In 2024, several TV stars, from Survivor actors to those from One Tree Hill, have publicly shared their LGBTQ+ identities for the first time. Meanwhile, celebrities like Reneé Rapp from Mean Girls and Drag Race queen Amanda Tori Meating have shown us that coming out can be a process that happens more than once, as you might discover a new label that suits you better.
In this article, we’ve compiled 30 celebrities who came out as LGBTQ+ in 2024 and shared their stories.
Bethany Antonia
Bethany Antonia, who plays Baela Targaryen in the famous series House of the Dragon, created quite a stir when she came out as gay. She responded to a hateful message on Instagram with an unexpected revelation.
Bethany posted a screenshot of a DM she received on her Instagram story. The message read, “N-word, you look like a piece of s***. It’s a miracle they even included you in the trailer. But we don’t care. I hope you accidentally die on set.”
In response, Bethany replied, “Wait till they find out I’m gay too…”
Amanda Tori Meating
Amanda Tori Meating has revealed she is transgender, and she’s embracing her transition journey after finishing Drag Race season 16.
The popular Drag Race star spoke openly about her “gender exploration” and shared that she has now “arrived to a point where I feel like I’m transitioning” during an interview on Entertainment Weekly’s Quick Drag podcast.
Amanda also mentioned that she considered herself non-binary for about four years before joining Drag Race. She spent that time “figuring out where exactly I sat on the trans spectrum.”
Trey Cunningham
Trey Cunningham, the 25-year-old USA track star, came out smoothly in July during a New York Times interview. He revealed that he had been open about his sexuality with friends and family for five years. His announcement makes him one of the most prominent openly gay athletes heading into the upcoming Summer Olympics.
Cunningham mentioned to the Times, “There are lots of people who are in this weird space. They’re not out. But it is kind of understood.”
He also joked about his sexuality with Us Weekly, saying, “I’m just Trey and apparently it’s a special thing that I like to kiss guys.”
Colin Grafton
Colin Grafton, a star from Dancing on Ice, has been skating since he was seven. At 32, he has had a long career, including competing for Team USA for about five years. He also won bronze at the Junior US Championships in 2012 with his former partner Kylie Duarte.
After ending his competitive career in 2013, Grafton performed as a lead skater on several European tours before switching to coaching when the pandemic began.
In an interview with PinkNews, Grafton addressed the speculation about his relationships and sexuality. He explained that while he was focused on his skating career, he was never hiding that he was gay. However, he wasn’t always comfortable discussing it publicly.
“I told my closest friends, I told the people around me and I eventually told my parents. I was maybe 24 when all that happened. I know there’s a lot of curiosity about my sexual orientation and my love life, but I never actually came out to the public”, Grafton shared. “I guess this is me announcing it to you guys.”
As for why he decided to come out right now, Grafton said, “I never really felt the need to announce it before, but the reason I am saying this now is because I want to show that there is representation in any way I can.”
Erika Casupana
Survivor star Erika Casupanan has come out as part of the LGBTQ+ community. On December 30, the reality TV star surprised fans with a major update about her sexuality.
While sharing a throwback video on her Instagram, Casupanan talked about a New Year’s Eve tradition she participated in during 2022. The tradition was supposed to help her find a boyfriend in 2023. Instead, the Survivor winner found her queer identity!
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“Throwback to last New Year’s Eve when I tried to do the “eat grapes while sitting under a table at midnight, and you’ll get a boyfriend by the end of the year,” she shared.
“But I didn’t have grapes, so I chugged wine, and instead, that year, I realized I’m a lesbian. Close enough, right?”
Casupanan also made a joke about the socks she wore in the video, which she said hinted at her lesbian identity. Her caption read,
“I was wearing rainbow socks what did I expect?” her caption read.
Parvati Shallow
Another Survivor star, Parvati Shallow, also came out around the same time as Erika Casupanan. Shallow used Instagram to reveal her relationship with comedian Mae Martin.
