18 Women Who Came Out Before Ellen

The moment Ellen Morgan (played by Ellen DeGeneres) announced “I’m gay,” I wanted to blurt it out myself. Right there in the living room. Gleeful as ever. In seconds, the whole scenario ran marathons through my mind: I’ll just yell it. “I’m gay! Me too. Mom, I’m ga-a-ay!” But just like that I thought, I don’t want to take this moment away from Ellen. Of course I couldn’t, but ABC, the network airing Ellen, did. After Ellen’s coming-out episode, I remember every subsequent episode having an adult content disclaimer at the beginning, as if to say, “CAUTION! Lesbian at work.”

Of course now we’ve seen that “lesbian at work” work her way to a Peabody Award, two Primetime Emmys, a GLAAD Media Award, and a daytime talk show in its 14th season with its own accolades as well. But not every gay or bi woman in popular culture had quite the same reception when their closet door came unhinged. Here’s a look at a few notables you may have missed.