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Here Are 21 Celebrity Coming Out Stories That Moved Us In 2017

In a time when LGBTQ people are facing extraordinary challenges, queer visibility is as important as it has ever been. 

After years of progressive strides, 2017 felt in many ways like a giant step backward for LGBTQ equality at the national level. Against that political backdrop, seeing queer actors, artists and other celebrities share their authentic selves was all the more empowering.

The year saw some celebs, like legendary singer-songwriter Barry Manilow, express who they truly are in high-profile, impactful interviews. Others, like “13 Reasons Why” star Brandon Flynn and “True Blood” actress Rutina Wesley, used social media in creative and powerful ways to open up about their sexualities. 

Regardless of the paths they took, however, these famous faces helped influence the global conversation on queer acceptance by sharing their journeys. 

Below, check out 21 celeb coming out stories of 2017. Each one was a standout moment, and we congratulate them on taking this important step.  

Aaron Carter

Rob Kim via Getty Images

The pop singer said he felt like “a weight and a burden” had been lifted as he opened up about his sexuality publicly in August.

In an emotional post on Twitter, the 30-year-old star revealed he “started to find boys and girls attractive” as a teen, and had “an experience with a male” who he “worked with and grew up with.”

Carter elaborated in a December interview with the LGBTQ&A podcast, saying, “I definitely embrace my bisexuality and, you know, it’s still new to me because I just started talking about it, really."

Read more here.

Rutina Wesley

Jason LaVeris via Getty Images

The "True Blood" actress revealed her engagement to her girlfriend, a New Orleans woman who goes by the name of Chef Shonda, in a series of heartfelt photos posted to Instagram in November. 

Wesley, 38, appeared to reference Shonda as “the light of my life” and the “fire of my loins” in the caption accompanying the post. The photo series concluded with a close-up of an engagement ring, though Wesley did not use the terms “gay,” “lesbian” or “bisexual” in her posts. 

Read more here.

Brandon Flynn

George Pimentel via Getty Images

The "13 Reasons Why" star identified himself as a member of the LGBTQ community on Instagram in September when he made a case for marriage equality in Australia. 

“We’ve been scared shitless our whole lives, thanks to all the stigmas that surround us,” the 24-year-old wrote in the post. “Equality takes courage, it worries me that too many people in this world lack the balls to stand up for what is right.”

Since then, he's been romantically linked to singer-songwriter Sam Smith. 

Read more here. 

Teddy Quinlivan

Christian Vierig via Getty Images

The model capped off a busy New York Fashion Week in September by coming out as transgender in a candid CNN interview. 

Quinlivan, 23, began her transition at 16, but decided to open up about her gender identity publicly because of “the political climate in the world right now ― particularly in the United States.” 

“If being transgender is something that gets attached to my name throughout my career, then it’s for a worthy cause. But I look forward to the day when it doesn’t matter,” she said. “The transgender community needs more visibility. And with more visibility will come more acceptance.”

Read more here.

Barry Manilow

Mario Anzuoni / Reuters

The legendary singer-songwriter opened up about his sexuality in an April interview with People magazine, confirming his three-year marriage to husband Garry Kief. 

Manilow, 74, said he'd opted not to come out earlier in his career because he was concerned about how his legions of fans -- dubbed "Fanilows”-- would react. 

“I thought I would be disappointing them if they knew I was gay. So I never did anything,” he said. 

Read more here.

Shannon Purser

Amanda Edwards via Getty Images

The "Stranger Things" and "Riverdale" actress came out as bisexual in May. 

“I’ve only recently come out as bisexual to my family and friends,” Purser, 20, wrote in a poignant tweet. “It’s something I am still processing and trying to understand and I don’t like talking about it too much. I’m very very new to the LGBT community.” 

Read more here. 

Haaz Sleiman

Trevor Adeline via Getty Images

In August, Sleiman opened up about his sexuality in an emotional video as part of a personal effort to combat violence against the LGBTQ community.

The "Nurse Jackie" and "Killing Jesus" actor, 41, announced that he was “a gay, Muslim, Arab-American man” in the video, but didn't stop there. 

“Not only am I gay, but I’m also a bottom,” he added in the clip, which was posted to his social media accounts on Aug. 22. “Not only am I a bottom, but I’m also a total bottom, which means I like it up you know where.”  

Read more here. 

Thomas Dekker

Michael Tran via Getty Images

The "Heroes" actor publicly opened up about his sexuality on Twitter in July, but suggested he was inspired to do so after a “prominent gay man” outed him. 

The 32-year-old described himself as a “man who proudly loves other men” in a short essay he included with his tweet. He also revealed that he’d married his husband in April. 

Read more here. 

