Ellen Page and the karma of outing gay Hollywood

Aug 25, 2011 1:09 PM by Deanna Barnert

Posted in Entertainment / Celebrity Gossip / Hookups, Breakups & Babies

The Etiquette
Of Outing

Indie darling Ellen Page was outed as bisexual earlier this month. The article, Ellen Page - The Hypocrite, is still stirring up controversy over the etiquette of outing. Have things changed? Get the story and weigh in below.

Christoph Topitschnig has stirred up the LGBT community by outing Ellen Page, and he's not apologizing. In fact, he believes he's taking a stand and that Page deserved to be outed.

Ellen Page Outed

"I gave Ellen Page a decent chance to come out with the truth," Topitschnig posted on V-Generations. "Two months ago, I mentioned her in my LGBT article and made it pretty clear what she had to do. (Yes, she knows about this site.)

"I wrote: 'In times like these when young gay people commit suicide out of fear of rejection, role models are needed. The gravity of the situation doesn't ask for passive hiding but active fighting. What will Ellen Page's choice be?'"

The story, which has gotten him banned from one site already, is basically a diatribe against Page and other LBGT Hollywood liberals who stay in the closet, while raking in the industry bucks, instead of speaking out and taking a proper stand for their community.

It also references Pages's alleged romances with both guys and gals, including Drew Barrymore, Clea Du Vall, Ben Foster, Mark Rendall, Slim Twig. Page has been snapped with both ladies, and even shared a kiss with Barrymore for a sexy Marie Claire shoot while they were promoting Whip It.

Drew Barrymore and Ellen Page shared a kiss in Marrie Claire in 2006

Now, some are suggesting you can tell the above pic from 2006 is definitely a real kiss. After all, they closed their eyes, they look into it and someone says Page likes women.

This, of course, is one of the hazards of outing and celeb gossip in general. Once someone is outed for anything, it's often taken as gospel, no matter how (un)reliable the source. Just look at the ongoing Will and Jada Pinkett-Smitth drama.

In terms of outing in the gay community, however, Rachel Maddow spoke to the issue on her blog back in April, when folks thought she was outing Anderson Cooper. She wrote:

"I've long held three basic beliefs about the ethics of coming out:

Gay people -- generally speaking -- have a responsibility to our own community and to future generations of gay people to come out, if and when we feel that we can.

We should all get to decide for ourselves the "if and when we feel that we can" part of that.

Closeted people should reasonably expect to be outed by other gay people if (and only if) they prey on the gay community in public, but are secretly gay themselves.

I also believe that coming out makes for a happier life, but that's not a matter of ethics, that's just corny advice."

outing: Right or Wrong?

Weigh in and let SheKnows where you come down in the outing debate.

Photo courtesy of ontd and Peggy Sirota/Marie Claire

Tags: drew barrymore ellen page gay and lesbian gay rights rachel maddow

Comments

Comments on "Ellen Page and the karma of outing gay Hollywood"

What a complete --- Topitschnig is. Who the ---- does he think he is to change the rules for his own agenda of being in the spotlight. He owes Ellen Page an apology and it needs to be written in his own article. What a -------!

It is NEVER okay to out someone. Ever. It is really that simple. Now, is it nice when LGBT celebrities are out? Yes. We do need representation. LGBT youth do need people to look up to. But that is no excuse. I am disgusted that a member of the community would do something like this.

"I gave Ellen Page a decent chance to come out with the truth," okay going off this statement alone, um it's not your business to out anyone!! Yes she may be a celebrity but she's still human and has the same rights as everyone else and her personal life is her personal life! some people are just so damn ignorant. like for real if she wanted to come out or not thats her business no one else's and you should be ashamed of yourself!

I stopped reading at: "'In times like these when young people commit suicide out of fear of rejection," Because the person who wrote this has such a hard-on for some 'cause' yet he's so bothered about some random actress as opposed to helping 'the cause' in a way that will help prevent s from 'committing suicide.' You want to help the 'cause?' Stop posting useless, celeb-related garbage on the internet. That job's been taken by TMZ.

The guy that outed her should meet the same fate as the guy in "Hard Candy".

