LGBTQ+ people across the U.S. today are coming out at much younger ages compared to prior generations. Even among Gen Zers, the age is trending downward. LGBTQ+ youth between the ages of 13 and 17 are coming out at 13 on average compared to those between 18 and 24 who said they came out at 16 on average, according to a 2022 survey from The Trevor Project, a nonprofit focused on suicide prevention among LGBTQ+ youth.
Of course, when you look at older generations, that number rises even more—older millennials and younger Gen Xers, on average, reported coming out to family at 22 years old while younger baby boomers said it was around 26 years old for them, based on a 2018 study from the Williams Institute at UCLA.
Publicly discussing gender identity and sexual orientation can be sensitive. Even though society is progressing when it comes to acceptance, there are still social and political factors that can make it hard or even dangerous for people to live their lives authentically—which is also true for celebrities.
To acknowledge those challenges and to celebrate being LGBTQ+ at any age, Stacker compiled a list of 20 celebrities who first came out publicly after turning 30, drawing from news accounts, biographies, and interviews with the stars themselves. Of course, some stories on this list are pretty well-known—like that of Ellen DeGeneres or Elliot Page—while others may be less familiar.
