Coming out (of the closet) is a figure of speech for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people's disclosure of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity.

Framed and debated as a privacy issue, coming out of the closet is described and experienced variously as a psychological process or journey; decision-making or risk-taking; a strategy or plan; a mass or public event; a speech act and a matter of personal identity; a rite of passage; liberation or emancipation from oppression; an ordeal; a means toward feeling gay pride instead of shame and social stigma; or even career suicide. Author Steven Seidman writes that "it is the power of the closet to shape the core of an individual's life that has made homosexuality into a significant personal, social, and political drama in twentieth-century America."

''Coming out of the closet'' is the source of other gay slang expressions related to voluntary disclosure or lack thereof. LGBT people who have already revealed or no longer conceal their sexual orientation and/or gender identity are ''out'', i.e. openly LGBT. Oppositely, LGBT people who have yet to come out or have opted not to do so are labelled as closeted or being in the closet. Outing is the deliberate or accidental disclosure of an LGBT person’s sexual orientation or gender identity, without his or her consent. By extension, ''outing oneself'' is unintentional LGBT self-disclosure. Lastly, the ''glass closet'' means the open secret of when public figures' being LGBT is considered a widely accepted fact even though they have not "officially" come out.

History

In 1869, one hundred years before the Stonewall Riots, the German homosexual rights advocate Karl Heinrich Ulrichs introduced the idea of self-disclosure as a means of emancipation. Claiming that invisibility was a major obstacle toward changing public opinion, he urged homosexual people to reveal their same-sex attractions. In his 1906 work, ''Das Sexualleben unserer Zeit in seinen Beziehungen zur modernen Kultur'' (''The Sexual Life of Our Time in its Relation to Modern Civilization''), Iwan Bloch, a German-Jewish physician, entreated elderly homosexuals to self-disclose to their family members and acquaintances. Years later, Magnus Hirschfeld revisited the topic in his major work ''The Homosexuality of Men and Women'' (1914), discussing the social and legal potentials of several thousand homosexual men and women of rank revealing their sexual orientation to the police in order to influence legislators and public opinion.

The first prominent American to reveal his homosexuality was the poet Robert Duncan. In 1944, using his own name in the anarchist magazine ''Politics'', he claimed that homosexuals were an oppressed minority. The decidedly clandestine Mattachine Society, founded by Harry Hay and other veterans of the Wallace for President campaign in Los Angeles in 1950, moved into the public eye after Hal Call took over the group in San Francisco in 1953, with many gays emerging from the closet.

In the 1960s, Frank Kameny came to the forefront of the struggle. Having been fired from his job as an astronomer for the Army Map service for homosexual behavior, Kameny refused to go quietly. He openly fought his dismissal, eventually appealing it all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. As a vocal leader of the growing movement, Kameny argued for unapologetic public actions. The cornerstone of his conviction was that, "we must instill in the homosexual community a sense of worth to the individual homosexual," which could only be achieved through campaigns openly led by homosexuals themselves. His motto was "Gay is good." In 1961, Donald Webster Cory published his landmark ''The Homosexual in America'', exclaiming, "Society has handed me a mask to wear...Everywhere I go, at all times and before all sections of society, I pretend." Cory was a pseudonym, but his frank and openly subjective descriptions served as a stimulus to the emerging homosexual self-awareness and the nascent homophile movement. With the spread of consciousness raising (CR) in the late 1960s, coming out became a key strategy of the gay liberation movement to raise political consciousness to counter heterosexism and homophobia. At the same time and continuing into the 1980s, gay and lesbian social support discussion groups, some of which were called “coming-out groups,” focused on sharing coming-out “stories” (experiences) with the goal of reducing isolation and increasing LGBT visibility and pride.

Sociolinguistic origin

The present-day expression "coming out" is understood to have originated in the early 20th century from an analogy that likens homosexuals’ introduction into gay subculture to a débutante’s ''coming-out party.'' This is a celebration for a young upper-class woman who is making her début – her formal presentation to society – because she has reached adult age or has become eligible for marriage. As historian George Chauncey points out:

"Gay people in the pre-war years [pre-WWI]... did not speak of coming out of what we call the gay closet but rather of coming out ''into'' what they called homosexual society or the gay world, a world neither so small, nor so isolated, nor... so hidden as closet implies"

In fact, as Elizabeth Kennedy observes, "using the term 'closet' to refer to" previous times such as "the 1920s and 1930s might be anachronistic."

An article on coming out in the online encyclopedia glbtq.com states that sexologist Dr. Evelyn Hooker’s observations introduced the use of "coming out" to the academic community in the 1950s. The article continues by echoing Chauncey's observation that a subsequent shift in connotation occurred later on. The pre-1950s focus was on ''entrance'' into "a new world of hope and communal solidarity" whereas the post-Stonewall Riots overtone was an ''exit'' from the oppression of the closet. This change in focus suggests that "coming out ''of the closet''" is a mixed metaphor that joins "coming out" with the closet metaphor: an evolution of "skeleton in the closet" specifically referring to living a life of denial and secrecy by concealing one’s homosexual or bisexual orientation. The closet metaphor, in turn, is extended to the forces and pressures of heterosexist society and its institutions.

