Hi, I am a 24 y/o actress and model. I am about to move to LA but I am soo scared of being OUT in Hollywood. I don't know if it will hinder my chances for roles...etc. I am out to everyone else in my life. Should I wait and feel it out and decide then, should I wait til I get "famous", or should I drive into LA, rainbow flag waiving from my antenna? What do you think I should do?
Here's what I said: First of all, I am not from Hollywood, so I don't know if my advice will be the best. But what I would tell anyone, no matter what the situation, is be yourself! I could not imagine a life in the closet and would never recommend that to anyone.
Will this hurt your chance of Hollywood success? Maybe, but at what cost to your own mental health?
There is a group in LA called Power Up that is supposed to help lesbians advance. Do you know about it? I would look into that and try to get some advice from actual lesbians in Hollywood.
I really think the times are changing. More and more people are coming out. Maybe you'll be the next big role model we've all been waiting for!!
I had the opportunity to talk with Tammy Lynn Michaels, star of Popular and The L Word. As you may know, Tammy spent years in the closet because that is what she was advised to do.
Here's what Tammy had to say:
When I was closeted I felt like I was cracked in half. I felt like when I got up in the morning I took my inner half and I folded it up and put it in a box and I walked around the planet kind of hollow. And when I came out, I zipped it back in and I feel like all of me is walking around now. My advice is, if she doesn’t miss the middle part of her and she’s desperate to see how far she can go being like the rest of the mainstream actresses, then you take your insides and you lock it away. But if you’re going to miss your insides and you’re going to miss the sensation of breathing and your heart beating and feeling alive, then you wear it proudly. And maybe the more of us that wear it proudly, fewer and fewer girls will have to ask that question.
I hope this advice is helpful to you, no matter what your career choice. If you have a question you'd like answered, email me lesbianlife.guide@about.com. I try to answer all my emails.
