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Just to clear up what may be a misconception. I don't think celebrities or anyone else is under any obligation to be out if they are gay. It's entirely their choice.
I think the choice to be in the closet, in ANY situation, is a cowardly one. I make that choice at times, and so I base my opinion on my own fear and cowardice. Oh, there may be real world considerations, and I may justify it with 'it's noboby's business' - but as soon as I cross the line from simply not mentioning it to avoiding mentioning it in any way, I know the fear and cowardice have kicked in.
It doesn't matter if there are or may be consequences. Losing a job, freaking your parents. Whatever. The choice to stay in the closet may be justified and rational, but that doesn't make it any less fear-based and thus cowardly.
I don't know if Foster was out or not. Maybe she was. The O.P. made some reference to her finally acknowledging her partner after upteen years, and that's what I was going off. I don't pay any attention to celebrities' private lives, gay or straight, boozer, gambler, good parent, political activist ... I don't happen to care. So I'm not sure to what degree Foster may or may not have been out prior to this.
But I've been an unacknowledged partner for years via the justifiable fear of a partner, and I didn't like it.
Perhaps Foster's partner was fine with it. Perhaps she was acknowledged in every other sphere of their lives except the public one.
Well, the area I went unacknowledged in was but a tiny slice of our mutual sphere ... but it was there nonetheless. And it was based in fear nonetheless.
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