Support groups

Javier Gonzales, a former state Democratic Party chairman and Santa Fe County Commissioner, is currently running for mayor of Santa Fe. A Catholic, Gonzalez came out of the closet in a blog post in August after being inspired by statements from Pope Francis, who, when asked about the church's views on gay people, said "who am I to judge?"  Said Gonzalez:  You see, when you come from a traditional family with deep roots in this community, the process of accepting that you are gay is complicated with fears about disappointing those you love, or becoming disconnected with a sense of place that is as much a part of me as my sexuality.  Growing up in this town, I felt myself fully embraced by la herencia, the traditional ways that defined the history of Santa Fe. Much of it is beautiful, a celebration of family, a spirit of community, a sense of obligation to those who came before us and responsibility to those who come after us. Knowing you are a part of a continuum gives a young person a sense of place and a sense of pride. These are all gifts I hope to pass on to my two daughters.  Gonzalez's forthcoming statement was well received on social media. The mayoral election is March 4.

2013 was a huge year for out and proud athlete, both professionally and at the college level. Kevin Grayson, "one of the most decorated football players Central Virginia has ever seen" according to WTVR, came out of the closet shortly after, and perhaps inspired by, Jason Collins.  Said Grayson of his being gay:  "People didn't believe it because I was an athlete. They're like 'Kevin plays football, he plays basketball he runs track–no way you know?' Those are the types of things where if I could go back and say; 'Why can't I be an athlete? Why can't I be a star player? Why can't I be the guy making plays that helps my team win, and still on the flip side, be a gay male?'"

A three-time All-American center at Baylor who was the top pick in this year's WNBA draft, Brittney Griner spoke about her sexuality for the first time in an interview with SI.com in April.  Said Griner of her coming out:  "It really wasn't too difficult, I wouldn't say I was hiding or anything like that. I've always been open about who I am and my sexuality. So, it wasn't hard at all. If I can show that I'm out and I'm fine and everything's OK, then hopefully the younger generation will definitely feel the same way."  Shortly after coming out, Griner broke the WNBA dunks record in her first game.

Bob Harper, the trainer on the massive reality series The Biggest Loser, came out of the closet publicly for the first time in November on his show, in order to help out a contestant named Bobby who was struggling with his own family.  Said Harper:  "I haven't talked about my sexuality on this show ever. And now, meeting Bobby, I really do believe this is the right time. I want to show Bobby that he doesn't have to live in shame. When I came out, when I was 17 years old, it was one of those things where I realized that there was going to be so many obstacles, but being gay doesn't mean being weak. And being gay doesn't mean that you are less than anybody else. It's just who you are."

Magic Johnson's son Earvin, one of three children of the NBA legend, came out of the closet via a TMZ item in April when he and his boyfriend were filmed walking hand-in-hand on L.A.'s Sunset strip.  Shortly after the item appeared, Magic gave a lengthy interview to TMZ about his son.  "I think this is gonna be good for a lot of young black people who want to come out. EJ is really gonna help a lot of young people," he said, adding that as an owner of the Dodgers he would take care of any player who decided to come out on the team.

Tucker Knox, a beloved contestant on Season 10 of So You Think You Can Dance, used Instagram to broadcast two photos of him and his "hubs", an action that blew open the closet door, though Tucker's sexuality had been discussed on some of the show's fan message board.  The Instagram disclosure, in which he said he had been married for five months, was the first time he had shared information about his sexuality publicly. Knox was not out on the show though they did make some thinly-veiled references to it and his husband was seen in the audience. Knox was eliminated on August 20.

Well-known Russian TV personality Anton Krasovsky came out in January during a live broadcast and was fired from his job.

Said Krasovsky: "I'm gay, and I'm just the same person as you, my dear audience, as President Putin, as Prime Minister Medvedev and the deputies of our Duma."  Krasovsky's act of courage made international headlines and drew attention to the country's oppressive anti-LGBT laws, and he was interviewed on CNN and by MSNBC's Thomas Roberts in November.

Mexican soap star Sebastián Ligarde, who has his own acting school in Miami, came out of the closet in June in Mexico's TV y Novelas magazine.  Said Ligarde, who starred in the telenovela Quinceañera: "I'm gay and I say this with pride. No gay person should have to walk down the street with stigma stamped on his forehead. Sexual preference is genetic... and if God and my family knows it, then let the world know it...I believe I'm at an age when I can help new values... and to have the courage to accept myself publicly, as Ricky Martin did. He has been an inspiration for me when it comes to talking about this subject."

