Every Sapphic Celeb Who’s Come Out In 2026 (So Far)
The gay agenda just got a little longer this year. From Hollywood stars and reality TV icons to pageant queens and villa bombshells, these women publicly embraced their LGBTQ+ identities in 2026.
Featured Image: Photo by Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images
We can never have enough celebrity (or otherwise) coming-out stories! Whether it’s a Hollywood actress, a reality TV favorite, or a history-making beauty queen, every coming-out story is a reminder that it’s always a beautiful thing to embrace who you are and share it with the world. In a year when LGBTQ+ visibility continues to matter more than ever, these women bravely chose authenticity on their own terms. Here’s everyone who’s publicly come out in 2026 so far.
Christa Steiner — Queer
Pageant history just got a little more lesbian. Newly crowned Miss Connecticut 2026, Christa Steiner, became the first openly queer woman to win the title within the Miss America Organization. Although Steiner has long been open about being queer, she offered one of her most candid reflections on her identity in a February 2026 interview with NBC Connecticut ahead of the competition. She revealed that she’d previously been advised not to discuss her sexuality if she wanted to succeed in pageantry. Instead, she chose to stand in her truth, saying, “When I came back into this space, I said, ‘No, I really have to be so honest, because that’s what sobriety is to me, is being honest.'” Steiner added that she hopes her visibility will “make space for other people to come after me” as the organization’s first openly queer titleholder.
Hayden Panettiere — Bisexual
Hayden Panettiere is adding “published author” to her resume, with her memoir This Is Me: A Reckoning (released May 19). The actress publicly came out as bisexual for the first time in a cover story with Us Weekly. Reflecting on why she chose now to share her sexuality, Panettiere said, “Now that I know that this book is coming out, and that I’ve chosen to share it with the world, I’m comfortable to confidently say that yes, I am bisexual. I said it! This is the first time I got to say it out loud.” She also revealed that she’d dated women throughout her life but never felt it was “the right time” to come out publicly because she feared public opinion and the pressure to be “perfect.”
Related: Hayden Panettiere Comes Out As Bisexual In New Memoir
Keke Palmer — Asexual
Leave it to Keke Palmer to casually shake up the internet with one Instagram caption. Palmer has long resisted putting herself in a box. While promoting her 2015 song I Don’t Belong to You, she famously told Wendy Williams, “I like whoever likes me,” leading Williams to ask, “Oh, so you’re sexually fluid?” Palmer later embraced that description—and also described herself as gender-fluid—during an appearance on Club Shay Shay. Now, she’s sharing another chapter of her journey, saying she’s “almost 100% sure” she’s asexual. The update was met with an outpouring of support from the ace community, proving once again that Palmer is going to keep us guessing—in the best way.
Kandi Burruss — Bisexual
Let’s be so for real—Kandi Burruss coming out as bisexual isn’t a surprise to The Real Housewives of Atlanta fans. Burruss has never been one to keep her sexuality under wraps, either. In February 2017 on the Bravo series, she famously told Porsha Williams, “I don’t live my life in secret,” making it clear that those closest to her already knew about her attraction to women. In June of this year, Burruss shared that ‘bisexual’ is the label that feels right for her during a conversation with rapper Da Brat and her wife, Jesseca “Judy” Dupart on her podcast, Speak On It. She also used the moment to remind people that bisexuality and faithfulness aren’t mutually exclusive.
Dayna Kathan — Lesbian
Happy Pride, indeed. The Vanderpump Rules alum came out as a lesbian in a June 7 Instagram post celebrating her “fellow late in life lesbians.” Kathan had previously identified as bisexual during her time on the Bravo series, telling GO that, it genuinely felt like the right label. She had dated and loved men, but after falling in love with a woman, everything clicked. “Once I fell in love with a woman, I was like, ‘Oh, this is what it’s supposed to feel like. This is what it’s always been and what I’ve been shying away from,'” she said, explaining that the experience completely redefined what love looked like for her.
