In an interview, actor Jo Weil (42) publicly revealed for the first time that he is gay. A step that many have dared to take before him – some voluntarily, others not. Incidentally, a distinction is made between the terms “coming out” and “outing”: the latter stands for the forced coming out of prominent people. Well-known examples in Germany are talkmaster Alfred Biolek (85) and comedian Hape Kerkeling (55), both of whom were outed in 1991 by filmmaker Rosa von Praunheim (77) in an RTL program.
TV presenter Jochen Schropp (41) celebrated his coming out by letter in “stern” in 2018, he wrote at the time: “I’m turning 40 this year and I don’t want to hide anymore.” The “Big Brother” holds his current partner -Moderator, however, out of the spotlight.
In 2014, actor Clemens Schick (48 “Kidnapping Stella”) spoke in public for the first time in two interviews about his sexuality. A picture of him appeared on the cover of the September issue of the magazine “Männer” with the words “I am gay”.
In 2014, Thomas Hitzlsperger (38) was the first German national soccer player to acknowledge his homosexuality. A courageous move by the football professional, who is still the only male Bundesliga player who openly admitted to being gay.
The “Unter Uns” actor (34) plays a swarm of women in the series – in 2014 he revealed in the “Bild” interview that he was gay. Out of fear of professional consequences, he waited for years to come out, even went to events with alibi friends. But privately he was always open about his sexuality.
Former soccer player Steffi Jones (47) came out at “Ball des Sports” in 2013 when she was photographed with her partner Nicole Parma (50). In 2014 they registered a civil partnership with the common family name Jones. To date, they are a couple.
The ZDF presenter Dunja Hayali (45) came out in 2008 in the “Bild” newspaper. “Yes, we are a couple,” said Hayali at the time. She was in a relationship with her then partner until 2011.
“Yes, we are a couple” – that’s how the talk show host Anne Will (54) surprised in 2007 with her coming out. In 2016, she entered into a civil partnership with media scientist Miriam Meckel (52); in 2019, the couple announced the separation.
In July 2004 the “Bild” newspaper wrote on its front page about the FDP politician Guido Westerwelle (1961-2016): “Westerwelle loves this man”. At that time, the then FDP chief only commented: “I live my life and I don’t say more about it”. He was in love with his then life partner Michael Mronz until his death in 2016, in 2010 the couple entered into a registered partnership.
With the sentence “I am gay – and that’s a good thing”, the former SPD top candidate for the post of governing mayor of Berlin Klaus Wowereit (66) in 2001 claimed his sexuality. The sentence was legendary and Wowereit was elected a short time later.
In 1999 folk music star Patrick Lindner (59) could no longer keep it to himself: he no longer wanted to keep his homosexuality secret. In the same year, he was one of the first homosexuals in Germany to adopt a child together with his partner and manager Michael Link (53).
The “Tatort” commissioner Ulrike Folkerts was outed in the spring of 1999 with the line “Yes, I love women” in the “Bild” newspaper as a lesbian. This has long been known in the industry. Folkerts has lived with her partner Katharina Schnitzler in Berlin for many years.
She never kept secret that entertainer Hella (61) loves women. But when she and Cornelia Scheel (57), daughter of the former Federal President Walter Scheel, appeared as a couple at the Berlin press ball in 1990, the sensation was great. Von Sinsen was one of the first German celebrities to make their homosexuality public.
