It has been close to 20 years since Ellen and the headline 'Yup, I'm Gay' were on the cover of Time Magazine. Although I applaud Ellen for her declaration, I hope that, thanks to Ellen, and other celebrities from the last 20 or 30 years, we have moved beyond this. Jussie Smollett and his role on Empire have had a huge impact simply through his character being one of televisions first gay black characters on a network drama. I like that Jussie didn't make it easy on those who wanted a answer.
Coming out is important, but public coming out for celebrities has become very often quite aggressive. I am not talking about the 'glued to the closet' celebrities and two faced politician, but it seems so often lately it is the press, especially the gay press, who are the ones most invested in a celebrity making a formal public declaration. Coming out should be about being who you are, living your true self and your relationships with family and close friends. This doesn't seem to be an issue for Jussie, Matthew Bomer and so many other celebrities who simply live their lives without the need to scream it out on People Magazine, Entertainment Tonight or even as much as I love her, Ellen.