'EW' Cover Story Explores The Ease Of Coming Out Publicly

In this week’s Entertainment Weekly cover story, writer Mark Harris examines the new, casual method in which gay celebrities revealing their sexuality publicly for the first time. Fifteen years ago, when Ellen DeGeneres decided to come out of the closet, it was big news—and a daring confession.

Fifteen years later, The Big Bang Theory’s Emmy-winner Jim Parsons joins American Horror Story’s Zachary Quinto, White Collar’s Matt Bomer, and any number of other gay TV personalities, from Modern Family’s Jesse Tyler Ferguson to Glee’s Jane Lynch to CNN anchor Don Lemon to Bravo’s Andy Cohen and John Travolta, George Clooney, Anderson Cooper and Tom Cruise, who have made it more commonplace and certainly more acceptable to come out and continue to flourish in show biz.

EW says, "By daring anyone to overreact, the newest generation of gay public figures is making a clear statement that there is a 'new normal, and it consists of being plainspoken, clear, and truthful about who you are." *