"
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Jonsi
(Credit: by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)
Jonsi is the singer for the Icelandic band Sigur Ros.
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Johnny Weir
(credit: Harry How/Getty Images)
For year, figure skater Johnny Weir evaded questions about his sexuality. With the release of his book "Welcome to My World," he finally put the questions to rest. "With people killing themselves and being scared into the closet, I hope that even just one person can gain strength from my story," Weir told People Magazine.
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Ricky Martin
Puerto Rican singer Ricky Martin announced "I am a fortunate homosexual man" on his Web site on Monday, March 29. Speculation about his sexuality followed him for years up to this point. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Getty Images)
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Sean Hayes
In a 2010 issue of "The Advocate," former "Will & Grace" star Sean Hayes came out of the closet as a gay man. Hayes won an Emmy for his portrayal of the flamboyant Jack. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
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Portia de Rossi and Ellen DeGeneres
TV Host Ellen DeGeneres came out in 1997. She and girlfriend Portia de Rossi were married in 2008. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
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Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka
Actor Neil Patrick Harris, known for his TV roles on "Doogie Howser, M.D." in the early 1990s and "How I Met Your Mother" now, came out in November 2006. He's pictured here with boyfriend David Burtka. (Photo by David Livingston/Getty Images)
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Ken Mehlman
Ken Mehlman, former RNC chair and campaign manager for George W. Bush, came out as a gay man in an interview with The Atlantic. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images for Meet the Press)
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Jane Lynch
Actress Jane Lynch, who plays the crusty cheerleader coach Sue Sylvester on "Glee," is openly gay, and had some choice words to share in response to a "Newsweek" article claiming gay actors weren't convincing in straight roles. (Photo by Bryan Bedder/Getty Images)
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Clay Aiken
Singer Clay Aiken from the second season of "American Idol" announced that he is gay in a September 2008 issue of People magazine. (Photo by Giulio Marcocchi /Getty Images)
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Chely Wright
Chely Wright came out as a lesbian in a May 2010 issue of People Magazine. Reports have pegged Wright's announcement as a milestone -- one of the first country music stars to come out as gay. (Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)
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Adam Lambert
In June 2009, "American Idol" runner-up Adam Lambert acknowledged in a Rolling Stone interview that he is gay and said it shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
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T.R. Knight
Minneapolis native T.R. Knight, known best as Dr. George O'Malley on the TV show "Grey's Anatomy," announced he was gay in October 2006. (Photo by Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images)
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Tab Hunter
Tab Hunter was a lady-killing movie heartthrob in the 1950s and 1960s. In 2005, he published his autobiography, "Tab Hunter Confidential: The Making of a Movie Star," in which he came out. (Photo by Getty Images)
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Rachel Maddow
TV Personality Rachel Maddow has declared herself a lesbian. (Photo by Joe Kohen/Getty Images for The New Yorker)
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'Queer Eye For The Straight Guy' Cast
The five stars of the television show "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" (front row, L-R) Kyan Douglas, Carson Kressley, Ted Allen, Thom Filicia and Jai Rodriguez, pose with Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman (back row, 2nd R), showgirls and Caesars Palace characters after holding a news conference at Caesars Palace March 24, 2006 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
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Luke MacFarlane
Canadian actor Luke MacFarlane went public with his sexual orientation in a Canadian newspaper in April 2008. (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)
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Lance Bass
In July 2006, 'N Sync member Lance Bass right revealed that he was gay. At the time, he was dating "Amazing Race 4" winner Reichen Lehmkul. (Photo: DON EMMERT/AFP/Getty Images)
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K.D. Lang
In 1990, singer k.d. lang appeared on the cover of the first issue of Entertainment Weekly magazine. Two years later, she again made headlines by coming out as a lesbian in the gay news magazine The Advocate. (Photo by NBC via Getty Images)
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Cynthia Nixon
Actress Cynthia NIxon of "Sex and the City" fame has been in a relationship with education activist Christine Marinoni since 2004. (Photo: MAX NASH/AFP/Getty Images)
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Esera Tuaolo And Billy Bean
Former Minnesota Vikings player Esera Tuaolo and baseball player Billy Bean. Bean's 1999 book "Going The Other Way" revealed his homosexuality and alleged widespread homophobia in professional sports. Tuaolo announced to the public that he is gay in 2002. (Photo by Teresa Lee/Getty Images)
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Suze Orman
