Written by Hannah Delaney
Public speculation of celebrity sexuality is not a new trend. Who is dating who, is a constant topic of gossip and debate in media spheres. This is not unique to the LGBTQ+ community. However, speculation of sexual orientation in the media crosses an ethical boundary that cannot be compared to discussions of straight sexuality. The real issue is when those engaging in these debates intentionally, or unintentionally, out closeted celebrities.
Outing is the act of publicly revealing the sexual orientation or gender identity of an LGBTQ+ individual without their consent. In the past, outing was often intended to discredit individuals or cause physical or emotional harm. As acceptance of LGBTQ+ identities has increased, outing has taken on new forms with different intentions.
Queer fans often speculate celebrity sexual orientation as a way of connecting with an individual’s art or the characters they portray. There are few mainstream portrayals of queer characters and groups that are both encouraging and accurate.
According to Jaimie Lorite, LGBTQ+ youth are, “hungry for representation. It’s understandable that a person who is coming to terms with who they are, figuring out their identity, what they like and who they fall in love with, needs to have some role models. So, you project yourself onto other people.” Online spaces that discuss sexuality of characters and celebrities are often some of the first places where queer youth experience a sense of acceptance and community. Although, even Lorite admits that, “those projections can go too far.”
Online communities have grown protective over queer characters, roles and spaces. While this is not inherently bad, it has caused some fans to be apprehensive and critical of who is “allowed” into these spaces. This spouts accusations of queerbaiting online that lead to forced outings of celebrities.
Queerbaiting is a marketing technique used to engage LGBTQ+ audiences. This involves promises of or allusions to queer representation in entertainment, while having minimal concrete follow through. Typically, this accusation is made at studios or executives, but has recently been used against real people who choose to not disclose their sexuality. In this sense, when someone accuses a celebrity of “queerbaiting” they mean that they are presenting themselves as queer and are intentionally maintaining ambiguity about their sexuality in order to reap the benefits of LGBT support without being a part of the community. This accusation is also cast at straight presenting actors who portray queer characters.
While these accusations may be made with the intent of “protecting” queer spaces, it more often than not puts closeted celebrities in a position where they are forced to come out in order to protect their career and reputation in queer circles.
For example, Kit Connor gained fame from his role as Nick Nelson on the Netflix series, Heartstopper. Shortly after the show’s release, fans on Twitter began criticizing Netflix for casting Connor, an apparently straight actor, in a bisexual role. This speculation gained traction and led to fans harassing the star through the platform for not being upfront about his sexuality. In October of 2022, he took to Twitter to respond to these allegations saying,
“back for a minute. i’m bi. congrats for forcing an 18 year old to out himself. i think some of you missed the point of the show. Bye.”
Another example of this sort of “outing” occurred more recently with singer Billie Eilish. In 2021, Eilish released a music video for her song, “Lost Cause”. The video had the public accusing her of sexualizing queer female relationships in order to get views. The singer did not comment on her sexuality publicly until her November 2023 cover story for Variety Magazine. Though she did not provide a label to herself, she mentioned her attraction to women and many took this as her way of coming out. In December at the Variety Hitmaker’s Event, a journalist for the magazine addressed Eilish on the red carpet, pressing if she “intended to come out as bisexual” in her cover shoot. She later took to Instagram saying,
“Thanks variety for my award and for also outing me on a red carpet at 11 am instead of talking about anything else that matters.”
In these situations, both Eilish and Connor were ridiculed across media for their chosen expression of sexuality and pressured to come out on terms that were not their own.
But how will we know if a celebrity is queer if they don’t come out? We won’t. A hard pill to swallow for social media users and journalists alike is that no one is entitled to know someone’s sexuality. Celebrity or not, all individuals deserve privacy when it comes to disclosure of sexual orientation.
For social media users: think before you Tweet. Users need to be more socially conscious of their activity online, especially in regards to situations like this. While users may have intentions of protecting their community, they only further perpetuate harm and hate that the LGBTQ+ community is staunchly against by engaging in these activities.
As for journalists, when it comes to discussing a celebrity’s sexuality, follow their lead. Sexuality is a hot topic, but one’s journey should not be sensationalized against the will of the individual. Fan debates do not equate to front page news. Be an ally. Sensitivity and loyalty to the groups you are reporting on in these contexts further ensures accuracy, credibility and integrity in your reporting. And remember, in the words of Grace Huntly,
“People’s sexualities are not the business of their employers or fans. It is wrong to speculate about others’ sexuality or pressure them to come out for any reason. Sexuality is personal and should not require justification or confirmation.”
References:
admin, S. F. (2024, February 5). LGBTQIA Resource Center Glossary. LGBTQIA Resource Center. https://lgbtqia.ucdavis.edu/educated/glossary#:~:text=Terms%20also%20used%20that%20correlate,to%20keep%20this%20information%20secret.
Collins, R. (2023, December 4). Billie Eilish accuses variety of “outing” her in cover story. BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/newsbeat-67611825
Fried, S. (2019, May 13). Queerbait. Medium. https://medium.com/@sfried001/queerbait-bee6fa21edb1
Huntley, G. (2023, January 16). Opinion: Celebrities don’t owe anyone their sexuality. The Charlatan, Carleton’s independent newspaper. https://charlatan.ca/opinion-celebrities-dont-owe-anyone-their-sexuality/
Lorite, J. (2022, November 11). The Kit Connor Dilemma: Must we know an actor’s sexuality before they can play a gay role? EL PAÍS English. https://english.elpais.com/culture/2022-11-11/the-kit-connor-dilemma-must-we-know-the-sexuality-of-actors-before-they-can-play-a-gay-role.html
Matthew’s Place. (2023, December 28). This is why the media needs respect our (queer) privacy. Medium. https://medium.com/matthews-place/this-is-why-the-media-needs-respect-our-queer-privacy-56d676c205de
NBCU Academy. (2024, January 31). Reporting on queerness and what it means to come out. https://nbcuacademy.com/come-out-celebrities/
“outing” of LGBT celebrities like rebel Wilson has a harrowing past – media diversity institute. Media Diversity Institute – Media Diversity Institute. (2022, June 14). https://www.media-diversity.org/outing-of-lgbt-celebrities-like-rebel-wilson-has-a-harrowing-past/
Ramsden, S. (2021, June 15). The Billie Eilish queerbaiting controversy, explained. Bustle. https://www.bustle.com/entertainment/the-billie-eilish-queerbaiting-controversy-explained