Amber Heard Says Celebrities Need To Come Out
Amber Heard revealed earlier this year that she is bisexual. She thinks all stars who are gay should come out about their sexuality. In an interview with Women's Health, Amber says, “You can’t respect yourself if you’re afraid to be who you are. It requires bravery to do something no one else around you is doing. But the risk was outweighed by the possibility of playing into this horribly detrimental lie that some in Hollywood perpetuate.”
I wonder how much she wanted to say some names. I think that as much as it would be great if all celebrities could come out, I still think that it is a personal decision that no one can force them to do, plus, they might be giving up their careers and paychecks which is a tough thing for people to do.
i think it is different for women, but also let people have some privacy. They have no responsibility to anyone's cause to come out.
ReplyDeleteSo tired of hearing that "if they come out, they won't get anymore jobs!"
ReplyDeleteNeil Patrick-Harris and Amber Heard laugh at you.
The awful thing about a woman coming out in Hollywood: People don't take her homosexuality seriously. They think it's cute, sexy, or even temporary.
ReplyDeleteBut a man coming out in Hollywood would be forever labelled gay: "gay star this, and gay star that".
Let's see how this works out for Quinto, and maybe more will come out. And only on principal, I AM going to see any movie Quinto will be making in the future. He's an amazing actor.
You guys have said what already needs to be said.
ReplyDeleteI don't believe most people (the paying customers) care who is gay or not when they turn on their TV's or go to a movie.
ReplyDeleteIt would be interesting to know WHO is perpetuating this stupid mindset though.....
@Rita: Well stated!
ReplyDeleteI agree....we have a very good idea of who's who...so out with it.
ReplyDeleteRita, Zachary Quinto is amazing on American Horror Story
ReplyDeleteI'd like to think that we're reaching a point that an actor's sexuality means nothing. I watched THE WARD during October and not once did Amber's sexuality enter my mind. I simply enjoyed watching her act. That's what it should be about.
ReplyDeleteIt will always be a complicated issue, due to other criteria. But most of the public simply doesn't care.
^Absolutely agree! I can't wait for him to do another movie so I can fully support him.
ReplyDeleteAnd you know, if he started openly dating, say... Jake Gyllenhaal, I would so be all over that couple!
You know, thinking about it, it might be a good time to have a celebrity blockbuster male gay couple. The paparazzi could follow them instead of Lindsay and the Kardashians.
ReplyDeleteI find myself NOT supporting, or wanting to watch, actors who are obviously in the closet and WON'T come out. That bugs me much more than someone being gay (which doesn't bug me at all) - the fact that they're pretending so that they can make more money - or so they think.
ReplyDeleteIf Quinto started dating Efron, my head would explode. In the best way possible!
ReplyDeleteAgree with Enty though - it's a personal decision, and I don't like it when other people make that decision for the actor (see Perez). So uncool.
ReplyDeleteActually I think many do care who is gay and who isn't, just look at our politics and Christian wing nuts. It's sad. Someone like NPH may have it easier because he's not presenting himself as a hot hetero love type, which is what most leading men have to be. He was also a lovable child actor, so perhaps more accepted.
ReplyDeletePlus I also agree that lesbians are far more accepted than males especially if she's hot because as said before, it's a jerk off dream to think she hasn't had the right guy yet. And guys also love woman on woman.
The whole thing is just crazy. I wish we lived in a society where it just doesn't matter, but we still do. It's sad.
I don't see it as simple as all that.
ReplyDeleteLet's say, for instance, that Lance Bass or Neil Patrick Harris were dating a guy who was half-Iranian. And that man goes back to Iran on occasion for holidays and family functions. Maybe Lance or Neil would be perfectly comfortable coming out themselves, but concerned over what could happen when the boyfriend, who would undoubtedly face a slew of publicity, went back to a conservative country like Iran.
Or, what if a closeted Ellen were dating a woman who was previously in a heterosexual relationship and had small children who were adjusting to their mother with a woman, and Ellen wanted to protect those kids privacy rather than seeing their mother on the face of every tabloid?
