Editing Coming out (section)

=== Highly publicized comings-out ===

==== Government officials and political candidates ====
*In 1983, [[United States House of Representatives|US House representative]] [[Gerry Studds]] came out as a homosexual during the [[1983 congressional page sex scandal]].
*In 1987, [[Barney Frank]], a United States House representative, publicly came out as gay,<ref>{{cite news |title=Representative Frank Discloses He Is Homosexual |date=31 May 1987 |access-date=19 October 2008 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/05/31/us/representative-frank-discloses-he-is-homosexual.html |periodical=[[The New York Times]] |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081206074505/http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0DE4DE163AF932A05756C0A961948260 |archive-date=6 December 2008}}</ref> the second member of the [[Massachusetts]] delegation to the [[United States Congress]] to do so.
*In 1988, [[Svend Robinson]] was the first member of [[House of Commons of Canada]] to come out.
*In 1999, Australian senator [[Brian Greig]] came out as being gay in his [[maiden speech]] to parliament, the first politician to do so in that country.
*In 2004, [[Governor of New Jersey|New Jersey governor]] [[Jim McGreevey]] announced his decision to resign and publicly came out as "a gay American".<ref name="affair">{{cite news |last=Kohen |first=Yael |date=13 August 2004 |title=McGreevey to Quit, Declares 'I Am a Gay American' |work=[[The New York Sun]] |url=http://www.nysun.com/article/245?page_no=2 |access-date=10 March 2008 |archive-date=13 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200213070202/https://www.nysun.com/new-york/mcgreevey-to-quit-declares-i-am-a-gay-american/245/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="iamagayamerican">{{cite news |url=http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/08/12/mcgreevey.transcript/ |title=McGreevey: 'I am a gay American' |work=[[CNN]] |date=13 August 2004 |access-date=10 March 2008 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080417032311/http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/08/12/mcgreevey.transcript/ |archive-date=17 April 2008}}</ref> He acknowledged having had an [[extramarital affair]] with a man, [[Golan Cipel]], an Israeli citizen and veteran of the [[Israeli Defense Forces]]. As McGreevey had appointed him as the New Jersey [[homeland security]] adviser, he had created a conflict of interest with the affair.

==== Athletes ====
{{Further|Homosexuality in sports}}
The first US professional team-sport athlete to come out was [[David Kopay]], a former [[NFL]] [[running back]] who had played for five teams ([[San Francisco 49ers|San Francisco]], [[Detroit Lions|Detroit]], [[Washington Redskins|Washington]], [[New Orleans Saints|New Orleans]] and [[Green Bay Packers|Green Bay]]) between 1964 and 1972. He came out in 1975 in an interview in the ''[[Washington Star]]''.<ref name=ESPN>{{cite news |title=The Brief History of Gay Athletes |publisher=[[ESPN]] |url=https://www.espn.com/otl/world/timeline.html |date=18 December 1998 |access-date=19 September 2009 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090710214050/http://espn.go.com/otl/world/timeline.html |archive-date=10 July 2009}}</ref>

The first professional athlete to come out while still playing was Czech-American tennis player [[Martina Navratilova]], who came out as a lesbian during an interview with ''[[The New York Times]]'' in 1981.<ref name="ESPN" /> English footballer [[Justin Fashanu]] came out in 1990 and was subject to homophobic taunts from spectators, opponents and teammates for the rest of his career.

In 1995 while at the peak of his playing career, [[Ian Roberts (rugby league)|Ian Roberts]] became the first high-profile Australian sports person and first rugby footballer in the world to come out as gay.<ref>{{cite web |last=Peter |first=O'Shea |title=Out of the field |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2WQEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA54 |work=[[The Advocate (LGBT magazine)|The Advocate]] |publisher=Here Publishing |access-date=10 October 2011 |date=3 October 1995}}</ref> [[John Amaechi]], who played in the [[NBA]] with the [[Utah Jazz]], [[Orlando Magic]] and [[Cleveland Cavaliers]] (as well as internationally with [[Panathinaikos BC]] of the [[ESAKE A1 Ethniki|Greek Basketball League]] and [[Virtus Bologna|Kinder Bologna]] of the [[Lega Basket Serie A|Italian Basketball League]]), came out in February 2007 on [[ESPN]]'s ''[[Outside the Lines]]'' program. He also wrote a memoir, ''Man in the Middle'', published by [[ESPN Books]], which explores his professional and personal life as a closeted basketball player. He was the first NBA player (former or current) to come out.

