# Lance Bass comes out of the closet on the cover of People **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 26, 2006, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lance-bass-comes-out-of-the-closet-on-the-cover-of-people/366094 "2006-07-26T15:24:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ensign\_Edison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ab992/32.png) [@Ensign\_Edison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ensign_Edison)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2006, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lance-bass-comes-out-of-the-closet-on-the-cover-of-people/366094/1 "2006-07-26T15:24:42Z")
[Story here](http://people.aol.com/people/article/0,26334,1219142,00.html). _“The thing is, I’m not ashamed – that’s the one thing I want to say,” he explains of his decision to come out. “I don’t think it’s wrong, I’m not devastated going through this. I’m more liberated and happy than I’ve been my whole life. I’m just happy.”_ ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2006, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lance-bass-comes-out-of-the-closet-on-the-cover-of-people/366094/2 "2006-07-26T15:27:30Z")
Shocked!! I am **shocked** , I tell you!!! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2006, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lance-bass-comes-out-of-the-closet-on-the-cover-of-people/366094/3 "2006-07-26T15:31:19Z")
Who the hell is Lance Bass and why should I care whether or not he’s gay? ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2006, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lance-bass-comes-out-of-the-closet-on-the-cover-of-people/366094/4 "2006-07-26T15:33:45Z")
One down and four to go. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2006, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lance-bass-comes-out-of-the-closet-on-the-cover-of-people/366094/5 "2006-07-26T15:33:58Z")
[QUOTE=Thudlow Boink] Who the hell is Lance Bass and why should I care whether or not he’s gay? [/QUOTE] I think he was a New Kid On the Block? Or maybe a Backstreet Boy? Or maybe that other one with that Timberlake guy? One of those. ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2006, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lance-bass-comes-out-of-the-closet-on-the-cover-of-people/366094/6 "2006-07-26T15:34:24Z")
Is anyone surprised? ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2006, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lance-bass-comes-out-of-the-closet-on-the-cover-of-people/366094/7 "2006-07-26T15:37:28Z")
Hey, he’s dating Reichen, of Reichen and Chip, of _The Amazing Race_! Damn. I’m horrified by my interest in this. I’ve always kind of liked Lance Bass. ---
**Author:** ![Electronic\_Chaos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Electronic\_Chaos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Electronic_Chaos)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2006, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lance-bass-comes-out-of-the-closet-on-the-cover-of-people/366094/8 "2006-07-26T15:49:31Z")
Hmm… I’m pretty sure someone, somewhere owes me $5 now. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2006, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lance-bass-comes-out-of-the-closet-on-the-cover-of-people/366094/9 "2006-07-26T15:53:09Z")
Wasn’t he supposed to go into space or something a few years ago? Maybe he could still pursue that. Make history being the first out astronaut. Astron-out. Whatever. ---
**Author:** ![Ensign\_Edison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ab992/32.png) [@Ensign\_Edison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ensign_Edison)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2006, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lance-bass-comes-out-of-the-closet-on-the-cover-of-people/366094/10 "2006-07-26T15:53:43Z")
[QUOTE=Thudlow Boink] Who the hell is Lance Bass and why should I care whether or not he’s gay? [/QUOTE] I provided a link to an article to answer the first question. As for the second, because gay teenagers have this pesky tendency to kill themselves a lot. Every little bit towards reducing that figure helps, y’know? ---
**Author:** ![Clockwork\_And\_Candy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b782af/32.png) [@Clockwork\_And\_Candy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clockwork_And_Candy)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2006, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lance-bass-comes-out-of-the-closet-on-the-cover-of-people/366094/11 "2006-07-26T16:08:20Z")
Weird. I mean, I’m not _surprised_ but I thought that if any of them were, it would’ve had to been Joey. Meh. Why even announce it, though? It’s not like he’s popular or even has a successful career anymore. [QUOTE=Ensign Edison] …because gay teenagers have this pesky tendency to kill themselves a lot. [/QUOTE] Oh, dear. I’d better be put on a suicide watch then. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2006, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lance-bass-comes-out-of-the-closet-on-the-cover-of-people/366094/12 "2006-07-26T16:11:03Z")
[QUOTE=Clockwork And Candy] Weird. I mean, I’m not _surprised_ but I thought that if any of them were, it would’ve had to been Joey. [/QUOTE] Mmmmm…I think I have an alone-time date with me and an imaginarily gay Joey Fatone… ---
**Author:** ![Trion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ccd318/32.png) [@Trion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trion)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2006, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lance-bass-comes-out-of-the-closet-on-the-cover-of-people/366094/13 "2006-07-26T16:12:01Z")
[QUOTE=Clockwork And Candy] Weird. I mean, I’m not _surprised_ but I thought that if any of them were, it would’ve had to been Joey. Meh. Why even announce it, though? It’s not like he’s popular or even has a successful career anymore. [/QUOTE] Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that he was spotted in a gay bar recently with Reichen. ---
**Author:** ![Ensign\_Edison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ab992/32.png) [@Ensign\_Edison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ensign_Edison)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2006, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lance-bass-comes-out-of-the-closet-on-the-cover-of-people/366094/14 "2006-07-26T16:12:17Z")
[QUOTE=Clockwork And Candy] Oh, dear. I’d better be put on a suicide watch then. [/QUOTE] Well, I was. I’m glad it’s working out better for you. He announced it so he could get some peace from the rumors, and establish that he is not ashamed or hiding. ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2006, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lance-bass-comes-out-of-the-closet-on-the-cover-of-people/366094/15 "2006-07-26T16:13:49Z")
[QUOTE=Clockwork And Candy] Weird. I mean, I’m not _surprised_ but I thought that if any of them were, it would’ve had to been Joey. Meh. Why even announce it, though? It’s not like he’s popular or even has a successful career anymore. [/QUOTE] Well, it does give him another 15 minutes of fame, or at least 15 seconds. Now, if it turned out that he was really a woman and having a lesbian affair with Brittney Spears after duking it out with Federline on Sunset Blvd at 3am (who had to go to Cedar Sinai, details not released)…that would be interesting. At least for a moment. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2006, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lance-bass-comes-out-of-the-closet-on-the-cover-of-people/366094/16 "2006-07-26T16:15:22Z")
I didn’t even know there _was_ a closet on the cover of People! ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2006, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lance-bass-comes-out-of-the-closet-on-the-cover-of-people/366094/17 "2006-07-26T16:28:07Z")
Lance Bass comes out the same day that Washington’s supreme court upholds the state’s DOMA. Gee, I wonder which one will get more airplay? ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2006, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lance-bass-comes-out-of-the-closet-on-the-cover-of-people/366094/18 "2006-07-26T16:38:14Z")
So, I was right. Boy bands _are_ just so gay… 😃 ---
**Author:** ![hlanelee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3bc359/32.png) [@hlanelee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hlanelee)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2006, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lance-bass-comes-out-of-the-closet-on-the-cover-of-people/366094/19 "2006-07-26T17:02:21Z")
[QUOTE=Electronic Chaos] Hmm… I’m pretty sure someone, somewhere owes me $5 now. [/QUOTE] That is soooo funny!!! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2006, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lance-bass-comes-out-of-the-closet-on-the-cover-of-people/366094/20 "2006-07-26T17:11:48Z")
[QUOTE=Diogenes the Cynic] I think he was a New Kid On the Block? Or maybe a Backstreet Boy? Or maybe that other one with that Timberlake guy? One of those. [/QUOTE] I think he was the fifth Monkee. Or maybe the sixth. Whatever. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lance-bass-comes-out-of-the-closet-on-the-cover-of-people/366094.md?page=2)