We're not saying that coming out is ever easy, but we are saying that it can be especially difficult in the Latino community. As a culture, we have a long way to go when it comes to not just accepting but embracing the full spectrum of sexuality. Sadly, too often the Latino community continues to embrace machista, heteronormative, and anti-queer sentiments, which is why it is such a big deal when an artist like Ricky Martin comes out. Coming out was a huge professional risk for him.
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Living your truth in a world that continues to discriminate, stigmatize, and put lives at risk over sexuality or gender expression takes courage, vulnerability, and fortitude. We are grateful to the following Latino LGBTQ+ celebrities, because by being open and outspoken, they are not only representing themselves, they are taking a stand for others like them and helping to change deeply embedded cultural biases.
One day soon, we hope, there won't be a need for an article like this because the Latino community and all communities will wholeheartedly embrace and support the LGBTQ+ community. Until then, here's a look at Latino celebs who have openly and bravely spoken up about their sexuality!
Demi Lovato is openly and publicly embracing her fluidity.
“Regardless if drama is happening or not, I am too gay to marry a man right now," she told Entertainment Weekly 2021 after breaking off her engagement to Max Ehrich in 2020. "I don't know if that will change in 10 years and I don't know if that'll never change, but I love accepting myself." And in an episode of The Joe Rogan Experience podcast, she told him that she identifies as pansexual. “I’m so fluid now, and a part of the reason why I am so fluid is because I was super closeted off,” she shared.
Ariana DeBose is the first openly queer woman of color to win an Oscar.
She won an Academy Award in 2022 in the category of best supporting actress for her role as Anita in West Side Story. "To anybody who has ever questioned your identity—ever, ever, ever—or you find yourself living in the gray spaces, I promise you this: There is indeed a place for us," she said during her acceptance speech.
Michaela Jaé Rodriguez is the first trans woman to receive a Golden Globe.
She was the first transgender woman to be nominated for an Emmy in 2021 and a Golden Globe in 2022—both for her role as Blanca Rodriguez in Pose. She went on to win the Golden Globe and shared via Instagram:
“This is the door that is going to Open the door for many more young talented individuals. They will see that it is more than possible. They will see that a young Black Latina girl from Newark New Jersey who had a dream, to change the minds others would WITH LOVE. LOVE WINS. To my young LGBTQAI babies WE ARE HERE the door is now open now reach the stars!!!!!”
Aubrey Plaza falls in love with ‘girls and guys.’
In 2016, while being interviewed by the Advocate, Aubrey Plaza was asked if women come on to her. She responded:
“Oh, yeah. I don’t mind. I know I have an androgynous thing going on, and there’s something masculine about my energy. Girls are into me—that’s no secret. Hey, I’m into them too. I fall in love with girls and guys. I can’t help it.”
Stephanie Beatriz came out as bisexual in 2016.
The voice of Mirabel from Encanto came out as bisexual publicly via a tweet, responding “Yup” to Aubrey Plaza when she said, “I fall in love with girls and guys. I can’t help it.” In 2018, in an essay printed in GQ, the Brooklyn Nine-Nine actor wrote:
“I’ve had countless tiny ‘coming out’ moments in my life, often simply to explain to someone else that they have misjudged my sexuality based on who they saw me dating. Now I have a small platform of visibility, because I’m on a fun and (if I do say so myself) damn good television show. I’ve chosen to use that platform to speak openly about my bi-ness, because of other people who may feel invisible and unsure of whether or not to come out as bisexual.”
Ricky Martin has been 'super happy' since coming out.
“I got to the place I was fighting as I was writing my book between saying, ‘Am I gay? Am I bisexual? Am I gay? Am I bisexual?’” Ricky told NBC News, referring to his memoir Me: Ricky Martin, published in 2010. “And either is okay, just go within and do not lie to yourself. And then I said, ‘Rick, you are a very fortunate homosexual man. You are gay.’ And I wrote it and I pressed send, and then I cried like crazy. And I’ve been super happy ever since.”
Lauren Jauregui opened up to her fans.
The Fifth Harmony member had been rumored to be in a relationship with a girl while she was part of the group. She later confirmed the rumors herself. “I am a bisexual Cuban-American woman and I am so proud of it,” she wrote in a letter in 2016.
Christian Chávez has been very open about being gay.
The former RBD singer has also opened up about his often troubled relationships. In 2013, he even admitted to a suicide attempt after a fight with his boyfriend at the time.
Michelle Rodriguez is bisexual.
For years, despite the constant speculation surrounding her sexuality, Michelle kept her romantic life private. Then in 2016, she decided to let the world know that she is attracted to men and women. "I've gone both ways," she told Entertainment Weekly. "I do as I please. I am too f–king curious to sit here and not try when I can. Men are intriguing. So are chicks."
Emily Estefan came out in a sweet and romantic way.
The singer, who is Emilio and Gloria Estafan's daughter, shared a sweet anniversary Instagram post for girlfriend Gemeny Hernandez in December 2017. Both young women expressed their feelings and love for each other in their captions, and while they received tons of support from fans, there were others who wrote super-negative comments.
Juan 'Johnny' Ángel López is bisexual.
"I am in a gay relationship right now and I am in love with this person," the youngest Rivera sibling said. He addressed the cruel chismes people have made regarding the Rivera family and his mother, the late Jenni Rivera. People went as far as accusing her of having been a bad and homophobic mother. "She wasn't homophobic at all. She loved all her gay friends and family members. But I think for us she didn't want that lifestyle because she never exactly got to see the love side of it and she didn't want things to be hard for us," he added.