In 2008, Australian diver [[Matthew Mitcham]] became the first openly gay athlete to win an [[Olympic gold medal]]. He achieved this at the [[2008 Summer Olympics|Beijing Olympics]] in the men's 10-meter platform event.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-09-28/macklemore-singing-at-gf-like-seeping-sewage-into-debutante-ball/8998442 |title=Macklemore singing at grand final like 'seeping sewage into debutante ball' |date=28 September 2017 |publisher=[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]] |access-date=7 May 2018 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170930031714/http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-09-28/macklemore-singing-at-gf-like-seeping-sewage-into-debutante-ball/8998442 |archive-date=30 September 2017}}</ref>

The first Irish county [[Gaelic Athletic Association|GAA]] player to come out while still playing was [[hurling|hurler]] [[Dónal Óg Cusack]] in October 2009, in previews of his autobiography.<ref>{{cite news |title=I'm gay, reveals GAA star Donal Og Cusack in new autobiography |periodical=[[Belfast Telegraph]] |url=http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/irsquom-gay-reveals-gaa-star-in-new-autobiography-14535587.html |date=19 October 2009 |access-date=28 February 2011}}</ref> [[Gareth Thomas (rugby, born 1974)|Gareth Thomas]], who played international rugby union and rugby league for Wales, came out in a ''Daily Mail'' interview in December 2009 near the end of his career.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Smith |first=Gary |date=3 May 2010 |title=Gareth Thomas&nbsp;... The Only Openly Gay Male Athlete |magazine=[[Sports Illustrated]] |url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1168953/9/index.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100502020103/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1168953/9/index.htm |archive-date=2 May 2010}}</ref>

In 2013, American basketball player [[Jason Collins]] (a member of the [[Washington Wizards]]) came out as gay, becoming the first active male professional athlete in a [[Major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada|major North American team sport]] to publicly come out as gay.

On 15 August 2013, WWE wrestler [[Darren Young (wrestler)|Darren Young]] came out, making him the first openly gay active professional wrestler.

On 9 February 2014, former Missouri defensive lineman [[Michael Sam]] came out as gay. He was drafted by the [[St. Louis Rams]] on 10 May 2014, with the 249th overall pick in the seventh round, making him the first openly gay player to be drafted by an NFL franchise. He was released by St. Louis and waived by the Dallas Cowboys practice squad. Sam was on the roster for the [[Montreal Alouettes]], but has since retired from football.

On 21 June 2021, [[Las Vegas Raiders]] [[defensive end]] [[Carl Nassib]] announced on his Instagram account that he is gay, becoming the first active NFL player to come out publicly.<ref>{{cite news |author=Price, Christopher |title=Raiders' Carl Nassib comes out as gay; is first active NFL player to do so |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/06/21/sports/raiders-carl-nassib-becomes-first-active-nfl-player-come-out-gay/ |work=The Boston Globe |date=21 June 2021 |access-date=21 June 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Ken |last=Belson |title=Raiders' Carl Nassib Announces He's Gay, an N.F.L. First |date=21 June 2021 |newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/21/sports/football/carl-nassib-gay-nfl.html?smid=tw-share |access-date=22 June 2021}}</ref>

In October 2021, professional soccer player [[Josh Cavallo]] came out as gay via videos posted to his team's social media accounts, becoming the only openly gay top-level professional soccer player in the world.<ref>{{cite tweet |number=1453173351396958208 |user=AdelaideUnited |title=Josh's Truth |date=27 October 2021}}</ref>

In May 2022, [[Blackpool F.C.]] [[Forward (association football)|forward]] [[Jake Daniels]] came out as gay, becoming the first active male British footballer to do so since Justin Fashanu in 1990.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Jake Daniels: Blackpool forward becomes UK's first active male professional footballer to come out publicly as gay |url=https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11095/12614531/jake-daniels-blackpool-forward-becomes-uks-first-active-male-professional-footballer-to-come-out-publicly-as-gay |access-date=2023-10-13 |website=Sky Sports |language=en}}</ref>

In February 2023, Czech footballer [[Jakub Jankto]], then a [[AC Sparta Prague]] midfielder on loan from Spanish side [[Getafe CF]] announced he was gay on [[Twitter]], becoming the first male footballer to come out while an active international player.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Czech midfielder Jankto comes out as gay |language=en-GB |work=BBC Sport |url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/64622199 |access-date=2023-10-13}}</ref>

