On 15 June 1999, Irish singer Stephen Gately was forced to publicly come out as gay after receiving an ultimatum from the tabloid press.
A member of the band Boyzone and just 23 years old at the time, Gately came out in The Sun newspaper, revealing that he was “gay and in love”. While it initially seemed as though he chose to come out of his own accord, it was later revealed that a member of the band’s crew had threatened to sell the story to the press.
Shane Lynch, one of Gately’s bandmates, revealed on ‘Celebrity Big Brother’ in 2018 that the other members of Boyzone always knew Stephen was gay and understood why he wasn’t out publicly. “There’s an understanding amongst celebrities, whatever you call it, but he was meant to be dating Baby Spice and all that stuff. It’s just red herrings,” he said.
Lynch went on to explain the events that led to Gately coming out, saying, “We were in Germany on tour and we got a phone call to say the press were going to run with a story on him. He was distraught.”
He continued: “The support he got from our fans, they were the best. From that point on, he flourished. He grew into this beaming man of joy. He was a joy of life. I have a strong place in my heart for him.”
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ALT A photo of Stephen Gately with a text overlay saying: On this day in 1999:
Boyzone member Stephen Gately
came out as gayOn this day in 1999:
Boyzone member Stephen Gately
came out as gay