The Gay News Blog Towleroad has recently published a comprehensive list of The 50 Most Powerful Coming Outs of 2012. Many of the individuals listed, we had never heard of so much props goes out the their team for putting in the time and research.
The fact that they could even find 50 notable names to fill the list was initially surprising but maybe its a sign of the changing times. Gay is becoming more the norm in our society (although we still have a long way to go). Next year, they may have to increase the list to 100. Wouldn't that be something.
Please visit their site for the full list, but in the meantime check out the stand out Men of Color on their list below.
The fact that they could even find 50 notable names to fill the list was initially surprising but maybe its a sign of the changing times. Gay is becoming more the norm in our society (although we still have a long way to go). Next year, they may have to increase the list to 100. Wouldn't that be something.
Please visit their site for the full list, but in the meantime check out the stand out Men of Color on their list below.
#46. Shaun T
"It was a year of contradictions for fitness guru Shaun T. Failed president candidate Paul Ryan, a Congressman with a staunchly anti-gay record, credited Shaun's "Insanity" workout regimen for his chiseled physique just before Shaun T. announced that he had married partner Scott Blokker. Both were good news for Shaun T, but one has to wonder what Ryan had to say about the news." - Towleroad
#29. Frank Ocean
"Musician and producer Frank Ocean has remained purposely mum about his sexuality, preferring to let his sensational debut solo, channel ORANGE, do the talking.
"People should pay attention to that in the letter: I didn’t need to label it for it to have impact. Because people realize everything that I say is so relatable, because when you’re talking about romantic love, both sides in all scenarios feel the same shit," he told GQ in November, four months after coming out in an open letter.
Some have criticized the Grammy-nominated music maker for his reticence to adopt labels, but Ocean's quiet pride matches the tectonic though understated shift he produced in the hip-hop music community, a genre where homophobic often thrives. Though there were some haters, aural idols from Snoop Dogg to Beyonce to Dr. Dre celebrated Ocean's honesty, and fans did too." - Towleroad
#17. Sherman Hemsley
"Sherman Hemsley, the actor famous for his role as George Jefferson on All in the Family and The Jeffersons, never came out in life. He was a quiet, private man and most of the public never would have known he was gay save for a dispute over his will that involved a "male companion," Kenny Johnston.
But even after speculation began swirling, only a few people would speak the truth, like Michael Musto, who ran a post at the Village Voice, "Sherman Hemsley Was A Gay! Deal With It!"" - Towleroad
#12. Josh Dixon
"Josh Dixon just missed qualifying for the United States' Olympic Men's gymnastics team, but he totally landed his coming out, reported by Outsports just before trials.
"If anything, the only homophobia he has encountered has been from within himself. He acknowledges he once felt internal pressure about being a gay man in what some label the “gay sport” of gymnastics. He didn’t want to fall into a stereotype," Cyd Zeigler Jr. wrote." - Towleroad
#11. Wade Davis
""You just want to be one of the guys, and you don't want to lose that sense of family," former NFL player Wade Davis said about staying in the closet during his time on the field.
His career-ending injuries, he recalled, were something of a blessing. "There was a part of me that was a little relieved because, when I knew football was over, my life would begin. I had this football life, but I didn't have another life away from that. Most of the guys had a family and a wife, but I had football and nothing else."
Since coming out in June, Davis worked as an LGBT surrogate for President Obama's reelection campaign and joined GLSEN's sport advisory board." - Towleroad
#10. Orlando Cruz
Professional boxer Orlando Cruz helped KO homophobia in the ring when he came out in early October. "I've been fighting for more than 24 years and as I continue my ascendant career, I want to be true to myself," the featherweight fighter told a reporter.
Later, speaking with HBO, Cruz remarked, "I'm very, very happy. I'm free." He's also a champ: the 31-year old won his first fight after coming out, but was more pleased with all the support he received from the cheering crowd: I was very happy that they respect me. That’s what I want — them to see me as a boxer, as an athlete and as a man in every sense of the word… That was my moment, my opportunity, my event… And I won." - Towleroad
