# Who were you most surprised to see come out of the closet? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 18, 2008, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-were-you-most-surprised-to-see-come-out-of-the-closet/464150 "2008-09-18T14:56:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![WolfpackJeep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpackjeep/32/2921_2.png) [@WolfpackJeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WolfpackJeep)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2008, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-were-you-most-surprised-to-see-come-out-of-the-closet/464150/121 "2008-09-24T16:12:00Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > Did he ever really actively deny it? I thought he always just refused to comment one way or the other. Well, there was that time he “felt up” his hair stylist… ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2008, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-were-you-most-surprised-to-see-come-out-of-the-closet/464150/122 "2008-09-24T16:39:09Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > Did he ever really actively deny it? I thought he always just refused to comment one way or the other. He denied it during his early fame, the “not that there’s anything wrong with that” sort of line, then refused to talk about it. In fairness I think he really was in denial at the time (and also skinny and ugly and not rich and not famous so he hadn’t had that much opportunity to test the waters). ---
**Author:** ![Homebrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Homebrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Homebrew)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2008, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-were-you-most-surprised-to-see-come-out-of-the-closet/464150/123 "2008-09-24T17:16:10Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > Is she gay or just an attention whore? > > (sorry if that offends and it is certainly not meant to be derisive towards being gay or coming out AT ALL. Just that, given her track record, she seems to care more about tabloid celebrity and provoking more inches of press that sincerely making certain life choices, IMHO…carry on.) Since hooking up with Samantha Ronson she seems to have curtailed the tabloid fodder behavior. She hasn’t been nearly as much of a wreck. I’d say that suggests she’s sincerely into Samantha. ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2008, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-were-you-most-surprised-to-see-come-out-of-the-closet/464150/124 "2008-09-24T17:43:15Z")
I was shocked a few years ago when I learned Christopher Hitchens isn’t gay. Totally blindsided on that one. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2008, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-were-you-most-surprised-to-see-come-out-of-the-closet/464150/125 "2008-09-24T18:13:05Z")
> [@Lemur866](#): > > I was shocked a few years ago when I learned Christopher Hitchens isn’t gay. Totally blindsided on that one. He’s just British. ---
**Author:** ![Sarahfeena](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sarahfeena/32/519_2.png) [@Sarahfeena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarahfeena)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2008, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-were-you-most-surprised-to-see-come-out-of-the-closet/464150/126 "2008-09-24T18:31:40Z")
> [@Lamia](#): > > In Anne Hech’s case, she may just be a confused bisexual who is generally more attracted to men then women. But while it’s not exactly _normal_, it’s not unheard of for a woman to come out as an adult and say that she’d hadn’t been “in the closet” but really just hadn’t felt attracted to women before. I’ve personally known a few women for whom this was the case, and I’ve seen it remarked upon in books about gay and lesbian issues. It’s a bit of a mystery and there are all kinds of theories as to why this sometimes happens with women but never seems to with men, but this thread isn’t the place to get into all that. My point, and I do have one ;), is that Ellen may have known other lesbians who told her basically the same thing as Anne and so didn’t think it was especially weird. That does explain it a bit, thank you. I think that the word “normal” was not the right one anyway…it was more that Ellen sat there like it didn’t occur to her that she should be concerned about it. I mean, if I were her, I would be a little leery of getting into a relationship with someone who just “became gay” when she met me! But your explanation makes that make a little more sense, too. ---
**Author:** ![Illuminatiprimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/illuminatiprimus/32/11520_2.png) [@Illuminatiprimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Illuminatiprimus)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2008, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-were-you-most-surprised-to-see-come-out-of-the-closet/464150/127 "2008-09-24T21:58:05Z")
> [@The\_Second\_Stone](#): > > He’s just British. Yeah, we all just sound gay. It’s an easy mistake to make. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2008, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-were-you-most-surprised-to-see-come-out-of-the-closet/464150/128 "2008-09-24T22:19:00Z")
> [@Illuminatiprimus](#): > > Yeah, we all just sound gay. It’s an easy mistake to make. I always thought it was the other way around and gays sounded English. ---
**Author:** ![Jelly\_Roll](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Jelly\_Roll](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jelly_Roll)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2008, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-were-you-most-surprised-to-see-come-out-of-the-closet/464150/129 "2008-09-24T22:28:47Z")
I was quite surprised when I learned that George Michael is gay. Even my baby brother thought I was an idiot for missing that one. Also, I can’t think of his name, but the Colorado preacher who was caught doing blow with a male prostitute. Can’t remember the details either, obviously. Although, last I recall hearing about him, he’s still married and going through counseling or something, trying to be “cured” of being gay, I suppose. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![WolfpackJeep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpackjeep/32/2921_2.png) [@WolfpackJeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WolfpackJeep)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2008, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-were-you-most-surprised-to-see-come-out-of-the-closet/464150/130 "2008-09-24T22:48:36Z")
> [@Jelly\_Roll](#): > > Also, I can’t think of his name, but the Colorado preacher who was caught doing blow with a male prostitute. Can’t remember the details either, obviously. Although, last I recall hearing about him, he’s still married and going through counseling or something, trying to be “cured” of being gay, I suppose. :rolleyes: Ah, Ted Haggard. According to the last article I read, his “restoration” to heterosexuality is still incomplete. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2008, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-were-you-most-surprised-to-see-come-out-of-the-closet/464150/131 "2008-09-25T12:23:18Z")
> [@lissener](#): > > Duh, but still a surprise: I thought he was gonna ride the denial train all the way to Michael Jacksonville. There is no proof that Clay Aiken is a child molester. There is no proof that Michael Jackson ever had a consenual relationship with an adult male. Aiken is gay. Jackson is a (suspected) pedophile. Please keep them (so to speak) straight. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2008, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-were-you-most-surprised-to-see-come-out-of-the-closet/464150/132 "2008-09-25T23:06:47Z")
For me, it was 80s Page 3 model and pop chanteuse Samantha Fox. ---
**Author:** ![crypto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b3f665/32.png) [@crypto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crypto)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2008, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-were-you-most-surprised-to-see-come-out-of-the-closet/464150/133 "2008-09-25T23:35:05Z")
J. Edgar Hoover (“outed” in print after death) ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2008, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-were-you-most-surprised-to-see-come-out-of-the-closet/464150/134 "2008-09-26T00:06:06Z")
> [@woodstockbirdybird](#): > > Bob Mould. At the time he came out, there was nothing in his music (or image) to suggest it. Of course, after he came out, it started to make its way into the songs as a theme. I was flipping through this thread to see if anyone had mentioned Mould. That one totally blindsided me. I don’t know why it did, other than it coame completely out of the blue. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2008, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-were-you-most-surprised-to-see-come-out-of-the-closet/464150/135 "2008-09-26T00:40:47Z")
> [@Rodgers01](#): > > Biggest surprises for me in this thread were Chuck Palahniuk and Reginald VelJohnson! (Carl Winslow? Really?) Was also a bit surprised to learn that Lily Tomlin is gay. > > When I was younger and more naive, I was just starting to listen to jazz standards, and was _shocked_ to read an article about Cole Porter that mentioned that he was gay. Are you serious? Carl Winslow is gay?! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-were-you-most-surprised-to-see-come-out-of-the-closet/464150.md?page=6)