From a Hunger Games hunk to a Disney Channel starlet, here are Iconic Figures Who Were Gay or Bi
Zachary Quinto
This actor, famous for his role as Spock in the newer Star Trek films and Sylar in Heroes,publicly came out as gay in 2011. During an interview with New York magazine regarding the LGBT community,
He simply stated, “As a gay man, it made me feel like I – there’s still so much work to be done. There’s still so many things that need to be looked at and addressed. The undercurrent of that fear and that, you know, insidiousness still is swarming. It’s still all around us.” Although it wasn’t news to him, it was news to many of his fans.
In 2016, he opened up about what it’s like to be part of the LGBT community in today’s political and social state. He said, “I am scared. I don’t take anything for granted. There are indicators of the pendulum swinging the other way right now in terms of the political temperature… We have to fight with everything we have to continue the path that we’ve been able to gain such ground on in the last five to ten years.”
Raven Symone
People everywhere had no idea that the That’s So Raven star, who also played Olivia on The Cosby Show, was gay until she came out after deciding she was done with the television industry.
She later talked about her coming out on a video titled “It Gets Better.” Raven noted, “I never thought I would come out because my personal life didn’t matter…I knew I couldn’t say it out loud because,‘Oh my god, little Olivia is gay, this is crazy.’” But, Raven knew that she was gay by the time she was twelve. After she was finally able to tell the world who she was, she said, “I felt lighter. I felt like I could go out and not have to put on seventeen different hats to be myself.”
In 2015, she came out of retirement to be one of the co-hosts on The View.
Jillian Michaels
One of the world’s most famous fitness trainers, Jillian Michaels, kept her sexuality private for a different reason. She gained recognition after whipping people into shape on The Biggest Loser in 2004. But, she didn’t come out until 2012. When asked later on if she wished she’d come out sooner,
Michaels answered,“No, and here’s why. Adoption was something I was passionate about and planning on pursuing. I didn’t know where the future was going to take me, where I was going to live, or where I was going to find my child, but I did know that the system penalizes same-sex couples and that I needed to be able to say,‘I’m a single mom,’ to adopt in certain places. I was not going to allow prejudiced people with power to limit my ability to find the right child for me.”
But, when Jillian did publicly reveal her orientation, she was happy to show her children that you should be proud of who you are.
Jason Mraz
Another person you probably wouldn’t have guessed is bisexual is Jason Mraz. The “I’m Yours” singer stated in an interview with Billboard in 2018 that when he wrote a poem for pride month, he didn’t know that it would be so revealing.
A line in the poem read, “I am bi your side.” Jason stated, “Honestly, I didn’t realize it was going to be so telling. But I’ve had experiences with men, even while I was dating the woman who became my wife. It was like, ‘Wow, does that mean I am gay?’ And my wife laid it out for me.
She calls it ‘two spirit,’which is what the Native Americans call someone who can love both man and woman. I really like that.” A story on NBC stated that “Two Spirit” people are those who have both a woman and man’s spirit and can travel between both genders.
Jaden Smith
Just about everyone has heard of Jaden because of his father, Will Smith. He was born in 1998 and is an actor, songwriter, and rapper who’s been gaining popularity in recent years. However, nobody guessed that Jaden might be bisexual.
In November 2018, he announced that Tyler, The Creator was his boyfriend during a performance in Los Angeles.
He said,“I just want to say Tyler, The Creator is the best friend in the world, and I love him so much. And I want to tell you guys something. Tyler doesn’t want to say, but Tyler’s my boyfriend and he’s been my boyfriend my whole life. Tyler, The Creator is my boyfriend. It’s true!”
If you watch thevideo, then you’ll see that when the camera cuts to Jaden’s alleged boo, he is laughing and shaking his head. Although many people believe the young artist was simply trolling
fans, it remains unclear whether or not he was being serious… at least somewhat so.
Even back in 2015, Tyler said he had a boyfriend;
he wrote on Twitter, “I tried to come out the closet like four days ago and no one cared…” Jaden has always been gender-fluid and hasn’t defined his preference regarding men or women. He dresses that way as well.
In 2016, he told British GQ, “I don’t see man clothes and woman clothes, I just see scared people and comfortable people.”So, who knows? He could very well like all genders.
Josh Hutcherson
Another celebrity you might not have guessed is bi is Josh Hutcherson. The Hunger Games star opened up about his preferences in November 2013 during an interview for Out magazine.
He said, “I would probably list myself as mostly straight. Maybe I could say right now I’m 100% straight. But, who knows? In a year, I could meet a guy and be like, ‘Whoa, I’m attracted to this person.’” He added, “I’ve met guys all the time that I’m like, ‘…that’s a good-looking guy,’ you know?… I really love women. But, I think defining yourself as 100% anything is kind of near-sighted and close-minded.”
Hutcherson is a well-known advocate for LGBT rights and works with the organization Straight But Not Narrow. He recalled in 2012 that a letter he received from a fourteen-year-old boy reassured him that his hard work is well worth it.
He noted, “He was in this very right wing and religious sort of area and he sent a letter saying how SBNN changed his life and how he was able to feel more comfortable coming out to his friends. I was almost bawling reading it. That makes all our work worth it.”
Ellen Page
Everybody fell in love with this actress after her starring role in Juno. But, many people didn’t know she was gay until she came out in 2014 during a Human Rights Campaign event in Las Vegas.
She stated to the audience, “I’m here today because I am gay and because maybe I can make a difference, to help others have an easier and more hopeful time. Regardless, for me, I feel a personal obligation and a social responsibility. I am tired of hidingand I am tired of lying by omission. I suffered for years because I was scared to be out.My spirit suffered, my mental health suffered, and my relationships suffered. And I’m standing here today, with all of you, on the other
side of all that pain.”
Page continues to be very active in the LGBT community and spoke about her beliefs during a February 2019 interview with Independent. She said, “Gay marriage… it’s not a debate. Whether you have the religious right to not serve a queer person or a trans person, that’s not a debate.And the media needs to stop treating it like it’s a debate… It never has been.”
Kristen Stewart
You’ve probably heard that Kristen Stewart is gay by now, but the world was shocked to hear that the Twilight star was interested in women back in 2017. She came out while hosting an episode of Saturday Night Live. President Trump had tweeted about the actress when her affair with the Snow White & The Huntsman director, Rupert Sanders, came to light.
He wrote, “Robert Pattinson should not take back Kristen Stewart. She cheated on him like a dog & will do it again – just watch. He can do much better!” Kristen addressed the statement on SNL, stating, “If you didn’t like me then, you’re probably not going to like me now, ‘cause I’m hosting SNL and I’m like, so gay, dude.”
Of course, Stewart isn’t only interested in women, as she’s dated Robert Pattinson and Michael Angarano, in addition to her female partners. But, she certainly isn’t straight. Kristen is currently dating Sara Dinkin, a celebrity stylist.
Wentworth Miller
Everyone’s favorite Prison Break star revealed that he’s gay back in 2013. Wentworth had been invited as a guest of honor at the St. Petersburg International Film Festival. However, the Russian government isn’t accepting of LGBT individuals, which struck a chord with Miller. He decided to turn down the invitation because he didn’t feel right attending an event in a country that doesn’t welcome gay individuals.
He wrote, “As a gay man, I must decline. I am deeply troubled by the current attitude toward and treatment of gay men and women by the Russian government.”
Later on, he stated that he hopes to help other LGBT people by being open. Wentworth told Metro, a British newspaper, “Just by being an openly gay man who is a regular on a show that is received well in the world- it has the potential to impact people and
maybe change a few minds.”
Drew Barrymore
One of the world’s favorite actresses, Drew Barrymore, came out as bisexual in a 2003 interview. She even revealed that she’d been intimate with many females throughout her teenage years.
Barrymore noted, “Do I like women…? Yeah, I do. Totally. I have always considered myself bisexual and love a woman’s body. I think a woman and a woman together are beautiful, just as a man and a woman together are beautiful. Being with a woman is like exploring your own body, but through someone else. When I was younger I used to go with lots of women. Totally – I love it.”
James Franco
Back in 2016, James Franco made headlines
for discussing his sexuality during an interview with New York Magazine. The interviewer asked whether or not he was gay because Franco has noted that he’s “gay in his art life and straight in his life.”
He stated, “There is a bit of over-focusing on my sexuality, both by the straight press and the gay press, and so the first question is ‘Why do they care?’ Well, because I’m a celebrity, so I guess they care who I’m with. But if your definition of gay and straight is who I’m intimate with, then I guess you could say I’m a gay tease. It’s where my allegiance lies, where my sensibilities lie, how I define myself. Yeah, I’m a little gay, and there’s a gay James.”
However, the actor has never come out as fully gay or straight; so it’s unclear what his definite preference is, and it’s possible that he doesn’t have one.