Loki (not Tim Hiddleston, who is seen above), became one of two fictional characters on this list to come out of the closet this year, when writer Al Ewing, who is penning a solo comic for Marvel due to come out in 2014, revealed that he would honor traditional Norse mythology by depicting Thor's brother as bisexual, and bigender.  Said Ewing to a fan question on Tumblr: "Yes, Loki is bi and I'll be touching on that. He'll shift between genders occasionally as well."

In late August the Army private formerly known as Bradley and sentenced to 35 years in prison for leaking more than 700,000 classified documents to Wikileaks, shocked the world by declaring "I am Chelsea Manning. I am female" in a public statement.  I want to thank everybody who has supported me over the last three years. Throughout this long ordeal, your letters of support and encouragement have helped keep me strong. I am forever indebted to those who wrote to me, made a donation to my defense fund, or came to watch a portion of the trial. I would especially like to thank Courage to Resist and the Bradley Manning Support Network for their tireless efforts in raising awareness for my case and providing for my legal representation.  As I transition into this next phase of my life, I want everyone to know the real me. I am Chelsea Manning. I am a female. Given the way that I feel, and have felt since childhood, I want to begin hormone therapy as soon as possible. I hope that you will support me in this transition. I also request that, starting today, you refer to me by my new name and use the feminine pronoun (except in official mail to the confinement facility). I look forward to receiving letters from supporters and having the opportunity to write back.

The declaration, which came after three years of intense scrutiny, imprisonment, and a trial which revealed struggles with gender identity, among other things, instantly made Manning the most visible transgender person in the world and created a dialogue in the media about properly addressing gender identity. Conservatives, clearly not a fan of Manning's to start out with, continued to misgender her as another form of punishment.

Former Tonight Show intern-turned-talk show host Ross Matthews made a joke about celebs having to come out of the closet, and came out at the same time, in an interview with HuffPost Live in August.  Matthews joked that coming out is still in his plans: "I'm still going to one of these days. I'm officially going to 'come out' on like the cover of People. But instead of "Yep!" it's going to [say] "Duh!"'

Gary Meier, a Missouri-based Catholic priest, published a book back in 2011 called Hidden Voices: Reflections of a Gay, Catholic Priest. The book was published anonymously.  This year, because of struggles he had with the church's anti-gay stance, Meier republished the book under his real name, coming out publicly at the same time.  Said Meier: "I am accusing the church of a lack of tolerance and acceptance." He added: "To be a priest and active in ministry, you can't say what I'm saying. I don't think I'll be getting any more paychecks from the archdiocese."

U.S. Representative Mike Michaud (D-ME), who is also running for governor of Maine, came out of the closet in November in response to "whisper campaigns, insinuations and push-polls some of the people opposed to my candidacy have been using to raise questions about [his] personal life."  Michaud said that he didn't want to be seen as someone ashamed of who he is: Growing up in a large Franco-American Catholic family, it's never been in my nature to talk about myself. I write this now merely to let my opponents and the outside interests who fund them know that I am not ashamed of who I am. And if seeing someone from my background, in my position openly acknowledge the fact that he's gay makes it a little bit easier for future generations to live their lives openly and without fear, all the better.

Prison Break star Wentworth Miller, who for years denied he was gay despite being tied to actor Luke MacFarlane, was prompted to come out of the closet by the situation LGBT people in Russia are facing.  Miller, who was scheduled to appear at the St. Petersburg International Film Festival, chose to decline the invitation, and published the letter, in which he came out of the closet publicly, to GLAAD's website.  Said Miller in the letter:   Thank you for your kind invitation. As someone who has enjoyed visiting Russia in the past and can also claim a degree of Russian ancestry, it would make me happy to say yes.  However, as a gay man, I must decline.  I am deeply troubled by the current attitude toward and treatment of gay men and women by the Russian government. The situation is in no way acceptable, and I cannot in good conscience participate in a celebratory occasion hosted by a country where people like myself are being systematically denied their basic right to live and love openly.  Perhaps, when and if circumstances improve, I'll be free to make a different choice.