There are many commemorations that mark important milestones for queer people and their allies: Pride Month, LGBTQ History Month, Lesbian Visibility Week and Transgender Day of Remembrance, among many others.
The festivities surrounding many of these events often turn them into a headline-grabbing display of communal pride. But on National Coming Out Day, recognized annually on Oct. 11, queer people at all points in their journey mark what for many is a more private, initial step in celebrating who they are.
For celebrities and others in the public spotlight though, coming out also means sharing their sexuality or gender identity with millions of people around the world. Some superstars, like Reneé Rapp and Chappell Roan, took their rapid rise to stardom this year as a chance to offer more insight into their identities (both singers have been embraced as part of the lesbian pop renaissance). Others said they were part of the LGBTQ community for the very first time.
Here are a few of the people who have come out so far in 2024.
Sophia Bush
In a cover story for Glamour magazine in April, Sophia Bush revealed that she identifies as a queer woman and confirmed her relationship with soccer player Ashlyn Harris.
“I’ve experienced so much safety, respect, and love in the queer community, as an ally all of my life, that, as I came into myself, I already felt it was my home,” she wrote for the magazine. “Right now I think the word that best defines it is queer. I can’t say it without smiling, actually. And that feels pretty great.”
Amber Ruffin
Comedian Amber Ruffin posted a joyful photo of herself wearing a shirt with the word “Queer” on the last night of Pride Month. “Be proud of who you are, little babies! I know I am!” Ruffin wrote as part of the post, adding that the news should come as a shock to “exactly zero people.”
Julia Fox
Actor and author Julia Fox appeared to come out as a lesbian in a TikTok video shared in July. Fox jokingly proclaimed that “I was that lesbian” in response to a viral video in which comedian Emily Gracin quipped about seeing “a lesbian with their boyfriend.” Fox was previously married to a man and had a brief but high-profile relationship with the rapper Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, in 2022. “So sorry, boys,” Fox said in the video.
Maren Morris
Singer Maren Morris took to Instagram during Pride Month to share that she was “happy to be the B in LGBTQ+.” The country singer has been outspoken about her support for the LGBTQ community in the past. In 2022, she raised $100,000 for organizations that support trans rights after Fox News host Tucker Carlson called her a “lunatic country music person” for her criticism of anti-transgender remarks.
Trey Cunningham
Shortly after competing in the U.S. Olympic trials, track star Trey Cunningham decided to come out as gay in an interview with The New York Times. While he’s been out to friends and family for about five years, Cunningham told the Times that coming out was “the scariest thing I’ve ever done.”
Louisa Jacobson
Actor Louisa Jacobson’s family had a lot to celebrate in June. Jacobson came out as a lesbian in a stylish Instagram carousel that included a screenshot of a New York Times article titled, “We’re Entering a Joyful New Era of Lesbian Fashion.” The post coincided with the 75th birthday of her mother, acclaimed Oscar winner Meryl Streep.
Sasheer Zamata
The self-described “late-in-life lesbian” and former “Saturday Night Live” star came out as gay last month in an interview with Them, an LGBTQ news outlet. Zamata explained that after being repeatedly cast in queer roles throughout her comedy career, she began to ask herself: “What are these casting directors seeing that I’m not seeing?”
Amanda Tori Meating
The “RuPaul’s Drag Race” season 16 alum shared in an interview with Entertainment Weekly in January that being on the show allowed her to be “more comfortable in the reformation of my identity.” Meating, who had identified as nonbinary for years, said at the time that while she’s not fully comfortable calling herself a trans woman, she sees herself as “a t-girl at the moment.”
Maya Massafera
Brazilian social media sensation Maya Massafera came out as a trans woman in May to her 5.5 million Instagram followers. The post shared her new name and a photo of what appears to be a legal document showing that her government IDs now list her sex as female. In a June essay published in Vogue Brazil’s Pride issue, Massafera poignantly wrote: “There’s a saying that life begins at 40. Mine literally started at 43.”
Bruce Joel Rubin
“Ghost” screenwriter Bruce Joel Rubin proved in June that it’s never too late to come out. The 81-year-old Hollywood veteran shared in his memoir, “It’s Only a Movie,” that he has known he is gay for decades. He added that his wife has known about his sexuality throughout their marriage, and that he had also come out to his children and grandchildren, according to The Guardian.
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