“We’re here. We’re queer. Happy New Year,” Shallow wrote.
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She also shared a photo booth strip of her kissing the Feel Good star as part of the post.
Although some fans might be surprised by this news, rumors about their relationship had been going around since November 2023, as reported by Autostraddle.
Grace Wilson
Grace Wilson, a popular football player, has come out as the first Australian professional footballer who’s nonbinary.
They shared the news on March 1st, during an interview with the chairperson for Pride Cup, Holly Ransom. They said, “Gender and perception of gender doesn’t fit into the Western standards of man or woman.”
“You don’t realise how much of a difference it makes. Being referred to as ‘they/them’ for the first time gave me this euphoric feeling. I just wanted to be free.”
The Adelaide United goalkeeper went on to say that they received a lot of support from both their teammates and the club’s staff. They described the reaction as “phenomenal.”
Jessica Gunning
Jessica Gunning, known for her role in Baby Reindeer, has proudly come out as a “big old gay.”In her first public discussion about her sexuality, the British actress shared this news on the Reign podcast with Josh Smith. She revealed that she told her friends and family about her sexuality in November 2022. The actress went on to say that this was a “mega, mega thing” for her.
“I am surrounded by gays. Like, all my friends are gay. So, it wasn’t that I was repressing anything. It was just that I didn’t think that I could be… I still can’t articulate it in the best way.”
Moreover, she also added, “For so long I’d thought, ‘I know I’m a bigger woman’ and I thought that maybe it was to do with my size, that I felt a bit like, almost alien, or like I was tagging along. But as soon as I realised I was like, ‘No, it’s that’ and that was the most liberating thing.”
Lauv
Lauv, the famous pop star, has come out as gay. He took to TikTok to share the news with his followers recently, saying, “I feel like I’m gay, okay.”
@lauvsongsAnyone else ever think/feel this way?♬ original sound – lauv (ari)
“I’ve said this so many times and still not claimed to actually be, because I’ve not had enough experience to say.”
“I find myself wanting to be a lot more …I don’t want to think of intelligent ways to say this! I just find myself feeling a little bit more like this.”
However, this isn’t the Love U Like That singer’s first time addressing his sexuality on social media.
In a June 2023 video, he wrote the following caption: “Does it have to be that big of a deal? I haven’t done much aside from kiss so tbh don’t wanna jump the gun but tbh I feel things and I don’t wanna pretend I don’t.”
@lauvsongsDoes it have to be that big of a deal? i havent done much aside from kiss so tbh don’t wannna jump the gun but tbh i feel things and i dont wanna pretend i dont. 🙂♬ original sound – lauv (ari)
The video featured the singer and the following words “when ur dating a girl but ur also a little bit into men.”
Madame LaQueer
Madame LaQueer has announced that she is transgender and has updated her drag name to reflect her true identity better.
Now performing as Madame Cassandra Uzumai LaQueer, she first gained recognition on RuPaul’s Drag Race in 2012, winning the wrestling-themed challenge in the second episode.
The Drag Race alum confirmed the news in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, “It’s something I’ve been pondering for myself for years. It’s now or never. I think this serves for me to be a voice for those that have persuaded themselves into not pursuing their truths and let time take over. It’s never too late to come out and live your true experience and be yourself and be authentic. There’s nothing like feeling loved in your own skin.”
The Puerto Rican queen also shared that she will now be known as Cassandra, or Cassie for short.
Cassandra realized she was transgender six years ago while on the pageant circuit, but she initially tried to dismiss the feeling. She said she sort of “talked myself out of it.” However, a few years later, she started wondering again, but she talked herself out of it again.
This struggle led to a “12-year long depression” and times when she felt like giving up. It was the support from her network, including Drag Race contestant Jade Jolie —who also identifies as transgender—that encouraged her to embrace her true self.
