Author | Lightnews

Gay History Project @gayhistoryproject.bsky.social · 20d

25 actors have come out after playing LGBTQ+ characters — from Chloë Grace Moretz (#CameronPost) to Noah Schnapp (#StrangerThings), Kit Connor (#Heartstopper), Reneé Rapp (#SexLivesOfCollegeGirls) & more. 🌈

www.miamiherald.com/entertainmen...

25 actors who've come out after playing an LGBTQ+ character

Stacker referenced various news articles to compile a list of 25 celebrities who have come out after playing an LGBTQ+ character.

www.miamiherald.com

1

Gay History Project @gayhistoryproject.bsky.social · 26d

Before #ComingOut as #queer in 2021, #DavidArchuleta says he was engaged three times to women—pressured by his #Mormon upbringing to “do the right thing.”
“I can’t be dishonest,” he said.

people.com/david-archul...

#LGBTQ #QueerVoices

David Archuleta Recalls Getting Engaged 3 Times Before Coming Out, Explains Why He Never Made It Down the Aisle

During a Sept. 19 appearance on 'The Zach Sang Show,' David Archuleta reflected on getting engaged to three women before coming out as queer in 2021. The singer explained that he felt he was doing the...

people.com

Gay History Project @gayhistoryproject.bsky.social · 26d

Moviegoers in China are outraged after the horror film #Together was #censored with #AI to erase a same-sex wedding — changing the couple into a man & woman.

Distributor #Neon has blasted the unauthorized edit. 🌈✂️ #LGBTQ #Censorship

www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/artic...

Outrage as gay couple in hit film are digitally altered to be straight

Moviegoers have been left outraged after a popular horror film was edited using AI to alter a same-sex wedding.

www.dailymail.co.uk

Gay History Project @gayhistoryproject.bsky.social · Sep 20

#DemiLovato says being openly #queer has allowed her to ‘live authentically’ — after years of religious shame growing up in Texas.
Feeling safer in queer spaces has made all the difference.

#LGBTQ #QueerVisibility

people.com/demi-lovato-...

Demi Lovato Says Being Openly Queer Has Allowed Her to Be Herself and 'to Live Authentically'

Demi Lovato opened up recently about embracing queer culture, her connection to queer spaces and her desire to perform her music in queer clubs.

people.com

1

Gay History Project @gayhistoryproject.bsky.social · Sep 20

In Turkmenistan, #LGBTQ+ people face torture, rape & prison for simply existing. Two survivors share the horrors they endured — and why they fight on from exile.

“You are not the shame of a nation. You deserve to be loved.”

#HumanRights

www.ndtv.com/world-news/r...

www.ndtv.com

1

Gay History Project @gayhistoryproject.bsky.social · Sep 13

🇳🇱 Dutch parliament votes to ban “gay conversion therapy.”
D66 MP Wieke Paulusma: “Love does not need to be cured.” 🏳️‍🌈

#LGBTQ #ConversionTherapyBan #LoveIsLove

nltimes.nl/2025/09/09/d...

Dutch parliament votes to criminalize gay conversion therapy

Therapy practices meant to “cure” homosexuality are set to become punishable by law. A majority in the Tweede Kamer, the lower house of the Dutch parliament, voted in favor of a bill by D66 and the VV...

nltimes.nl

1

Gay History Project @gayhistoryproject.bsky.social · Sep 6

#Crumbl co-founder #SawyerHemsley came out 🏳️‍🌈 But his hand was forced after weeks of speculation online. No one should be pushed out before they’re ready — #comingout should always be on your own terms. #LGBTQ #GayHistoryProject

eu.usatoday.com/story/life/h...

The Crumbl Cookies co-founder, a viral gay rumor and what we can learn in the aftermath

Crumbl co-founder Sawyer Hemsley came out, though not the way he wanted. Keep in mind: The consequences of outing someone could be dire.

eu.usatoday.com

Gay History Project @gayhistoryproject.bsky.social · Sep 6

Was #Shakespeare’s first patron also his secret #gay lover? 🏹 A newly found portrait of Henry Wriothesley, marked with a heart and spear, raises fresh questions about the bard’s #queer #history. #LGBTQ #GayHistoryProject

www.thepinknews.com/2025/09/05/s...

