15 People Who Came Out In 2015
It's been a major year for the LGBT community, from trans visibility on television to marriage equality at the Supreme Court.
As 2015 draws to a close, we are looking back at 15 major personalities who came out over the past 12 months.
Jussie Smollett
In March Empire heartthrob Jussie Smollett confirmed that he was gay to Ellen DeGeneres, saying, “there’s never been a closet that I’ve been in.”
Smollett added that, though he wasn’t interested in exposing his private life, he wanted to make a statement “so that people understood that they’re not alone.”
In a case of art imitating life, Smollet’s Empire character, Jamal Lyon, also had a coming out this year, though arguably in a much showier fashion.
Joel Grey
Though out to friends and family for years, the 82-year-old Broadway legend finally made it official in a January interview with People magazine.
Grey confided he'd had trouble accepting himself, citing conversations he’d overhear between his parents when he was younger: “[they’d talk] derisively about 'fairies' and men being dragged off to jail, and even worse, for being who they were."
Miley Cyrus
Miley founded the Happy Hippie Foundation to rally young people to fight for homeless and LGBT youth, danced with RPDR queens at the 2015 VMAs and, in August, came out as pansexual
"I’m very open about it,” she told Elle UK. “But I’m not in a relationship. I’m 22, I’m going on dates but I change my style every two weeks, let alone who I’m with."
Nyle DiMarco
The winner of the current (and final) season of America's Next Top Model already stole our heart before he shared that he was "sexually fluid" on Twitter.
How do you sign "take us" in ASL?
Shane Dawson
The 26-year-old YouTube star, who has more than 6.7 million subscribers, came out as bisexual in a teary video confessional posted in July.
“Over the last year I have been extremely sexually confused,” he explained. “I mean my whole life, but this last year is when it really hit me.”
Israel Gutierrez
In September, the ESPN commentator came out as both gay and engaged in a moving blog post.
“The only way to truly understand [what we go through] is to live in our shoes, which is impossible. Short of that, sharing our experiences is the best way to potentially break through and help people understand.”
Two weeks after posting his statement online, Gutierrez and fiance David Kitchen tied the knot.
Ingrid Nilsen
Beauty blogger Nilsen opened up to her 3.8 million YouTube followers about her sexuality in a teary video this June.
Keegan Hirst
Hirst made headlines in August when he came out as the first openly gay British rugby player. The team captain and father of two admitted that the biggest roadblock to the acceptance of his sexuality was a deeply-embedded cultural denial: "Society dictates that when you’re a 16-year-old lad you have a girlfriend, you sleep with her and that’s how it is... I convinced myself, no way could I be gay, it was inconceivable."
Hirst says coming out feels as though he’s “letting out a long breath that [he’s] held in for a long time."
Iceman
Bobby Drake, the ice-wielding member of Marvel's X-Men, came out twice in 2015: First the younger time-tossed version of Iceman (don't ask) came out to Jean Grey.
Then the two confronted the current, adult version of the mutant hero, who admitted he was gay, as well.
Michael Angelakos
The lead singer of Passion Pit came out in November, admitting his sexuality was a factor in his recent divorce from his wife.
"It’s always been about putting it off in my head," said Angelakos. "Not consciously... I just wanted so badly to be straight, because I love her so much."
Father Krzysztof Olaf Charamsa
Before hundreds of bishops and priests gathered to discuss marriage, family, sexuality and other core issues, Polish priest Krzysztof Charamsa came out as gay—and in a longtime relationship with his partner.
He was immediately fired and has been barred from the pulpit.
"It’s time for the church to open its eyes about gay Catholics and to understand that the solution it proposes to them – total abstinence from a life of love – is inhuman," Krzysztof told Corriere della Sera, an Italian newspaper.
He later declared, "I'm a gay man, not a monster."
Gus Kenworthy
Though he remained closeted at the 2014 Winter Games at Sochi, extreme skier came out in a big way with an interview in ESPN magazine.
He also came out—of his clothes—in numerous Instagrams, before his handlers told him to cool it.
Yusaf Mack
After being discovered in a gay porn movie, Mack claimed he had been drugged. He later changed his story to say he was bisexual, before coming out as gay.
Holland Taylor
We loved this acclaimed star of stage and screen before she disclosed she's in a relationship with a woman, but we swoon for her even more know.
Especially if that lady is Sarah Paulson.
Caitlyn Jenner
Say what you will, but Caitlyn's interview on 20/20 was the biggest coming out moment of 2015. Which serves to remind us how little time she's had as an out trans woman, and perhaps of the lessons she still has to learn.
Cody Gohl, Dan Avery and Alex Stevenson contributed to this feature