Should gay celebrities be outed?

- Web links, documents and video clips

On June 18, 2022, the ABC published a comment by ABC radio commentator and television public affairs moderator Virginia Trioli titled 'The Rebel Wilson affair reveals how inadequate the humble columnist is in the new empire of the celebrity god'. Trioli argues that the Rebel Wilson issue reveals the extent to which print media columnist have lost their power to shape the public narrative.
The full text can be accessed at

On June 18, 2022, The Age published a comment by columnist Parnell Palme McGuinness titled 'Gay, straight or whoever we are, our secrets need not be fodder for public curiosity'. McGuinness argued that not only was it unethical to publish people's sexual orientation but many other aspects of their which have no claim to being in the public interest should remain private.
The full text can be accessed at

On June 15, 2022, Lawyers' Weekly published an analysis by Simon Levett titled 'Is law reform needed following the disclosure of Rebel Wilson's new relationship?'. The piece presents the argument of one prominent law professor who argues that the intrusive treatment of Rebel Wilson's sexuality demonstrates 'the need for strengthened privacy laws and anti-discrimination legislation.'
The full text can be accessed at

On June 14, 2022, The Guardian published a comment by Eleanor Morgan titled 'Nobody should be forced to come out as Rebel Wilson was, famous or not'. Morgan argues that being a celebrity does not make a person's private life public property and that that 'outing' is arrogant and intrusive.
The full text can be accessed at

On June 13, 2022, news.com.au published a report titled 'Backlash over Sydney Morning Herald's Rebel Wilson article'. The report details the widespread social media criticism of The Sydney Morning Herald's claimed mistreatment of Rebel Wilson and disregard for her privacy.
The full text can be accessed at

On July 13, 2022, SBS News published a report titled 'Equality advocates take aim at "outing" amid backlash over Rebel Wilson story' which gives a range of authorities stating that long-lasting personal harm can be done to gay people by forcing them to declare their sexual orientation before they are ready to.
The full article can be accessed at

On June 13, 2022, Medium published a comment by Shannon Ashley titled 'What Just Happened to Rebel Wilson Is Not Okay'. The opinion piece criticises The Sydney Morning Herald for placing pressure on Wilson regarding her private life and further argues that fans have no right to the details of celebrities' personal lives.
The full text can be accessed at

On June 13, 2022, National World published a comment by Nick Mitchell titled 'The Sydney Morning Herald has done a disservice to journalism with its Rebel Wilson stance'. The comment condemns the Sydney Morning Herald's initial attempt to defend its treatment of Rebel Wilson's private life.
The full text can be accessed at

On June 10, 2022, The Tab published a comment by Georgia Mooney titled 'These reactions to Rebel Wilson coming out prove why we still need Pride'
The article details and criticises some of the online hostility that has greeted Rebel Wilson's announcement that she is in a lesbian relationship.
The full text can be accessed at


On April 20, 2020, Daily Grit published a comment by Olivia Smith titled 'We Are Not As Entitled To The Lives of Celebrities As We Think We Are' Smith argues celebrities wealth and fame does not entitle the general public to access to their private lives.
The full text can be read at

On August 7, 2019, The Authentic Gay published an opinion piece by Christian Cintron titled 'Do Celebrities Have a Responsibility to Come Out?' Cintron argues that despite the sensitivity of the issue, gay people have an obligation to other gay people in their community to come out and so help to normalise homosexuality.
The full text can be accessed at

On October 12, 2018, CBN News published a comment by John Paul Brammer titled 'Social media lets celebrities control their own "coming out" stories'. The piece argued that the prospect of being outed should now be less confronting for gay people because social media gives them the opportunity to shape their own story.
The full text can be accessed at

On November 28, 2016, The Sydney Morning Herald published an article by gay activist Joel Meares titled 'Gay celebrities have a platform - they should use it.' The comment argues that gay celebrities should use their public profile to help normalise homosexuality. He argues that this is especially important for young people who need positive role models to help them accept their sexuality.
The full text can be accessed at

On July 29, 2016, SBS News published a comment by Jayden Masciulli titled 'Why coming out is still so important'. Though Masciulli does not favour forced outing, he does argue that coming out is important for both the individual concerned and for the positive message it sends to the while gay community.
The full text can be accessed at

On June 29, 2015, Variety published an article by Bret Lang titled 'Why Gay Movie Stars Are Staying Locked in the Closet' The piece detailed some of the harm that actors careers can suffer as a result of it being publicly known they are gay.
The full text can be accessed at

On July 2, 2012, The New York Times published a comment by Kate Aurthur, the West Coast editor for The Daily Beast. The comment is titled 'Be a Hero, Not Part of the Problem' and argues that gay celebrities should out themselves as a way of normalizing diverse sexual orientations and acting as role models for young gay people.
The full text can be accessed at