Identity issues

When coming out is described as a gradual process or a journey, Several models have been created to describe coming out as a process for gay and lesbian identity development, e.g. Dank, 1971; Cass, 1984; Coleman, 1989; Troiden, 1989. Of these models, the most widely accepted is the Cass identity model established by Vivienne Cass. This model outlines six discrete stages transited by individuals who successfully come out: identity confusion, identity comparison, identity tolerance, identity acceptance, identity pride, and identity synthesis. However, not every LGBT person follows such a model. For example, some LGBT youth become aware of and accept their same-sex desires or gender identity at puberty in a way similar to which heterosexual teens become aware of their sexuality, i.e. free of any notion of difference, stigma or shame in terms of the gender of the people to whom they are attracted. Regardless of whether LGBT youth develop their identity based on a model, the typical age at which youth in the United States come out has been dropping. High school students and even middle school students are coming out.

Transgender, transsexual, and intersex communities

LGBT people tend to share a feeling of relief that coming out can provide. However, the act of coming out differs for transgender, transsexual, and intersex people in some fundamental ways:

# By coming out, trans and intersex people disclose their gender identity and, if applicable, their decision to transition to the gender role with which they more closely identify. For trans people, the transition is to the gender opposite their biological sex and for intersex people, to the gender opposite to the one they were assigned at birth or raised as. # Coming out is a pre-requisite to transitioning particularly if the transition later includes undergoing sex-reassignment surgery. # For some trans people who pass and are mistaken for being cisgender, coming out occults important parts of their full sense of identity or their complete gender history. # Conversely, coming out can be viewed as inauthentic or as a self-betrayal for some trans and intersex people who have chosen to live in stealth because the disclosure is at odds with their true gender. # When trans or intersex people come out, it impacts how they label their sexual orientation and how they interact with communities to which they feel they belong. # Backlashes or other negative reactions to a transperson’s coming out are caused by transphobia and sexism, with additional homophobia and heterosexism in some cases.

Legal issues

In areas of the world where homosexual acts are penalized or prohibited, gay men, lesbians, and bisexual people can suffer negative legal consequences for coming out. In particular, where homosexuality is a crime, coming out may constitute self-incriminating evidence.

Effects

In the early stages of the lesbian, gay or bisexual identity development process, people feel confused and experience turmoil. In 1993, Michelangelo Signorile wrote ''Queer in America'', in which he explored the harm caused both to a closeted person and to society in general by being closeted.

Because LGBT people have historically been marginalized as sexual minorities, coming out of the closet remains a challenge for most of the world's LGBT population and can lead to a backlash of heterosexist discrimination and homophobic violence.

On the personal and relationship levels, effects of not coming out have been the subject of studies. For example, it has been found that same-sex couples who have not come out are not as satisfied in their relationships as same-sex couples who have. Findings from another study indicate that the less people know about a lesbian’s sexual orientation, the more anxiety, less positive affectivity, and lower self-esteem she has. Further, Gay.com states that closeted individuals are reported to be at increased risk for suicide.

In/out metaphors

Dichotomy

The closet narrative sets up an implicit dualism between being "in" or being "out" wherein those who are "in" are often stigmatized as living false, unhappy lives. Likewise, philosopher and critical analyst Judith Butler (1991) states that the ''in/out'' metaphor creates a binary opposition which pretends that the closet is dark, marginal, and false and that being out in the "light of illumination" reveals a true (or essential) identity. Nonetheless, Butler is willing to appear at events as a lesbian and maintains that, "it is possible to argue that...there remains a political imperative to use these necessary errors or category mistakes...to rally and represent an oppressed political constituency."

Criticisms

In addition Diana Fuss (1991) explains, "the problem of course with the inside/outside rhetoric...is that such polemics disguise the fact that most of us are both inside and outside at the same time." Further, "To be out, in common gay parlance, is precisely to be no longer out; to be out is to be finally outside of exteriority and all the exclusions and deprivations such outsiderhood imposes. Or, put another way, to be out is really to be in--inside the realm of the visible, the speakable, the culturally intelligible." In other words, coming out constructs the closet it supposedly destroys and the self it supposedly reveals, "the first appearance of the homosexual as a 'species' rather than a 'temporary aberration' also marks the moment of the homosexual's disappearance--into the closet."

Furthermore, Seidman, Meeks, and Traschen (1999) argue that "the closet" may be becoming an antiquated metaphor in the lives of modern day Americans for two reasons. # Homosexuality is becoming increasingly normalized and the shame and secrecy often associated with it appears to be in decline. # The metaphor of the closet hinges upon the notion that stigma management is a way of life. However, stigma management may actually be increasingly done situationally.

National Coming Out Day

Observed annually on October 11, by members of the LGBT communities and their straight allies, National Coming Out Day is a civil awareness day for coming out and discussing LGBT issues among the general populace in an effort to give a familiar face to the LGBT rights movement. This day was the inspiration for holding LGBT History Month in the United States in October. The day was founded in 1988, by Dr. Robert Eichberg, his partner William Gamble, and Jean O'Leary to celebrate the Second National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights one year earlier, in which 500,000 people marched on Washington, DC, United States, for gay and lesbian equality. In the United States, the Human Rights Campaign manages the event under the National Coming Out Project, offering resources to LGBT individuals, couples, parents, and children, as well as straight friends and relatives, to promote awareness of LGBT families living honest and open lives. Candace Gingrich became the spokesperson for the day in April 1995. Although still named "''National'' Coming Out Day", it is observed in Canada, Germany, The Netherlands, and Switzerland also on October 11, and in Britain on 12 October. To celebrate National Coming Out Day on October 11, 2002, Human Rights Campaign released an album bearing the same title as that year's theme: ''Being Out Rocks''. Participating artists include Kevin Aviance, Janis Ian, k.d. lang, Cyndi Lauper, Sarah McLachlan, and Rufus Wainwright.

