Passion Pit’s Michael Angelakos came out as gay on a Bret Easton Ellis podcast, surprising many with the announcement. When people — especially celebrities — come out of the closet, it’s usually a heroic act. Common wisdom says that you need to be honest with yourself, and only then can you be honest with those around you. The second honesty — with others — is what makes people solid citizens and dependable friends. These days, when a person pretending to be straight overcomes fear and confusion to publicly state their true sexual identity, the public applauds. (Thank goodness.)
But the courage coming out requires isn’t just about people being honest with themselves. The life lived before the coming out has consequences, and other people are intimately involved. In Angelakos’s case, he was married. (He filed for divorce from Kristina Mucci in August.) He credits his wife with helping him come out, with facing the truth. But he also admitted she may have held him back. She was the primary reason he gave for staying in the closet. Angelakos, 28, said “I just wanted so badly to be straight [for my wife], because I love her so much.”
