Lez Keep It Real

Today’s Come Out & Play post spotlights Michael Stipe from REM.

I sort of always suspected that Michael Stipe was gay. I guess a lot of people did because when he finally came out there wasn’t much of a buzz around it. It was like, “Yeah, we knew that.” But I had never heard him talk about it.

As most of you know, I try to browse YouTube for video Come Out & Play stories because it’s fun and there are so many videos to choose from. I found this one of Michael Stipe. It’s only a bit part of an interview, but he addresses a certain aspect of coming out in the public eye. I think it’s always interesting when a celebrity comes out because there’s another element thrown into the mix. Coming out in front of the whole world is entirely different than coming out to select family and friends. That’s why it’s nice to be able to hear his or her perspective on the matter, whoever the celebrity may be.

Here’s the video. I wish I could have found more of the interview, but this was all that was posted. I’m sure that he had a lot more to add to the conversation. Enjoy it and, as always, leave a comment if you wish.

Tune in every Friday for the Come Out & Play series, featuring coming out stories of celebrities, every day people, personal reflections, advice, tid bits and everything else concerning the complicated world of coming out!Got an interesting coming out story to tell? Contact me and I will feature it in an upcoming post of Come Out & Play.

coming out, come out and play, coming out stories, REM, michael stipe, coming out stories on youtube.com

Today’s Come Out & Play post spotlights Straight Allies.

It’s always good to have someone on your side. When it comes to homosexuals, it’s always good to have straight people on your side. Here’s a coming out story of a straight ally, courtesy of YouTube.

From YouTube:

Amy Buttery is married to husband Rob, has two young sons, Benjamin and Michael and is an LGBT ally.

When asked to be Michigan’s host for the national event, Seven Straight Nights for Equal Rights, Amy didn’t hesitate but jumped right in and got to work. When interviewed recently by Detroit News columnist Deb Price, Amy said, “I see myself as a straight ally. But I never thought of that as a position that involved activity. All it took was for someone to ask.”

Tune in every Friday for the Come Out & Play series, featuring coming out stories of celebrities, every day people, personal reflections, advice, tid bits and everything else concerning the complicated world of coming out!

Got an interesting coming out story to tell? Contact me and I will feature it in an upcoming post of Come Out & Play.

coming out, come out and play, coming out stories, straight ally, coming out stories on youtube.com

Today’s Come Out & Play post spotlights Gay & Christian.

Being gay and Christian is sometimes considered an oxymoron. Different beliefs collide and the struggle to come out and accept your sexuality can be challenging. Because of this, I’ve found this dichotomy to be an intriguing concept.

Some time ago, I interviewed Jen Austin, author of Coming Out Christian before. For those of you who haven’t read the Q&A, which appeared in Curve, I also posted a variation of the article on this blog.

Here’s another gay Christian testimony. I found some other videos on YouTube that would make a great follow up to this one as well. If you have a coming out story that relates to being Christian or any other type of religion, feel free to share it.

Tune in every Friday for the Come Out & Play series, featuring coming out stories of celebrities, every day people, personal reflections, advice, tid bits and everything else concerning the complicated world of coming out!

Got an interesting coming out story to tell? Contact me and I will feature it in an upcoming post of Come Out & Play.

coming out, come out and play, coming out stories, jen austin, coming out christian, coming out stories on youtube.com

Today’s Come Out & Play post spotlights Brothers and Sisters.

Brothers and sisters are known to have an indissoluble bond. They rely on each other in the most difficult of times and yet, torment each other to no end during the awkward years of adolescence.

I have two brothers: a twin and an older brother. My twin and I have always been close. There were the “growing pain” years, as I like to call them, during middle school and high school where we needed to carve out our own identity for a bit because everything we had gone through up to then had been encountered hip by hip. Other than those years, however, we’ve been insanely close. And I love him for that. He’s been there for me in ways I can’t even begin to describe, though I have tried.