Media

Highly publicized coming-outs

Government officials and political candidates

In 1987, Barney Frank U.S. House Representative for publicly came out as gay, thus becoming the first elected official in the United States to do so. In 1988, Svend Robinson was the first Canadian Member of Parliament to come out. Governor of New Jersey Jim McGreevey announced his decision to resign, publicly came out as "a gay American" and admitted to having had an extramarital affair with a man, Golan Cipel, an Israeli citizen and veteran of the Israeli Defense Forces, whom McGreevey appointed New Jersey homeland security adviser.

Athletes

The first professional team-sport athlete to come out was former NFL running back David Kopay, who played for five teams (San Francisco, Detroit, Washington, New Orleans and Green Bay) between 1964–72. He came out in 1975 in an interview in the Washington Star. The first professional athlete to come out while still playing was Czech-American professional tennis player Martina Navrátilová, who came out as a lesbian during an interview with The New York Times in 1981.

In 1995 Ian Roberts became the first high-profile Australian sports person and first rugby footballer in the world to come out to the public as gay. John Amaechi, who played in the NBA with the Utah Jazz, Orlando Magic and Cleveland Cavaliers (as well as internationally with Panathinaikos BC of the Greek Basketball League and Kinder Bologna of the Italian Basketball League), came out in February 2007 on ESPN's ''Outside the Lines'' program. He also released a book ''Man in the Middle'', published by ESPN Books (ISBN 1-933060-19-0) which talks about his professional and personal life as a closeted basketball player. He was the first NBA player (former or current) to come out.

The first Irish professional team-sport athlete to come out while still playing was Dónal Óg Cusack (GAA Hurling) in October 2009. The Cork hurler from the small town of Cloyne is a legend in GAA circles after winning three All-Ireland finals. The star player has lifted the lid off his bisexual past in a candid story of his life that makes him the first senior GAA star to publicly declare his homosexuality. Yet, in what may shock the sporting establishment, he admits to sleeping with both women and men before accepting his sexuality as a gay man in his autobiography ''Come What May: The Autobiography'' (ISBN 978-0141044514). Followed two months later by Gareth Thomas, a professional rugby player.

Artists and entertainers

In 1997 on The Oprah Winfrey Show, actress Ellen DeGeneres came out as a lesbian. Her real-life coming out was echoed in the sitcom ''Ellen'' in "The Puppy Episode" in which the eponymous character Ellen Morgan played by DeGeneres outs herself over the airport public address system. On March 29, 2010, Puerto Rican pop singer Ricky Martin came out publicly in a post on his official web site by stating, "I am proud to say that I am a fortunate homosexual man. I am very blessed to be who I am." Martin said that "these years in silence and reflection made me stronger and reminded me that acceptance has to come from within and that this kind of truth gives me the power to conquer emotions I didn’t even know existed."

Military personnel

In 1975, Leonard Matlovich, while serving in the United States Air Force, came out to challenge the U.S. military's policies banning service by homosexuals. Widespread coverage included a ''Time'' magazine cover story and a television movie on NBC.

In 2011, as the U.S. prepared to lift restrictions on service by openly gay people, Senior Airman Randy Phillips conducted a social media campaign to garner support for coming out. The video he posted on YouTube of the conversation in which he told his father he was gay went viral. In one journalist's summation, he "masterfully used social media and good timing to place himself at the centre of a civil rights success story."

Depictions of coming out

In 1996 the acclaimed British film ''Beautiful Thing'' had a positive take in its depiction of two teenage boys coming to terms with their sexual identity. An episode of a popular Quebec television series ''L'Amour avec un Grand A'' called ''Lise, Pierre et Marcel'' focuses on the life of a homosexual man who is married and reveals to his wife and kids that he is attracted to another man. In the Emmy Award-nominated episode "Gay Witch Hunt" of ''The Office'', Michael inadvertently outs Oscar to the whole office.

In 1999, Russell T Davies's ''Queer as Folk'', a popular TV series shown on Channel 4 (UK) debuted and focused primarily on the lives of young gay men; in particular on a 15-year-old going through the processes of revealing his sexuality to those around him. This storyline was also featured prominently in the U.S. version of ''Queer As Folk'', which debuted in 2000.

The television show ''The L Word'', which debuted in 2004, focuses on the lives of a group of lesbian and bisexual women, and the theme of coming out is prominently featured in the storylines of multiple characters.

Extended use in LGBT media, publishing and activism

"Out" is a common word or prefix used in the titles of LGBT-themed books, films, periodicals, organizations, and TV programs. Some high-profile examples are Out Magazine, the defunct OutWeek Magazine, and OUTtv.

"Coming out" applied to non-LGBT contexts

In political, casual, or even humorous contexts, "coming out" means by extension the self-disclosure of a person's secret behaviors, beliefs, affiliations, tastes, and interests that may cause astonishment or bring shame. Some examples include: "coming out as an alcoholic", "coming out as a conservative", "coming out as multiple", "coming out of the broom closet" (as a witch), and "coming out about plastic surgery" and coming out as a BDSM participant.

