Lez Keep It Real

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.

Sarah Paulson

Though she was indirectly outed in 2005 by her partner Cherry Jones, who thanked her during the 59th Tony Awards, the couple finally declared their love for one another openly in an interview with VelvetPark at Women’s Event 10 for the LGBT Center of NYC.

T.R. Knight

Though the controversy surrounding T.R. Knight’s sexuality on the set of Grey’s Anatomy occurred in October 2006, the public didn’t really catch on until January of 2007 when he began making public appearances on talk shows to discuss it.

David Hyde Pierce

The mainstream media first covered Pierce’s relationship with longtime domestic partner, TV writer/director/producer Brian Hargrove, in May 2007. When accepting his Tony Award for Curtains, Pierce thanked “my partner, Brian, because it’s 24 years of listening to your damn notes — that’s why I’m up here tonight.”

Neil Patrick Harris

Harris was outed in November 2006 by a Canadian website who reported that he was romantically involved with actor David Burtka. Harris’ publicist initially denied the rumors only to have Harris come out to People magazine a day later. However, Harris and Burtka didn’t openly acknowledge their relationship until the Emmy awards in September 2007.

Lance Bass

Lance, the bass crooner from *Nsync, came out in October 2006 through People magazine. But his complete coming out story is told in detail in his recent memoir, Out of Sync, which hit stores in October 2007.

Jodie Foster

Some media outlets argue that Foster “came out” earlier this month in her acceptance speech during a breakfast for Hollywood Reporter’s Women in Entertainment awards when she thanked her “beautiful Cydney” (film producer Cydney Bernard). Foster and Bernard have been together for 15 years, though not in the public eye. My thoughts? Jodie didn’t finally come out to us … she’s been out to herself for year. The rest of us are just catching on.

Well … It’s been a very good year as far as coming out is concerned. Makes me wonder who’ll step out of the closet in 2008 – provided that they are ready to do so of course.

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.

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