Financial adviser, writer and TV personality Suze Orman told The New York Times Magazine that she is a lesbian in February 2007. (Photo by Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images)
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Rupert Everett
Actor Rupert Everett has found success playing both straight and gay lead characters, but shot to stardom in 1997 playing Julia Roberts' gay friend in "My Best Friend's Wedding." (Photo By Getty Images)
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RuPaul
San Diego native RuPaul -- born RuPaul Andre Charles -- became a drag queen superstar in the 1990s thanks to hits like "Supermodel (You Better Work)" and "Back To My Roots." (Photo: STAN HONDA/AFP/Getty Images)
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Richard Hatch
The gay and frequently naked "Survivor" winner Richard Hatch may have won $1 million on the reality show in 2000, but slights to the taxman put Hatch behind bars for tax evasion in 2006. (Photo: Scott Gries/ImageDirect)
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Richard Chamberlain
Actor Richard Chamberlain -- star of TV's "Dr. Kildare," "The Thorn Birds" and "Shogun," among other shows -- published an autobiography when he was 69 years old acknowledging that he was gay. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
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Nathan Lane
Out actor Nathan Lane is best known for giving voice to the animated meerkat Timon in Disney's "The Lion King" and as scheming Max Bialystock in Mel Brooks' musical "The Producers." (Photo by Jemal Countess/Getty Images)
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Melissa Etheridge
Multiple Grammy award winning musician Melissa Etheridge is also famous as a gay rights activist since coming out during Bill Clinton's first inauguration in January 1993. Etheridge's partnership with Julie Cypher made them parents to two children: Bailey Jean, born February 1997, and Beckett, born November 1998, via sperm donor David Crosby of Crosby, Stills and Nash. (Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images)
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Harvey Fierstein
Actor/singer Harvey Fierstein is best known for his semi-autobiographical play and film "Torch Song Trilogy" about the trials and triumphs of a gay man living through the 1970s. (Photo by Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images)
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Greg Louganis
Openly gay former U.S. Olympic diver Greg Louganis won Olymmpic gold medals in 1984 in Los Angeles and in 1988 in Seoul. (Credit: Tony Duffy/ALLSPORT)
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George Takei
Actor George Takei, who played helmsman Hikaru Sulu in the original "Star Trek" television series and several "Trek" movies, came out in 2005 at age 68. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
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'Frasier' Stars
Actors Dan Butler (far left) and David Hyde Pierce (far right) are two openly gay members of of long-running sitcom "Frasier." (Credit: KIM KULISH/AFP/Getty Images)
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Elton John
Credit: Dave Hogan/Getty Images
As early as 1976, Sir Elton John declared himself bisexual. He later rescinded the claim and said he is gay. (Photo by Dave Hogan/Getty Images)
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Cherry Jones
Film and stage actress Cherry Jones became the first open lesbian to win a Tony Award when she received best actress in a play for 1995's "The Heiress." (Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images)
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Chad Allen
Actor Chad Allen, who played Matthew Cooper on "Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman," came out in the Oct. 9, 2001, issue of The Advocate. (Photo by Mark Mainz/Getty Images)
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Bryan Batt
Bryan Batt plays a closeted character in "Mad Men," but the actor himself has been openly gay for years. (Photo by Brad Barket/Getty Images)
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Amanda Bearse
Actress Amanda Bearse of "Married with Children" fame has been publicly out since 1993. (Photo by Vince Bucci/Getty Images)
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Alan Cumming
Scottish actor Alan Cumming, shown here with Cyndi Lauper in 2006, has declared himself a bisexual. (Photo by Andy Kropa/Getty Images)
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Alan Ball
Openly gay screenwriter Alan Ball won an Academy Award for his "American Beauty" screenplay and went on to create the drama series "Six Feet Under" for HBO. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)
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Wilson Cruz
Wilson Cruz played an openly gay teenager in the cult '90s show "My So-Called Life." (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
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Thomas Roberts
Thomas Roberts has worked as an anchor for CNN Headline News. He publicly acknowledged that he is gay in September 2006. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
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Sir Ian McKellan
Award-winning British actor Sir Ian McKellen came out in 1988 in reaction to "Section 28," an anti-gay rights legal proposal in England. (Photo by Dave Hogan/Getty Images)
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Rufus Wainwright
Rufus Wainwright, the son of folk singers Loudon Wainwright III and Kate McGarrigle, says he realized he was gay when he was a young teenager and has always been public about his orientation. (Photo by Scott Gries/Getty Images)
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Ronnie Kroell