Moreover, Cassandra went on to explain the ending, saying, “The climax of the story is just coincidentally having to carpool with Jade Jolie to a gig we had together, and we had hours to talk. It came out in the conversation, and she knew everything I was going to say. She clocked it quickly, and it just made sense. Like, girl, it’s now or never.”
Matt Terry
Matt Terry has openly shared his pride in his sexuality and his newfound courage in an interview with GAY TIMES. With his heartfelt ballad “His Car,” he is publicly addressing his sexuality for the first time, including an apology to the first man he fell in love with.
Matt, who gained fame by winning Season 13 of The X Factor, faced intense scrutiny from British tabloids, making it “f**king hard” to keep his relationship private. “I said to him, ‘You’re not allowed to tell anyone about this’ and he loved me enough to do so,” Matt recalls. “It’s such a regret of mine, and I’m just really sorry.”
After taking a short break from the spotlight, Matt is now “taking back the power” and sharing details of his sexuality. He explains, “Throughout the years, I’ve had media reach out and offer me money like, ‘We’ll give you this much if you want to talk about your sexuality,’ and I would say, ‘Absolutely not.’ I’m too proud and have too much self-respect.”
However, he now wants to “set the record straight” using his song and video.
Sophia Bush
Sophia Bush, the One Tree Hill star, feels relieved after openly discussing her queerness for the first time.
In a Glamour essay, she shared her experience with her sexuality and the harsh online rumors about her relationship with Ashlyn Harris, a former soccer player.
Following the end of her marriage to businessman Grant Hughes in 2023, Bush and Harris were linked together, and this made her the target of “blatant lies” and “violent threats” online.
Harris also finalized her divorce from soccer player Ali Krieger last year, which led to accusations that Bush was involved in “wrecking” the marriage. Bush addressed these online claims, stating that her split from Hughes was unrelated to any “hysterical rendezvous,” which was a fabrication.
Harris also concluded her divorce from Ali Krieger last year, which led to accusations of Bush being a “home-wrecker.” Bush argued against these claims and clarified that her split from Hughes was not due to any “hysterical rendezvous.”
She shared, “Just because I didn’t want to process my realizations in real time on social media and spell them out for the world doesn’t mean the journey wasn’t long and thoughtful and exhaustive.”
She went on to say she adores Harris’ “relentless integrity” and their love “has sutured some of my own childhood wounds, and made me so much closer to my own mother.”
Sean Gunn
In an OutSports interview, Gunn shared his coming-out journey, explaining that he began exploring his sexuality while attending the University of Kentucky. He revealed that he wasn’t out and dated girls for several years. He even had some great relationships where he truly loved his partners. Over time, Gunn’s focus shifted, and he began dating men.
The Olympic swimmer Sean Gunn also shared that he was grateful that his swim team was very supportive, and he did not face any negativity from them. Gunn felt that his friendships only improved and appreciated how everyone supported him in becoming his true self.
“I was really lucky that everyone was so amazing and wanted me to be the happiest version of myself,” he explained.
Zoe Lister-Jones
Zoe Lister-Jones was excited to attend the Spirit Awards for two reasons. First, she was there to support her show *Slip* on Roku, which she created, starred in, and executive produced with Dakota Johnson. Second, she made her entrance at the event hand-in-hand with a new love.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the 41-year-old Lister-Jones shared, “I’m here, I’m queer, I have some fear but I’m working through it.”
She is currently in a relationship with filmmaker Sammi Cohen, who recently directed Netflix’s “You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah,” a teen comedy featuring Adam Sandler and his family.
Julia Fox
Julia Fox showcased her unique sense of humor when she casually came out as a lesbian on TikTok. In response to a video from comedian Emily Gracin, who joked about seeing “a lesbian with their boyfriend,” Fox stitched the video and said, “Hey, that was me. I was that lesbian.”
She went on to say, “So sorry, boys. Won’t happen again.”
Fans on TikTok praised Fox’s laid-back announcement. One commenter wrote, “omg julia fox the icon that you are.” Another fan said, “after your memoir i saw this coming and i just want to say how happy i am for you 🥹🥹🥹.”