With its associated metaphors, the figure of speech has also been extended to atheism, e.g., "coming out as an atheist." A public awareness initiative for freethought and atheism, entitled the "Out Campaign", makes ample use of the "out" metaphor. This campaign is endorsed by prominent atheist Richard Dawkins, who states "there is a big closet population of atheists who need to 'come out.' "

See also

Closeted

Down-low (sexual slang)

Ego-dystonic sexual orientation

Heterosexism

Homophobia

Labeling theory

List of gay, lesbian or bisexual people

National Coming Out Day

Outing

Terminology of homosexuality

References

Further reading

Dossie Easton, Catherine A. Liszt, ''When Someone You Love Is Kinky,'' Greenery Press, 2000. ISBN 1-890159-23-9.

Fuss, Diana, ed. (1991). ''Inside/Out: Lesbian Theories, Gay Theories.'' New York: Routledge.

Seidman, Steven (2003). ''Beyond the Closet; The Transformation of Gay and Lesbian Life.'' ISBN 0-415-93207-6.

Smith, Lauren (2000). "Queer Theory in the Composition Classroom."

Thomas, Calvin, ed. (2000). ''Straight with a Twist: Queer Theory and the Subject of Heterosexuality''. University of Illinois Press. ISBN 0-252-06813-0.

Stramel, James (1996). "Gay Virtue: The Ethics of Disclosure." Dissertation, University of Southern California.

External links

The Human Rights Campaign's Coming Out Guides

P.F.L.A.G. (Parents and families of Lesbians and Gays)

Coming Out Australia

Coming Out FAQ

Empty Closets – Coming Out resources and a safe place to chat

Coming Out Videos and Stories

Coming Out From a Straight Relationship or Marriage Blog

Worldwide Men Coming Out Gay Stories

Coming Out Stories

Coming Out Stories

''New York Times'' Image: "Randy Phillips, an airman, recorded the experience of telling his parents he was gay."

Category:LGBT terms Category:Metaphors Category:Sexual orientation and society Category:Social psychology Category:Transgender

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James Joseph "Jim" Parsons (born March 24, 1973) is an American television and film actor. He is best known for playing Sheldon Cooper on the CBS sitcom ''The Big Bang Theory'', with his performance often cited as a significant reason for the program's success. He has received several awards for his performance, including the Television Critics Association award for the highest individual achievements in comedy, the National Association of Broadcasters Television Chairman's Award for a significant breakthrough in a specific art discipline, two consecutive Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series and the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Television Series Musical or Comedy.

Early life

Parsons was born and raised in Houston, Texas, the older of two children. After playing the role of the Kola-Kola bird in a school production of ''The Elephant's Child'' at age six, Parsons was determined to become an actor. The young Parsons was heavily influenced by sitcoms, particularly ''Three's Company'', ''Family Ties'', and ''The Cosby Show''. He attended Klein Oak High School in Spring, Texas, a northern suburb of Houston. Parsons points to a role in ''Noises Off'' during his junior year as the first time "I fully connected with the role I was playing and started to truly understand what it meant to be honest on stage".

After graduating from high school, Parsons received an undergraduate degree from the University of Houston. He was prolific during this time, appearing in 17 plays in 3 years. He was a founding member of Infernal Bridegroom Productions, and regularly appeared at the Stages Repertory Theatre. Parsons enrolled in graduate school at the University of San Diego in 1999. He was one of seven students accepted into a special two-year course in classical theater, taught in partnership with the Old Globe Theater. Program director Rick Seer recalled having reservations about admitting Parsons, saying, "Jim is a very specific personality. He's thoroughly original, which is one reason he's been so successful. But we worried, ‘Does that adapt itself to classical theater, does that adapt itself to the kind of training that we're doing?' But we decided that he was so talented that we would give him a try and see how it worked out." Parsons enjoyed school, and told an interviewer that he would have pursued a doctorate in acting if possible: "school was so safe!...you frequently would surprise yourself by what you were capable of, and you were not surprised by some things." Parsons graduated in 2001 and moved to New York.

Career

In New York, Parsons worked in off Broadway productions and made several television appearances. In a much-discussed 2003 Quiznos commercial, Parsons played a man who had been raised by wolves and continued to nurse from his wolf "mother". He had a recurring role on the television show ''Judging Amy'' and appeared on the television series ''Ed''. Parsons also had minor roles in several movies, including ''Garden State'' and ''School for Scoundrels''.

Parsons has estimated that he auditioned for between 15 and 30 television pilots. On many of the occasions when he was cast, the show failed to find a television network willing to purchase it. The exception came with ''The Big Bang Theory''. After reading the pilot script, Parsons felt that the role of Sheldon Cooper would be a very good fit for him. Although Parsons did not feel any sort of relationship with the character, he was enchanted by the dialogue structure, the way the writers "brilliantly use those words that most of us don't recognize to create that rhythm. And the rhythm got me. It was the chance to dance through that dialogue, and in a lot of ways still is."