Does this portrait really show Shakespeare's 'secret gay lover'? We asked an expert

A Shakespeare researcher has shared her view on whether a miniature portrait could have revealed Shakespeare’s secret gay lover.

www.thepinknews.com

1

Gay History Project @gayhistoryproject.bsky.social · Aug 30

For the first time in its 129-year history, Australian football has an openly gay or bisexual male player. 🌈 Former player Mitch Brown came out publicly, calling it a moment of ‘peace, comfort and confidence.’ #LGBTQ #GayHistoryProject

www.news.com.au/sport/afl/mi...

www.news.com.au

1

Gay History Project @gayhistoryproject.bsky.social · Aug 23

In the 1990s, Manchester’s #Gay Village transformed. When Manto’s opened with big glass windows—no longer hidden behind closed doors—it sent a message: #LGBTQ+ life would be #out, #proud, and #visible. 🌈

#LGBTQHistory #Manchester

www.bbc.co.uk/news/videos/...

How Manchester's gay village became 'out, proud and visible'

Local historian Chris Hoyle charts the emergence of Manchester's gay village on Canal Street.

www.bbc.co.uk

1

Gay History Project @gayhistoryproject.bsky.social · Aug 16

“When I first came out, there was no internet, mobile phone, or knowledge. I didn’t know much about myself,” says #BobbiPickard. After decades of resilience, she’s CEO of Trans in the City, working to build #inclusion for #trans and #nonbinary people. 🌈 #lgbtqia

metro.co.uk/2024/11/17/m...

'My life had no future': How it felt to come out as trans in the 70s

Transgender Awareness Week takes place between 13-19 December.

metro.co.uk

Gay History Project @gayhistoryproject.bsky.social · Aug 16

#AndyCohen had some words for #KimDavis, the former Kentucky clerk fighting against #MarriageEquality.

“Lady, you’ve been married four times to three different people… and you want to lecture us on the sanctity of marriage?”

He didn’t stop there →
www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/andy-c...

#LGBTQ

Andy Cohen Obliterates Kim Davis Over Her Anti-LGBTQ+ Crusade

The notorious ex-county clerk wants the Supreme Court to undo same-sex marriage, and Cohen has a few things to say — none of them polite.

www.huffingtonpost.co.uk

2 1

Gay History Project @gayhistoryproject.bsky.social · Aug 10

In a groundbreaking move, Yeshivat Chovevei Torah quietly ordained Rabbi Tadhg Cleary—becoming the first openly gay man ordained at an Orthodox rabbinical school in the U.S. Full semicha, full identity.

#LGBTQ #OrthodoxJudaism #HistoryMade
stljewishlight.org/world-news/i...

In a first, Orthodox rabbinical school ordains an out gay rabbi - St. Louis Jewish Light

The leading liberal Orthodox rabbinical school quietly ordained an out gay rabbi this summer, a first for the institution in the U.S.

stljewishlight.org

Gay History Project @gayhistoryproject.bsky.social · Aug 10

Shropshire farmer Gareth Hales Povey feared #farming would be ‘too macho’ for a #gay man. Instead, he found welcome, acceptance – and others like him. Now he’s helping #LGBTQ+ people thrive in #RuralLife. 🏳️‍🌈🚜

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Shropshire man says being gay he felt an imposter in farming

But Gareth Hales Povey, a dairy farmer from Calverhall, found his new colleagues totally accepting.

www.bbc.co.uk

1

Gay History Project @gayhistoryproject.bsky.social · Aug 9

In 1960 – 7 years before #homosexuality was decriminalised – Roger Butler became the first man in the UK to publicly declare he was #gay. His brave letter to The Spectator risked arrest, but helped spark change. 🌈 #LGBTQHistory #GayRights #UKHistory

www.thepinknews.com/2025/08/07/f...

The incredible story of the first man in Britain to come out publicly as gay

In 1960, Roger Butler wrote a letter that publicly exposed him as gay, while it was illegal. His story is an untold part of LGBTQ+ history.

www.thepinknews.com

1 2

Gay History Project @gayhistoryproject.bsky.social · Aug 9

#Celebrity hairstylist Chris Appleton says guilt over his kids having “a #gay dad” once led him to attempt suicide. Now 42, he’s sharing his journey to help others know they’re not alone — and that life can get better. 🌈 #LGBTQ #MentalHealth

www.yahoo.com/entertainmen...

