'EW' Reports on 'The Art of Coming Out'

For their latest cover story, Entertainment Weeklyexplores the rise of a new social phenomenon: casual 'coming out. Most recently, celebrities including The Big Bang Theory's Jim Parsons and White Collar's Matt Bomber have been able to simply nudge the closet door open and, with a shrug, confirm their sexuality.

Described as a "blink-and-you'll-miss it" style of coming out, it builds on the foundations that have been laid by previous celebrities and their very public Beginning with the highly publicized Ellen DeGeneres, celebrities such as Neil Patrick Harris, T.R. Knight, and Jane Lynch have all announced their homosexuality to much less fanfare and media attention -- the mainstream press has enjoyed discussing this during pride month, with the Observer spawning its own commentary on the matter after a movie premiere run-in with Chace Crawford.

However casual and mellow the mood may be, EW stresses that, in its own way, not taking a highly publicized approach is definitely taking a stand, saying, "Even if it's accomplished in a subordinate clause or a passing reference, coming out casually is, in its way, as activist as DeGeneres' Time cover, although few of these actors would probably choose to label themselves as such."

To read the story, grab a copy of Entertainment Weekly from a (gasp!) newsstand.