Amber Ruffin
Amber Ruffin marked Pride Month by coming out as queer on Instagram. She posted a series of photos and videos from her Pride celebrations with a caption that read, “In what will come as a shock to exactly zero people, I’m using the last day of PRIDE to come out. Be proud of who you are, little babies! I know I am! And I can’t wait to be discriminated against for a new reason!!
🏳️🌈🏳️🌈🏳️🌈🏳️🌈 🏳️🌈🏳️🌈🏳️🌈🏳️🌈🏳️🌈🏳️🌈🏳️🌈🏳️🌈🏳️🌈🏳️🌈🏳️🌈”
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Louisa Jacobson
Louisa Jacobson, from The Gilded Age, revealed her relationship with Anna Blundel, a producer, on Instagram. She posted, “blessed to be entering the Joyful New Era bb ❤️🔥🏳️🌈.”
Ayesha Madon
Ayesha Madon, star of Heartbreak High, came out as bisexual in a July cover story for Gay Times. She revealed, “I’ve actually never spoken about my sexuality before in anything, so this is pretty new.” Reflecting on the impact of the LGBTQ+ community on her life, Madon shared, “I only properly admitted, out loud, that I was bisexual two or three years ago. It feels recent.”
Madon also talked about her feelings of imposter syndrome within the community. She said, “Sometimes I feel like I’m a fake queer person because I’m not massive on queer culture. Sometimes, I feel that liking girls is not enough.”
However, she appears to have reached a place of self-acceptance, as she concluded with her Pride month message, “[T]here is no right or wrong way to be a queer person. That is my pride message.”
Amethyst
RuPaul’s Drag Race star Amethyst came out as trans using social media in July and shared that she recently began hormone therapy.
In a handwritten note marking her one-month transition milestone, she wrote, “Even in this short amount of time, the comparison to how I felt just a few months ago is night and day. It’s a different sense of happiness that is slowly but surely bringing back my self-assurance, and every day it gets easier to look in the mirror.”
Amethyst mentioned that, for now, she is using the name Amy out of drag, following a suggestion from Malaysia Babydoll Foxx, a fellow season 15 contestant.
F1NN5TER
British Twitch streamer and Minecraft player F1NN5TER, known for their e-girl character Rose, came out using a YouTube video in March. They shared that they had started hormone therapy and identified as genderfluid. In the video, F1NN5TER mentioned, “I think the label that suits me best is genderfluid.”
They added that while they currently prefer he/him pronouns, they are open to changes, which they find exciting.
However, the video’s subtitles indicate that F1NN5TER uses “any pronouns,” a preference they recently highlighted in a fun TikTok about the joys of wearing a backward baseball hat.
@rose_e_evergreen Finnster’s pronoun grind for everyone asking #f1nn #finn #f1nn5ter #finnster #pronouns #trans #lesbian #lesbiancouple #hrt @F1NN5TER ♬ Head Empty – Tsundere Twintails
Maren Morris
At a recent show in Phoenix, country star Maren Morris celebrated Pride Month by waving a pride flag onstage. She posted photos from the event on Instagram and came out as bisexual for the first time.
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In the caption, Morris wrote, “happy to be the B in LGBTQ+. happy pride 🌈.”
Jessica Madsen
Jessica Madsen, known for her role in Bridgerton, shared on Instagram that she is dating a woman as she celebrated Pride Month 2024. She wrote,
“In Love with a woman, loud about it and proud about it! 🌈 #pride #pridemonth #loveislove #gaypride. “
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One of the photos shows Madsen wearing rainbow-colored jewels under her eyes and a “Love Supreme” bucket hat.
Her co-stars from the show showed their support in the comments, with Nicola Coughlan writing, “💖💖💖💖💖” and Hannah Dodd saying, “Love youuuuuu 💛.”
