Kristy McNichol, the Emmy-winning teen star of the 70s drama Family, has come out

[Are_grits_groceries]

Kristy McNichol has been out of the public eye for 20 years. Now she's chosen to come out – to try to help kids who are being bullied.

McNichol, 49, who has lived with her partner Martie Allen, also 49, for the past two decades, decided to make a statement about her sexuality and share this photo because she is "approaching 50" and wants to "be open about who I am."

She "is very sad about kids being bullied," her publicist Jeff Ballard tells PEOPLE. "She hopes that coming out can help kids who need support. She would like to help others who feel different."
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http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20559567,00.html

Thus confirming what many thought years ago.
Good on her!




[img][/img]

[Justice wanted]

1. Good for her. I know that for many it is still hard to do and I think it was very brave of her.

[Ecumenist]

2. I thought she came out years ago...

I knew she was gay..I could have sworn she came out a few years ago..

[Frank Cannon]

5. Yeah, me too.

And by "a few years ago", I'm thinking, like, 20. I thought everyone knew this.

[WolverineDG]

17. So did I nt

[tpsbmam]

29. Me too! I remember reading about her struggle with bipolar disease

though I'm not sure that was an accurate diagnosis since the press often screws mental health reports up. But anyway, for some reason I thought she'd come out a long time ago. Glad she did now and for a very good reason. Brava, Kristy!

[Behind the Aegis]

3. Good for her.

Knew years ago, but that is because I know someone who knows her. I hope she also comes out about the discrimination she suffered because she is a lesbian!

[FreakinDJ]

4. I met her at a Sizzler in Pasadina

2 decades ago. At that point she was kind of rejecting the whole Hollywood scene

[justiceischeap]

6. It's about damn time!

Talk about pinging gay-dar.

[HughBeaumont]

7. Like Jodie, another clearer-than-glass closet, but still beneficial to gay teens everywhere.

Glad that she did this.

So now officially, my first three celebrity crushes as a kid were eventually two lesbians (Jodie Foster and Kristy McNichol) and an TG (Chasti . . . er . . . Chaz Bono). Takes some of us a while, you know . . .

[justiceischeap]

8. Foster & McNichol were kid crushes for me too

but I think it was more of a kindred spirit sort of thing now that I think about it.

on edit:
Ooo, forgot, just waiting on Nancy McKeon.

[rusty fender]

20. LOL--been thinking that since I first saw her

on that show where she is the "tomboy" at the girl's boarding school(Facts of Life?). But, maybe we are wrong about her? I don't know anything of her personal life.

[justiceischeap]

25. She's (supposedly) straight but she pings hard for me.

Though that could be wishful thinking.

[dflprincess]

30. Not that it necessarily means anything (just ask Michele Bachmann)

but Nancy McKeon is married (to a man) and I think they have a couple kids.

[rusty fender]

33. LOL! My gaydar is broken...

if I had a nickel for everytime my gaydar has gone off and it was wrong!

[madrchsod]

9. what took her so long?

i guess the times have changed but gee did`t everyone kind`a know?

[obamanut2012]

10. Gosh, I am shocked

Not at all!

Good for her for finally doing it.

[qb]

11. I loved watching her on Family & the occasional TV movie.

K&R!

[DURHAM D]

12. Yeah Buddy. nt

[WCGreen]

13. I am shocked, I tell you. Shocked....

But good for her...

[book_worm]

14. Good for her! but I honestly thought she had come out years ago?

I guess not.

[Prism]

15. In her honor, I will watch the Pirate Movie

I always loved that movie as a kid, but only as an adult did I really start appreciating how hilarious it is and how talented she was in pulling off what was certainly going to be a bomb.

Mabel!

[banned from Kos]

16. Kristy was "out" on film in the cheap steamy 'Two Moon Junction' which is an A+

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two_moon_junction

for its genre.

[obamanut2012]

24. Agreed -- and with the terrific Sherilyn Fenn!

[Wind Dancer]

18. Good for her!

I loved that show.

[Arugula Latte]

19. I thought she'd been open about being gay for years.

Huh, guess not.

[itsrobert]

21. That was my take

Is Rosie O'Donnell out too? I thought she was, but I don't know now.

[Arugula Latte]

35. Yes, she has been out for several years.

She's talked about her relationships on her show.

[itsrobert]

36. Thanks, but I was going for sarcasm

I guess I did a poor job of it.

[Arugula Latte]

37. Oh, jeez, I am a dimwit.

[Aristus]

23. Hi, this is Aristus. Thanks for calling!

That's a quarter well-spent.

I had such a huge crush on Kristy McNichol when I was a kid; still do. Good for her. I'm happy for her. I hope she's able to help kids saddened and depressed by bullying.

[customerserviceguy]

26. She was quite funny in "Empty Nest" as well. n/t

[Bluenorthwest]

27. At long last! Good for Kristy! Yeah!

Confirming what many knew years ago.

[Omaha Steve]

28. I still remember watching the first episode of FAMILY

K&R.

[DeathToTheOil]

31. okay okay okay

In the "Recommended" section of the front page, all I could see was, "Kristy McNichol, the Emmy-winning teen star of the 70s drama Family, has come."

[The Genealogist]

32. I'm glad she is doing this

I'm not sure what kept her in the closet for so long, but many people feel life will be worse out of the closet than in. Perhaps she is just a private person who doesn't want paparazzi around her all the time. None of my concern, really. All I know is that the more people who come out, the harder it gets for bigotry to go unanswered. Strength in numbers, and all that.

I also want to say that I have enjoyed Kristi McNichol's acting, and watched a number of her performances in movies and TV when I was a youngster. I liked the show "Empty Nest," which is the most recent thing in which I remember her acting. I also have a first cousin who looks a LOT like Kristi McNichol.

[U4ikLefty]

34. Wow, that one shocked me as much as Rob Halford.

about time