That is why I was scared to death to tell him I was gay. I fabricated his reaction in mind over and over again until it became this three-headed monster I couldn’t ignore. I don’t know why I expected him to react so poorly, but I guess when we are coming out we all have these preconceived ideas about our friends and family that influence the way in which we think they are going to react.

I’m happy to say that I was wrong. When I told him, he simply shrugged his shoulders and smiled.

During the conversation, I had built up to such a climax that he said, “I thought you were going to say you pregnant!”

Needless to say, our bond is stronger than ever. He is one of my biggest supporters. My older brother is too. I couldn’t have asked for two better siblings. In fact, I plan on asking both of them to stand up with me at my wedding.

It doesn’t get much better than that.

For the sisters out there, I didn’t overlook you. I found this coming out story on HRC.org from Dawn of Santa Barbara, CA.

When I told my sister I was a lesbian, I was 14 years old and she was 10. She was outwardly supportive. That is, at least she did not hate me. Over time, I came to know that she was seriously confused. She did not really believe in homosexuality. She had decided that it was really just me being weird as usual. My sister and I talked often about it. Eventually, she began to realize that perhaps it was not so strange, especially with the way my mom was totally supporting me. She met many of my friends, who are also gay, and was totally scared by them all. But as time went by, she began to accept them. I soon found out that she had become a sort of peer counselor to friends that were struggling with their sexuality. She was able to tell them that her sister was gay, so she understood by association what they were going through. Now she is writing a persuasive essay for a class on why gay marriage should be legal. I am so proud of her. I have often told her that I look up to her, my little sister.

“Brother and sister,
together as friends,
ready to face
whatever life sends.
Joy and laughter
or tears and strife,
holding hands tightly
as we dance through life.”
~ Suzie Huitt

Tune in every Friday for the Come Out & Play series, featuring coming out stories of celebrities, every day people, personal reflections, advice, tid bits and everything else concerning the complicated world of coming out!

Got an interesting coming out story to tell? Contact me and I will feature it in an upcoming post of Come Out & Play.

coming out, come out and play, coming out stories, brothers and sisters, coming out to your bother or sister

Today’s Come Out & Play post spotlights Amerie.

Amerie isn’t gay, but I sure wish she was. She’s hot. And she sings “I’m coming out” with such vigor, it’s almost believable. I love this song, it always makes me feel good when I hear it. And considering what happened this week, we all need a little feel good music.

I think Diana Ross is proud of this remake. It sounds just like the original. But I have to be honest. Diana Ross isn’t nearly as sexy as Amerie is. She’s a sweet sounding R&B superstar with a nice set of pipes. Ahem.

(I’m referring to her vocal stylings people, get your minds out of the gutter!)

Amerie can sing. See for yourself!

Send your coming out stories my way! Whether it’s a video, a story, a journal entry — whatever. I’ll post it here for the world to see.

After all, “You want the world to know … got to let it show …”

Tune in every Friday for the Come Out & Play series, featuring coming out stories of celebrities, every day people, personal reflections, advice, tid bits and everything else concerning the complicated world of coming out!

Got an interesting coming out story to tell? Contact me and I will feature it in an upcoming post of Come Out & Play.

coming out, come out and play, amerie, I’m coming out, diana ross, youtube

Today’s Come Out & Play post spotlights Hermione.

If you happen to be Amish, live under a rock, or were raised in a strict Christian household, then you probably have no idea who Hermione is. Everyone else knows the name of her creator, just as easy as they would the name of 1st President of the United States. Move over George Washington, enter J.K. Rolling — the brilliant mind behind the ever-popular Harry Potter series.

Hermione Granger is one of three central characters is the series. She’s Harry’s best friend and Ron’s love interest. And sorry ladies, she isn’t gay. Though many lesbians around the world suspect that she is, maybe even hope that she is. I doubt Rolling will come forward and announce Hermione’s sexuality as she did with Dumbledore. But, in the world of fiction anything is possible.

Here’s a video, courtesy of YouTube, of what Hermione’s “coming out” would be like. And a special shout out goes to the venerable Diana Ross for penning hit single, “I’m coming out.” Without which we might never be able to fully visualize Hermione’s plight. Enjoy!