Carissa Rae Martin
On June 12, Carissa Rae Martin, a former member of Us the Duo, shared her coming-out story in an essay for Out. She expressed her feelings about how the process of coming out, which she had hoped to control, was taken from her. Martin was upset that her personal revelation was made public through a song, which she felt was exploitative and wrong.
“Coming out should have been a sacred process. Something that should have been on my own terms. But that was ripped away from me. It was one thing to be outed to my friends and family, but to be outed publicly through a song for personal gain and promotion? Absolutely sickening,” Martin wrote.
In the essay, she also talked about how she chose to regain her power and how embracing her queerness was a crucial step in leaving a “toxic relationship.”
Deshawn Radden
During this year’s Pride Month, Deshawn Radden, a runner-up on Survivor 41, came out publicly. In a post, he shared a list of identities that he embraces, including “QUEER Black man.”
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“I came out to my family and a few close friends a few years ago,” he said. “The journey only began at that point, and it’s taken much growing, learning & unlearning, and developing self-love to get here, especially as this part of my identity intersects with my faith. These last few seasons of my life have been transformative for me in that way.”
Radden added that he feared losing people because of who he was. Fortunately, he received “unconditional love” from his loved ones.
“So now I take solace in knowing who is for me will always rock! And beyond anything, I’m grateful to show up in all spaces as my full self now,” he concluded.
Bulk Bronson
During Pride Month, Bulk Bronson, a professional wrestler who competes in All Elite Wrestling (AEW), made a big announcement. He came out as bisexual after Gabby Forza, his partner, shared a post about her own bisexuality and pansexuality.
Tim Brewster & Kyle Friend
Tim Brewster and Kyle Friend, beach volleyball partners, went from being teammates to falling in love and starting a romantic relationship.
Brewster shared with Volleyball Magazine, “Seeing an example of someone who is out and confident and able to do volleyball, I’d never been around that.”
He went on to add, “To see somebody like that helped me through a lot of these internal struggles I was having. Obviously I worked really hard and there was a lot of stuff I did to make my volleyball really good but there’s also a mental component, whether it was confidence or being comfortable, it helped my volleyball click. It made a huge difference for me on and off the court. It was cool for me to see that journey.”
Taylor Tomlinson
Taylor Tomlinson, a comedian, revealed her identity as a bisexual in her new stand-up special called “Taylor Tomlinson: Have It All.”
She joked about her sexuality in it, saying, “So, anyway, I’ve been trying to figure out if I’m bisexual, or if I just binged Euphoria too fast. Cause I’ve been trying to date women, but it is so hard. I don’t know how to get women to like me.”
She also added that it’s “scary” to be bisexual because “someone’s always like, prove it. Here’s a picture of Margot Robbie, are you wet? Let me feel.’”
Morphine Love Dion
Morphine Love Dion, a queen from Drag Race season 16, used X earlier this year to clarify their nonbinary identity. When people started tagging them in posts about men getting BBLs, they responded, “Hiii I love y’all [so much] but [please] stop tagging me in this. Y’all know I’m a they/them/her right? And if you didn’t know, now [you] know. [heart emoji].”
Maya Massafera
Brazilian influencer Maya Massafera, who has 8.12 million YouTube subscribers and 5.6 million Instagram followers, revealed herself to be a trans woman in May 2024. She graced the cover of Vogue Brasil’s digital Pride issue.
In a personal essay for Vogue Brasil, Massafera shared, “There’s the saying that ‘life begins at 40.’ Mine literally started at 43 For the first time, I understand what it means to be happy. My state of mind is happy.”
Reneé Rapp
In 2024, Reneé Rapp, known for her role as Regina George, showed that coming out can be an evolving journey. While she had previously identified as bisexual, this year, she clarified that she now identifies as a lesbian. Rapp made her orientation clear in several interviews and social media posts. At the GLAAD Media Awards in March, she expressed her gratitude, saying, “A huge thank you to every man that helped make me realize that I was a lesbian.”
