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National Coming Out Day has been celebrated every Oct. 11 since 1988. The first was held a year after the Second National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights, on Oct. 11, 1987. The march drew approximately 200,000 people, The New York Times reported.
In keeping with this decadeslong tradition of honoring those who embrace their full selves, NBC Out is celebrating the actors, athletes, and other public figures who have come out publicly so far this year.
Rebel Wilson
In the midst of LGBTQ Pride Month in June, Rebel Wilson announced she is dating a woman. The actor, 42, shared an Instagram post beside her new love with the caption: “I thought I was searching for a Disney Prince … but maybe what I really needed all this time was a Disney Princess.”
Janelle Monáe
Musician and actor Janelle Monáe confirmed in April that she is nonbinary, meaning neither exclusively male nor female and discussed what it means to her in an interview with “Red Table Talk,” a talk show hosted by Jada Pinkett Smith; her daughter, Willow Smith; and her mother, Adrienne Banfield-Norris. In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Monae said she uses both she/her and they/them pronouns.
John Cameron Mitchell
John Cameron Mitchell, star of the Peacock series “Joe vs. Carole,” revealed that he is nonbinary in a March interview with Pride.com. Mitchell, who is perhaps best known as the star and creator of the 2001 cult classic “Hedwig and the Angry Inch,” told Los Angeles magazine in June that he continues to use he/him pronouns.
Jerrod Carmichael
Comedian Jerrod Carmichael publicly came out as gay in his HBO special “Rothaniel,” which premiered in April and was taped in February at the Blue Note Jazz Club in New York City. The special weaves stories of Carmichael’s family history with his own coming out process.
Charlee Corra
Charlee Corra, a member of the Disney family, came out publicly as transgender in March and condemned anti-LGBTQ state bills. Corra, who uses “he” and “they” pronouns, and their family also announced this year that they would match up to $500,000 in donations to the Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest LGBTQ advocacy group.
Ellia Green
Ellia Green, one of the stars of Australia’s gold medal-winning women’s rugby sevens team at the 2016 Olympics, announced in August that he is a transgender man. Green said realizing that sharing his experience could be lifesaving for others is what compelled him to come out publicly.
Chrishell Stause
“Selling Sunset” star Chrishell Stause confirmed her relationship with nonbinary Australian musician G Flip in May, during the season five reunion episode of the popular real estate reality show. Stause then opened up about their relationship in a video shared on Instagram: “I know that some of you won’t understand this or agree with this, but for me, it is about the person. It is about their heart.”
Jake Daniels
English soccer player Jake Daniels revealed he is gay in May in a trailblazing moment for the European men’s game. The 17-year-old forward made the announcement at the end of his first season as a professional player with the second-division club Blackpool.
Daria Kasatkina
Russia’s highest-ranked women’s tennis player, Daria Kasatkina, said in a video interview in July that she is dating a woman. Soon after the interview was released, Kasatkina posted a picture on Instagram of her embracing Olympic silver medalist figure skater Natalia Zabiiako with a heart emoji and called Zabiiako “my cutie pie” in a Twitter post.
Bosco
“RuPaul’s Drag Race” contestant Bosco, who appeared in season 14 of the reality competition show, came out as transgender in February. In a message shared on Instagram, Bosco revealed she would use both she/her and they/them pronouns out of drag and said, “I’m the happiest I’ve ever been.”
Aunjanue Ellis
Oscar-nominated “King Richard” star Aunjanue Ellis, 53, has been open about her sexuality to her friends and family for decades, but it wasn’t until earlier this year that she addressed her bisexuality publicly. In March, she donned a red Dolce & Gabbana suit jacket with the word “Queer” spelled out in rhinestones on the jacket’s left arm. The subtle sign wasn’t widely noticed, but the actor then discussed her sexuality in an interview with Variety that was published in June, describing herself as both bisexual and queer.
Maybelle Blair
Maybelle Blair, a 95-year-old former baseball player who helped inspire the 1992 film “A League of Their Own,” is living proof that it’s never too late to embrace your authentic self. Blair came out publicly this year after serving as a consultant for Amazon Prime’s very queer TV reboot of the decades-old film.
Jena Malone
Actor Jena Malone revealed in an August Instagram post that she had been “learning a new way” to articulate her sexuality and was “using words to guide me not define me.” She then said: “Finding words that feel more right to explore in my telling. Pansexuality. Sapiosexuality. Polyamory.”
Jasmine Kennedie
“RuPaul’s Drag Race” contestant Jasmine Kennedie, who appeared in season 14 of the reality competition show, came out as transgender in February. In an emotional episode of “Untucked,” Kennedie tearfully revealed, “I am trans, and I’ve been so scared to say that.”
Luke Baines
“Shadowhunters” actor Luke Baines shared on Instagram in June that he has “been lucky enough to have been in love twice — the first with a woman, the second with a man. A label that however you like, but all I know is that… love is love. Happy pride!”