In his audition, Parsons so impressed series creator Chuck Lorre that Lorre insisted on a second audition to see if Parsons could replicate the performance. Parsons was given the role, a genius physicist with nonexistent social skills who interacts with his other nerdy friends and the attractive waitress who lives across the hall. The role requires Parsons to "rattle off line after line of tightly composed, rhythmic dialogue, and then do something with his face or body during the silence that follows." Parsons credits his University of San Diego training with giving him the tools to break down Sheldon's lines.

Television critic Andrew Dansby compares Parsons' physical comedy to that of Buster Keaton and other silent film stars. Lorre praises Parsons' instincts, saying that "You can't teach that." Lorre describes Parsons' "great sense of control over every part of his body, the way he walks, holds his hands, cocks his head, the facial tics" as "inspired". Reviewer Lewis Beale describes Parsons' performance as "so spot-on, it seems as if the character and the actor are the same person." Parsons admits that the work is "more effort than I ever thought a sitcom would take. And that's really the fun of it."

In August 2009, Parsons won the Television Critics Association award for individual achievement in comedy, beating Alec Baldwin, Tina Fey, Steve Carrell, and Neil Patrick Harris. He was nominated for Emmy awards in 2009 and 2010, winning in 2010 for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series. In September 2010, Parsons and costars Johnny Galecki and Kaley Cuoco signed new contracts, guaranteeing each of them $200,000 per episode for the fourth season of ''The Big Bang Theory'', with substantial raises for each of the next three seasons. The three were also promised a percentage of the show's earnings. In January 2011, he won the Golden Globe award for Best Actor in a Television Series – Comedy (the award was presented by co-star Cuoco).

In 2011, Parsons appeared with Jack Black, Owen Wilson, Steve Martin, and Rashida Jones in the comedy film ''The Big Year''. It was released in October. That same year, he appeared as the human alter ego of Walter, the newest Muppet introduced in ''The Muppets''.

In May 2012, Parsons is scheduled to appear on Broadway as Elwood P. Dowd in a revival of ''Harvey''.

Parsons lives in Los Angeles.

Stage appearances

''The Balcony''

''Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead'' (1994) .... Rosencrantz

''La Ronde'' (1995)

''Endgame'' (1995) .... Clov (Infernal Bridegroom Productions) ''Marat/Sade'' (1995) (Infernal Bridegroom Productions) ''Guys and Dolls'' (1996) .... Rusty Charlie (Infernal Bridegroom Productions)

''Eddie Goes to Poetry City'' (1996) .... Eddie (New York Theatre)

''Jack and the Future Is In Eggs'' (1996) .... Father Jack

''Othello'' (1996) (Infernal Bridegroom Productions) ''Suicide in B-flat'' (1996) (Infernal Bridegroom Productions) ''Woyzeck'' (1996) .... Doctor / Horse's Head (Infernal Bridegroom Productions) ''The Cherry Orchard'' (1997) .... Yasha, a young man servant (Infernal Bridegroom Productions) ''Chili Queen'' (1997) .... Buddy (Stages Repertory Theatre, World Premiere) ''Camino Real'' (1997) .... Baron (Infernal Bridegroom Productions) ''Last Rites'' (1997) .... Tiger Clean (Infernal Bridegroom Productions, World Premiere) ''Threepenny Opera'' (1998) .... MacHeath (Infernal Bridegroom Productions)

''Below the Belt'' (1998) .... Dobbitt

''In the Jungle of the Cities'' (1998) .... J. Finnay (Infernal Bridegroom Productions) ''Tamalalia 3: The Cocktail Party'' (1998) .... Psychotic psychiatrist (Infernal Bridegroom Productions, World Premiere) ''King Ubu is King'' (1998) .... Tom, Mister Nice Guy (Infernal Bridegroom Productions, World Premiere)

''The Pitchfork Disney'' (1998) .... Presley Stray (Stages Repertory Theatre)

''Marie and Bruce'' (1999) .... Herb / Fred / Waiter (Infernal Bridegroom Productions) ''Tamalalia 4: The Camp-Out'' (1999) (Infernal Bridegroom Productions, World Premiere)

''What Happened Was'' (2002) .... Jackie (The Paradise Theatre)

''The Castle'' (2002) .... Jeremiah (Manhattan Ensemble Theatre) ''Tartuffe'' (2002) .... Valère (La Jolla Playhouse) ''The Love for Three Oranges (Gozzi)'' (2004) .... Prince Tartaglia (La Jolla Playhouse) ''The Normal Heart'' (2011) .... Tommy Boatwright (John Golden Theatre)

Filmography

Film

Year	Film	Role	Notes
2003	''Nowhere to Go But Up''	Casting assistant
2004		Tim
		Sidney
''The Great New Wonderful''	Justin
	Oliver
		Receptionist
	Classmate	Cameo
	''On the Road with Judas''	Jimmy Pea
''Gardener of Eden''	Spim
	''The Big Year''	Crane
	Human Walter	Cameo

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2002		Chet	Episode: "The Road"
2003	''Why Blitt?''	Mike	TV Pilot
2004		Kris	TV Pilot
2004–2005	''Judging Amy''	Rob Holbrook	7 episodes
2007–present	''The Big Bang Theory''	Sheldon Cooper
2009	''Family Guy''	Sheldon Cooper	Episode: "Business Guy"
2010	''Glenn Martin, DDS''	Draven	Episode: "Jackie's Get-Witch-Quick Scheme"
2011	''The Super Hero Squad Show''		Episode: "Blind Rage Knows No Color"
2011	''iCarly''	Caleb	Episode: "iLost My Mind"
2011		Jeep/Carl (voice)	Episode: "Do You See What I See"