That realization eventually led Kathan to embrace her identity as a lesbian. In GO’s exclusive interview, she recalled finally having an honest conversation with herself: “I was just like, ‘Well, you’re gay, you’re super gay, so it’s okay to be a lesbian. It’s okay to let people know you’re a lesbian.'” After months of wondering why saying those words publicly still felt so scary, Kathan decided Pride Month was the perfect time to stop holding back and fully claim the L, in the queer alphabet.
Related: ‘I Love It Here’ — Dayna Kathan On The Joy Of Finally Coming Out As A Lesbian
Related: ‘Vanderpump Rules’ Star Dayna Kathan Comes Out As A Lesbian
Layla Taylor — Bisexual
The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star got candid during a June 29 appearance on Jay Shetty’s On Purpose podcast where she publicly came out as bisexual: “I’m gay and I’m bi and date women and men,” Taylor said, explaining that she’d spent years figuring out how to publicly describe her sexuality. “We’re only on this earth for however long we are here and I’ll be damned if I’m not able to be fully who I am.”
Taylor has continued embracing that authenticity off-screen, recently teasing a new relationship with a woman by showing off a very tattooed arm to drool over. While she hasn’t revealed her girlfriend’s identity just yet, fans have been eagerly trying to piece together the clues—and we’re right there with them.
Related: Layla Taylor Soft Launches New Girlfriend–And Fans Are Already Speculating
Related: ‘Secret Lives of Mormon Wives’ Star Layla Taylor Comes Out As Bisexual
Anna Camp — Bisexual
Camp officially came out as bisexual during a March 10 appearance on the podcast I’ve Never Said This Before with Tommy DiDario. While discussing her relationship with on-set stylist and writer Jade Whipkey, the Pitch Perfect star opened up about embracing her sexuality publicly for the first time. “As a 43-year-old woman, I am very proud of myself for owning my sexuality at this age,” Camp said. “I am a very strong person for doing it in somewhat of a spotlight with people criticizing and judging and making assumptions. I’m really proud to be bisexual.” Camp added that she hopes sharing her story reminds others that “it’s never too late to live your truth.” She is currently dating Whipkey.
Related: ‘Pitch Perfect’ Star Anna Camp Gives A Look Into Life With Her Girlfriend
Martha Rothwell — Bisexual
Talk about making an entrance. Shortly after entering Casa Amor on the June 28 episode of Love Island UK, bombshell Martha Rothwell casually revealed to fellow Islanders Lorenzo Alessi and Finley Maddock that her last relationship was with a woman. “My recent ex was a girl. We were together for nine months.” She went on to elaborate, “I was dating men and they were all just ending terribly. My friends were like, ‘You need to try a girl,’ so I changed all my dating apps,” Rothwell said, adding, “So when you said, ‘What’s your type?’ I don’t really know.”
Thora Birch — Bisexual
The queer community has unofficially claimed Hocus Pocus for decades, so it somehow feels fitting that one of its stars joined the family, too. Birch publicly came out as bisexual while speaking with Us Weekly at The Abbey’s 35th anniversary celebration in West Hollywood on May 20. Reflecting on the LGBTQ+ community that helped shape her, the actress said, “As a hometown girl, I’m always here to show my support for the community, which shaped so much of who I am and my identity as well, being a bi person.” She also encouraged others to “find your community where you can” and “share that love that you share together,” adding that embracing one another is “the only way we’re going to get through all this madness.”
Related: Thora Birch Comes Out As Bisexual
Amore Cacheé — Bisexual
The internet had theories, but Amora Cacheé had the facts. After weeks of fan speculation that she’d entered the Love Island USA villa as a lesbian, the Casa Amor bombshell decided to set the record straight herself. During a July 17 TikTok Live, Cacheé confirmed that she’s bisexual, telling viewers, “Guys, I am bi. It was never a secret.” She also shut down rumors that she’d “infiltrated” the villa, explaining that she had discussed her bisexuality multiple times while filming, including in a conversation with fellow Casa Amor Islander Zach Georgiou, but those moments never made the final edit. “I did not infiltrate the villa as a lesbian,” she said. “I’m bi, y’all, and I actually said it multiple times on the show. It was just never aired.”
Related: ‘Love Island’ Bombshell Amora Confirms Her Bisexuality