There are many reasons someone would chose not to come out.
ummm my friend quit watching White Collar because I told her Matt Bomar is gay. She no longer felt the need to drool over his hotness since he isn't straight.
ReplyDeleteAnd this isn't a stupid person.
So yeah, most of the 'general public' does car about that stupid shit.
My only issue with her statement, and I know I'm probably going to get attacked for this, is that she says she is Bi-sexual. I feel that by claiming to be bi rather then saying she's gay is like a half truth. I get it that sexuality is a spectrum and am not saying that a person can't be attracted to both sexes. I do feel that Amber though is straight up gay, I haven't looked very hard but I haven't seen or heard much about her with men, most times she's with a woman. I kinda feel like she's saying she's bi in attempt to be "honest and edgy" but still stay in relatively good favour with that small audience that wouldn't be able to see a gay actor in a "straight" role.
ReplyDeleteIt also pisses me off that straight actors can choose to take on a character who is gay but people seem to think that a gay actor can't take on a straight character. Its called acting people... I'm not really a poor wartime Jewish farm girl, but I played one in Fiddler on the Roof.
That said, she's beautiful and talented and I truly hope we'll be gossiping about her for a long time!
^ to your point. I have work freinds here in Texas who won't watch 30 Rock due to Alec's politics. People care ALOT about a man's sexuality.
ReplyDelete^ to your point. I have work freinds here in Texas who won't watch 30 Rock due to Alec's politics. People care ALOT about a man's sexuality.
ReplyDelete@amh - disagree. Most of my girl friends still squeal for NPH. And knowing that Jake G is gay, has never stopped me of finding him hot, and following his career.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I find people who base their actor/actress crush or interest on their sexuality, are homophobic. Hot is Hot, gay or straight.
Bi plays with hetero males, since they can always imagine it as a basis for threesomes (I believe surveys put that as the biggest male fantasy).
ReplyDeleteI still think that Ricky Martin is one of the most beautiful people on the earth... I don't care that I have no chance, I like what I see.
ReplyDeleteDishtlk, Amber was engaged to a man in 2007, and dated two men after him. She's been with the same girlfriend since 2008, so that's why you haven't heard about her being with men lately. I'm so sick of people being so skeptical of bisexuality.
ReplyDelete"Amber Heard Would Like More Attention Please"
ReplyDelete(BTW, I hear she's bisexual)
AMH: sorry that your friend comes across as a pinhead, but that's exactly what her reaction suggests. Who cares? Bomer is incredibly gorgeous and--for me, anyway--it doesn't matter a bit if he bats for the home team. I don't watch his show, but I rarely watch TV these days. It certainly has nothing to do with his being gay. Who he shags is none of my concern. Just let me drool over the guy when I see a picture of him! I can do that, regardless of sexuality.
ReplyDeleteIt would be nice if everyone could come out without having to fear repercussions, wouldn't it? Unfortunately, that is not yet the case. And maybe I'll get some flack for this, but I think it's a lot easier to be accepted as a hot, blonde bisexual woman, than, say, a very butch lesbian or a very "feminine" gay man.
ReplyDelete@Rita, I know what you're saying but I live in Oklahoma, which isn't as forward thinking as other locales. I mean, she and I were talking about if someone is gay a) how can it stay hidden and b) why would they hid it. The topic turns to Will Smith. She's like I don't think he's gay but where there's smoke there might be fire. But if he's gay who's hiding it and why. I was like when you paycheck is dependent on someone's paycheck, then you learn to spin, spin, spin. If Will Smith comes out and loses money, then the handlers don't get paid as much, blah, blah, blah. She was then like, why do people care? and I had to remind her of our Matt Bomar conversation. How she doesn't watch his show anymore because he's gay and the 'fantasy' is gone. I THINK she might have realized how stupid she was being but I just changed the subject ;-)
ReplyDelete^^^ great story. There's hope for her! BTW I think the personal fantasy is an important element, I guess she doesn't have the hots for Will Smith.
ReplyDeleteMe? I've had quite a few very nice fantasies about Anderson Cooper. It's a fantasy when it comes to any media personality, so it doesn't matter what their inclination is!