“And for so long I wanted to be completely straight or completely gay because I honestly didn't know where I am," he shared, adding, "I'm bisexual. I know that some people don't necessarily believe in that, but all I know is that I love this person and I don't necessarily have a preference, I love who I love."
Rodner Figueroa is very openly gay.
Rodner opened up after he was fired from Univision for making a racist comment about first lady Michelle Obama. When he defended himself against the accusation, the Venezuelan TV host stated that he was the first openly gay presenter on Latin TV and is an activist for minority causes.
Bella Thorne came out in the most organic way.
The Disney star proudly came out as bisexual on Twitter in 2016 after a fan asked her about her sexual orientation. This happened shortly after pictures of Thorne kissing a girl started circling all over the internet.
Actor Wilson Cruz used his career to help younger people.
After he got the role on My So-Called Life in 1993, making it the first time an openly gay actor played an openly gay character on a television show, he decided to come out to his parents. "It didn’t go well with my dad," Wilson, who was 19 at the time, told Entertainment Weekly. "He kicked me out. I lived in my car. I slept on friends’ couches." He also spoke about how that affected him: "I took it as an opportunity to shed light on LGBT youth issues and give a voice to young people. I felt like, at that time, there weren’t a lot of people who were willing to take those roles. Here I was, not only willing but excited to take them—and to make a difference because of them."
Actor Guillermo Díaz has been out since he started his acting career.
The Cuban American actor is best known for his role as Huck in the hit ABC series Scandal. "I don’t even think about it, I’m an actor. I’ve been out since I started acting and I’ve worked my whole life," he once told Gay Star News about his sexuality and working in the business. "I think people get too caught up in it. I don’t stress about it. If somebody doesn’t want to work with me because I’m gay, I don’t want to work with them either."
Sara Ramirez first came out as bisexual, then as nonbinary.
"Coming out publicly was something that I was afraid of because I was concerned that it would affect my career in a negative way,” Sara told People magazine in 2018. "I was afraid of the discrimination I might face, not just outside Hollywood, but inside." Then in 2020, Sara came out as nonbinary.
TV personality Luis Sandoval came out publicly in October 2018.
The Despierta America host used National Coming Out Day 2018 as the day to tearfully reveal to viewers that he is gay. Although his family and friends already knew, Luis said he felt the need to tell the world so that other kids like him and their parents could know they're not alone.
Chavela Vargas was a rebel in every sense of the word, starting with her sexuality.
There were even rumors of a passionate affair with Frida Kahlo in the '60s. Chavela admitted that she had never been with a man and came out publicly as a lesbian at the age of 81 with the publishing of her 2002 autobiography.
Orlando Cruz became the first boxer to come out of the closet in 2012.
"I've been fighting for more than 24 years and as I continue my ascendant career, I want to be true to myself. I want to try to be the best role model I can be for kids who might look into boxing as a sport and a professional career. I have and will always be a proud Puerto Rican. I have always been and always will be a proud gay man," Orlando said in a statement to Boxing Scene.
Patricia Velásquez came out about her sexuality in 2015.
She revealed that she was a lesbian in her book Straight Walk, published in February of 2015, and was open about her relationship with actress Ileanna Simancas.
Miguel Bosé has been open about his sexual orientation for a while.
The Spanish icon has admitted he's bisexual several times, though he's always been very private about his partners and even more about his four children.
Mondo Guerra has become an advocate in the LGBTQ community.
The fashion designer opened up about his positive HIV status during season eight of Project Runway and has since been using his platform to raise awareness about the disease, especially in the Latino community.
Jonathan Del Arco has opened up about breaking TV stereotypes.
The actor, who was born in Uruguay and is openly gay, played gay character Dr. Fernando Morales on the show The Closer. “I think television has been at the forefront of changing that,” he told Entertainment Tonight. “Of creating characters that people watch and are used to watching say, ‘oh, I’m watching a gay doctor that it’s same as everyone else.’”
Emily Rios has shared her personal experience.
“I’m gay, personally, so being Mexican and a lesbian—this is why I love the character because I deal with the same type of things with my own family,” Emily said during an interview. “Mexican Americans especially—because this generation, we come into America and your family wants to be proud. You want to come to this country and say ‘This is what I have to show for it. I brought my family and we’re living our better life.’ For my family, my mom didn’t want me to live a difficult life. She brought me here for a better one so she’s like ‘Your coming out…I don’t want this to be this. I want you to be comfortable.'”
Vicci Martinez knows the importance of living honestly.
Vicci, who stars alongside Dascha Polanco on Orange Is the New Black, came out to her parents when she was 17, and she's been open about her sexuality ever since. "I've been told in the past to keep people guessing, but my whole message in life is to live your truth," she said, according to Cosmopolitan.
Perez Hilton found fame as an over-the-top celebrity blogger.
Since then, the TV personality has shared insight into his experiences as a gay man and father. He caught some heat in April 2018 when he said he would prefer it if his child wasn't gay. “If I had my preference, I would prefer my son to be heterosexual because that’s easier. As a gay man, I’m not ashamed of being gay, but if I could go back in time and when I was 18, be given a choice…I would’ve chosen, then, to be heterosexual," he said in a YouTube clip. “Being a gay man, or even a gay woman or a transgender man or a transgender woman in America and around the world is still a harder road to travel on. We are still discriminated against, and I don’t want my son [or daughters Mia and Mayte] to have a harder path in life.”
Christina Milian was supposedly caught by paparazzi smooching with Karrueche Tran.
The pair have appeared together at several red carpet events and seem to have a close relationship. "It wasn't a kiss! We, like, smashed faces," Christina said of the alleged kiss. "We kind of just ended bumping lips and faces." However, Christina admitted in January 2016 to hooking up with women.