Keiynan Lonsdale

Cindy Ord via Getty Images

The 25-year-old who plays Wally West (a.k.a. Kid Flash) on the hit CW show "The Flash," came out as bisexual in a powerful Instagram post in May.

“I like to take risks with how I dress, I like girls, & I like guys (yes), I like growing, I like learning, I like who I am and I really like who I’m becoming,” he wrote in the post. 

Lonsdale, who grew up in Australia and also starred in the ABC series “Dance Academy” and the blockbuster “Divergent: Allegiant,” was inundated by messages of support on social media.

Read more here. 

Hanne Gaby Odiele

Jared Siskin via Getty Images

The Belgian model and fashion star shared her intersex identity with the world in January. 

“I have reached a point in my life where I feel ready to share this important part of who I am,” the 29-year-old, who has modeled for the likes of Chanel and Alexander Wang, said. “It is time for intersex people to come out of the shadows, claim our status, let go of shame, and speak out against the unnecessary and harmful surgeries many of us were subjected to as children."

Intersex children are frequently forced to undergo “corrective” surgery as infants to assign them as either male or female, a controversial practice that many medical professionals have condemned.

Read more here.

Jordan Gavaris

Steve Mack via Getty Images

The “Orphan Black” star came out as gay in a June interview with New York Magazine's Vulture blog. 

The 27-year-old star, who plays the “exuberantly gay” Felix Dawkins, seemed a bit surprised to be questioned about his sexual orientation.

“Nobody ever asks me,” he said. “I’ve never been asked.”

Read more here.

Natalie Morales

Jason LaVeris via Getty Images

The "Parks and Rec" actress celebrated LGBTQ Pride Month in June by coming out as queer in an essay for Amy Poehler's "Smart Girls" site. 

The 32-year-old star noted that she is “not attracted specifically to any type of gender,” but instead is “attracted to people.”

“I don’t like labeling myself, or anyone else but if it’s easier for you to understand me, what I’m saying is that I’m queer,” she wrote. “What queer means to me is just simply that I’m not straight. That’s all. It’s not scary, even though that word used to be really, really scary to me.”

Read more here. 

Dan Amboyer

CJ Rivera via Getty Images

The "Younger" actor married his boyfriend, Eric Berger, in October, and came out as gay in the process. 

Amboyer, 32, had been in a relationship with Berger for 10 years, but had not spoken publicly about his sexuality before. He told People that he'd been “strongly advised” to “stay quiet” about his personal life as he established himself as an actor. 

Moving forward, Amboyer said he wants to live his live "with integrity and pride,” citing openly gay stars Matt Bomer and Zachary Quinto as his inspirations. 

Read more here.

Gia Gunn

Gabriel Olsen via Getty Images

The "RuPaul's Drag Race" star marked Trans Day of Visibility (March 31) by coming out as transgender. 

“I thought I would dedicate today in the spirit of being visible to share my transition with all of you,” the 27-year-old said. “I have been on hormone replacement therapy now for about a year and I identify as female."

Gunn joined "Drag Race" veterans Carmen Carrera and Monica Beverly Hillz in going public about her gender identity after appearing on the show. 

Read more here.

Cody Alan

Gustavo Caballero via Getty Images

The country singer and CMT host came out as gay in January, an important step in a musical genre lacking significant representation from the LGBTQ community. 

“This is not a choice I made, but something I’ve known about myself my whole life,” Alan, 44, said at the time. “Through life’s twists and turns, marriage, divorce, fatherhood, successes, failures -- I’ve landed on this day, a day when I’m happier and healthier than I’ve ever been.”

In September, he proposed to his boyfriend, Trea Smith, while on vacation in Jamaica. 

Read more here.

Greyson Chance

Gabriel Olsen via Getty Images

In July, the 20-year-old musician came out as gay on Instagram. 

Chance, who became an internet sensation after a 2010 video of him performing Lady Gaga’s “Paparazzi” at a school talent show went viral, explained that he has known he’s gay since he was 16 but “decided not to publicize my sexuality largely due to a matter of privacy, as I was still trying to find comfort and confidence within my own skin.”

Chance, who released a single, "Seasons," in June, also had a message for others grappling with their sexuality.

“While this message is most definitely overdue, I encourage anyone who is navigating their sexuality to devote as much time as they need to the process of finding self-confidence, self-acceptance, and self-love,” he wrote. 

Read more here. 

Alia Shawkat

Roy Rochlin via Getty Images

The "Arrested Development" and "Search Party" star told Out magazine in May that she identifies as bisexual. 

"I think balancing my male and female energies has been a big part of me growing as an actor,” the 28-year-old, who is at work on a queer-themed film, said. "As a woman, an Arab-American, and a member of the LGBTQ community, I have to use whatever voice I have."

