(someone) is openly gay

When someone is "openly gay", it means that they are homosexual and don't hide it from the public.

The church is ordaining more and more openly gay clergy members these days.

Another phrase that you may hear to refer to an openly gay person is "out of the closet". "Coming out of the closet" means admitting to people – family, friends, coworkers, etc. – that you are gay.

This phrase appears in these lessons: