Meredith Baxter of Family Ties Announces Gay Relationship

Meredith Baxter of Family Ties came out as a lesbian on the Today show, as reported at Yahoo's OMG. The 62-year-old actress, best known for playing the mother of Michael J. Fox on the hit series, said that she has been living as a lesbian for seven years and has been in a relationship with a woman for four years.

Coming out of the closet for a celebrity is still considered a risk

There's no question that gay and lesbian celebrities exist. However, not all of them are out of the closet. The reasons for this are varied. One of the main reasons has always been that coming out of the closet as a gay, lesbian or bisexual meant that your reputation, and therefore your career, could be ruined.

As gay director Todd Holland wrote, "If you take the path of coming out, you will be living authentically -- and that is a great achievement in anyone's life. But I can't promise you're going to skirt the gatekeepers or scale the hurdles the system has in place."

Gay actor Rupert Everett spoke about the "hurdles." The 50 year old actor, best known for My Best Friend's Wedding, said, "It's not that advisable to be honest. It's not very easy. And, honestly, I would not advise any actor necessarily, if he was really thinking of his career, to come out. The fact is that you could not be, and still cannot be, a 25-year-old homosexual trying to make it in the British film business or the American film business or even the Italian film business. It just doesn't work and you're going to hit a brick wall at some point. You're going to manage to make it roll for a certain amount of time, but at the first sign of failure, they'll cut you right off."

However, not everyone shares Everett's fear.

Meredith Baxter of Family Ties came out of the closet, to the public, and took the risk. Is the risk worth it?

Meredith Baxter is now out of the closet. However, she's 62 years old. She's no ingenue, and many would say 62 is over the hill for a woman in Hollywood. In other words, it's safe for Meredith to come out at the end of her career. But what about others?

Adam Lambert has been out of the closet from the beginning. However, his performance at the AMA awards, that included kissing a male dancer and simulating oral sex, caused backlash that he's still recovering from. Singer Lance Bass came out as gay, but his career has not picked up steam since his days with 'N Sync.

However, what about actor Neal Patrick Harris? He has enjoyed a successful career while still being out and proud as a gay man. Then there is comedian Ellen Degeneres. Her talk show is a hit, and now she's been asked to be a permanent judge for American Idol. Her relationship with Portia de Rossi has not ruined her career. Musician Melissa Etheridge's marriage to Tammy Lynn Michaels has not hurt record sales.

Coming out of the closet as a celebrity requires care, but some, like Meredith Baxter of Family Ties, has paved the way for others to come from behind the shoe boxes and walk out the door. It is no longer a situation where a gay or lesbian must remain inside.

Sources:

'Family Ties' Star Meredith Baxter: 'I'm A Lesbian', Yahoo OMG

Todd Holland, The Gatekeepers at Hollywood's Closet Door, The Wrap

'Coming out as a gay actor ruined my career in Hollywood,' says actor Rupert Everett, Mail Online