When I actually think about it, the idea that most celebrities-- who are often just the world's most successful theater kids-- are primarily monogamous and straight is patently absurd.
You've got some of the most attractive people in the world, who often have significant access to wealth and substances, and their jobs very often involve congregating together while scantily clad (and under the influence). Many are paid to convincingly feign falling in love with one another, and often, the line between showmance and romance is incredibly thin.
Many of these celebrities can and do make enough money that they do not need to marry someone to keep a stable roof over their head.
Many of these celebrities also do eventually write tell all autobiographies, where they detail lives that include multiple lovers, often same gender ones.
And every time someone comes out of the closet, they tell a shockingly similar tale: at at least one juncture they have been told they need to present as straight and monogamous to continue having a career. Their management recommended arranging a pr or lavender relationship, and very often, they did participate in at least one pr relationship. Many also admit that they've had a number of famous same gender partners who they can't disclose the names of because those partners are still in the closet.
And realistically, if you've read even one book about the sewing circle or scotty bowers or hollywood's queer history, the patterns become impossible to ignore.
I also need so many more people to understand that Whitney Houston's close friends believe she would still be alive today if she would'nt have been forced to break up with her longtime companion Robyn Crawford. That allowed Bobby Brown and all the terrible harm he caused Whitney into her life.
I think about what Chely Wright said, too; about how many closeted celebrities end up as suicides, where no one ever figures out the motive. I also think about how common it is for closeted people to turn to substances to self medicate, and how common that is in celebrities too.
We are oh-so-quick to blame a celebrity's lack of willpower or addictive personality or familial propensity for why they struggle with substances or end their own life, but rarely do we stop and think: how many more beloved celebrities would still be with us today if they didn't have to pretend to be someone they're not? If they could freely and openly be with the person or persons they loved (or just play the field if commitment isn't their thing), how much shorter would the list of famous suicides and famous drug-related deaths be? How many fewer cases of alcohol-linked cancer, or accidents where alcohol was a key contributing factor?
How many queer heroes have we been denied, both by never knowing they were part of our community, and by having their life terminated prematurely?
