Portia de Rossi Quotes

I didn't choose the fact that I was gay, but I did choose whether to live my life as a gay woman-that was the terrifying thing for me. Especially being a gay actress.

I'm not saying that being gay is what defines me, but at the same time, if you feel like you have to hide it, then it becomes what defines you. You keep it hidden, and the secret becomes you.

When I realised that I had feelings for men as well as women, at first I was worried and frightened, and there was a certain amount of 'Who am I? Am I a criminal?' and so on. It took me a long time to come to terms with myself. Those were painful years - painful then and painful to look back on.

The moment to tell my barber I was gay just never came up.

The truth is, I probably would be dead if I had become a star, because at that point I was so closeted and so afraid of people of finding out I was gay. There was no telling what would have happened.

It was shortly before my 18th birthday when I came out and admitted that I was gay.

I used to be scared of people thinking I was gay but now I'd be shocked if they didn't.

No one's ever really cared about me being bisexual, and I only came out because I had always been out; it's just the general public didn't know. I'm quite fearless. I'm like, 'Let's just go out there and do this and see what happens.'

I've always been comfortable with my gayness, but I was intimidated by the social anxiety.

Coming out as a gay man, it was very much about finding my own identity and dealing with labeling.

I think it's always good for gay people to come out, but it's also understandable why people might choose not to do so.

Part of the reason why I've never said that I was gay until now was because I didn't want that adjective assigned to my name for all of eternity. You know, gay Rosie O'Donnell.

I'm honestly not the kind of person who wants to step up to a podium, test the microphone and be like, 'Hey, I'm homosexual and this is who I am, hear me roar.' That's not who I am.

When I was with Ellen, I was telling people, If you come out, it's gonna be better for you. But I honestly don't know that.

I had a hell of a time convincing people I was gay - which was so annoying!

I'm not ashamed of being gay, never have been and never will be. For that I have no apologies.

I've been openly gay since I can remember.

I watched pretty much every coming out video on YouTube that has ever been posted; I watched it in between 14 and a half and 15. Those coming out videos, and those people on YouTube, those brave, brave, brave people on YouTube, without them, I don't know where I'd be.

Most simply but profoundly, I chose to live an honest life, which I think as a gay person is not a given.

I didn't want that 15 minutes of fame moment like, 'Oh, she said she was gay.'

I watched a million coming-out videos, and that was kind of how I accepted it myself.

What's it like to figure out you're gay and then begin the process of coming out? Well, for most of my life, I felt doomed. I could imagine no path that would allow me to realize my authentic self. I felt the need to lie, even to myself, insisting: I am straight.

If I was gay, why would I hide it?

I am not gay, but if I were, I would be the first one running out of the closet.

Everybody knew me as a gay man, and in my life in London, I never tried to hide.