==== Artists and entertainers ====
{{See also|List of gay, lesbian or bisexual people}}
In 1997 on ''[[The Oprah Winfrey Show]]'', American comedian [[Ellen DeGeneres]] came out as a [[lesbian]]. Her real-life coming out was echoed in the sitcom ''[[Ellen (TV series)|Ellen]]'' in "[[The Puppy Episode]]", in which her character [[Ellen (TV series)|Ellen Morgan]] outs herself over the airport public address system.<!-- Commented out: [[File:Matlovich time cover.jpg|thumb|[[Leonard Matlovich]] on the cover of ''Time'' magazine, 1975]] -->

On 29 March 2010, Puerto Rican singer [[Ricky Martin]] came out publicly in a post on his official web site, stating, "I am proud to say that I am a fortunate homosexual man. I am very blessed to be who I am."<ref>{{cite news |work=[[HuffPost]] |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/ricky-martin-comes-out-im_n_517625 |title=Ricky Martin Comes Out: 'I'm A Fortunate Homosexual Man' |date=29 May 2010 | access-date=26 April 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100410033735/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/03/29/ricky-martin-comes-out-im_n_517625.html | archive-date=10 April 2010 | url-status=dead}}</ref> Martin said that "these years in silence and reflection made me stronger and reminded me that acceptance has to come from within and that this kind of truth gives me the power to conquer emotions I didn't even know existed."<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/yep-hes-gay-ricky-martin-comes-out-of-the-closet-20100329 |title=Ricky Martin Comes Out of the Closet |date=29 March 2010 |magazine=Rolling Stone |access-date=8 October 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141016144159/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/yep-hes-gay-ricky-martin-comes-out-of-the-closet-20100329 |archive-date=16 October 2014}}</ref> Singer [[Adam Lambert]] came out after pictures of him kissing another man were publicly circulated while he was a participant on the [[American Idol (season 8)|eighth season]] of ''[[American Idol]]''. In January 2013, while accepting the honorary [[Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award]], American actress and director [[Jodie Foster]] made the first public acknowledgment of her sexual orientation, saying; "I already did my coming out a thousand years ago, in the Stone Age, in 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."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/jodie-fosters-stirring-golden-globes-411953/ |title=Jodie Foster's Stirring Golden Globes Speech: 'I Already Did My Coming Out a Thousand Years Ago' (Video) |work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |date=13 January 2013 |access-date=13 January 2013}}</ref>

==== Military personnel ====
In 1975, [[Leonard Matlovich]], while serving in the [[United States Air Force]], came out to challenge the US military's policies banning service by homosexuals. Widespread coverage included a ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' magazine cover story and a television movie on [[NBC]].<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.time.com/time/covers/0,16641,19750908,00.html |title=I Am a Homosexual |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |date=8 September 1975 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120531205013/http://www.time.com/time/covers/0,16641,19750908,00.html |archive-date=31 May 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |author=Steve Kornacki |title=The Air Force vs. the 'practicing homosexual' |work=[[Salon.com]] |date=1 December 2010 |url=http://www.salon.com/news/politics/war_room/2010/12/01/matlovich_dadt |access-date=16 January 2012 |url-status= dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101203223214/http://www.salon.com/news/politics/war_room/2010/12/01/matlovich_dadt |archive-date=3 December 2010}}</ref>

In 2011, as the US prepared to lift restrictions on service by openly gay people, Senior Airman [[Randy Phillips (airman)|Randy Phillips]] conducted a social media campaign to garner support for coming out. The video he posted on [[YouTube]] of the conversation in which he told his father he was gay went [[Viral video|viral]].<ref>NBC News: [https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna44596987 "Soldier tells dad he's gay on YouTube", September 20, 2011], accessed 16 January 2012</ref> In one journalist's summation, he "masterfully used social media and good timing to place himself at the centre of a civil rights success story".<ref name=guelph>{{cite news |url=https://www.guelphmercury.com/opinion-story/2762542-archie-comics-storyline-has-nothing-on-randy-phillips/ |title=Archie Comics' storyline has nothing on Randy Phillips |work=[[Guelph Mercury]] |date=29 September 2011 |access-date=16 January 2012}}</ref>

