Top 10 Inspirational LGBTQ+ Celebrities

In 2012, Frank Ocean was a rising star known mostly for his involvement with the hip-hop collective Odd Future when he posted an open letter to his Tumblr page detailing his first experience in love, falling for a male friend. In a genre that’s been critiqued for its homophobia, Ocean’s admission was significant. Many in the music industry and the hip-hop community accepted him with open arms, including Beyoncé, JAY-Z and Tyler, The Creator. Although Ocean isn’t one to disclose much about his private life, preferring to let his music speak for itself, in 2016 after the Pulse nightclub shootings in Orlando, he wrote an essay detailing his feelings about the attacks and his own experience with homophobia.

Most people know him for his roles as Gandalf in “The Lord of the Rings” and Magneto in “X-Men,” but how many fans know that Sir Ian McKellen is gay? Honestly, probably most of them – unless they’ve been living in a hobbit hole. McKellen has been a vocal champion for queer rights ever since he came out publicly in 1988 on a BBC Radio 3 program, and has since participated heavily in a number of LGBTQ+ organizations, including co-founding the rights lobby group Stonewall. The actor has even said he’s been reluctant to campaign for other issues because it could take away from his top priority: ensuring equality for gay people around the world.

This talented crooner was thrust into the spotlight quickly thanks to the success of the song “Latch.” And pretty much from the get-go, Sam Smith was transparent about his identity as a gay man, coming out publicly in early 2014. He hasn’t ignored the fact in the years since, either, having celebrated a gay wedding in his video for “Lay Me Down” and thanked the man who’d broken his heart for helping him win four Grammys in 2015. Although Smith did earn some flack for mistakenly claiming to be the first openly gay man to win an Oscar, he did dedicate his award to the LGBTQ+ community, making it clear he’ll speak out for those who can’t be heard.

She played a hardheaded cheerleading coach on “Glee,” but Jane Lynch is much more timid when she steps away from the camera. In fact, Lynch only came out to her family at the age of 31, though she had known she was gay since she was a child. The comedian says she’s grateful to lesbian figureheads like Ellen DeGeneres and Rosie O’Donnell who paved the way for her relatively painless coming out, but she’s also said that she no longer feels there’s a prejudice against queer people in Hollywood. That’s a positive message for closeted youths everywhere.

After “Livin’ la Vida Loca” launched Ricky’s crossover career in 1999, this Puerto Rican megastar amassed a significant gay following. But it wasn’t until 2010 that he acknowledged his orientation in a post on his website, saying: “I am proud to say that I am a fortunate homosexual man. I am very blessed to be who I am.” Ever since, Martin has been an outspoken supporter of gay rights and marriage equality: for example, he’s delivered poignant speeches at the GLAAD Awards and the United Nations Homophobia Conference, and was vocal in his support of gay marriage in his native Puerto Rico prior to its legalization in 2015.

This Canadian actress rose to fame playing a pregnant teen in the 2007 movie “Juno,” and for her first years in the spotlight was private about her sexuality. However, in a speech at a Human Rights Campaign conference in Las Vegas in 2014, Page opened up about being a lesbian. She said she chose to come out because she believed she could make a difference in other individuals’ struggle for acceptance. She hasn’t veiled her identity since then, starring in the lesbian drama “Freeheld” opposite Julianne Moore, going public with her relationship with surfer Samantha Thomas and traveling the world to explore LGBTQ+ culture on a global scale with her documentary series “Gaycation.”

Best known for her role as Sophia on the Netflix series “Orange Is the New Black,” Cox is a serious inspiration for trans individuals everywhere. She’s been a trailblazer in many ways: for example, in 2010 she became the first African-American transgender person to produce and star in their own reality show with the makeover series “TRANSform Me,” and in 2014 she not only became the first openly transgender person to appear on the cover of Time magazine, but also the first to openly gay trans person to be nominated for an acting Emmy. And through it all, Cox has worked hard to educate the public about trans rights as well as the trans experience.

He may be known for playing womanizer Barney Stinson on “How I Met Your Mother,” but IRL this triple threat performer appears to be one of the sweetest people you could ever meet. He came out to the public as a gay man in 2006 and confirmed his relationship with David Burtka soon after, with the couple marrying once the Marriage Equality Act was passed and going on to raise an adorable family together – talk about #relationshipgoals! NPH supports many charitable organizations, from the Elton John AIDS Foundation to The Trevor Project, but perhaps his most inspirational contribution is the wide array of roles he takes on… proving you don’t have to be typecast based on your sexuality.

This comedian already had many fans thanks to her self-titled sitcom. But, in 1997 she was propelled even further into the public eye when her character came out to her therapist, played by Oprah. Ellen then mirrored this in real life by coming out live on “The Oprah Winfrey Show.” She immediately became the first openly lesbian actress to portray a lesbian character on TV, and has received numerous accolades for her trailblazing. DeGeneres’ activism didn’t stop with her own story, however: she consistently addresses LGBT issues on her talk show, continues to support gay rights with her wife, Portia de Rossi and in 2016, she was awarded for her activism with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions:
- Nyle DiMarco
- Zachary Quinto
- Ruby Rose

When it comes to LGBT+ issues achieving mainstream acceptance, Elton John is a monumental figure. Initially coming out as bisexual in 1976, and ultimately revealing he was “comfortable” being gay in 1988 after divorcing his wife, Sir Elton finally married his longtime partner David Furnish in 2005. Offering his fervent support of same-sex marriage in the UK, John said that the ability to call someone your ‘husband’ instead of your ‘partner’ makes a great difference. He’s also spoken out against Russia’s LGBT propaganda law. What’s more, the “Tiny Dancer” singer has been de-stigmatizing and raising funds for AIDS since he founded the Elton John AIDS Foundation in the early ‘90s after the disease claimed his friend, Freddie Mercury.