National Coming Out Day: What if these icons had never come out?
To celebrate National Coming Out Day, we take a look at icons who came out the closetā¦ and ask: what if they hadnāt?
Elton John
It might seem surprising now, but the Rocket Man singer was once in the closet ā and was married to recording engineer Renate Blauel for four years in the ā80s.
He later filed for divorce, publicly opened up about his homosexuality, and a few years later started dating future husband David Furnish ā¦ but what if he hadnāt been brave enough?
Cut to alternate reality 2015: Sir Elton is still in the closetā¦ and the world is darker for it.
Thereās no one to feud with Dolce and Gabbana.
No one was willing to confront Vladmir Putins real and fake over Russiaās anti-LGBT laws.
And whatās worseā¦ the Lion King never got made. Sir Elton thought doing a Disney film would draw too much attention, especially given Timon and Pumbaa are basically a gay couple.
Hakuna matataā¦ weāre glad we donāt live in that world.
Ellen DeGeneres
The out TV star broke down barriers in 1997 when she came out as a lesbian ā becoming one of the most prominent gay women on TV.
But what if she hadnāt come out of the closet?
The Ellen DeGeneres Show might still have happened ā but without Ellen so publicly embracing the cause of LGBT rights, it might not have earned the same place in peopleās hearts.
In the alternative universe where she didnāt come out, Ellen lacks her special magic ā the ability to be so at ease with herself, and encourage her same at-easeness in her guests.
āEllenā got cancelled over format issues, and now thereās no one on TV to make Presidents dance. She lives alone, and regularly re-enacts her fantasy wedding to actor George Clooney.
Tom Daley
The Olympic diver came out in 2013, sparking a chain reaction as he opened up about his sexuality ā with sportspeople from footballer Thomas Hitzlsperger to swimmer Ian Thorpe following him out the closet.
But what if he hadnāt? Rather than announcing his engagement to Dustin Lance Black, in an alternate reality the starās just revealed heās getting marriedā¦ to Sinitta.
Heās not really thrilled about it ā but if you want to be So Macho, best make it look convincing.
Sales of his annual calendar have collapsed, following the news ā in the single biggest blow to the gay calendar market ever.
Caitlyn Jenner
The Keeping Up with the Kardashians star became the most famous trans person in the world earlier this year, when she opened up about her decades-long journey to become Caitlyn.
Caitlynās ex Kris Jenner recently opened up about joining the mile-high club with a pre-transition Caitlyn.
She said: āWe had sex in the bathroom and we came out and nobody said anything. At the end of the flight, the flight attendant got on the microphone and said āCongratulationsā¦ youāve just joined the mile-high clubā!ā I could not squish down in my seat low enough. I was mortified.ā
But in the alternate realityā¦ it never stopped.
The pair grew obsessed with sexual encounters in unusual places ā and they just signed a deal with Virgin Galactic, to become the first couple to have sex in space.
The entire journey will be aired next season on E!, of course.
Hopefully, now, you get how important coming out is! If youāre considering coming out the closet, check out Stonewallās National Coming Out Day resources here.
How did this story make you feel?