Music videos

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2010	"Up 2 You + Me" Featuring Jim Parsons (Music Video)	Himself	Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) Initiative
2011	"Man or Muppet"	Human Walter

Awards and nominations

	Result	Category	Award Show
2008	|	Best Actor in a Comedy Series	Ewwy Award#1st Ewwy Awards (2008)>Ewwy Awards
rowspan="3"	2009	|	Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series	61st Primetime Emmy Awards>Emmy Awards
	Individual Achievement in Comedy
	Best Actor in a Comedy or Musical Series
rowspan="4"	2010	|	Favorite TV Comedy Actor	36th People's Choice Awards>People's Choice Awards
	Individual Achievement in Comedy
	Choice TV Actor: Comedy
rowspan="3"	2011	|	Best Actor – Television Series – Musical or Comedy	68th Golden Globe Awards>Golden Globe Awards
rowspan="2"	2012	|	Favorite TV Comedy Actor	38th People's Choice Awards>People's Choice Awards

References

External links

CBS Biography

Movieline interviews Big Bang Theory's Jim Parsons On Learning Lines, Emmy Nods and Cast Ping Pong Deathmatches

Fresh Air Interview: Jim Parsons On The Science Of Sheldon, 'Big Bang'

Category:1973 births Category:American actors Category:American stage actors Category:American television actors Category:Best Musical or Comedy Actor Golden Globe (television) winners Category:Emmy Award winners Category:Living people Category:Actors from Houston, Texas Category:University of Houston alumni Category:University of San Diego alumni

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playername	David Testo
fullname	David Testo
dateofbirth	August 07, 1981
cityofbirth	Winston-Salem, North Carolina
countryofbirth	United States
height
position	Midfielder
youthyears1	1999–2001
youthclubs1	South Carolina Gamecocks
youthyears2	2001–2003
youthclubs2	North Carolina Tar Heels
years1	2003
clubs1	Richmond Kickers
caps1	28
goals1	6
years2	2004–2005
clubs2	Columbus Crew
caps2	33
goals2	1
years3	2006–2007
clubs3	Vancouver Whitecaps
caps3	34
goals3	6
years4	2007–2011
clubs4	Montreal Impact
caps4	83
goals4	3
pcupdate	June 4, 2011
ntupdate	}}

David Testo (born August 7, 1981 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina) is an American soccer player. He is one of the few openly gay athletes in professional sports.

Career

College

After a standout prep career at Skyland, North Carolina's TC Roberson High School, where he was named the North Carolina state player of the year in 1998, Testo played his first and second years of college soccer at the University of South Carolina, where he registered 6 goals and 11 assists in 33 games. After his sophomore season, Testo moved to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he emerged as a major force, helping lead the Tar Heels to an NCAA Championship his junior season. Testo was named to the All-ACC second team both his seasons at UNC, after scoring 11 goals and 6 assists as a junior, and 7 goals and 9 assists as a senior.

Professional

Upon graduating from college, Testo was surprisingly undrafted in the 2003 MLS SuperDraft despite a significant amount of experience with the Youth U.S. national teams, most likely caused by his reputation as being temperamental. Testo therefore signed with the Richmond Kickers, with whom he made an immediate impact, playing in 28 games and scoring six goals. For his performance, Testo was named the A-League's 2003 Rookie of the Year.

After his performance in the A-League, several MLS teams were interested in Testo, but he ended up with the Columbus Crew. Due to many injuries, Testo was sidelined; however, he received more action in 2005. After ending that season with a goal and multiple assists, Testo was released. He then signed with the Vancouver Whitecaps.

Despite missing several games due to serious injuries in mid-season with the Whitecaps, Dave's quick pivots and brilliant touch passes made him a favourite among fans and teammates in this his first season in Vancouver. He was named Newcomer of the Year and was second in team scoring (7 goals, 7 assists) behind Joey Gjertsen (13 goals, 7 assists) while playing both as a striker and in his preferred midfield positions equally well. Dave assisted on both Whitecaps goals scored in the final five minutes of OT in the USL semifinal match on September 24 when the Caps defeated Montreal 2-0 to earn a spot in the USL championship game against Rochester on September 30.

The Whitecaps became the first team in USL history to win a championship game on the road as they withstood a fifteen minute all-out attack by the Rhinos to start the game and then dominated their hosts to win 3 - 0 before 10,000 partisan and rain-soaked fans. The 'Caps scored 11 goals and only surrendered one (on a free kick) in five playoff games and one OT period. Vancouver's second goal in this game was a result of Testo's pass to Gjertsen who one-timed it to a charging Tony Donatelli; Tony held on for an interminable two seconds before powering it home to the back of the net. Testo earned an assist on the final goal with a brilliant pass to Matondo who scored easily to end all doubt. Dave started celebrating by running into the stands to hug his mother who had come up from North Carolina to join a small but vocal contingent of Whitecaps supporters.

