If they don't 'come out' they have to keep themselves private in all respects of their life. This is for fear of endless gossip, and potentially nasty situations with the ignorant low lives of society.
If they do it may cause a stir for a while and, they would hope, eventually become...
It is the front pages that deem them worthy of mention. It's gossip, and it will persist for as long as people pay their shekels to read those headlines.
It's a rotten position for players to be in. Most would want to keep their private life out of the news, but it's impossible. So they have to 'come out' whether they like it or not.
As much as most folk will either be supportive, or just not care (the second being as meaningful as the first)...
J
The papers themselves are unlikely to run the stories, not these days. But they are devious enough to force the players themselves into feeling they need to go public. It's a shame really.