April 4, 1995: Hollywood rumors.

Rumors about celebrities' sexuality have long been fodder for gossip columns and watercooler conversations. Five years ago Advocate reporters John Gallagher and Alan Frutkin wrote an article examining why these rumors--especially those suggesting a star's homosexuality--make the entertainment industry so skittish.

"For the actors who portray sex symbols and action heroes, Hollywood may be the last frontier in terms of being gay. No one knows if a superstar can come out and still have a career afterward," Gallagher and Frutkin wrote.

Everyone from the actors themselves to their managers and agents to studio heads and the entertainment media has a stake in the successful marketing of big celebrities. In our story industry insiders debated how much that success rides on an actor's assumed heterosexuality. Some, like Star columnist Janet Charlton, reiterated the conventional wisdom that a star's offscreen openly gay orientation would put a fizzle in on-screen straight romantic sizzle. Others, such as journalist-talk show host Leeza Gibbons, disagreed. "I just don't think that there would be as much of a backlash as the paranoia would indicate," she said. Manager-producer Barry Krost asked, "Why stay in the closet and be unhappy just to make another $20 million when you already have $20 million? Enjoy your life."

Find this 1995 Advocate article on the rumored homosexuality of Hollywood celebs in its entirety at www.advocate.com.