Tune in every Friday for the Come Out & Play series, featuring coming out stories of celebrities, every day people, personal reflections, advice, tid bits and everything else concerning the complicated world of coming out!

Got an interesting coming out story to tell? Contact me and I will feature it in an upcoming post of Come Out & Play.

coming out, come out and play, harry potter, jk rolling, dumbledore, dumbledore gay, hermione, youtube

Today’s Come Out & Play post spotlights Dani Campbell.

You know Dani Campbell from A Shot at Love, the dreadful MTV reality dating show with My Space slut and phony bisexual, Tila Tequila. I’ve already voiced my opinion on the show itself. And I can honestly say that I have never sat down and watched it. But, I have heard about a certain “futch” lesbian from the show who seems to be garnering quite the following. Enter Dani Campbell. She’s a firefighter from Florida, rescuing damsels in distress, and also easy on the eyes. Not so much my cup of lesbian tea, but I can appreciate her appeal.

I did a little research and found an interesting Q&A article about her on After Ellen. Upon reading it, I stumbled upon Dani’s coming out story and thought, what better place to post this than on this installment of Come Out & Play?

So, without further ado, here’s it is.

(more…)

Today’s Come Out & Play post spotlights Celebrities of 2007.

Since we’re nearing the end of 2007, I thought I’d do a Come Out & Play post on the most notable celebrities who have come out of the closet this past year.

(more…)

Today’s Come Out & Play post spotlights Jodie Foster.

Jodie Foster made a sort of cryptic announcement regarding her sexuality earlier this week by “thanking” her partner in public for the first time ever. Many people, and by people I mean bloggers and columnists, believe this to be her shinning coming out moment! This was her big, “I’m gay!” statement to the world!

… or was it?

In my professional blogging opinion, I believe this was nothing more than a heartfelt “thank you,” to someone very special in Foster’s life. It wasn’t meant to be a declaration of any kind.

In the coming out sphere, Foster has long since portrayed the stance that she could care less whether the world knew or didn’t know she was gay. Her personal life, sexuality included, always remained her personal life. She separates herself from Hollywood, which is a rarity in the industry and I commend her for it. That’s why I don’t think that the statement Foster made was meant to be a “statement” at all.

Jodie Foster is the kind of woman who doesn’t need approval from her peers, critics, or even the world. She knows who she is. She has always known. Therefore, making a declaration on the fact that she is gay probably never even crossed her mind. It wasn’t an issue when she got together with Cydney, so why would it be an issue now? Foster carries herself so well that Hollywood stars such as Britney Spears should be taking notes on how to conduct oneself in public. They should be calling her for advice on how to separate one world from the other.

See, what Foster figured out a long time ago is that the celebrity world is nothing more than a mirage. It isn’t reality, it’s a world of make believe. And Foster knows the difference between reality and make believe. She knows the importance of separating her real life from her celebrity life. She keeps the two on separate plains and never lets one get mixed up with the other.

I have always admired Jodie Foster. She was forced to figure herself out at a very young age, and the way she has navigated her career in the spotlight through a journey of adolescence and acceptance is truly amazing. You can’t tell me that, after years of keeping her head on her shoulders when it came to celeb-reality and reality, she suddenly decided to mix the two. I don’t buy it for a second.

Jodie Foster didn’t finally come out. She’s been out to herself for years. And the rest of us are just catching on.

Tune in every Friday for the Come Out & Play series, featuring coming out stories of celebrities, every day people, personal reflections, advice, tid bits and everything else concerning the complicated world of coming out!

Got an interesting coming out story to tell? Contact me and I will feature it in an upcoming post of Come Out & Play.

coming out, come out and play, jodie foster, jodie foster comes out

Today’s Come Out & Play post spotlights Strangers.

I know what you’re thinking. Why would I walk up to a stranger and say, “I’m gay?”

