Do Newspapers/Tabloids Have The Right

[4cruisin]

to "out" people? I read on a news site that the Washington Post had basically outed Lance Bass after an article ran in a Washington Gay newspaper.

I really don't care if someone is gay, straight, bi or purple. It's none of my business what lifestyle they are living which leads me to my question....

Is it immoral and unethical for a newspaper to "out" a celebrity?

Discuss...........

 

[RadioNate]

I don't think they should. That said Lance has been slowly outing himself. I mean he's been spotted all over hanging out with openly gay Reichen Lehmkuh. They've even been photographed wearing the same clothes.

While I don't think outting someone is something that the media should do, celebrities who wish to remain in the closet should be a little more discreet.

Look at Rosie O'Donnel. She was always very open in private and even adopted children with her girlfriend. But she wasn't really out to the public until after her daytime show ended.

 

[lillygator]

why not? They report what's in their trash, who celebs are sleeping with, etc...

 

[4cruisin]

I guess because it's not a big deal to me what someone's sexuality is, I can't see why celebrities choose to stay in the closet. By being so secretive, it gives tabloids and media a "hold" over them. I understand not coming out and being militant about your lifestyle, but why hide it? To me, whether Lance Bass or Rosie are gay is a moot point. I always thought Ellen was gay long before she came out...it didn't matter to me. I liked her sense of humor, not who she was dating.

I think Tom Cruise would be better off, if in fact he is gay, to just come out with it. It must be so tiring for a celebrity to try to hide what they are doing every day.

I wasn't aware of the speculation about Lance Bass until I read it today. It seems as though he wasn't trying to really hide but still, I was curious what people thought of being outed.

 

[CheshireVal]

I don't think it's really any more intrusive than tabloids publishing pictures of celebrities leaving various hotel rooms in the early morning or pictures of them making out with someone new at a club.

I can understand why some celebrities might want to keep their homosexuality a secret, but that must be a really hard and heartbreaking thing to try to keep under wraps.

I always suspected that Lance Bass was gay, anyway.

 

[kelleigh1]

Honestly, I think the whole concept of "outing" someone is silly. Really, I don't care about anyone's private life. Do we "out" someone who is heterosexual? No, so why can we "out" someone who is homosexual? Who someone is should never be centered on who they are sexually attracted to.

And why do we feel as though Lance (or Rosie) is keeping a "secret" about their sexuality? I don't think they are keeping secrets. I think they are just living their lives and not broadcasting what goes on in their bedrooms. Good for them. I don't feel the need to broadcast what goes on in my bedroom and I don't think celebrities owe it to us to tell us what is going on in theirs.

 

[Kim&Chris]

Honestly, I think the whole concept of "outing" someone is silly. Really, I don't care about anyone's private life. Do we "out" someone who is heterosexual? No, so why can we "out" someone who is homosexual? Who someone is should never be centered on who they are sexually attracted to.

And why do we feel as though Lance (or Rosie) is keeping a "secret" about their sexuality? I don't think they are keeping secrets. I think they are just living their lives and not broadcasting what goes on in their bedrooms. Good for them. I don't feel the need to broadcast what goes on in my bedroom and I don't think celebrities owe it to us to tell us what is going on in theirs.

ITA. Well said!

 

[DisneyGirl4188]

I think they do have the right to do it.

I could care less who is dating who and I think it's pretty acceptable to be gay now. At least in my town it is (we have more homosexual people per capita than San Francisco, so it's no big deal). I don't know first hand what it is like to be gay, so I don't understand the reasons for staying in the closet.

I do think people have the right to keep their lives private, but if a celebrity is out on a date then they have to expect that someone may take their picture and publish it.

 

[Monte Cristo]

Lance Bass

I don't even know who this person is?

 

[Maleficent13]

*still processing the fact that Lance Bass is gay*

We need a rapidly blinking smilie...

 

[DisneyGirl4188]

I don't even know who this person is?

He was in N'SYNC. He also wanted to travel into space.

 

[RadioNate]

He was a Backstreet Boy. He also wanted to travel into space.

N'SYNC not Backstreet.

And I'm suprised that people thought he wasn't gay.

 

[Brianne]

He was a Backstreet Boy. He also wanted to travel into space.

Showing my inane ability to hold useless trivia items in my head---he was actually one of the members of 'NSync, not the Backstreet Boys, although the space part is true.

And no, I'm not surprised about the gay part at all, although I don't really know why.

 

[SplshMtn99]

Hey, i see ABC just released 3 hrs ago that Lance is on vacation in P-town, MA with boyfriend. (Provincetown is an artist colony at the tip of Cape Cod somewhat known for its openly gay lifestyle by some. Tourist attraction for others.) That would be cool to run into a celeb while doing some window shopping.

 

[4cruisin]

Trust me, I'm not a Lance Bass groupie I actually had to remind myself who he was when I read the article. I just thought it was weird that it was news worthy for the Washington Post and my ATT news site.

Why do people care about someone's sexuality??

Now, I do care about the issue of Suri Cruise...that intrigues me.

Slow day at the office.

 

[dcgrumpy]

Trust me, I'm not a Lance Bass groupie I actually had to remind myself who he was when I read the article. I just thought it was weird that it was news worthy for the Washington Post and my ATT news site.

I actually think it was the NY Post not the Washington Post that printed the story.

 

[DisneyGirl4188]

Oops sorry. I knew he was in the same group as Justin Timberlake. I get the boy bands mixed up.

 

[4cruisin]

I actually think it was the NY Post not the Washington Post that printed the story.

DCG, you're absolutely right. Thanks. It was the NY Post. I thought it was weird that the Washington Post would even bother with a story like that.

 

[BuckNaked]

I think they have the right, but that doesn't make it right.

 

[disneyfan67]

kelleigh1]Honestly, I think the whole concept of "outing" someone is silly. Really, I don't care about anyone's private life. Do we "out" someone who is heterosexual? No, so why can we "out" someone who is homosexual? Who someone is should never be centered on who they are sexually attracted to.

And why do we feel as though Lance (or Rosie) is keeping a "secret" about their sexuality? I don't think they are keeping secrets. I think they are just living their lives and not broadcasting what goes on in their bedrooms. Good for them. I don't feel the need to broadcast what goes on in my bedroom and I don't think celebrities owe it to us to tell us what is going on in theirs.[/

I must say, Well Done! That has to be the one of the best posts I've read in a while, that simply gets to the heart of the matter, IMO. I could care less who is gay or not and I really do find it offensive when people are outed in a public way. It has to be embarrassing to wake up and see your private life and who you have sex with in a newspaper. I'm a firm believer that what goes on between two consenting adults in private, should stay private. I hope that Lance Bass can sue the crap out of whoever printed that garbage, if he chooses to do so.

I also don't care for when a celebrity chooses to tell the public what goes on in his bedroom and I don't get "lets make a sex video and then cry when it goes public" game. Any major celebrity who doesn't understand that it's not a good idea to have those sex tapes made, isn't too bright, IMO. Those tapes always seem to end up on the internet and I wonder if isn't planned at times?