Like AMH, I live in OK (waves hi) and you would not believe the homophobia around here. Just this past week, Sen. Inhofe (R) stated at a Tulsa meeting, to assure conservatives, that while the "don't ask don't tell" military policy was repealed, the policy does not allow bestiality.
ReplyDeleteHe also said that gays will be advancing their "agenda" in the military.
Asshole does not even begin to describe this man.
I have no problem with those who are gay and gay marriage. But I think I'm in the slim minority around here.
@amh and Momster - I don't know how you guys do it. I still have trouble containing my temper when a dumbass whispers to me at work "you know, our colleague is gay". So the Fuck what!
ReplyDeleteI think change has to come from language as well. My boss used to say shit like "oh look, I hate his shoes, they're so gay". My answer is always "So"? What does gay have to do with anything? It weirds me out when Americans behave like citizens of other countries we make fun of for their narrow-minded extreme-religions believes. In 2011 no less!
That just makes me so sad. At the same time, I can't blame them. If they risk alienating a certain % of their audience... I guess they don't want to risk it when they can just be quiet about it.
ReplyDeleteAnd yeah, I really dont see me hooking up with any of the celebs I find attractive anyways, so I really dont care about their sexuality!
Hi Momster! Yes, Inhofe is a vile asshole, for sure!
ReplyDeleteI don't think there's much hope for my friend but I still try. I mean, I think she'd flip her shit if I told her half of the people that are rumored to be gay.
I'll never forget about 20 years ago my mom went to LA and I asked her what the latest gossip was (we work in commercial production so sometimes you get crew who have worked on movies, etc.) and she said that John Travolta was gay. I was like WTF?!? Not that I cared but man, Danny from Grease IS NOT GAY! ;-), but lo and behold, as I've aged, I've heard the same damn thing from too many people...
Still doesn't change how I feel about JT, Will, JG or anyone else. It just makes me sad that they can't be who they are without fear of financial/emotional/physical ramifications.
But look how many high profile so-called "gay" women have "gone back" to men. Anne Heche is an example, but there are others if I think hard. There does lead to the perception, right or wrong, that being lesbian may well be more "temporary" than is being gay for a man.
ReplyDeleteI can't think of any MALE celebrities who've done that...?
@mooshki, I'm not skeptical of bisexuality in general, just hers. It's just a sense I get about her, which could be wrong.
ReplyDeleteBasically, she pings my (finely tuned, may I add) gaydar.
You know what I think is so crazy about all of this? We're talking about actors here.
ReplyDeleteActing is what they do, so it shouldn't matter what their sexual orientation is because it doesn't effect how well they act. If that was the way things were across the board, there would be no such thing as actors because only the people who really did what the actors were portraying would be able to "act" out the role.
I effing hate circles of logic.
I have to say that I can't separate it . Knowing some actor is gay and then having them act straight on screen destroys the illusion
ReplyDeleteI can see where it would be nice for kids coming up and out to have popular celebrities to look up to. I can also see where those celebrities would not want to come out because there is a whole mess of Bible Belt stupid out there.
ReplyDeleteSo, I will say I admire Amber for her views and the way she lives her life in the open and unafraid, especially after she grew up in the midst of said Bible Belt stupid.
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ReplyDeleteSome of the nicest, most intelligent, highly educated people I known have serious problems with NY state legalizing same sex marriage and homosexuality in general. We have our fingers crossed that one particularly homophobic family's youngest is gay. That would be so AWESOME!
ReplyDeleteIf stars came out, especially ones already playing the straight game, they would lose a big segment of their audience. Its been 149 years since slaves were freed, 56 years since Rosa Parks sparked the Montgomery bus boycott yet we still don't have a color blind nation and doubt we ever will. Weve come a really long way though. The next generation will hopefully shake their heads at this one the way ours looks at the last.
Considering how gorgeous Amber Heard is, I am sure she has been hit on by most of Hollywood so probably very much as lay of the lesbian land. The stories she could probably tell at this point...
