15 trailblazing, out and proud male celebs who you might not know are bisexual
(L-R) Ronen Rubenstein, Billie Joe Armstrong and Frank Ocean are all bisexual (Getty)
This Bisexual Awareness Week, which runs from 16-23 September, we’re taking a look at some of the more overlooked people who put the “B” in “LGBTQ+” – bisexual men. Famous ones, to be precise.
Bisexuality is often misunderstood to be enforcing a binary when, in fact, bisexuality is the attraction to more than one gender.
Nevertheless, biphobia still rages in modern society, brushed off as ‘a phase.’ Bisexual men can also be under a particular patriarchal pressure of masculinity which requires straight and gay relationships to exist seperately.
So it’s more important than ever to continue lifting up the voices and stories of bisexual people, especially underrepresented individuals.
Keep reading to find out more about 15 male bisexual icons, from the past and the present, who we should be definitely be celebrating this week.
Billie Joe Armstrong
No list of famous bisexual men would be complete without Billie Joe Armstrong. The Green Day frontman opened up about his bisexuality in a 1995 interview with The Advocate.
He said: “I think people are born bisexual, and it’s just that our parents and society kind of veer us off into this feeling of ‘Oh, I can’t.’ They say it’s taboo. It’s ingrained in our heads that it’s bad, when it’s not bad at all. It’s a very beautiful thing.”
David Archuleta
The second on our list of famous bisexual men is singer David Archuleta who first came out publicly in June 2021, previously saying that it was “important to share” his story to help other people who had a “religious upbringing”.
He recently released a new song which tells the story of him coming out and leaving the Mormon Church, which condemns. homosexual romantic and sexual activity as sinful. The song also chronicles how his mother left the church with him at the same time, supporting her son and his sexuality wholeheartedly.
Ronen Rubenstein
9-1-1: Lone Star actor Ronen Rubinstein came out as bisexual in 2021 after playing a gay man on the show, saying the role gave him the confidence to accept himself.
He opened up about his sexuality in an interview with Variety, telling the publication: “I fully identify as bisexual.”
“I literally just got goosebumps saying that,” he added. “It feels so good to talk about it, it feels so good to finally be comfortable with it.”
Jason Mraz
Mraz came out publicly as bisexual in a 2018 interview with Billboard.
In a 2023 interview with GLAAD, Mraz revealed that it was his ex-wife Christine Carano who helped him learn how to accept himself and acknowledge his sexual identity
Tyler Blackburn
Pretty Little Liars‘ Tyler Blackburn came out as bisexual in 2019. “I’m queer,” he said. “I just want to feel powerful in my own skin, and my own mind, and in my own heart.”
After a string of relationships with women, he said that he “allowed himself” to explore the full spectrum of his sexuality in his late 20s.
Alan Cumming
Scottish actor Alan Cumming is well known for his roles on stage and screen, including Cabaret and The Good Wife. He’s also the host of reality show The Traitors US.
The 59-year-old was married to fellow actor Hilary Lyon from 1985 to 1993. After their separation, Cumming married his current husband Grant Shaffer in 2007.
Cumming is also a fierce LGBTQ+ activist, he’s worked with GLAAD and the Trevor Project and campaigned for the legalisation of same-sex marriage in Scotland. He was recently praised for wearing a trans flag to the 2024 2024 Emmys.
Frank Ocean
Frank Ocean; a music icon; a mysterious man; and the most powerful LGBTQ+ figure in the American music industry.
The bisexual icon came out on Tumblr in 2012 when he revealed he was in love with a man.
In a sincere and intimate post, he wrote: “I was 19 years old. He was too. We spent that summer, and the summer after, together. Everyday almost.
“By the time I realised I was in love, it was malignant. It was hopeless. There was no escaping. No negotiating with the feeling. No choice.
“It was my first love. It changed my life,” he concluded.
Fred Klein
Fred ‘Fritz’ Klein was a pioneering American psychiatrist and sex researcher whose work predominantly focused on bisexual people and bi relationships.