That’s not the kind of situation I’m talking about. Besides, didn’t you learn that you shouldn’t talk to strangers from all those ABC after school specials we were forced to watch while growing up?

When I say “stranger,” I’m referring to the kinds of people you meet in a social setting, people that you have never met before and who know nothing about you, but with whom you are connected to through one friend, relative, acquaintance or another.

I’ve been in this kind of situation before, too many times to count. And I always find myself wondering the same thing.

Should I “come out” in a sense to these people?

You’re probably wondering why, if these people are strangers, I should feel the need to say anything at all about my sexuality. Well, some of these “strangers” don’t stay “strangers.” Some of them we will see again. Some of them will even become our friends.

So … where is the line then? How do you determine which “stranger” is worth coming out too?

I’m not a rapper by any means, but let me try and “break it down.”

(more…)

Today’s Come Out & Play post spotlights J..

J. is a woman who is currently taking an adult leap of faith in coming out.

I consider J. to be an incredible brave woman. Who is this J., you ask?

This is J.:

Who am I? That was a far easier question to answer a few months ago, before I started down this journey of exploration and self-acceptance. Now, my sense of self is both more solid and far more confused than it ever was.

Let’s start with the basics. I am married, to an incredible man who loves me more than I feel I come close to deserving. I am also a mother of two precious little girls. I’ve lived my life up till this point as a happily married, heterosexual woman. I had acknowledged in the past, both personally and to my husband and my inner circle of friends, an attraction to women that dates back at least to my late teens. I was willing to acknowledge an attraction, but never willing to admit that it amounted to anything more than isolated fantasies.

Over the past few years the truth has been harder and harder to ignore, and that has escalated over the past few months to the point that it is impossible to deny any longer. I am attracted to women, and I want to be with women. That part of the equation was actually the easiest part of all to accept.

Figuring out how to navigate this truth in the face of my current reality – my love for and devotion to my husband and children – is far more difficult.

And this is her coming out story:
(more…)

Today’s Come Out & Play post spotlights Paige from Degrassi.

I’ve talked about Degrassi before. It’s not only a great show, it’s also a great point of reference for coming out examples. I chose this clip in particular, not so much because of the story line but because I recently interviewed Lauren Collins, otherwise known as Paige, for Curve. Paige had somehow fallen for another girl named Alex. It evolved into a lesbian relationship that confused, upset, shocked, satisfied, enlightened, teased and captivated her. And I think Degrassi, as well as Lauren Collins, did a fantastic job of making the story less about gender and more about love. Though Paige never really understands her emotions, she accepts them. And she accepts the fact that love can cross all boundaries … even genders.

The article will publish in March, so stay tuned. Lauren was extremely candid and wonderful to talk to.

For now, here’s a music clip of Paige and Alex from YouTube. Enjoy! (For those of you who don’t know … Paige is the blond)

Tune in every Friday for the Come Out & Play series, featuring coming out stories of celebrities, every day people, personal reflections, advice, tid bits and everything else concerning the complicated world of coming out!

Got an interesting coming out story to tell? Contact me and I will feature it in an upcoming post of Come Out & Play.

paige from degrassi, paige and alex, lauren collins, coming out, come out and play, coming out stories, youtube, degrassi

Today’s Come Out & Play post spotlights telling your parents.

Of everything that I have learned about the world of coming out, there is one thing that is the most consistent. The anticipation of a parent’s reaction. Whether it’s Mom, Dad or both - it’s always the same. We expect the worst. We fear the worst. And sometimes, it’s so much better than we could have ever expected.

Other times, it is far worse.

I was lucky. My experience in telling my parents was far better than I could have ever imagined. When I had the conversation with my mother and father, I expected my mother to freak and my father to be OK. Well, that’s the way it went - at first. Then my mother was more than OK and my father had his turn to freak out. All in all, it was a positive experience because they continue to love and appreciate me to this day. I was never disowned or kicked out of the house. I was never told that I was going to go to hell. I was never told that they couldn’t accept it.