Read more here. 

iLoveMakonnen

Randy Shropshire via Getty Images

The 28-year-old rapper came out as gay in January, adding his name to a growing roster of hip-hop artists who are breaking the mold in a musical genre not typically viewed as queer inclusive. 

“As a fashion icon, I can't tell u about everybody else's closet," he wrote in a Jan. 20 tweet. "I can only tell u about mine, and it's time I've come out.”

He added, “And since y'all love breaking news, here's some old news to break, I'm gay. And now I've told u about my life, maybe u can go life yours.” 

Read more here. 

Gavin Russom

Johnny Louis via Getty Images

The LCD Soundsystem vocalist and synth player came out as transgender in July. 

The 43-year-old opened up about her identity for the first time in an interview with Grindr's publication, INTO. 

“This is my fifth decade being alive,” she explained, “and in each of those decades, there’s been a time where I’ve tried to say, ‘Hey, I think I’m transgender!’ This was even before that word existed.”

For now, she’ll continue to go by “Gavin,” but said that may change in the future. 

Read more here.

Gordon Thomson

Paul Archuleta via Getty Images

The “Dynasty” actor opened up about his own sexuality in September, almost 30 years after his iconic show went off the air. 

The 72-year-old, who played the homophobic villain Adam Carrington in the ’80s soap opera, came out as gay in an interview with the Daily Beast. His secrecy, he said, was tied to the times. 

“When I was growing up it [homosexuality] was a crime, and then classified as a mental illness ... so you’re dealing with that,” he said. “And the shame, the breathtaking lack of self-esteem, has only just begun to seep out of my soul.”

Read more here. 

Daniel Newman

Leon Bennett via Getty Images

In April, the "Walking Dead" actor opened up about his sexuality publicly, coming out to fans as bisexual on his social media platforms. 

Newman, 36, said he felt compelled to come out after volunteering at a shelter for homeless LGBTQ youth. 

“When you are accomplishing incredible things and you’re hiding who you are, you’re hurting hundreds of millions of people,” he said. “So, by us staying quiet, we’re partially to blame for kids getting beat up and ridiculed, stereotypes and stigmas."

Read more here.

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What it's like to play football after a hurricane, and why recovery is never complete

America is trying to return to normal after Harvey, Irma, and Maria, but it can only rebuild so much.

When Brandon Charles tells his story, he starts with the exact date: Aug. 27, 2005.

He had waited until the first week of school to finish a summer book project, as any 12-year-old starting sixth grade would. He took it with him to his uncle’s house in St. Martinville, a tree-lined, several-hour drive up Interstate 10 from New Orleans, where Charles and his family lived. He took his Nintendo GameCube with him, too, but only a few days worth of clothes. The Charles family has been through hurricanes before; what was one more?

Hurricane Katrina grew from a Category 3 to a Category 4 storm on the day Charles left. It reached Category 5 status a day later. On Aug. 29, Katrina struck New Orleans, dumped 6.5 trillion gallons of water onto the city, and broke more than 50 levees. It caused $70 billion of damage and put 80 percent of the city underwater. It killed more than 1,500 residents.

Charles never finished his school project. Why would he? His home was gone.

Twelves years after Hurricane Katrina, we’ve learned that there are losses that are impossible to calculate. Oh, we know the numbers. We can measure wind speeds and estimate dollar figures of damage, and we can add up how many of inches of rain. We can watch projections of these violent monstrosities of nature unfurl on our computer screens. We can count the dead.

“It’s at least three hours where they’re not pulling carpet out of their house, Sheetrock out ... It’s three hours where they get to come cheer for the kids”

But while losing a house is a statistic, losing a home can't be represented by a number. How do you put a value amount on a family broken apart, or a bright future that is sent spiraling, or even a senior football season that cannot be replaced? These are the immeasurable losses of a disaster.

In the wake of Harvey, Irma, and Maria, these are the losses that will linger years after towns are rebuilt. To begin to understand them, you have to talk to the people who lived through the storms.

Josh Smalley is the head coach of Orangefield High School, a town that’s a hundred miles outside of Houston. Harvey ripped through the town, and Orangefield’s elementary and high school both suffered water damage. It’ll be months until the facilities are back to where they were before storm season.

But the football team has found a way. When I talked to Smalley last week, he was preparing his team for its first football game since the flood.

“The kids need this, the community needs this,” Smalley told me. “It’s at least three hours where they’re not pulling carpet out of their house, Sheetrock out, worry about what they lost. It’s three hours where they get to come cheer for the kids, cheer for the community.”

