History Main / ClosetGay

* LateComingOut: A character comes out as LGBT+ in his or her later years.

* ''Film/WhereTheTruthLies'': Vince, Lanny's "straight man" in their comedy routine (haha) is this, since he's a public figure in the 1950s. More specifically, he's a Closet Bisexual.

* ''Series/ItsAlwaysSunnyInPhiladelphia'': Ronald "Mac" [=McDonald=], the ultimate ArmoredClosetGay. Although Mac is shown dating women early in the show, eventually his obsessive homoerotic tendencies become a defining trait of his character, but he absolutely refuses to come out because of his strict Catholic upbringing. After numerous misunderstandings, false starts, coming out and going ''back in'' the closet, he finally, quietly, and happily says he's gay in "Hero Or Hate Crime?".

* ''Film/PlanB'': It turns out Lupe is queer and in the closet, even to her bestie Sunny (what she says indicates she's bi or pansexual).

* In ''ComicBook/{{Runaways}}'', Karolina harbored an obvious crush on [[Characters/{{Runaways}} Nico Minoru]], but remained in the closet until Volume 2. Nico herself would not admit that she returned Karolina's affections until [[ComicBook/RainbowRowellsRunaways the fifth series]], over a decade later in real life (and two years later in-universe.)

* In ''ComicBook/{{Runaways}}'', Karolina harbored an obvious crush on ComicBook/{{Nico|Minoru}}, but remained in the closet until Volume 2. Nico herself would not admit that she returned Karolina's affections until [[ComicBook/RainbowRowellsRunaways the fifth series]], over a decade later in real life (and two years later in-universe.)

* In ''Literature/SidStillsBluesThreeQuartersInTheBagInAlphabetCity'', Nathan didn't want anyone to know that he liked men. This led to the breakup of his band, as when he broke up with a man he was dating in secret, the man told one of his bandmates, Jason, who didn't take the fact that Nathan had kept it a secret well. It lead to the breakup of the band.

* In ''Film/TheDry'', [[spoiler: Jamie Sullivan and the local doctor]] are in [[SecretRelationship secret gay relationship]]. Living in a small country town , they wish to keep it secret and it helps that they are both {{Straight Gay}}s. However, [[spoiler:Jamie]]'s sneaking around inadvertently makes him a suspect in the murders as he stupidly gives a false alibi to the police rather than admit he was with his partner. Compounded because he was last person to see Luke alive.

* In ''Film/TheDry'', [[spoiler: Jamie Sullivan and the local doctor]] are in [[SecretRelationship secret gay relationship]]. Living in a small country town , they wish to keep it secret and it helps that they are both {{Straight Gay}}s. However, [[spoiler:Jamie]]'s sneaking around inadvertently makes a suspect in the murders as he stupidly gives a false alibi to the police rather than admit he was with his partner.

* In ''ComicBook/{{Runaways}}'', Karolina harboredd an obvious crush on ComicBook/{{Nico|Minoru}}, but remained in the closet until Volume 2. Nico herself would not admit that she returned Karolina's affections until [[ComicBook/RainbowRowellsRunaways the fifth series]], over a decade later in real life (and two years later in-universe.)

* ''Film/{{Bad Education|2019}}'': Frank is depicted as having two boyfriends (one younger living in Vegas, and one longterm partner who helps with his fraud), which Rachel is shocked to discover. Frank is also shown repeatedly referring to his long-dead wife, whose picture he keeps on his desk, as a means of rejecting the advances of enthusiastic mothers. (In real life, Frank did have a wife who died young, and two boyfriends, but he was not closeted and he and his longterm partner had an open relationship.)

* In ''Series/{{Runaways|2017}}'', Karolina realizes that she's gay in the first episode, but tries to cover it up, because she's from a religious family where that's frowned upon. She eventually stops hiding it after realizing that Nico returns her feelings.

* ''Series/LoveVictor'': At the beginning of the series Victor is in the closet, because of his religious parents. At the end of season 1 [[spoiler:he comes out to his best friend and his parents and sister]].

** The tables are turned in a later episode when Will dates a sportscaster (played by Creator/PatrickDempsey) who, whenever they're out, insists on calling Will his brother. Eventually, Will openly declares him homosexuality when they're out at a dinner and makes it clear that he isn't going to hide himself any longer, which leads to the two breaking up.

* ''Webcomic/SuitorArmor:'' Sir Baynard and his servant Peres are in a SecretRelationship, even though he makes a show of being a ladies man in public. When Lucia discovers them, she promises to keep it secret, since she was raised by two fathers who were killed in a HomophobicHateCrime.

* In ''ComicBook/{{Runaways}}'', Karolina harbored an obvious crush on ComicBook/{{Nico|Minoru}}, but remained in the closet until Volume 2. Nico herself would not admit that she returned Karolina's affections until [[ComicBook/RainbowRowellsRunaways the fifth series]], over a decade later in real life (and two years later in-universe.)

* ''Series/SchittsCreek'': PlayedWith with the character of Patrick who is not even out to himself when he moves to town, but once he enters into a romance with David he is out to everyone. However, in Season 5, David invites Patrick's parents to Patrick's birthday SurpriseParty only to learn that Patrick is not out to his parents. This leads to a forced out of the closet story for Patrick, who tells David he is afraid his parents would treat him differently if they knew he was gay. [[spoiler: Thankfully, the story resolves with Patrick's parents being loving and accepting.]]