All I was told was that they needed time. And I understood that. Just as I needed time to come to terms with it myself, my parents needed time to adjust and come to terms with it themselves.

Time passed.

And now, my being gay is a non-issue.

I truly believe that telling your parents is the hardest thing in the world to do. To this day, it is by far the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do in my life. I know that I am blessed to have their love and support, as I have found that there are countless others who do not have the same.

I found a video on YouTube from SoGayTV, which was a Canadian gay-themed talk show. Though the show is off the air, I thought this clip was worth resurrecting. Host Jason Ruta scours the streets to ask unsuspecting participants, “How did your parents react when you told them you were gay.”

Some of the stories are funny, and some are down right appalling. But, they are all true.

How did your parents react when you told them you were gay? Feel free to share your experience below.

Don’t forget about the Lez Keep it Real Contest!

Tune in every Friday for the Come Out & Play series, featuring coming out stories of celebrities, every day people, personal reflections, advice, tid bits and everything else concerning the complicated world of coming out!

Got an interesting coming out story to tell? Contact me and I will feature it in an upcoming post of Come Out & Play.

telling your parents, telling your parents you are gay, coming out, come out and play, coming out stories, youtube, sogaytv, jason ruta

Today’s Come Out & Play post spotlights Out of Sync, the memoir of Lance Bass.

I’ve already talked about Lance before, but hey - I’m an N’Sync fan so I’ll throw a little support his way. Though I don’t plan on actually buying his book, I might read it should it somehow happen to fall in my lap. I’m sure growing up gay in a pop band isn’t the easiest thing to do, so it will be interesting to see what Lance has to say about that. As for the other stuff he talks about in the book, such as flying to space - I’m not really interested in that.

Since the book “came out,” Lance has been doing a whirlwind of press. I saw him on the front page of Yahoo a few days ago. Talk about publicity. Whomever is publicist is should get a raise.

As I was browsing YouTube for video coming out stories to post, I came across Lance’s 20/20 interview. It’s actually pretty good. Though it doesn’t show the whole interview, the clip offers a glimpse into what it was like for Lance being the token “gay boy” of N’Sync. Which makes me wonder … was one of the Backstreet Boys gay too?

Enjoy!

For those of you who live under a rock, Lance came out last year. He’s now playing the role of “Corny Collins” in the Broadway production of Hairspray.

I haven’t heard or read any reviews about his performance as yet, so if you have one let me know. In my opinion - yes, Lance can sing, but no, he cannot act. He should not act, ever.

And, I still maintain that Bass’ book should have been called, “Fish Out of Water.” It makes much more sense to me!

Tune in every Friday for the Come Out & Play series, featuring coming out stories of celebrities, every day people, personal reflections, advice, tid bits and everything else concerning the complicated world of coming out!

Got an interesting coming out story to tell? Contact me and I will feature it in an upcoming post of Come Out & Play.

lance bass, out of sync, coming out, come out and play, backstreet boys

Today’s Come Out & Play post spotlights Telling your fraternity

When I think of fraternities, I think of a collection of preppy, cargo-short wearing boys with polo shirts who drink far too much and bond over endless games of bear pong and video games. This, of course, is a stereotype. But it is, for the most part, what I saw frequently on my former college campus.

I went to a small school in the south in which the campus was five minutes long as it was wide. Our main source of entertainment were the frats and sororities. There’s a street dubbed “fraternity row” in fact, where you can stumble from one house to the other on any given Friday or Saturday night. In my four years at Randolph-Macon College, I never met one fraternity brother who was gay. I never met anyone who was gay for that matter, at least anyone who would be brave enough to admit it out loud (including myself).

The small, conservative methodist campus was not the place for us to come out. I wonder though, what if there were gay members of the fraternities? Statically, there had to be. I know that, given the community and atmosphere of where I went to school, I couldn’t have come out during my college years. And I highly doubt any of the fraternity brothers could have either. But times have changed. And it is because of the following coming out story that I think things might be a little different now. Maybe even on a southern campus like Randolph-Macon.
(more…)