==== Pastors ====
In October 2010, megachurch pastor Bishop [[Jim Swilley]] came out to his congregation. The YouTube video of the service went [[Viral video|viral]]. Interviews with ''[[People (magazine)|People]]'' magazine,<ref name="people.com">{{cite web |url=http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20446976,00.html |title=Bishop Jim Swilley: A Minister Comes Out |access-date=16 March 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160318114102/http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20446976,00.html |archive-date=18 March 2016}}</ref> [[Joy Behar]],<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyU5wL9z4PA |title=Joy Behar Talks To Gay Bishop Jim Swilley & His Ex-Wife Debye Swilley |website=[[YouTube]] |date=10 November 2010 |access-date=16 March 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160717043309/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyU5wL9z4PA |archive-date=17 July 2016}}</ref> [[Don Lemon]]<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xu0PONfKsEw |title=Don Lemon Talks To Gay Bishop Jim Swilley |publisher=CNN |access-date=16 March 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150221161752/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xu0PONfKsEw |archive-date=21 February 2015}}</ref> [[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]]<ref>{{cite news |url=https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/megachurch-pastor-reveals-gay/story?id=12030163 |title=MegaChurch Pastor Declares He's Gay |work=ABC News |access-date=16 March 2016}}</ref> and [[NPR]]<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.npr.org/2010/11/14/131312723/out-of-the-closet-in-the-pulpit-of-a-megachurch |title=Out Of The Closet&nbsp;... In The Pulpit Of A Megachurch |newspaper=NPR.org |publisher=NPR All Things Considered |access-date=16 March 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160324000807/http://www.npr.org/2010/11/14/131312723/out-of-the-closet-in-the-pulpit-of-a-megachurch |archive-date=24 March 2016}}</ref> focused on  bullycides<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.queerty.com/georgia-megachurch-pastor-jim-swilley-im-gay-and-im-telling-you-because-of-those-bullycides-20101029 |title=Georgia Megachurch Pastor Jim Swilley: I'm Gay, And I'm Telling You Because Of Those Bullycides |magazine=Queerty |access-date=16 March 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160322221330/http://www.queerty.com/georgia-megachurch-pastor-jim-swilley-im-gay-and-im-telling-you-because-of-those-bullycides-20101029 |archive-date=22 March 2016 |date=29 October 2010}}</ref> which Bishop Swilley said had prompted him to "come out". One year later, he confirmed the costs but also the freedom he has experienced. "To be able to have freedom is something that I wouldn't trade anything for."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://thegavoice.com/gay-ga-mega-church-pastor-reflects-on-year-of-coming-out/ |title=Gay Ga. mega-church pastor reflects on year of coming out |publisher=The GAVoice |access-date=16 March 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160323095255/http://thegavoice.com/gay-ga-mega-church-pastor-reflects-on-year-of-coming-out/ |archive-date=23 March 2016 |date=11 November 2011}}</ref> "Being married as yourself, preaching as yourself and living your life as yourself is infinitely better than doing those things as someone else."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://thegavoice.com/the-swilleys-five-years-later/ |title=Five years later: The Swilleys on family, coming out and inclusive LGBT ministries |publisher=The GAVoice |access-date=16 March 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160325183000/http://thegavoice.com/the-swilleys-five-years-later/ |archive-date=25 March 2016 |date=22 January 2016}}</ref>

Bishop Swilley's son, [[Jared Swilley]], bass player and front man of [[Black Lips]], said, "It was definitely shocking, but I was actually glad when he told me. I feel closer to him now".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://creativeloafing.com/content-155190-black-lips-swilley-discusses-father-s-recent-coming |title=Black Lips' Swilley discusses father's recent coming out |publisher=Creative Loafing Atlanta |access-date=16 March 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=http://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/20101107000000/http://clatl.com/cribnotes/archives/2010/11/08/black-lips-swilley-discusses-fathers-recent-coming-out |archive-date=7 November 2010}}</ref> Bishop Swilley's second son, Judah Swilley, a cast member on the [[Oxygen (TV channel)|Oxygen]] show ''Preachers of Atlanta'', is confronting homophobia in the church.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.oxygen.com/preachers-of-atlanta/episode-guide |title=Preachers of Atlanta Episode Guide |access-date=16 March 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160310214816/http://www.oxygen.com/preachers-of-atlanta/episode-guide |archive-date=10 March 2016 |date=19 November 2015}}</ref>

====Journalists====
In August 2019, Nicky Bandini, a sportswriter and broadcaster contributing at ''[[The Guardian]]'' and [[ESPN]] came out as transgender, saying that she had previously written under the name Paolo Bandini. She posted a [[Twitter]] video and published an opinion piece in ''The Guardian'', saying that it took her several years to come out as transgender. Bandini said she had dealt with [[gender dysphoria]] for three-and-a-half decades before finally admitting her status as a trans woman to the world.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2019/aug/16/im-nicky-bandini-and-im-still-a-sports-writer |title=I'm Nicky Bandini – and I'm still a sports writer |access-date=16 August 2019 |newspaper=The Guardian}}</ref>