* ArmouredClosetGay: The character is both closeted ''and'' (outwardly) homophobic, possibly as a defense against discovery.

* LateComingOut: A character comes out as gay in his or her later years.

* SecretlyGayActivity: Character is afraid to admit their same-sex attraction, and masks affectionate gestures as "just between friends."

** The trope is humorously [[InvertedTrope inverted]] in an episode where a man named Owen (played by Creator/MattDamon) competes with Jack for the last spot in the New York Gay Men's Choir. Jack discovers that Owen is actually ''straight'' and recruits Grace to help "in" him and eliminate the competition. The choir ends up accepting Owen anyway through a combination of feeling sorry for him and, well, the fact that he [[MrFanservice looks like Matt Damon.]]

* ''Series/SchittsCreek'': PlayedWith with the character of Patrick who is not even out to himself when he moves to town, but once he enters into a romance with David he is out to everyone in town. However, in Season 5, David invites Patrick's parents to Patrick's birthday SurpriseParty only to learn that Patrick is not out to his parents. This leads to a forced out of the closet story for Patrick, who tells David he is afraid his parents would treat him differently if they knew he was gay. [[spoiler: Thankfully, the story resolves with Patrick's parents being loving and accepting.]]

* ''Series/SchittsCreek'': PlayedWith with the character of Patrick who is not even out to himself when he moves to town, but once he enters into a romance with David he is out to everyone in town. However, in Season 5, David invites Patrick's parents to Patrick's birthday SupriseParty only to learn that Patrick is not out to his parents. This leads to a forced out of the closet story for Patrick, who tells David he is afraid his parents would treat him differently if they knew he was gay. [[spoiler: Thankfully, the story resolves with Patrick's parents being loving and accepting.]]

* ''Literature/{{Temeraire}}'': Captain Granby hides his sexuality [[JustifiedTrope out of necessity]] to avoid being CourtMartialed in the 19[[superscript:th]]-century English military. He only reluctantly comes out to the protagonist, by then a [[BandOfBrothers trusted friend]], in the seventh book to explain why he won't enter a [[AltarDiplomacy political marriage]]. (Said trusted friend grew up in the Navy, and so is [[HelloSailor already familiar with the concept]] and used to politely not noticing it.)

* ''Literature/{{Temeraire}}'': Captain Granby hides his sexuality [[JustifiedTrope out of necessity]] to avoid being CourtMartialed in the 19[[superscript:th]]-century English military. He only reluctantly comes out to the protagonist, by then a [[BandOfBrothers trusted friend]], in the seventh book to explain why he won't enter a [[AltarDiplomacy political marriage]].

[[folder:Literature]]
* ''Literature/LeftBehind'': Buck's new boss Verna has concealed her lesbianism, which he manages to guess. What follows is a VERY uncomfortable scene where our "heroes" imply that they'll out her if she tries interviewing Rabbi Tsion Ben-Judah.
* ''Literature/{{Temeraire}}'': Captain Granby hides his sexuality [[JustifiedTrope out of necessity]] to avoid being CourtMartialed in the 19[[superscript:th]]-century English military. He only reluctantly comes out to the protagonist, by then a [[BandOfBrothers trusted friend]], in the seventh book to explain why he won't enter a [[AltarDiplomacy political marriage]].
* ''Literature/SimonVsTheHomoSapiensAgenda'' follows Simon, a closeted gay teenage boy who forms a relationship with another closeted gay boy, "Blue," at his school over email. When local pest Marvin finds these emails, he blackmails Simon into hooking Marvin up with Simon's friend Abby or else Marvin will out Simon to the school. [[spoiler:He gets ForcedOutOfTheCloset later in the book, but by the end of it does find Blue's identity and begin dating him]].
* ''Literature/TheMortalInstruments'': Alec hides the fact that he is gay, because of the homophobic attitudes most Shadowhunters have. His friends and siblings figure it out by themselves, but his parents remain oblivious, [[spoiler:until he comes out in the third book by kissing Magnus in front of the whole Clave including his parents.]]
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'''NOTE:''' Do not confuse this with tropes such as HideYourGays and GetBackInTheCloset, where the ''author'' has to be coy about a character's orientation. This is where the character is explicitly trying to hide who they really are as a plot point.

[[folder:Film]]

* ''Film/BadEducation2019'': Frank is depicted as having two boyfriends (one younger living in Vegas, and one longterm partner who helps with his fraud), which Rachel is shocked to discover. Frank is also shown repeatedly referring to his long-dead wife, whose picture he keeps on his desk, as a means of rejecting the advances of enthusiastic mothers. (In real life, Frank did have a wife who died young, and two boyfriends, but he was not closeted and he and his longterm partner had an open relationship.)

--->'''Dawkins:''' I like gay people. Some of my best friends are gay, [[YouAreWhatYouHate I just don't want to know about it]]. [[ElephantInTheLivingRoom Can't we all get back to the important matter of]] [[UsefulNotes/TheWarOnTerror fighting terrorism by any means possible?]]

[[/folder]]

'A character is LGBTQ, and doing their best to hide it, either due to potential consequences such as a HomophobicHateCrime, or {{Gayngst}} over whether they'll be accepted for who they are.