The 2010 Out100 list was published as the 100th issue of Out. To celebrate such a big milestone for the magazine, superstars Ricky Martin, Rachel Maddow, Johnny Weir, Nate Berkus, and Julianne Moore were featured as the cover stars.
2010 was a splashy year for then-39-year-old Ricky Martin as he came out as gay in March and went on to publish his memoir, Me, in November. Besides continuing to raise his twin boys — Matteo and Valentino, who were born in 2008 via gestational surrogacy — the singer got married to Jwan Yosef in 2017 and the couple welcomed their first daughter together, Lucia, in 2018. A year later, Martin and Yosef welcomed a son, Renn. In September 2023, Martin and Yosef got divorced after their marriage of nearly six years.
The Puerto Rican pop star has since released two studio albums, 2011's Música + Alma + Sexo and 2015's A Quien Quiera Escuchar; starred in TV shows like The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story and 2024's Palm Royale; and was nominated for awards at the Grammys, the Latin Grammys, and the Primetime Emmys.
Rachel Maddow, who first made a name for herself on the The Rachel Maddow Show radio program between 2005 and 2010, has become one of the most important political voices of our generation as a news anchor on MSNBC. When Maddow was brought onto the network, she became the first out LGBTQ+ person to host a primetime news show in the United States.
Maddow has been with her current partner, Susan Mikula, since 1999. Since being on the Out100, the political commentator opened up about struggling with cyclical depression in 2012 and had surgery for skin cancer in 2021.
Nate Berkus built up his name recognition with recurring appearances on The Oprah Winfrey Show in the 2000s. Then, in 2010, Berkus landed his own syndicated talk show, The Nate Berkus Show, which ran for nearly 300 episodes over the course of two years. Between executive-producing the film The Help in 2011, launching a home décor collection with Target in 2012, and working on other renovation shows, Berkus eventually also met his partner, Jeremiah Brent.
After getting engaged in 2013 and tying the knot in 2014, Berkus and Brent have co-hosted shows like TLC's Nate & Jeremiah by Design, HGTV's Nate & Jeremiah Save My House, and HGTV's The Nate & Jeremiah Home Project.
Johnny Weir, Diva of the Yearwww.out.com
Johnny Weir competed as a figure skater at the Winter Olympics in 2006 and 2010. After going viral with his figure skating performances to "Poker Face" by Lady Gaga, Weir's sexual orientation became a topic of discussion among sports commentators covering the 2010 Olympics. This prompted Weir to clap back at their negative comments and address his sexuality in public.
In subsequent years, Weir starred in films and TV shows like Zoolander 2, Spinning Out, and Night Court; competed on Dancing With the Stars and The Masked Singer; and became a sports commentator for networks covering Olympic sports.
Julianne Moore as Queer Icon of Cinemawww.out.com
Even though Julianne Moore doesn't identify as a member of the LGBTQ+ community, the actress was included on the 2010 Out100 for being a huge ally, her long-standing filmography with director Todd Haynes, starring in Tom Ford's directorial debut film A Single Man (2009), and playing characters with queer storylines in films like Chloe and The Kids Are All Right — both of which opened in U.S. theaters in 2010.
There was quite a bit of progress for the LGBTQ+ community in 2010. Namely, President Barack Obama extended spousal benefits to same-sex couples in June, and then signed the Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act in December.
In film, queer characters in The Kids Are All Right, Beginners, and Black Swan made huge waves not only at the box office, but also at the Academy Awards. On TV, we started seeing more inclusivity on shows like Spartacus, Pretty Little Liars, and Glee.
