Celebrities Who Are Proud Members Of The LGBTQ+ Community
The LGBTQ+ community has always been part of Hollywood, even if it has only been in recent years that celebrities are more open to sharing their stories.
From actor Elliot Page to hip-hop artist Lil Nas X, these upcoming stars are now advocates for their community and are proud to speak of their personal experiences.
Kristen Stewart
Kristen Stewart is no stranger to talking about her status as bisexual. The Twilight star is very open about it, stating in a 2017 interview with The Guardian, "It's not confusing at all. For me, it's quite the opposite."
The actress has been attached to some big names throughout the years but, as of 2021, Stewart is engaged to screenwriter Dylan Meyer.
Gillian Anderson
Actress Gillian Anderson is arguably best known for her role as FBI Special Agent Dana Scully in the series The X-Files. Open about her LGBTQ+ status, Anderson has previously stated in interviews, "To me, a relationship is about loving another human being; their gender is irrelevant."
She is a huge supporter of The Trevor Project, which focuses on suicide prevention efforts among LGBTQ+ youth.
Elliot Page
In 2020, Juno and Umbrella Academy actor Elliot Page came out as transgender. Always a stout advocate for the LGBTQ+ community, Page actually first came out during a human rights campaign "Time to Thrive" in Las Vegas.
Now, the Academy Award-nominated actor is proudly the first openly transgender man to model on the cover of Time magazine.
Anna Paquin
In 2010, True Blood actress Anna Paquin came out as bisexual during a True Colors Fund campaign, a nonprofit organization geared towards LGBTQ+ equality she had supported for years.
That same year, the Academy Award-winning actress married her True Blood costar, Stephen Moyer. Together, the actors have fraternal twins and two children from Moyer's previous relationship.
Drew Barrymore
Drew Barrymore has been in the spotlight ever since she was a child, starring in the classic film E.T. Coming out as bisexual in 2003, Barrymore said, "I think a woman and a woman together are beautiful, just as a man and a woman together are beautiful."
Along with standing with the LGBTQ+ community, Barrymore is a huge mental health advocate.
Aubrey Plaza
Known for her somewhat crazy character on Parks and Recreation, Aubrey Plaza is no stranger to saying it how it is. In a 2016 interview with The Advocate, the actress said, "Girls are into me — that's no secret. Hey, I'm into them too. I fall in love with girls and guys. I can't help it."
She has been in a relationship with writer and director Jeff Baena since 2011.
Jim Parsons
Big Bang Theory star Jim Parsons wed his husband, art director Todd Spiewak, in 2017, after being together for about 15 years.
In an interview, Parsons said their relationship was "an act of love, coffee in the morning, going to work, washing the clothes, taking the dogs out—a regular life, boring love."
Neil Patrick Harris
Neil Patrick Harris, best known for his role as Barney Stinson in How I Met Your Mother, openly came out to the public in 2006, a year before he became engaged to his partner, actor David Burtka.
They didn't become engaged until 2011; with Patrick Harris Tweeting, they wanted to wait until same-sex marriage was legalized. The couple wed in 2014 and have two children together.
Adam Lambert
Queen + Adam Lambert frontman Adam Lambert is openly gay and a huge LGBTQ+ activist. During an interview, the singer said, "I feel like with celebrity and visibility and fame, there's a responsibility to try to give back and try to use the visibility for the greater good."
In 2020, he launched a nonprofit organization called Feel Something Foundation. The foundation's mission is to support "LGBTQ+ organizations that are moving the needle for communities of all ages and backgrounds."
Victor Garber
Best known for his roles as Thomas Andrews in Titanic, Professor Callahan in Legally Blonde, and Martin Stein in The Flash, actor Victor Garber is also a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community.
He has been in a relationship with his partner, Canadian artist and model Rainer Andreesen since 2002. The two were married in 2015.
Ben Platt
Tony Award-winning actor Ben Platt has been out to his family since he was 13 years old. The Pitch Perfect star didn't publicly come out until years later, in 2019.
