Comment: ‘Newlygays’ – the ex-straight lesbians

PinkNews logo with white background and rainbow corners

As more famous women reveal their sexuality has shifted from straight to gay, what does that reveal about the rest of society and why have the newspapers only just noticed?

Shifting sexuality is the media’s newest obsession. Especially when the sexuality involved happens to be that of an attractive, mature female celebrity, or ‘celesbian’ as they’re known in some quarters. No one’s getting agitated about the girls whose sexuality has been established for some time (Ellen) or those whose tastes seem to change by the minute (Lady Gaga). It’s the ones who were married for many years, who have children, and who have suddenly ‘become’ gay that are mesmerising the press.

You might be forgiven for wondering why fascination is taking hold now. Over the last few years the likes of the formerly-straight Cynthia Nixon and Portia De Rossi have made it known that their latest partner is not a man, but a woman. So why is the media making such a fuss about it currently? I mean, it’s good that women in strong, stable same-sex relationships are getting so much good press- it’s just rather mystifying that it’s being focused on so much right now.

But I reckon I might have the answer, and it’s pretty simple. These sexuality-swappers are gathering in number. What was once the occasional mystifying transformation from straight to gay, which happened so rarely that it could be dismissed as an interesting anomaly for the gossip pages, is now becoming more and more common. So much so that it can’t be ignored. And most importantly, if this many famous women are swapping their husbands for wives, then how much is this happening in the rest of society?

So now alongside Portia and Cynthia there is a gathering group of ex-straight, newfound lesbians hanging out on the pages of Heat. There’s Mary Portas and her glamorous fashion editor partner, musician Alison Goldfrapp, and Top Gun star Kelly McGillis to name a few.

But surely the journalists who write those shocked articles should know that this has been going on in the wider population, not just the liberal world of entertainment, for years. Have you noticed? People’s aunts, mothers, teachers, even grandmothers have been making the change. It is highly likely you know or know of someone in this exact position.

And it’s not only women in the 40-plus age bracket who are going through changes either. Younger people, who have consistently identified as heterosexual throughout their lives are now making the switch. It might be the case that your mate’s newest boyfriend isn’t a boy at all; it’s becoming a less and less radical situation. These ‘newlygays’ are appearing in all walks of life. It’s interesting to see how many high profile examples it has taken for the media to finally notice.

Comments (0)

MyPinkNews members are invited to comment on articles to discuss the content we publish, or debate issues more generally. Please familiarise yourself with our community guidelines to ensure that our community remains a safe and inclusive space for all.

Loading Comments