Testo was traded to the Montreal Impact on July 26, 2007 along with Joey Gjertsen for Alen Marcina, and Zé Roberto. He recorded his first goal for Montreal on August 1, 2007 against Carolina Railhawks. During the 2008 USL season Testo played in 20 matches for the Impact, and scored one goal against Miami FC on July 18, 2008. In the 2008 Canadian Championship he appeared in all four matches for the Impact, and scored a goal in 2-0 victory over the Vancouver Whitecaps. He helped the Impact qualify for the first time for the CONCACAF Champions League by winning the Canadian Championship. During the club's playoff run Testo scored in the quarterfinal match against Portland Timbers.

During the 2009 USL season Testo contributed by helping the Impact clinch a playoff spot under new head coach Marc Dos Santos. He recorded his first playoff goal in the quarterfinal match against Charleston Battery. The match resulted in 2-1 victory for the Impact, and allowing the Impact to advance to the finals by winning their second match on aggregate. Montreal would advance on to the finals where their opponents would end up being the Vancouver Whitecaps, thus marking the first time in USL history where the final match would consist of two Canadian clubs. In the final Testo helped the Impact win the series 6-3 on aggregate. The victory gave the Impact their third USL Championship and also the victory marked Testo's second USL Championship. On October 6, 2009 David Testo received the ''Giuseppe-Saputo Trophy'', presented to the Montreal Impact’s Most Valuable Player during the team’s 2009 awards banquet. On November 30, 2009 Testo signed a new two-year deal with the club.

Testo was released by Montreal on October 12, 2011.

Personal life

In an interview on French Canadian public broadcaster Radio Canada that was published on November 10, 2011, Testo stated that he is gay and that his family, friends, teammates, and team management were aware of his homosexuality. Since his coming out, former teammates have expressed support and respect for Testo.

Honors

Vancouver Whitecaps

USL First Division Championship (1): 2006

Montreal Impact

USL First Division Championship (1): 2009

Voyageurs Cup (2): 2007, 2008

Career stats

Team

Season

League

DomesticLeague

DomesticPlayoffs

DomesticCup1

ConcacafCompetition2

Total

Apps

Goals

Assists

Apps

Goals

Assists

Apps

Goals

Assists

Apps

Goals

Assists

Apps

Goals

Assists

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28

6

2

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align=center

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align=center

align=center

align=center

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16

0

1

align=center

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align=center

align=center

align=center

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17

1

3

align=center

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align=center

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align=center

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0

0

0

rowspan=2 align=center

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26

7

6

align=center

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align=center

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16

1

1

align=center

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align=center

align=center

align=center

9

1

0

align=center

33

3

0

align=center

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34

3

3

align=center

align=center

align=center

align=center

align=center

29

0

1

align=center

align=center

align=center

align=center

align=center

align=center

align=center

align=center

22

0

0

Major League Soccer>MLS !! 33 !! 1 !! 4 !! - !! - !! - !! - !! - !! - !! - !! - !! - !! 33 !! 1 !! 4

USSF D2 Pro League>USSF D2 !! 162 !! 16 !! 7 !! 17 !! 4 !! 6 !! 11 !! 1 !! 0 !! 7 !! 0 !! 0 !! 196 !! 21 !! 13

References

External links

Montreal Impact bio

Category:1981 births Category:Living people Category:American expatriate soccer people in Canada Category:American expatriate soccer players Category:American soccer players Category:American people of Italian descent Category:Columbus Crew players Category:Expatriate soccer players in Canada Category:Association football midfielders Category:Major League Soccer players Category:Montreal Impact (USL First Division) players Category:Montreal Impact (USSF Division 2) players Category:Montreal Impact (NASL) players Category:North American Soccer League players Category:People from Winston-Salem, North Carolina Category:Richmond Kickers players Category:Soccer players from North Carolina Category:South Carolina Gamecocks men's soccer players Category:USL First Division players Category:USSF Division 2 Pro League players Category:Vancouver Whitecaps (USL First Division) players Category:Gay sportspeople Category:LGBT sportspeople from the United States Category:LGBT association football players

es:David Testo de:David Testo fa:دیوید تستو fr:David Testo gl:David Testo it:David Testo

birth date	April 12, 1956
birth place	Liverpool, England, UK }}

Magda Szubanski (born 12 April 1956) is a British-born Australian actress of Polish descent, comedian, television presenter, radio host and author.

Szubanski's career began while she was studying at university and she progressed to television sketch comedy, as both a writer and performer. She has performed in the comedy programs ''The D-Generation'' and ''Fast Forward''; more recently, she stars as Sharon Strzelecki in the television comedy show ''Kath & Kim''.

Szubanski portrayed Esme Hoggett in the film ''Babe'' and its sequel ''Babe: Pig in the City'', and played the recurring character of Furlow on the television series ''Farscape''.

Life and career

Early life

Szubanski was born Magdalene M. Szubanski in Liverpool, England; her father came from a well-off Polish family and her mother was Scottish, a native of Dunfermline. She immigrated to Australia in 1966 with her brother, sister, and parents. She attended high school at Siena College, Melbourne. In 1976, as a year 10 student, she captained a team on the television quiz ''It's Academic''.

Career

In 1985, whilst performing in a University of Melbourne revue of ''Too Cool for Sandals'', with Michael Veitch and Tom Gleisner, Szubanski was talent-spotted by producers from the ABC network, who convinced her to join up with some other university friends in creating the television sketch comedy show, ''The D-Generation''.