While Smalley doesn’t know of anyone who is leaving the area completely, there are thousands of families across the southern Texan coast who are dislocated and migrating away from floodwaters to where family can take them in and jobs are available. In Orangefield, at least one senior had to quit the team after three houses among his family members were ruined.

“What they’re dealing with is a lot more important than football,” Smalley said.

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Brandon Charles is one of those people with stubborn American ideals who refused to let the storm permanently move him. He’s back in New Orleans now, and while the house is different from the one he grew up in, it’s on the same plot of land that his family left 12 years ago.

After Katrina, the Charles family moved to Dallas. Brandon had been a baseball player, but at a bulky 6’3, he joined the Lake Dallas High School football team his freshman year as an offensive lineman. His success led him to Division I football at Texas Southern University in Houston. He’s now pursuing social work in graduate school at The University of New Orleans.

Charles is back in his hometown, but Katrina permanently affected him. He’s very aware that he had to mature quickly after the storm ripped his home away without warning. He remembers having a cell phone, but when he called his friends, there was only a dial tone. It would be months until he finally learned all of them were alright.

“Everything never really was back to normal. Matter of fact, here we are 12 years later, and it’s still not normal,” Charles said. “I think that was definitely the scariest thing.”

Charles is happy with how his life turned out. Some of his closest friends were ones he met in Texas, after all. But I asked him if he’s glad things happened this way and he hesitates.

No one is glad for a hurricane. No one would ask for this. Twelve years later and New Orleans is still marked by the damage that was caused. There are still abandoned homes marked only by the spray-painted Xs across the front doors. Sadder, still, is that the city has accepted that they won’t even ever know exactly how many residents died that fateful month in 2005.

The hurricane changed Charles in big ways, and in little ones. He remembers at Texas Southern, for every road trip, he would pack a week’s worth of clothes. His teammates would laugh at him, of course. “Why you got so much stuff,” they asked. The team would only be gone two days.

“Hey man,” he’d reply. “You never know.”

Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images

The people displaced by Harvey, Irma, and Maria are only beginning to be shaped by the storms. Yedidiah Louis would like to fully credit his parents for his maturity at a young age, but Hurricane Katrina also forced his teenage self to grow up.

The Louis family relocated to Dallas in 2005 but moved back to New Orleans a year later. Louis knew it wasn’t right for him, and told his family just that. In their neighborhood in the Seventh Ward, Louis was around crime and drugs, the last thing a budding football star needed.

“(There) used to be shootouts at the corner of my street,” Louis said. “There were a couple of close calls. It just wasn’t a good environment in general.”

Louis’ parents had the same realization, and left their home again to return to Dallas. Louis played for Lloyd V. Berkner in Richardson, Texas, and is now a senior and a record-setting receiver at Sam Houston State University.

In that brief time back in New Orleans, Louis remembers the “havoc” and disorganization in the city.

“We didn’t have teachers. We would just sit in (one) class for 50 minutes foolin’ around in school,” he remembered.

Statistically, the city has recovered. Residents have returned as crime rates have fallen from pre-Katrina times. A corrupt mayor was convicted of federal crimes. Among Louis’ friends, he thinks they all seemed to make it out alright. One ended up playing football at Texas A&M.

But Katrina is a scar, make no mistake. No one I talk to, no matter how great their life turned out, is grateful for the storm. They can’t be. They all saw the life-altering power of nature, and how some people never recovered. These storms are inescapable.

“That happened to people,” Louis said. “Everyone was deeply affected in a massive way.”

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Smalley is amazed that relief workers even found Orangefield. It’s a tiny town, after all, just outside of Beaumont, Texas. There’s only 500 kids in the school system. First, two trailers with Meals Ready to Eat from South Carolina showed up a few days after the storm, then a truck from Knoxville, Tennessee, with hundreds of water bottles. An 18-wheeler was even rerouted from Houston, delivering cleaning supplies and more.

“How do you explain all that?” Smalley wonders.

It’s Friday night at Orangefield High School, just before kickoff, and his kids had earned this moment. Many players left practice in the Texas heat and headed right back to work tearing out molding Sheetrock and carpet. The city will be recovering for a long time, but football is finally back for Orangefield, and that is something that residents can rally around.

Smalley senses that this game has a different vibe. Admission is free, and so is the food -- the booster club raised enough money to feed nearly 2,000 people. Before the game, Smalley tells his team that the town just needs to see an effort that represents them: a toughness, a selflessness.

“People got the totality of what it was about,” Smalley said. “It was about more than trying to win a game.”

Smalley feels certain his team did what he asked them to, and he’s proud of that, even as the game ends in a 35-7 defeat. It wasn’t a perfect symbol of the town’s recovery, and there may be never be one. It was a step towards rebuilding life as they know it, however — an attempt to regain normalcy until the next time something comes.