by Scott MacDonald
VOICES | The Simple Truth
Coming Out
Famously
Five celebrities — two athletes, a newsman, and a musician — who came out in 2012.
The fact is, I’m gay,
always have been,
always will be, and
I couldn’t be any
more happy,
comfortable with
myself, and proud.
Anderson Cooper
As we all know, coming out carries with it certain complications,
which are often exacerbated by our environment. Celebrities are
unique, however, because of their constant position in the public eye,
and their ability to influence society and culture. For the celebrities
below, listed in no particular order, their chosen career and passion is
yet another complication they must face.
Orlando Cruz
Many sports are traditionally hyper-mas-
culine displays of machismo, but perhaps
none more so than boxing. Featherweight
boxer Cruz, who was ranked second by the
World Boxing Organization in November,
is the first boxer to come out while still ac-
tive in the sport. The 31-year-old Puerto Ri-
can native came out in early October after
several years of struggling with his sexu-
ality. Cruz said in an interview with Der
Spiegel that the act of hiding his sexuality
consumed an incredible amount of energy
— energy that he would rather put into his
training. Before his official coming out,
Cruz was taunted by spectators at the 2008
World Championship title bout in Puerto
Rico where they called him a faggot and en-
couraged his opponent to “pluck his feath-
ers,” (a slur in the area is to call a gay man a
duck). Backed by a close support system of
friends and family, his manager and other
boxers, Cruz’s coming out has largely been
positive.
Matt Bomer
Actor Matt Bomer, best known for his role
as sly and handsome con artist Neal Caf-
frey in USA Network’s White Collar, took
a different approach to coming out. Bomer
avoided questions about his sexuality from
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the press, neither confirming nor denying
rumors. In a 2010 interview with Details,
when asked if all the speculation about his
sexuality bothered him, he simply replied,
“I don’t care about that at all. I’m complete-
ly happy and fulfilled in my personal life.”
Bomer is also known for his charity work,
and, while accepting an activism award for
his work against HIV and AIDS at the Steve
Chase Humanitarian Awards in February,
chose that moment to affirm his sexuality.
The actor closed his acceptance speech by
thanking his partner and their three chil-
dren, and went on to say, “Thank you for
teaching me what unconditional love is.
You will always be my proudest accom-
plishment.”
Megan Rapinoe
Megan Rapinoe, while busy turning heads
with her trademark bleach-blonde hair and
exuberant personality and play style, felt
obligated to come out as a lesbian. In an
interview with OUT, she said, “I feel like
sports in general are still homophobic, in
the sense that not a lot of people are out. I
feel everyone is really craving [for] people
to come out. People want — they need —
to see that there are people like me play-
ing soccer for the good ol’ U.S. of A.” The
27-year-old midfielder currently plays for
the Seattle Sounders Women, but also
January 2013