Following a weekend of speculation launched by TMZ, the Advocate has posted a profile–dated May 5–of Country Music singer Cheley Wright announcing she’s a lesbian. The gay magazine’s announcement appears to answer the speculation launched by super publicist Howard Bragman who said weeks ago that there would be a Cinco de Mayo gay announcement media blitz including a cover of People magazine and trips to the Today Show, The View and The Joy Behar Show.
People magazine posted a short announcement this morning that Wright was coming out in the magazine and in a May 5 media blitz, but it was the Advocate that gives the whole story on Wright’ decision to announce she was a lesbian, the first for a country music star (assuming you don’t count k.d. Lang, I guess).
“Even in a year already full of celebrity outings, Wright’s emergence as an out lesbian is truly something of a big deal, especially considering the world from which she is emerging. Not only is she arguably the first big name in contemporary country music to come out of the closet, she also happens to be doing so in a very big way,” the Advocate says in a lengthy profile.
Bragman, who has become a coming-out specialist as a publicist, set-off a couple of weeks of sepculation when he said a major celebrity would come out in May 5. While the early money was on country music star Shelby Lynne or Queen Latifah, Wright emerged over the weekend after gay blog Queerty also started floating her name after an email from a People insider.
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