I guess this is really a question for the gay folks here.

The thread about the new Jodi Foster flick got me to thinking about celebs who are not out. What are your feelings on this? Do you think they are doing lesbians and gays a disservice by hiding their orientation?

I think the following are gay:
Queen Latifah
George Clooney
Keanu Reeves
Tom Cruise
That's all I can think of off the top of my head right now. As far as them doing a service to the gay community if they are gay, I think they probably do not come out for fear of ridicule, humiliation and general getting a hard time in life or ostracization.

I think they are. I think that some gay kids need role models. They need someone that they can look up to so that they feel that anything is possible.

Although I do understand that some of these actors have to be in the closet simply because their career and money depends on it.


M

Ace said:

Jodie is gay?

1sexymf said:

Queen Latifah - yes
George Clooney - no
Keanu Reeves - perhaps
Tom Cruise - no

where did this george clooney rumour come from all of a sudden?
first time I heard talk about it was early this year.

same thing with the Tom Cruise gossip. i just don't understand
the need for gay people to go around and "accuse" every other
hot celebrity of the moment of beig gay or to have at least had
sex with a same sex partner "in secret".

I think that kind of talk does a much bigger disservice to the
gay community as celebs who MIGHT be gay, not coming out.

Regardless, I don't think either harm the "community", I just
used it as an example to balance one off of the other.

Prince is gay though

Isn't it time one of these A-list Hollywood actors comes out and says, "I am gay and, ya know what folks? Relationships in movies are not real and what difference does it make whether two actors faking that they have feelings for each other are straight or gay?". It is so sad that in Two Thousand and Fucking Five people have to hide this.

IstenSzek said:

Not talking about harm, but wouldn't it further the cause (for lack of a better term) for these people to step up?

So what if people are rumoured to be gay. You know there's a problem when people are INSULTED when they are presumed gay.

I have straight friends that don't care if people perceive them to be gay when they're around me.



M

i'm of two minds about this - on the one hand, i see no reason why someone like jodie foster shouldn't just come out of the closet. it's pretty clear that she's gay - even her film roles are somewhat ambiguous and asexual - so now that she's ridiculously rich and powerful, why not just come out and not have to worry about being "outed"?

on the other hand, i think a lot of people have their reasons, one of which being that we're still in an era where if you're an entertainer who comes out, you're then seen as a "gay entertainer", and not just an entertainer who happens to be gay. you're suddenly some kind of spokesperson and you have certain borders placed upon what kind of roles you can play. in this case, i can understand someone being semi-out in their private life, but closeted as a public figure.

which brings me to another thought - i believe there are lots of celebrities who are well known as gay - damn near out of the closet, in fact - within the industry, but as far as the general public is concerned, their orientation simply isn't talked about. someone like, say, lily tomlin might be a really obvious example of this?

MIGUELGOMEZ said:

Interstingly, I have a gay friend who used to be insulted when folks assumed he was straight. He's lightened up quite a bit. But I remember him being bothered by this.

damn what others think. get outta that closet!

CarrieMpls said:

Yep, I've also had friends (the operative word HAD), that didn't like to go to mixed clubs where there were gay and straight people or where there were women.

Idiots.

M

is this about 2the9s?

Anxiety said:

But someone like Jodi Foster is so firmly established. Do you think they wouldn't let her play certain roles?


Well, I've known for a long time that Lily Tomlin was gay (can't remember how I found-out). Interesting that Woody Allen cast her alongside Jodi as prostitutes in Shadows & Fog.

I think the Closeted Hollywood has been such a "thing" throughout history, that it's very hard for Hollywood to get away from. What is interesting is that during this day and age, you'd think that it would be incredibly easier to come out. It's certainly not a carreer buster anymore.

I don't think it's a "diservice" to the gay community however, I do think that if all the Gay folks in Hollywood were to come out it would be a HUGE shock to the rest of the world. I also think it would make us much more visable at first...but then I think it would regale itself to a gay career like hairdressing.

