Should closeted celebs be 'outed'?

[falconfan]

OK what is this "role model" junk anyway... has anyone here ever felt the need for there to be a gay celeb for them to look up to? I know I haven't. I look up to good people regardless of their gender, race, nationality, or sexual preference.

 

[eddielee]

I guess I'm with the majority. A person should come out only if they want to. I'm against dragging anyone out of the closet, however I do relish it when a homophobic politician gets exposed. For an actor, the decision to come it is a major career move that might have serious consequences.

 

[unclaimedblessing]

What's with this obsession in having to know every detail of a celebs' life?
I've commented before that the only thing a celeb owes his or her fans is the best performance for the ticket price.
I do agree with those who think closeted celebs who participate in anti-gay movements or publicly support anti-gay comments should be exposed just like any other hypocrites.
In a related situation, on "The View" last week Whoopi and Sherri got into a debate over fans harrassing celebs. Sherri thought it was OK for a fan to interrupt a celeb during dinner out for an autograph because they might not encounter the celeb again.
Whoopi countered that suppose it was 8 or 12 fans interrupting dinner out with family or friends? She said that when she enters a restaurant and sees people she recognizes or even knows well she either waves or mouths hello and never disturbs their dining.
Whoopi is right, good manners always trumps fan worship.

 

[Críostóir]

What's with this obsession in having to know every detail of a celebs' life?
I've commented before that the only thing a celeb owes his or her fans is the best performance for the ticket price.
I do agree with those who think closeted celebs who participate in anti-gay movements or publicly support anti-gay comments should be exposed just like any other hypocrites.
In a related situation, on "The View" last week Whoopi and Sherri got into a debate over fans harrassing celebs. Sherri thought it was OK for a fan to interrupt a celeb during dinner out for an autograph because they might not encounter the celeb again.
Whoopi countered that suppose it was 8 or 12 fans interrupting dinner out with family or friends? She said that when she enters a restaurant and sees people she recognizes or even knows well she either waves or mouths hello and never disturbs their dining.
Whoopi is right, good manners always trumps fan worship.

Whoopi - smart and polite.

Sherri - stupid and rude.

 

[Steely]

I don't think so. It's part of their personal life, so it should be left up to them whether or not they want everybody in the world to know.

 

[JOHN B]

LOL---I get yelled at for giving my opinion whenever this topic thread come up. So I think I'll stay out of it THIS time....

 

[reiz_90]

i do believe that if they are homophobic....they should be outed! other than that, it is a personal decision.

 

[GL]

absolutely, 100% NOT.

whether or not they are celebrities or politicians or your average tom, dick or harry is irrelevant. at the end of the day coming out is nobody's business but their own.

 

[herewego]

There's no such thing as "outing". People discuss other people's lives all the time, whether they are gay or straight. Why on Earth should be continue not discussing them while continuing to discussing the lives of straight celebrities? Are you saying that if we discuss so and so dating a person of the same gender publicly, we're outing them? Whether the person wants to come out publicly and confirm it, is their business, but there is nothing different between talking about a person who's dating a person of the same sex or the opposite sex. If that is a problem, then we should be discussing whether we should be talking about anyone's personal life. That's not going to happen, so we can continue to talk.

I understand why up and comers don't come out of the closet early on in their careers. However, those who are established, should definitely come out. It's a moral obligation. Gay people need to be visible as to confirm their existence. It is important for the progression of society. I'm looking at you, Jodie Foster!

Politicians who vote for a bash gay people, should be publicly outed, with all media attention on them. CALL A PRESS CONFERENCE! OUT THE BASTARDS!

 

[falconfan]

There's no such thing as "outing". People discuss other people's lives all the time, whether they are gay or straight. Why on Earth should be continue not discussing them while continuing to discussing the lives of straight celebrities? Are you saying that if we discuss so and so dating a person of the same gender publicly, we're outing them? Whether the person wants to come out publicly and confirm it, is their business, but there is nothing different between talking about a person who's dating a person of the same sex or the opposite sex. If that is a problem, then we should be discussing whether we should be talking about anyone's personal life. That's not going to happen, so we can continue to talk.

I understand why up and comers don't come out of the closet early on in their careers. However, those who are established, should definitely come out. It's a moral obligation. Gay people need to be visible as to confirm their existence. It is important for the progression of society. I'm looking at you, Jodie Foster!

Politicians who vote for a bash gay people, should be publicly outed, with all media attention on them. CALL A PRESS CONFERENCE! OUT THE BASTARDS!

There is such a thing as outing. "Outing" does not always entail speculation and discussion often it involves photos and videos used to prove the sexuality of an individual.

The progress or society is not on the shoulders of Jodi Foster. There's no reason why she should be saddled with such a responsibility.

 

[kevinbeau]

it's not ,if, gay celebrities are good or bad role models....it is just that they are...our (much fractured) culture still hates homosexuality....
and ,we, as a minority have alot of work to do....so much has happened since the times of Harvey Milk....it's amazing....
and yet my Mom and Dad are still ashamed and embarassed to have a gay son and a lesbian daughter.....
and, my nieces and nephews are totally on board, openmined and supportive.....love those kids...

hiding in a closet is bad for your self worth....hiding in a closet for monetary gain is deplorable....

 

[falconfan]

it's not ,if, gay celebrities are good or bad role models....it is just that they are...our (much fractured) culture still hates homosexuality....
and ,we, as a minority have alot of work to do....so much has happened since the times of Harvey Milk....it's amazing....
and yet my Mom and Dad are still ashamed and embarassed to have a gay son and a lesbian daughter.....
and, my nieces and nephews are totally on board, openmined and supportive.....love those kids...

hiding in a closet is bad for your self worth....hiding in a closet for monetary gain is deplorable....