I find the whole concept of 'coming out' to be ridiculous. It is founded upon, and effectively maintains, the premise that being straight is the norm. It's not as though people have to announce they're heteroual! Only if they deviate from this 'norm'. The issue shouldn't be whether or s in the media should come out to provide role models for others. It's admirable when LGBT people do advocate for the community, however. My point is that people in general should see that they have a responsibility to promote tolerance and acceptance of ALL people. Ellen Page may or may not be a . Frankly it's irrelevant. She is a vocal feminist, and she seems to genuinely care about important issues. This is what people should care about.

Outing someone is reprehensible. I only wish I had the resources to investigate these "outers" personal lives and reveal every personal thing about them. Of course, I'll allow them to do it themselves first and if they don't do what I want, I'll do it myself. After all, how dare these people think they have the right to keep their personal lives private.

Ellen Page has no responsibility to speak on her personal life life to anybody or on behalf of any community that feels they can claim her. This is pretty much the same as requiring every Black citizen to sign up for the NAACP.

A mi no me importa si ella es o no pues es su vida y ella debera hacer lo que quiera con ella, ademas, Ellen Page es una gran actriz y eso es lo que importa.

A mi no me importa si es o no pues es su vida y a nadie le interesa lo que ella haga o deje de hacer con ella, es una gran actriz y eso es lo que importa.

ARGHHH! Taking your time to figure your ---- out is not being selfish, it's not hurting anyone, and it's not wrong. When you attack her your not attacking Hollywood you're attacking an individual on a VERY private matter. Coming out is a lifechanging profound moment and everyone is entitled to go through it as they choose. Also the schmuck who wrote the article talks about cowardice and being selfish he makes a living exploiting other people! We want to throw our rage our sorrow our admiration at celebrities but the real problem isn't them and it isn't Hollywood, it's us if you want to do something about it YOU do something about it. Come on grow up, she's not exploiting anyone, if anything she's being exploited. The reason rights has had such a struggle is because people have been oppressed and force fed what's right and wrong... like I don't know telling someone they need to come out and when. IF she is biual than she'll come out in her own time, she'll make her own choice about what to do with the knowledge, and she'll be supported not attacked either way, because the rights issue is a civil rights issue and the key to equality is compassion, knowledge, and understanding.

no one deserves to be outed. it's never justifiable. that's all i'm going to say.

i'm sure someone else observed this, but...why isn't, "Outing someone else is not ok," one of the options in the survey here? I would continue, but I don't think this requires explanation.

It's their life, why should we care? Why should we all make this big fat fuss when we discover another actor is out of the closet. Is it our life? No! But, alas, outing is never right, and the fact it's not an option is disgusting. I don't care if you think different, but outing is a terrible thing. She probably wasn't ready to be out and in the open, but the fact she is, against her will, is terrible.

It's their life, they don't need someone outing them if they aren't ready for it. That is a personal choice and I condemn any militant person (be they liberal or conservative) that feels they must FORCE others to their way of thinking or doing things. I applaud people who do come out, but someone can't be FORCED to do so. It is never right. In any circumstance.

Coming out, and being out, is never easy. It's because of Hollywood stars that think they can hide their homouality all their lives and never come out, yet feed the world romantic straight pap in movies, that has led to us being so discriminated today. The fact is, coming out has a price. I agree that movie stars should not be involuntarily outed, but we should also recognize that it's selfish of them, and it does hurt us, to collect our dollars and not represent us.

Honestly only those in the wrong state of mind would be the ones thinking that she actually deserved to be outed! There is no problem with whatever she is, but that's not the point if she didn't want to be outed these pricks had no right to out her. They really are the scum of the earth!

I love the people that voted "I don't want to hear about this kind of stuff" on the poll! I mean as much as they didn't want to hear about it they still clicked a story that was obviously about an issue they care nothing about and then proceeded to read the entire article making all the way to the bottom just to say that they don't want to hear about it. The nature of the scandalized person is amazing to me, they hate it but they are obsessed with it none the less and as much as they don't want to hear it they will spend and amazing amount of time looking for it.

Come on people. Outing Ellen Page. She does a well enough job of that on her own. Anyone with half a brain could tell she was ... This is not news. It's about as much news as when Jodie Foster came out of the closet.

Really Really come on she may be bi ual or not what she does is up to her society can't determine what she does only she can.