Chris Appleton Just Emotionally Opened Up About Attempting Suicide Over The Guilt He Felt For Giving His Children A “Gay Dad”

“I felt like it would be better for them to have a dad that was dead than a dad that was gay.”

www.yahoo.com

1

Gay History Project @gayhistoryproject.bsky.social · Aug 8

#Salem MA — the setting for my new #app — isn’t just known for #witches but also for being one of the most #gay friendly small cities
My interactive #album Mystic Sidekick just dropped on the App Store! It’s a mix of #music #history & #magic, all guided by a mystical #pug
tinyurl.com/InteractivePug

‎Mystic Sidekick

‎Meet Artificial Pug as Mystic Sidekick, your mystical guide through the magical town of Salem, MA, in this interactive album experience. With this wise and whimsical pug, explore an enchanted versio...

tinyurl.com

5

Gay History Project @gayhistoryproject.bsky.social · Aug 3

“I want to give myself a hug!”
Pro #basketball player #IsaacHumphries reflects on his emotional 2022 #comingout moment—and how it changed his life.

#LGBTQ #GayAthlete #GayHistoryProject

tinyurl.com/db6f3hxk

MSN

tinyurl.com

Gay History Project @gayhistoryproject.bsky.social · Aug 3

Victory in #StLucia - The island’s top court has struck down colonial-era laws criminalizing #gaysex, calling them unconstitutional.

A long-overdue win for #LGBTQ+ rights.

#DecriminalizeLove #GayHistoryProject

tinyurl.com/yc886zju

Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court strikes down St. Lucia laws criminalizing gay sex

The laws against “gross indecency” and “buggery” are unconstitutional, the court ruled.

tinyurl.com

Gay History Project @gayhistoryproject.bsky.social · Aug 2

The #Church in #Wales just elected its first openly #gay Archbishop. 🏳️‍🌈
#CherryVann, Bishop of Monmouth, has been in a civil partnership since 2015 and now leads a church still divided over #samesexmarriage.

A historic first — and a sign of change.

www.christiantoday.com/news/appoint...

Appointment of openly gay Archbishop of Wales branded 'tragic'

The Church in Wales "has now institutionally turned away from biblical teaching on sexual morality".

www.christiantoday.com

2

Gay History Project @gayhistoryproject.bsky.social · Aug 2

Sean Hayes came out at 18—but when Will & Grace took off, he didn’t feel ready to be a spokesperson.

“I didn’t have the DNA for it… I’d just say something dumb.”

Quiet courage in a loud era.

www.dailymail.co.uk/home/you/art...

#LGBTQ #GayHistory #WillAndGrace #SeanHayes

Will & Grace's SEAN HAYES: 'It wasn't accepted when I knew I was gay'

We know him as the OTT Jack in sitcom Will & Grace. Now SEAN HAYES is playing it deadly serious in his new London stage role

www.dailymail.co.uk

Gay History Project @gayhistoryproject.bsky.social · Jul 26

As LGBTQ+ suicide rates rise, the U.S. is cutting lifelines. The “Press 3” option for queer youth on 988 ends July 17—despite saving lives. Over 1.3 million reached out. This isn’t just a budget cut—it’s a moral failure. 🏳️‍🌈
#Save988 #LGBTQYouth #MentalHealthCrisis

tinyurl.com/ms5jcnmw

Gay men face alarming suicide rates amid declining mental health resources

News Is Out reports that gay men face alarming suicide rates due to declining mental health resources and societal stigma.

tinyurl.com

Gay History Project @gayhistoryproject.bsky.social · Jul 26

In 1988, John Blair quietly made history as Northern Ireland’s first openly gay elected politician. He faced abuse, isolation—and still stood proud. Now Deputy Speaker, his message remains: You’re not alone. 🏳️‍🌈
#LGBTQHistory #JohnBlair #PrideInPolitics

www.msn.com/en-gb/news/n...

MSN

www.msn.com

Gay History Project @gayhistoryproject.bsky.social · Jul 19

Most WAFCON nations still criminalize queerness—but South Africa’s Bambanani Mbane isn’t hiding. After being named Player of the Match, she said: “This is for my team and my wife at home.” 🌈⚽
#WAFCON2025 #LGBTQ #QueerSports #BanyanaBanyana

www.msn.com/en-us/sports...

MSN

www.msn.com

3

Gay History Project @gayhistoryproject.bsky.social · Jul 13

‘Coming out at 60 let me be who I truly am’
#comingout #gay #lgbtqia #pride

www.bbc.co.uk/news/videos/...

'Coming out at 60 let me be who I truly am'

Keith, now 64, came out to his family and friends four years ago. He shared his story at London Pride.

www.bbc.co.uk

2