Ace said:

I think that reality would be a little too hard on the general public.

MIGUELGOMEZ said:

I've got mixed feelings on that one. On one hand, if you have a mixed group of friends, it's only fair to hang out in 'each others' clubs on occasion. On the other, I have a gay friend who refused to go to straight clubs for a while, but this came about cause he was assaulted/teased/gaybashed in the bathroom at First Ave once. A shame, cause that's not the normal patronage, he just happened to run into an asshole. But he wouldn't go to any straight dance nights for a long time after that. Not to mention, there are certain gay bars out there where women aren't really welcome. And we've got no place being there anyway. lol.

CarrieMpls said:

I refuse to go anywhere where women aren't allowed. I don't go to some straight places because if I were to dance with a guy it would be a mess. The straight clubs I do go to are okay with gay folks as it should be.


M

I think a lot of celebrities r only closeted professionally, but out in their personal lives and I respect that choice, but speculation is always fun.

I know you addressed this to the gay folks here but I'm of the opinion that it's nobody's business what anybody else does so long as it doesn't cause harm.

I think celebs should be entitled to the same rights as the rest of us - that is, that it should be their choice whether or not to come out.

Those that do come out and become role models for young gay people - good on them! But it's not in everybody's life plan to do that and it has to be down to personal choice at the end of the day.

I don't think celebrities (or anyone else) have an obligation to anyone to share their private lives. In fact, I disagree with the idea that the political or social convictions of celebrities carry more weight than anyone else's just because they're famous. Who cares what Barbara Streisand thinks about politics or who Jodie Foster is getting nookie from?

And the idea that actors should be role models...? Come on. Can't we find better role models for ourselves and our children than actors and celebrity performers? Or better yet, can't we BE better role models so that they don't have to try to model themselves after these entirely contrived personalities?

Who someone sleeps with is their business.

On the other hand, if Clooney IS gay, he needs to call me NOW.

superspaceboy said:

it's about time that mr & mrs. public gets roughened up instead of being handed the soft stuff they're used to.

life itself is hard. you think it'd click straightaway for everyone.

Ace said:

well, she's already playing non-heteronormative characters - the single mom in 'little man tate'. the asexual fbi agent in 'silence of the lambs'. the separated single mom in 'panic room'. the single mom in her new movie. it's very easy to watch her movies over the past few years and feel like you're watching a main character who very well could be lesbian, but it's just not spelled out for the audience, or else it's just not important to the plot. if she came out of the closet, she'd really only be effected by a stigma that's ever so slowly starting to ebb. meanwhile, she's not very prolific with her film projects as an actress, and she has her own film production company. i don't see how the risk could be high for her, since she seems to have already "made it big".

it just leads me to believe that her being in the closet is more of a personal choice than a professional one.

Xagain said:

Call me if he calls you. I need to make an appt to kill myself then.

Teacher said:

If it would bother you THAT much to find out he was, then let me make that appointment FOR you.

Teacher said:

The only rumor I have heard about George Clooney is that he's a sniffer. He likes to smell women's underarms.


M

Handclapsfingasnapz said:

Excellent Points!! The general public likes easy answers, defined categories and long to identify with movie stars. Therefore, anything that challenges their reality is too hard to stomach because Hollywood conditions us to think about situations and people in extremely unrealistic/limited ways. I really wish things were different and "closeted" stars could openly be themselves. However the backlash would likely derail their careers. It's like Ellen, I love that woman, but she has now been relegated to the asexual/non-threatening role where we know she's a lesbian (it has been covered ad nauseum) but since they are repackaging her for middle America's consumption, her sexuality/lifestyle has become the big pink elephant in the room we are all aware of but choose to ignore.
[Edited 9/26/05 12:57pm]

DorothyParkerWasCool said:

DorothyParkerWasCool said:

While I'm in the studio audience in Nov. I'm going to remind her that she's gay. I'll have my cousin jump and grind on her.


M

MIGUELGOMEZ said:

I don't think she needs reminding