It was German sexual rights activist and intellectual Karl Heinrich Ulrichs who pioneered the concept of “coming out”. He believed that invisibility was the major obstacle towards achieving emancipation for the oppressed homosexual minority in society.
According to Wikipedia, in 1867, Ulrichs became the first self-proclaimed homosexual to speak out publicly in defence of homosexuality when he pleaded at the Congress of German Jurists in Munich for a resolution urging the repeal of anti-homosexual laws.
Almost 140 years later “coming out” remains the most powerful force for change in public attitudes towards gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people.
The more people “come out” to their friends, families and colleagues, the more those who are not gay realise that we are generally no different in our aspirations, emotions and values to everyone else.
Even gay people who would not describe themselves as activists are playing an important part in changing attitudes if they are open with as many people as possible. It is not about always screaming from the rooftops but also not being embarrassed or ashamed to be open about their lives.
It is also self-fulfilling. The more people who are “out”, the more closeted gay people will feel comfortable about “coming out” and the more role models there will be for young people.
It is the subject of role models that I want to discuss, and the role of the PR industry in managing the image of celebrities, sports stars, and high profile figures, who could be role models for gays and lesbians, young and old, and also help to change public attitudes.
Before I go on I want to emphasise that I am not attacking celebrities who do remain in the closet. Many of us know how difficult it can be to “come out” to our friends and family. It must be even tougher to do this in the full glare of the media spotlight. I am making the point that it can be a powerful force for social change and the PR industry has a major role to play in this process.
Ulrichs said that invisibility was the major obstacle in the path towards homosexual equality. Invisibility remains the choice of many celebrities and their PR teams often play a crucial role in maintaining that invisibility.
In a recent article in PR Week, Max Clifford was proud of his record of keeping celebrities in the closet. He boasted:
“So far, none of my clients has been outed – but it’s been a 40-year battle, and in the past ten years, as the media have become more intrusive, it’s become much harder work. But that’s part of the fascination.”
My first question is whether LGBT people working in the PR industry have a moral responsibility to advise their clients not just of the potential difficulties of “coming out” but also of the wider social impact this can have on society, particularly in terms of acting as role models for young people.
At the same time PR professionals can have a positive role to play in making sure that if a celebrity does decide to come out, that this is done properly and that it actually proves to be a positive experience for their client, both personally and professionally.
The best examples that spring to mind for me in the UK include Pop Idol winner Will Young, Westlife star Mark Feehily, and Conservative MP Alan Duncan.
In all these cases, the celebrity “came out” on their own terms to a newspaper or magazine. Public figures who have been open and honest about their sexuality have rarely suffered any long-term career damage, and often gain respect and credibility for doing so.
Yet all too often the process of “coming out” is done badly and is not managed carefully. The celebrity or other public figure leaves themselves exposed to the homophobic elements of the tabloid press, and can often suffer embarrassment and ridicule. In the worst cases a spokesperson issues a denial, and their client is later forced to “come out” without the opportunity to tell their story and with their integrity tarnished. This puts off other celebrities from following this path, does very little in terms of providing positive role models, and can be a painful experience for everyone involved.
The second question I have is why does the PR industry seem to get it wrong when it comes to managing the “coming out” process for celebrities.
Karl Heinrich Ulrichs once wrote:
“Until my dying day I will look back with pride when I found the courage to come face to face in battle against the specter of an age-old, wrathful hydra which from time immemorial has been injecting poison into me and into men of my nature. Many have been driven to suicide because all their happiness in life was tainted. Indeed, I am proud that I found the courage to deal the initial blow to the hydra of public contempt”.
The PR industry has for a long time been at the forefront of protecting celebrities from this “wrathful hydra” but now perhaps it has the opportunity to play a more positive role by advising celebrities of the benefits of “coming out” and in doing so strike a further blow against the “hydra of public contempt”.
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I think it’s the difference between a good PR pro, and a “publicist” (which to me always makes me think, “lackey,” fairly or not).
A pro will sit down with the client and talk about strategies. At some point there should be a conversation something like this:
“I know you don’t want to deal with this, but your sexual orientation is an issue and we have to have a plan. Here are some options…”
… and those options would include intense hiding, a “crisis plan” for an unexpected revelation, and coming out at the time of one’s choosing – all with their pros and cons.
If a PR person is representing a closeted celebrity and doesn’t have the crisis plan in place for the day the news hits, he or she is not doing a good job! Even if the dynamics of the relationship don’t allow the kind of frank discussion I’m talking about, if you know your client, you know what issues might come up, and you really ought to have given them some advance thought.
The publicist who engages in avoidance is doing nobody – particularly the client – any great favor. Proactivity is key.
It is a similar issue for lottery winners who naively believe they can opt to stay anonymous.
There is little more chance of someone in the public view (especially one whose work involves alcohol-based social events) completely concealing their sexuality; than hiding a £1.5m win from your neighbours.
Cliff Richard’s sexuality, for example, is a poorly kept “secret”.
Being prepared gives all involved the change to manage and, as far as possible, lead the process. Max Clifford may be proud of his style of total-control PR, but this creates PRODUCTS not PEOPLE, and is often a conduit to a multitude of personality and dependency problems.
For me the whole concept of “coming out” is something I hoping will become redundant. I’ve never wanted to be special or different. W can do a lot to make being gay a non-issue, although of course there is a double edged sword here – we want to provide positive role models, but the fact that they are gay is a nice “added extra” to someone that is a success in their field. It should never be the level to success as it has sometimes been.
Cliff is supposed to be a Christian and as the Bible is against immoral things and it is against sex outside of marriage then I don’t think Cliff would be doing immoral things. If he is doing them then he is not a real Christian he is a hypocrite.
I think you’ve made the classic error here.
The discussion is about “being” not “doing”. It never ceases to amuse me when people enrage themselves about a sexual act. This is about sexuality and identity not sexual intercourse.