Celebrities vilified for being LGBTQ+

George Michael faced public vilification after being outed as gay following an arrest in 1998 for a “lewd act” in a Los Angeles toilet. He was vilified and became the number one target of the paparazzi. But he took all the shame and anger and turned it into power, releasing the track ‘Outside’ in 1998 to shed a light on the gay community. It became a number-one hit in many countries.  

The TikTok star came out as a transwoman in 2021, a time when there was a fever-pitch panic about it in the media. Then, when Bud Light hired her to promote the brew on Instagram, she and the brand became the target of a massive hate campaign and boycotts. “What transpired from that video was more bullying and transphobia than I could have ever imagined,” she said, according to the New York Times. 

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In 1997, Ellen DeGeneres came out as a lesbian on her sitcom 'Ellen' and on the cover of Time Magazine with the phrase: “Yep, I’m gay.” The fallout was intense. Right-wing groups pressured ABC not to run the episode and sponsors like JCPenney and Wendy’s decided to stop or pause advertising. But despite everything, the groundbreaking ‘Ellen’ episode was a big success, though the show was canceled after one more season. 

Chaz Bono, the son of Cher and Sonny Bono, faced intense public scrutiny after transitioning from female to male in 2009. He documented his journey in the film 'Becoming Chaz,' shedding light on transgender issues and becoming a prominent activist. Even his mom Cher, famously beloved by the LGBTQ community, told SheKnows that she “didn’t handle [Chaz’s coming out] all that well in the beginning.” 

Ricky Martin came out as gay in 2010, after years of speculation and pressure. He later revealed that the fear of rejection had caused him great distress. “‘This is going to be the end of your career. Don’t. You don’t need to. Why? Shut up. You don’t need to share it. Everybody knows around you. You don’t have to tell the world,” is what his team told him, he told NBC in 2024. 

Laverne Cox, known for her role in 'Orange Is the New Black' starting in 2013, became the first openly transgender person nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award. Ten years later, she told TIME that society was “at the height of the backlash against trans visibility… the backlash is ferocious. It’s genocidal.” 

Tennis legend Billie Jean King was outed as a lesbian in 1981. As a consequence, she lost endorsements and faced extreme public scrutiny.  And despite the massive backlash and the advice from her lawyers, she refused to deny it — making her the first major professional athlete to be out as a lesbian. Today, she is an influential activist. 

Sam Smith came out as non-binary in 2019 and announced that they were using they/them pronouns. They have faced misgendering and criticism, with even Piers Morgan suggesting that his identity was a “fad” and an “excuse for people to be different,” and that the whole thing was a publicity stunt. 

Elliot Page, formerly known as Ellen Page, came out as transgender in 2020. He faced significant media attention and transphobia, both in the headlines and privately in Hollywood, as he shared in his memoirs.  

Elliot Page: Hollywood is not as tolerant as it seems

Elton John came out as bi in 1976 and later as gay in the 1980s. His fans were shocked, and he faced significant backlash, including threats and public criticism. However, he was an undeniably talented pop star and it wasn’t enough to get in the way of his career. 

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