Celebrities who came out as gay in 2018
From sports players to actors, dozens of celebrities have come out as gay this year.
Other notable figures have come as LGBT+ in 2018. These included Janelle Monáe, who said she is queer in April; Glee actor Josie Totah, who came out as trans in August; and pansexual Panic! at the Disco frontman Brendon Urie.
As the year draws to end, PinkNews takes a look at some of the gay celebrities who have come out over the past 12 months. Here are the gay celebs of 2018.
Amandla Stenberg
Stenberg came out as gay in June. (Paras Griffin/Getty)
The 19-year-old actor, who made their name in The Hunger Games series and uses gender-neutral they/them pronouns, previously came out as queer and, in 2016, as bisexual.
But in a June interview with lesbian pop singer King Princess, whose real name is Mikaela Straus, they said: “Yep I’m gay.”
The actor, who has since starred in hit film The Hate U Give, added: “I’m grateful for how being gay has afforded me this ability to experience and understand love and sex, and therefore life, in an expansive and infinite way.”
Jake Borelli
Jake Borelli. (Gray Hamner/Gay Times)
In November, the 27-year-old actor, who plays Levi Schmitt on Grey’s Anatomy, publicly came out as gay after being inspired by a same-sex storyline on the show.
Borelli posted about his experience of growing up as a gay kid in Ohio on Instagram, after his character Schmitt shared a kiss with male surgeon Nico Kim (Alex Landi) in a recent episode titled “Flowers Grow Out of My Grave”—making it the medical drama’s first male same-sex storyline.
“As a gay guy myself, tonight’s episode was so special to me,” Borelli posted.
“This is exactly the kind of story I craved as a young gay kid growing up in Ohio, and it blows my mind that I’m able to bring life to Dr. Levi Schmitt as he begins to grapple with his own sexuality this season on Grey’s Anatomy.”
Sasha Lane
Chloë Grace Moretz, Sasha Lane (centre) and Forrest Goodluck in The Miseducation of Cameron Post (Vertigo Releasing)
The Miseducation of Cameron Post actor publicly said she is gay at the Sundance Film Festival in January.
Lane, who plays Jane, a teen at a gay conversion centre, said: “The story really hit home for me, coming from a household where my brother’s gay and I’m gay,” reports IndieWire.
Tadd Fujikawa
Golfer Tadd Fujikawa came out as gay in September. (taddy808/Instagram)
In September, Tadd Fujikawa became the first male professional golfer to come out as gay and said he hoped his story would help others in the LGBT+ community.
The American sportsman from Hawaii posted a photo of himself on Instagram on World Suicide Prevention Day, alongside a caption explaining why decided to go public about his sexuality.
“So… I’m gay. Many of you may have already known that,” he wrote.
“I don’t expect everyone to understand or accept me. But please be gracious enough to not push your beliefs on me or anyone in the LGBTQ community.
“My hope is this post will inspire each and every one of you to be more empathetic and loving towards one another.”
Abrahm DeVine
(Adam Pretty/Getty)
Abrahm DeVine, a swimmer on the US national team, came out as a gay celebrity in September.
He admitted that coming out was “really tough” and that he was afraid of how his team would react.
He broke the ice by first telling a former teammate, who he said “did a lot” for him “and was really there for me as a friend.”
And DeVine soon discovered that his apprehension about coming out to his teammates was unfounded, as everybody around him reacted well to the news.
Kevin McHale
Kevin McHale. (Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)
The Glee actor came out as gay in April when he tweeted that Ariana Grande’s song “No Tears Left To Cry” is “gayer than me.”
It came after he confirmed his relationship with fellow actor Austin McKenzie Instagram official, posting multiple photos of the happy couple embracing.
The pair both featured in When We Rise, a 2017 TV miniseries created by Dustin Lance Black that told the story of the struggle for LGBT equality in the US.
Cassandra Bankson
Cassandra Bankson came out as lesbian in April. (Cassandra Bankson/YouTube)
American model and YouTuber Cassandra Banson publicly came out as a lesbian to her 800,000 subscribers in a video on her YouTube channel in April.
“I’ve wanted to share but I’ve been afraid of alienating people, because I do have followers from the Midwest, India, and Southern America who have more conservative ideals,” she said.
“I know I shouldn’t seek approval from anybody else, but we are human and we want to be loved and appreciated for who we are, so there is that fear that I won’t get that.”
She added: “But I also have an obligation to be fully authentic. I struggled with self-harm growing up, and a lot of that stemmed from trying to mitigate my attraction to other women. I was destroying myself over something I can’t change. Maybe this will be the wake up call to someone who is homophobic or hateful, to show that who I love doesn’t change who I am.”
Collin Martin
Collin Martin (Twitter)
The footballer, who plays for Minnesota United, became the only openly gay athlete in Major League Soccer when he came out as gay in June.
Martin posted on his Twitter account: “June is Pride month, and I am proud to be playing for Pride, and to be playing as an out gay man.”
The 23-year-old added: “As we celebrate Pride night I want to thank my teammates for their unconditional support for who I am.
“In light of who I am I want to encourage others who play sports professionally or otherwise to have confidence that sport will welcome them wholeheartedly.”
Mel Reid
Mel Reid. (Drew Hallowell/Getty Images)
In December, British pro golfer Mel Reid publicly came out as gay.
The 31 year old, who has won the Ladies European Tour six times, said she is gay in an interview with Athlete Ally, which campaigns for LGBT+ inclusivity in sport.
Reid, who has been appointed as an ambassador for Athlete Ally, said: “I protected my sexuality for a long time because I thought I had to in order to help my career and to get more sponsors.
“But then I started to wonder why these companies would want to sponsor me and have me represent them if I can’t be my authentic self.
“There is only one of you in the world and you have one life, so be the best version of yourself and be proud of who you are. That’s when you attract the right people around you to make you better, and ultimately, happier.”
Zander Hodgson
Hodgson has acted in various British soaps (Stephen Maycock)
The British model, actor and Instagram star came out as gay in a video in April.
The actor, who lives in Los Angeles and has had small roles in Hollyoaks, Coronation Street and Shameless, said: “I wanted to tell everyone that I am gay, and although that doesn’t change anything for me, and hopefully not for you, I just thought it was a really important thing to share with everyone.”
He added: “I wanted to do this video as well, because when I think about all the kids out there that are being bullied, or are really struggling with their sexuality, even teenage or adults, I just want you to know that you are not alone.”
Shevrin Jones
Shevrin Jones. (Twitter)
Jones, who sits in the Florida House of Representatives, came out as gay almost six years after he was first elected.
In doing so, the politician became the first openly gay African-American legislator in Florida.
He revealed that he had known he was gay since kindergarten, but only opened up about his sexuality around five years ago when he decided to tell his family.
Jones publicly came out by letting Equality Florida’s political director include him in a list of endorsements of openly gay candidates.
And a worthy mention to these everyday people who have also faced coming out as gay. Listen to their great advice:
