From Ellen DeGeneres to Neil Patrick Harris: Four Gay Celebrities Who Came Out with Style

It seems as if you can't throw a rock in Hollywood these days without hitting an openly gay celebrity. While coming out still has its career risks in that industry, more and more stars are throwing caution to the winds and choosing to be honest about where their true passions lie.

Gay Celebrity: Neil Patrick Harris
The most recent star to come clean about his sexuality is actor Neil Patrick Harris.The 33 year-old currently appears on the CBS sitcom How I Met your Mother, but is perhaps best known for his starring role in the series Doogie Howser MD, which made him a household name in the 1990s.

It had been reported on a number of gossip blogs that Neil Patrick Harris was gay, and in a long-term relationship with Broadway actor David Burtka. A few days ago, Harris addressed these rumors, issuing this statement to People magazine: "The public eye has always been kind to me, and until recently I have been able to live a pretty normal life. Now it seems there is speculation and interest in my private life and relationships.

"So, rather than ignore those who choose to publish their opinions without actually talking to me, I am happy to dispel any rumors or misconceptions and am quite proud to say that I am a very content gay man living my life to the fullest and feel most fortunate to be working with wonderful people in the business I love."

Gay Celebrity: Ellen DeGeneres
This gay celebrity got her start as a standup comedian. DeGeneres eventually landed her own sitcom, Ellen, which ran from 1994 to 1998. In 1997, Ellen DeGeneres (and her character on the show) came out of the closet in the most public of ways, when she declared herself a lesbian in an episode that featured Oprah Winfrey playing her therapist.

Rather than hurting her career, Degeneres' disclosure seemed to revitalize it. She went on to serve as host to both the Emmys and Academy Awards, and landed her own successful daytime talk show.

Gay Celebrity: Rosie O'Donnell
O'Donnell was the host of a popular daytime talk show, The Rosie O'Donnell Show, in the 1990s. In 2000, she launched a magazine, Rosie, that focused on women's issues and socially relevant concerns.

This gay celebrity left her talk show in 2002; that was also the year she decided to come out as a lesbian. She later said that her decision to come out was fueled on part by her desire to raise awareness about the difficulties faced by gay couples seeking to adopt children.

Rosie O'Donnell and her partner Kelli Carpenter are parents to four children - Parker Jaren, Chelsea Belle, Vivienne Rose and Blake Christopher - and O'Donnell is foster mother to a daughter, Mia.

Gay Celebrity: Lance Bass
Bass was born in 1979 in Clinton, Mississipi. This gay celebrity found success as part of the successful boy band NSYNC, whose membership was rounded out by Justin Timberlake, JC Chasez, Joey Fatone and Chris Kirkpatrick. The band topped the charts with hits like "Bye Bye Bye," Gone" and "No Strings Attached."

Numerous gossip blogs had long speculated about Lance Bass' sexuality. Paparazzi shots had shown him in the company of openly gay Amazing Race star Reichen Lemkuhl. In July of 2006, Bass addressed the rumours head-on, in a People magazine cover story in which he declared, "I'm gay."

Bass and Lemkuhl are still a couple, and are often photographed together on the red carpet. Bass runs a production company, and is reportedly developing a sitcom pilot based on The Odd Couple with bandmate Fatone as a starring vehicle. Lance Bass will play one of the leads, and his character will be gay.