Szubanski was part of the team that created the television sketch comedy ''Fast Forward'' for the Seven Network, in which she played various characters, including Pixie-Anne Wheatley, Chenille, Sharon Strzelecki (''Kath and Kim''), Mary MacGregor, Joan Kirner and Lynne Postlethwaite, and other characters. In 1995, she wrote, produced, and starred in ''Big Girl's Blouse''. She had a starring role in the 1995 international hit film ''Babe'' as Esme Hoggett. She reprised her role in the 1998 sequel ''Babe: Pig in the City''.

Szubansky starred as Margaret O'Halloran in the ''Dogwoman'' series of telemovies in 2000. She began her role on ''Kath & Kim'' as Sharon in 2002 and she continued in the subsequent seasons, including the special ''Da Kath and Kim Code''. In 2006, Szubanski hosted a five-part series on the Nine Network, called ''Magda's Funny Bits'', which showed 'never-before-seen' footage of some of her most famous characters from the comedy show ''Fast Forward''. Branded as 'no frills', it attracted insufficient ratings, and thus did not continue. She had a similar short-lived result as host of the Network Ten clip show ''The Spearman Experiment'' in 2009.

In 2007 she had a minor role as the house maid in ''The Golden Compass'' to Lyra Belacqua. She also voiced the character Miss Viola from the Academy Award-winning animated feature ''Happy Feet''. In 2007, Szubanski played the part of William Barfee in the musical called ''The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee''. In 2008, she played the role of Big Jule in the major stage production ''Guys and Dolls''. In 2010 she appeared in the film ''Bran Nue Dae'' as Roadhouse Betty.

Other projects

Szubanski became a spokesperson for the dieting company Jenny Craig in November 2008. Szubanski joined Jenny Craig weighing 120 kg, and had been diagnosed with sleep apnea. By July 2009 she had lost 36 kg to weigh 85 kg.

Personal life

On 14 February 2012, Szubanski came out, hinting that she was gay in a statement supporting same-sex marriage timed to coincide with Valentine's Day, and later that day stated that she 'absolutely identifies as gay' in an interview with Australian TV current affairs comedy ''The Project''. Szubanski also spoke at the 2012 Sydney Mardi Gras after party, wearing a shirt featuring her newly coined slogan ‘If there was a tablet that cured gayness… I wouldn’t take it’.

Credits

Television

''The D-Generation'' (1986–1987) – various characters

''The D-Generation Goes Commercial'' (1988) – various characters

''Fast Forward'' (1989–1992) – Pixie-Anne Wheatley, Chenille, Joan Kirner, Mary McGregor, Maggie T + Satan's Brides

''Bligh'' (1992) – Betsy Bligh

''A Royal Commission Into The Australian Economy'' (1993) – Mr. Cardigan, Mr. Trouser, Bill Kelty

''The Making Of Nothing'' (1993) – Judith Gates/Kim Borrodale

''Big Girl's Blouse'' (1994) – herself, Sharon Strzelecki, Lynne Postlethwaite

''Something Stupid'' (1998) – various characters

''Farscape'' (1999–2001) – Furlow

''Dogwoman'' (2000) – Margaret O'Halloran

''Cubix'' (2001) - Mrs. Tuteru

''Kath & Kim'' (2002–2007) – Sharon Strzelecki (the character's name is a play on Magda's Polish descent)

''Magda's Funny Bits'' (2006) – Mary McGregor, Chenille, Sharon Strzelecki, Lynne Postlethwaite (5 episodes made, but only 4 were shown)

''The Spearman Experiment'' (2009) – Host

''Who Do You Think You Are?'' (2010) – Herself

Film

''Babe'' (1995) – Esme Hoggett

''Babe: Pig in the City'' (1998) – Esme Hoggett

''The Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course'' (2002) – Brozzie Drewitt

''Son of the Mask'' (2005) – Neighbour Betty

''Happy Feet'' (2006) – Miss Viola

''Dr Plonk'' (2007) – Mrs Plonk

''The Golden Compass'' (2007) – Mrs Lonsdale

''Bran Nue Dae'' (2010) – Roadhouse Betty

''Happy Feet Two'' (2011) – Miss Viola

Stage

''Guys and Dolls'' – Big Jule

''The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee'' – William Barfee

Awards

Won the 'Most Popular Comedy Personality' award at the 1991, 1992 and 1996 Logie awards

Won the Australian Film Institute's award 'Best Actress in a Supporting or Guest Role in a Television Drama' award in 2002

Nominated for the 'Most Popular Actress' award at the 2005 Logie Awards, for her role in ''Kath and Kim''

Nominated for 'Best Actress in a Supporting or Guest Role in a Television Drama or Comedy' award in 2003 at the AFI Awards

Nominated for 'Best Actress in a Supporting or Guest Role in a Television Drama or Comedy' award in 2004 at the AFI Awards

References

Further reading

Quinn, Karl: The Magda carta, ''The Age'', 14 September 2003.

External links

Kath & Kim website

Category:1961 births Category:Living people Category:British emigrants to Australia Category:Australian comedians Category:Australian film actors Category:Australian television actors Category:Comedians from Melbourne Category:Australian people of Polish descent Category:Australian people of Scottish descent Category:Actors from Liverpool Category:Lesbian actors Category:LGBT people from Australia Category:LGBT comedians Category:LGBT broadcasters

it:Magda Szubanski pl:Magda Szubanski wuu:玛格达 苏邦斯基 zh:瑪格達·蘇班斯基