Ronnie Kroell (R) was famously infatuated with his straight roommate on Bravo's "Make Me a Supermodel." He's shown here with actor Taylor Proffitt. (Photo by Bryan Bedder/Getty Images)
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Randy Harrison
Randy Harrison was one of the openly gay cast members of Showtime's series "Queer As Folk." (Photo by Paul Hawthorne/Getty Images)
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Peter Paige and Robert Gant
Actors Peter Paige (left) and Robert Gant are out actors who played gay characters in the cable TV series "Queer As Folk." (Photo by Amanda Edwards/Getty Images)
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Leslie Jordan
Out actor Leslie Jordan portrayed a snippy and short socialite on TV's "Will & Grace." (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
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John Waters
Film director John Waters was the creative force behind the cult movies "Pink Flamingos," "Polyester" and "Hairspray." (Photo by Brad Barket/ Getty Images)
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John Cameron Mitchell
Director, writer and performer John Cameron Mitchell created both "Hedwig And The Angry Inch" and "Shortbus," both uninhibited, pansexual works of art. (Photo by Alexandra Wyman/Getty Images)
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Jake Shears
Gay singer Jake Shears heads the band Scissor Sisters, which also includes Del Marquis among its gay members. (Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)
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George Michael
Singer George Michael, who came to fame as part of the 1980s musical group Wham, was outed following his arrest in a park restroom in Beverly Hills, Calif., in 1998. Following the media circus which followed, Michael publicly confirmed his orientation. (Photo by MJ Kim/Getty Images)
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Fred Schneider
Fred Schneider, lead singer of the musical group B52s, is gay. (Photo by Paul Hawthorne/Getty Images)
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Danny Pintauro
Actor Danny Pintauro came out in in 1997 after the National Enquirer said they would run an article outing him regardless of his consent. (Photo by Stephen Shugerman/Getty Images)
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Christopher Rice
Gay author Christopher Rice is also, incidentally, the son of author Anne Rice. (Photo by Michel Boutefeu/Getty Images)
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Bruce Vilanch
Gay comedian Bruce Vilanch is best known for having written jokes for the Academy Awards and other shows, as well as appearing on the revamped "Hollywood Squares" of 1998. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)
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Boy George
Boy George (whose real name is George O'Dowd) found superstar fame in the 1980s with the band Culture Club. (Photo by Dave Hogan/Getty Images)
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B.D. Wong
Actor B.D. Wong, known for his role as Dr. George Huang on "Law & Order: SVU," hired a woman to mother a child for him and his partner. In 2000, the woman gave birth to twins from an ovum taken from his partner's sister. Wong journaled his experiences in the book "Following Foo: the Electronic Adventures of the Chestnut Man." (Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images)
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Anthony Rapp
Out actor Anthony Rapp starred in the original Broadway cast of "Rent," and later starred in the film version of the musical. (Photo by Fernando Leon/Getty Images)
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Rudy Galindo
U.S. champion figure skater Rudy Galindo has disclosed his homosexuality, and has said in interviews that the admission hurt his standing with judges. (Credit: CARLO ALLEGRI/AFP/Getty Images)
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Roland Emmerich
Openly gay German film director Roland Emmerich has directed a number of major motion pictures, including "Independence Day." (Credit: Florian Seefried/Getty Images)
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Raul Esparza
Broadway actor Raul Esparza has been in what has been called an "on and off" marriage, but in 2006 said that he was involved with an unnamed male actor. (Credit: Andrew Kent/Getty Images)
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Mary Cheney
Because her father is former Vice-President Dick Cheney, Mary Cheney's sexual orientation has drawn attention from both sides of the political spectrum. (Credit: Freddie Lee/Fox News via Getty Images)
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John Amaechi
In February 2007, former pro basketball player John Amaechi became the first NBA athlete to come out of the closet. (Credit: Bill Baptist/NBAE via Getty Images)
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David Geffen
Music, film and theatrical producer and philanthropist David Geffen used to date women before publicly declaring his homosexuality. (Credit: Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images)
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Cheyenne Jackson
Out actor Cheyenne Jackson is one of the most sought-after leading men in Broadway. (Credit: Jemal Countess/Getty Images)
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Chastity Bono
Activist Chastity Bono, the daughter of 1960s superstars Cher and Sonny Bono, was outed by Star Magazine in 1990. Recently, she underwent a sex change and is now known as Chaz Bono. (Credit: WILLIAM PHILPOTT/AFP/Getty Images)
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Simon Callow
British actor Simon Callow is credited as being one of the earlier actors publicly to declare his homosexuality. (Credit: Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images)
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