Date 26/12/2016 - News People
In an exclusive interview with CNN in 1998, pop legend George Michael came out as a gay man. This was a time when "public attitudes about homosexuality were far different from how they are today." At the time, same-sex marriage was illegal, crimes against gays weren't considered hate crimes, and there was a heavy stigma against HIV and AIDS. Michael was 34 when he told CNN's Jim Moret that "he decided to keep his sexuality private because of the way he was publicly scrutinized." He said that the media accused him of being gay before he even had his first gay relationship at the age of 27. Michael was found dead at the age of 53 on Christmas Day.
