Rosie O'Donnell had planned on coming out as gay to the public ten years earlier than she did, but a major magazine editor axed her big reveal.
The talk show host sat down with Marlo Thomas and talked about how life has changed for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) families over time. In 1995, when she adopted her son, Parker, she said everyone close to her knew she was a lesbian, but the public did not. While O'Donnell says she came out in 1992 during an interview with Cosmopolitan magazine, the disclosure never ran.
"At that time, nobody printed it," she said. "I remember [Editor-in-Chief] Helen Gurley Brown took it out of an interview that [a reporter] had done with me in, like, 1992. He said, 'Are you gay?' and I said, 'Yes.' She took it out ... She was protecting me because at that time it would've been a huge issue, right? So, I think it's changed a lot. I think it's much more common and people are much more used to it. Being a part of a gay family was not nearly as troubling to my kids as being part of a famous family."
O'Donnell came out publicly in 2002 during a show at Caroline's Comedy Club in New York.
Since then, more and more celebrities have chosen to open up candidly about their sexuality.
On Friday, "X-Men" actress Ellen Page came out as gay in front of an audience during a Human Rights Campaign event in Las Vegas.
"I’m here today because I am gay," she said, adding, "and because maybe I can make a difference. To help others have an easier and more hopeful time. Regardless, for me, I feel a personal obligation and a social responsibility."
Before You Go