A year later, the Broadway star began a relationship with the actor who replaced him in the title role of Dear Evan Hanson, Noah Galvin.
Kristian Nairn
Actor Kristian Nairn touched hearts everywhere with his amazing portrayal of Hodor in Game of Thrones, the lovable giant who says nothing more than his own name. According to Nairn, he's always been aware of his true identity.
In a 2014 interview, he even said, "When you talk about 'the gay community,' you are talking about MY community... I AM aware of it, yeah, and I think it's really lovely. Again, it's a privilege, and I really mean that."
Miley Cyrus
Starting off as Hannah Montana, it took Miley Cyrus a few years to outwardly express who she was away from Disney. Now, the "Can't Be Tamed" singer is a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community and a huge advocate.
Since 2014, Cyrus' Happy Hippie foundation has reached "more than 25,000 LGBTQ youth and their families with resources about gender, and provided social services to transgender individuals..."
Lil Nas X
While Lil Nas X's song "Old Town Road" arguably shot him to stardom, coming out made him a hero in the LGBTQ+ community.
Thinking he would bring his queer identity to the grave since he was born into a conservative family in Atlanta, Georgia, Lil Nas X decided to come out during the 2019 Pride month.
Marlon Brando
Two-time Academy Award-winning actor Marlon Brando was un-phased by what people thought about him, once saying to an interviewer, "I am not ashamed. I have never paid much attention to what people think about me."
Brando is best known for his acting roles in films such as The Godfather, On The Waterfront, and A Streetcar named Desire.
Sarah Paulson
Actress Sarah Paulson is best known for her numerous appearances in the Ryan Murphy anthology series American Horror Story. She has been attached to a few different big names throughout her career, including actress Cherry Jones, playwright Tracy Letts, and actress Holland Taylor.
She has been in a relationship with the latter since 2015.
Cara Delevingne
Model and actress Cara Delevingne has been open about her queer identity for many years now and has dated numerous names within Hollywood, including musician St. Vincent and actress Ashley Benson.
During an interview with the New York Times in 2015, Delevingne said, "My sexuality is not a phase; I am who I am."
Kate McKinnon
Kate McKinnon has thanked Ellen DeGeneres for helping her come out, stating that the talk show host made it less scary.
Identifying as a lesbian, the Saturday Night Live and The Big Gay Sketch Show star has been associated with some big names, including actress Jackie Abbott and journalist Bari Weiss.
Kendrell Bowman
While many people outside of the theater world might not know Kendrell Bowman, he is the director and producer of more than one off-Broadway production, including "The Happy Hour."
Bowman and his partner, Anthony Wayne, have a production company together called ANTHONYKEN, LLC. According to their Instagram, the production company "specializes in bringing community issues and social awareness to the forefront."
Ricky Martin
Ricky Martin is known for his fun dance music. The Puerto Rican singer has been in the industry since the late 1990s with his hit single "Livin' la Vida Loca."
The King of Latin Pop has been married to his partner, painter Jwan Yosef, since 2018. The two got married in a private ceremony.
Angelina Jolie
Actress Angelina Jolie has been attached to many famous men during her career, including Brad Pitt and Billy Bob Thornton. But it was before either of those marriages that she came out as being in a relationship with actress Jenny Shimizu.
When asked if she was bisexual back in 2003, Jolie came back with a very solid answer, "Of course!"
Fergie Duhamel
Fergie married a man but she also fancies women. She told NYDailyNews, "I think women are beautiful. I've had a lot of fun with women, and I'm not ashamed of it." The Black Eyed Peas singer and ex-husband Josh Duhamel separated in 2017 and finalized their divorced in November 2019.
Although she hasn't been spotted dating any women after the split, don't rule it out for Fergie!
Kal Penn
Kal Penn of Harold & Kumar fame has branched out of Hollywood, becoming a visiting lecturer in Asian American Studies at the University of Pennsylvania and the Associate Director of the White House Office of Public Engagement and Intergovernmental Affairs.
Penn has been in a relationship with his partner, Josh, for 11 years.