ReplyDeleteWil, the whole "Bible Belt stupid" phrase is uncalled for. People in the Bible Belt haven't cornered the market on stupidity; believe me, it's everywhere. And being a Christian doesn't automatically make one stupid.
ReplyDeletePersonally, whether a person is gay doesn't affect their attractiveness to me. I think Matt Bomer is hella hot. Same with Rupert Everett and Ricky Martin. However, if someone is outspoken about their political and/or religious beliefs and is really obnoxious about people who disagree with them (a la Alec Baldwin, Poppymann), I won't support their projects. Personally I can't tolerate Heard -- not because she's supposedly bisexual, but because she is an atheist who badmouths Christians. So screw her. I don't need to play a part in making her successful if she thinks that my beliefs make me an idiot.
Lastly, Amber Heard needs to stop telling other people how to live their lives. Coming out is a personal decision and whether to do so or not is no one else's business.
I totally agree with her, but I would also imagine that it's a hell of a lot easier to gain acceptance from the straight community when you look like she does.
ReplyDeleteWhat difference does it make if one is straight, bi- or homosexual?! I don't like or dislike anyone more or less based upon sexual preference. As my one bi friend says, her sexual preference and who she chooses to sleep with are no one's business. As one of my lesbian friends says, her sexuality is a part of her and does not define her.
ReplyDeleteI'm straight, but it's no one's business who I'm with either - and people in my past made it a point to talk about who I was sleeping with and judged me on it simply because they thought I shouldn't be involved with him. But it was my choice, and I didn't invite them into my business. In fact, I never even told them; they just surmised it and essentially spied on me. Who cares who we're involved with?!
For the record, the more I watch How I Met Your Mother, the more attracted I am to NPH. Which is disturbing ONLY for the fact that he plays a total douchebag. Otherwise, I find him a total hot pocket.
ReplyDeleteI can understand your frustation Texshan, but Amber grew up in Texas and likely dealt with Christians who condemned gays. Being bi, she may have felt that there was no place for her at God's table (her BFF's death in a car crash ultimately pushed her toward atheism, I think). It's short-sighted on her part for not expanding her ideas of Christianity, but I can understand how she came to feel that way.
ReplyDeleteWe all have a long way to go when it comes to appreciating others.
Layna, I understand where you are coming from, but it's important to know that Heard grew up in Austin, the most liberal city in Texas. And, since she left school (and Texas) at the age of 17, I doubt she had to deal with a ton of prejudice. Of course, I don't know her life, so perhaps she did have it rough. But I really, really doubt it.
ReplyDeleteYou may be right, Texshan. I don't know. Regardless, it's a complicated topic, to be sure.
ReplyDeleteVery nicely put, @Layna Day.
ReplyDeleteThis is my personal opimion, but I think it depends on the actor. Amber is right and wrong. First off, yes Neil Patrick Harris came out, but he's not considered a hot man who many women dream about. People like him, he's the nice guy, funny, good actor, all around likeable. If George Clooney, Tom Cruise, Will Smith or Leo D. came out...their hottness factor will die along with their careers. Rupert Everett came out of the closet...and he said as soon as he did, his career went down the tubes.
ReplyDeleteIt's great that most people here like to think they don't care whether and actor is gay or straight. But would you care if it cost you movie profits? If you are a producer of the next big Hollywood blockbuster, do you really want to take a chance in hiring an openly gay actor in the lead when it could lose you ticket sales? And if you think you would be above such petty concerns let me remind you of Rupert Everett.
ReplyDeleteAfter "My Best Friends Wedding" he was going to be the next big thing. The first openly gay movie star. Talk was of him being a pseudo gay James Bond type character and start a new franchise. Didn't happen. Then it was the next big TV series with him as star so they could break it to the paying public gently. It didn't happen. I think you know why.
Does anyone remember Nathan Lane? After "The Birdcage", he was going to be the next big thing. They gave him a starring role in a new TV series where he played......a straight man who loved the ladies. It was a great show, and very funny, but no one bought it and it was cancelled.
I hope it works for Zach Q, but I have a feeling he is now going to be a supporting character actor for the rest of his career. Not bad, but not mega-movie star big bucks.