In case you're living in a cave and missed it, the June 29 issue of Entertainment Weekly had a very provocative cover on, "The New Art of Coming Out," featuring pictures of eight out celebrities. It generated huge buzz and was part of the impetus for journalist Anderson Cooper and rapper Frank Ocean to come out publicly with a resounding chorus of support.
Using phrases like "casual methods," "matter-of-fact-understatement," "blink-and-you'll-miss-it-style," and "defiantly mellow," the issue celebrated the low-key way many celebrities have chosen to announce their sexual orientation.
As an out gay man and as a publicist who has helped more than a dozen actors and professional athletes come out of the closet publicly, I'm grateful that EW felt this topic worthy of a cover; and that so many celebrities have chosen to come out recently.
But I do believe that the focus on the casualness of the method of coming out obscures a darker, harsher truth: Even when the methodology seems light and breezy, coming out remains a difficult, often anguishing decision for public figures -- likely the toughest decision of their lives.
One of my clients didn't tell her own mother until the morning she came out; others have had death threats; and some have lost major portions of their fan base. Few personal truths, once made public, can impact relationships with your family and friends or your career in the same way.
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