Klein, a bisexual man himself, devised the Klein Sexual Orientation Grid which developed the descriptions of complex sexual orientation.
In his 73 years of life, Klein also made massive contributions to bisexual research: he founded the American Institute of Bisexuality to encourage research and education about bisexuality.
He also founded the Journal of Bisexuality.
Jack Dunne
Jack Dunne came out in 2022 and subsequently became the only active bisexual professional in rugby union.
The professional rugby player opened up about his sexuality on the BBC’s LGBT Sports Podcast where he admitted homophobia at his school delayed his coming out.
Dunne did come out slowly to his friends at school but was already out when he signed as a professional player for Leinster in 2020.
He noted he hasn’t faced any backlash for his sexuality from his team or fans.
Jeff Molina
Jeff Molina came out as bisexual in March 2023, making him the first openly LGBTQ+ male UFC fighter.
The 26-year-old American mixed martial artist addressed his sexuality after a private sex tape involving him was leaked.
Molina has been visibly proud of his sexuality, wearing UFC Pride Month shorts during a fight that raised money for LGBTQ Center of Southern Nevada.
Following the outfit choice, Molina received hateful backlash from some MMA fans.
He responded to the harassment: “I just thought in 2022 people would be a little more open-minded and not pieces of s**t, but I guess I was wrong.”
Kit Connor
The Heartstopper star came out in 2022 under unfortunate circumstances when he was taunted on social media for not publicly labelling himself.
“I’m bi. Congrats for forcing an 18-year-old to out himself,” he wrote. “I think some of you missed the point of the show. Bye.” Connor then deleted his Twitter account.
The 19-year-old actor plays Nick in the beloved Netflix series, Heartstopper, the character is the love interest of protagonist Charlie (Joe Locke).
Richard Gadd
Richard Gadd is the brains behind hit Netflix drama Baby Reindeer, which recently scooped up a whole host of Emmys. He plays Donny Dunn in the autobiographical series, who is also bisexual.
Gadd told Attitude that his journey with his sexuality continues to be just that: a journey. “I sometimes change with the tide. I feel very strongly for both. I think we’re just learning to see the world in different ways and not be so rigid about it. And I feel like I’m constantly in a state of flux with my sexuality.
“Some days I feel a certain way and other days I feel other ways. But every time I land on one, my brain flies off to the other. It’s almost like a restlessness. But maybe that’s what bisexuality is.”
Keiynan Lonsdale
The Flash’s Keiynan Lonsdale came out as bisexual in 2017.
They announced that he would not apologise for “falling in love with people no matter their gender.
“I like to change my hair, I like to take risks with how I dress, I like girls, and I like guys,” Lonsdale also added.
You may also recognise Lonsdale from Love, Simon in which they played Bram, the protagonist’s (Nick Robinson) love interest. Love, Simon was somewhat monumental as it marked the first major Hollywood release to focus on a gay teenage romance.
Lou Reed
No list of famous bisexual men would be complete without American musician and songwriter Lou Reed – who was best known as The Velvet Underground’s frontman.
Reed passed away in October 2013, aged 71, and he’s remembered as a hugely talented bisexual musician – often branded as the first out rockstar.
As a teenager, Reed was said to have spent time in a mental hospital due to his “homosexual tendencies”.
Reed underwent horrific electroconvulsive therapy, an experience he vividly relays in his 1974 song ‘Kill Your Sons’.
Karan Brar
The final person on our list of famous bisexual men is Disney Channel star Karan Brar, who came out as bisexual in 2023 with a moving essay for Teen Vogue.
The 25-year-old actor – who played Ravi in Disney Channel’s Jessie and its spin-off series Bunk’d and Chirag Gupta in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid –shared he had experienced difficulty being his true self in the spotlight.
Brar details that he was living with fellow Disney stars Cameron Boyce and Sophie Reynolds when he came out to them while drunk.
“Soph and Cam had been my best friends for years and loved me every step of the way,” he shared of his colleagues and roommates.
Have we missed out any of your favourite famous bisexual men? Let us know in the comments, but remember to keep the conversation respectful!
How did this story make you feel?
