It is fabulous that celebrities are coming out to their fans, and we all know that is no easy feat. Getting out of hiding and embracing oneself is a bold move that deserves respect.
Queer celebrities are a crucial part of the LGBTQ+ community. They are role models to the younger generation who are still figuring out their sexuality and battling societal pressure.
Even though we cannot deny that most celebrities are from a place of privilege, we must appreciate the influence and support they offer to the community at large.
That said, here are four movie stars that recently came out.
- Alexandra Shipp
Popularly known as Storm from her role in the X-Men Apocalypse, Alexandra came out as queer on June 1st, 2021.
Coming out at the age of 28, Shipp feels remorse and regrets that she could not come out any sooner. She was struggling with her femininity and sexuality, and like most queer people, she was in denial. In addition, she was scared that going public at this late age would affect her life negatively. For example, she wouldn’t find work or love.
Alexandra came out on Instagram in a sincere and proud post. She declares she is neither afraid nor in denial anymore and is proud of herself and her purpose in life. Her goal is to celebrate love for the rest of her life.
“…and for the rest of my life, I’ll be celebrating every day. Because I chose me.”
Alexander Shipp has recently been cast on Love, Simon, and the musical Tick, Tick, Boom!
- Emma Corrin
The 25-year-old is popularly known for her role as Princess Diana in the Netflix series, The Crown. After mentioning she is queer on her Instagram, the actress went ahead to update her pronouns on social media to she/they. In August 2021, Emma had an exclusive interview on ITV where she talked about her gender identity and sexuality for the first time.
While the young star believes that visibility is key, Miss Corrin was doubtful about coming out and her fans’ reaction. She was overwhelmed by the positive feedback she received from the LGBTQ community. You can check this app or a list of celebrities who are bisexual.
She understands that society is based on a defined binary system, which most people use to identify themselves. However, she believes her life has been a journey of self-discovery with still a long way to go. Nevertheless, she understands that she lies somewhere between the binaries, just not sure where exactly.
She posted numerous photos of her donning a chest binder. This compression garment is often a signifier of the non-binary and Trans people. It is also used to lessen feelings of body dysphoria.
“...It’s an amazing feeling of solidarity. It’s a beautiful feeling to be amongst that kind of thing.”
- Kal Penn
Known for his role as Kumar in Designated Survivor and the hit movie series Harold and Kumar, Penn came out in his memoir that launched in October 2021. In the book “You Can’t Be Serious,” Kal Pen reveals his sexuality and reveals he has been engaged to his partner for eleven years.
He admits that the people in his life know about his relationship, and he has never had a public conversation about it. According to Penn, his partner Josh doesn’t love attention, and he isn’t a fan of the spotlight. For instance, there are numerous paparazzi photos of Kal and Josh hanging out at basketball games, but he was always credited as a guest.
Penn admits that he discovered his sexuality a little later than most people, but he is okay with that. He says that self-discovery does not have a timeline, and people are free to figure out stuff at whatever point in their lives.
- Larry Saperstein
Since most of the celebrities coming out are young adults, teens might have a hard time relating to them. However, younger stars also have the courage to embrace their sexuality.
Larry Saperstein, also known as Big Red from High School Musical: The Series, came out as bisexual in the last week of May. Larry revealed his sexual orientation via a Tik Tok video.
The video was him staring at the camera. It was captioned “Plays a character with a girlfriend on TV.” the text later changed to “is bi irl,” which means bisexual in real life. In the series, Big Red shares a romantic bond with Ashlyn Caswell.
Coming out at the start of Pride Month, Larry went on and tweeted, “T minus 30 days to figure out how to do drag so I can turn out a look before the end of the month.”However, there might have been some speculation about his sexuality since he captioned his video with the question,” is it really that unexpected, though?”
Conclusion
It is important that young people of the LGBTQ+ community should feel confident and safe in expressing their gender identity and sexual orientation. In addition, one should be free to explore themselves and their sexuality without any judgment. Celebrities coming out paves the way for both young and older generations to be brave and remain true to themselves.