First of all it's not fair to assume it's solely for monetary gain. Second of all it's not deplorable it's a personal choice. It's not one I would make but it is a choice none the less. There are people who are ready willing and able to be role models and that's who they are. The fact as a whole society views homosexuality is something only time can and will change. Shoving people out of the closet is nto gonna help the situation any. Plenty of prominent gay rights figures (like Ellen or Rosie) had lengthy stays in the closet and came out when they're ready. And they're going to be remembered for the work they've done since than, work they probably couldn't have done if they weren't secure enough in themselves to make the decision.

 

[Críostóir]

In the end no one really gives a shit what you think anyway.

I think this is a little uncalled for. But you don't care what I think either.

 

[JOHN B]

Oh what the hell-----no celebrity has the right to say "look at me, look at me!---But not TOO closely!" THEY chose to go into a career in which they have to have their life in the public eye, so THEY have to suffer the consequences of that. Keeping your private life private is one thing. Pretending to have a private life that doesn't exist in order to be accepted is quite another.

 

[falconfan]

Oh what the hell-----no celebrity has the right to say "look at me, look at me!---But not TOO closely!" THEY chose to go into a career in which they have to have their life in the public eye, so THEY have to suffer the consequences of that. Keeping your private life private is one thing. Pretending to have a private life that doesn't exist in order to be accepted is quite another.

What about entertainers who begin a career in their youth and have no idea what their sexual preference is? What about people who just like to act and/or sing and don't want attention for the sake of attention. There are plenty of celebs who have private lives. Being an entertainer doesn't gaurantee your pvt life is on displat so why does that mean tehy should assume it will be. Yes they know it's a risk but an athlete knows its a risk he'll get injured because of his job that doesn't mean we should WANT them to get injured. Knowledge of a risk does not justify an amoral action performed by a third party.

 

[Críostóir]

What about entertainers who begin a career in their youth and have no idea what their sexual preference is? What about people who just like to act and/or sing and don't want attention for the sake of attention. There are plenty of celebs who have private lives. Being an entertainer doesn't gaurantee your pvt life is on displat so why does that mean tehy should assume it will be. Yes they know it's a risk but an athlete knows its a risk he'll get injured because of his job that doesn't mean we should WANT them to get injured. Knowledge of a risk does not justify an amoral action performed by a third party.

Right on--oh, sorry, I mean Word.

 

[reiz_90]

i'm in the entertainment industry through dancing(mostly hip-hop) and i have learned that there is this pressure for guys to either be straight or to fake it for the cameras. you definitely will not get any work if you're flamboyant. and believe me there are some people who are good at faking it. if you take a step back and really look at things you will see that everything that is marketed to the masses(think mainstream movies and music) is a reflection of the majority. this is something that has always bothered me because the entertainment industry is litearlly run by gay people(choreographers, publicists, managers, stylists, booking agents, assistants, etc.) who were probably tortured for their sexual preference while growing up. you would think they would seize this opportunity to really make a change because entertainment has a very unfortunate yet powerful impact on our culture whether that's something we are willing to accept or not.

 

[kevinbeau]

xxxtrystanxxx, you make very good points....the industry has strict rules, stated and implied about homosexuality,within its ranks.....
again, being out of the closet is good for you and our world...

 

[falconfan]

i'm in the entertainment industry through dancing(mostly hip-hop) and i have learned that there is this pressure for guys to either be straight or to fake it for the cameras. you definitely will not get any work if you're flamboyant. and believe me there are some people who are good at faking it. if you take a step back and really look at things you will see that everything that is marketed to the masses(think mainstream movies and music) is a reflection of the majority. this is something that has always bothered me because the entertainment industry is litearlly run by gay people(choreographers, publicists, managers, stylists, booking agents, assistants, etc.) who were probably tortured for their sexual preference while growing up. you would think they would seize this opportunity to really make a change because entertainment has a very unfortunate yet powerful impact on our culture whether that's something we are willing to accept or not.

Change isn't that simple. It's not up to the choreographers, publicists, stylists, etc... Entertainment is a business like any other and if your trying to sell a product it must appeal to the consumers. Brokeback Mountain for instance received amazing reviews but the Box Office well Opening weekend for Brokeback was about 6 mil.... for National Treasure 2 it was 44 mil. Investors want products that sell no matter what business they're in. Now you can put homosexuality in plain sight all you want but the religious and "moral" undertones it carries in our society are not going to change overnight. For an innate cultural prejudice to change is a slow and painful process and shoving Jodi Foster out of her nice comfortable closet aint gonna speed it up.

 

[unclaimedblessing]

Some actors live for their craft.
Just because they yearn to be a fine actor doesn't mean that they want their private lives on the front page of rag papers or ET.
It's not always about the money either. Many have opted to do stage plays (instead of the more profitable movies or TV) because the part is a greater challenge for their talents.
If you were an HIV+ doctor (surgeons excepted) would you want your staff and patients to know about it? Even if you were acknowledged to be the best in your field, you know it would destroy your practice, regardless of your abilities or accomplishments.
Part of the public live in a mindless state where they fantacize over a performer if he or she is cute, pretty, or handsome and have no appreciation for the performers actual talents. Outting a celeb to these people is like pandering to them and would definitely destroy careers.
The performers outting themselves would have no great benefit to the gay cause either. Does anyone really think if Tom Cruise had come out it would have saved Matthew Sheppards' life?