2014 news

Thursday, 1 May 2014

No U.S. effort for kidnapped girls?

Protesters in a "million-woman march" on Wednesday, April 30, in the Nigerian capital, Abuja, highlight the government's failure to rescue scores of girls who were kidnapped from their school in Chibok in mid-April. Militants seized about 230 girls in the dead of night at a high school in the nation's far northeast, a hotbed for Islamist group Boko Haram.

Obiageli Ezekwesili, former Nigerian education minister and vice president of the World Bank's Africa division, leads a march of women and mothers of the kidnapped girls in Abuja on April 30.

A woman cries out during a demonstration April 29 in Abuja with other mothers whose daughters have been kidnapped.

Mothers weep during a meeting with the Borno state governor on April 22 in Chibok.

Four female students who were abducted by gunmen and reunited with their families walk in Chibok on April 21. "A total of 230 parents registered the names of their daughters who were missing on the day of the kidnap," said Asabe Kwambura, principal of the Government Girls Secondary School. "From my records, 43 girls have so far escaped on their own from their kidnappers. We still have 187 girls missing."

Borno state governor Kashim Shettima, center, visits the Chibok school on April 21.

Frida Ghitis: If more than 200 girls were kidnapped elsewhere, it would be world's biggest story

Ghitis: Parents desperate, anguished with no resources to help, while world turns away

Ghitis: Boko Haram slaughtered thousands of people, many in schools, to stamp out education

Coverage led to international effort for Flight 370, she says, and we need effort to save girls

Editor's note: Frida Ghitis is a world affairs columnist for The Miami Herald and World Politics Review. A former CNN producer and correspondent, she is the author of "The End of Revolution: A Changing World in the Age of Live Television." Follow her on Twitter @FridaGhitis. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.

(CNN) -- If it had happened anywhere else, this would be the world's biggest story.

More than 230 girls disappeared, captured by members of a brutal terrorist group in the dead of night. Their parents are desperate and anguished, angry that their government is not doing enough. The rest of the world is paying little attention.

The tragedy is unfolding in Nigeria, where members of the ultra-radical Islamist group Boko Haram grabbed the girls, most believed to be between 16 and 18, from their dormitories in the middle of the night in mid-April and took them deep into the jungle. A few dozen of the students managed to escape and tell their story. The others have vanished. (Roughly 200 girls remain missing.)

The latest reports from people living in the forest say Boko Haram fighters are sharing the girls, conducting mass marriages, selling them each for $12. One community elder explained the practice as "a medieval kind of slavery."

While much of the world has been consumed with other stories, notably the missing Malaysian plane, the relatives of the kidnapped girls in the small town of Chibok in northeastern Nigeria have struggled for weeks with no resources to help them. The Nigerian government allayed international concerns when it reported -- incorrectly -- that it had rescued most of the girls. But the girls were still in captivity. Their parents raised money to arrange private expeditions into the jungle. They found villagers who had seen the hostages with heavily armed men.

Relatives are holding street protests to demand more help from the government. With a social media push, including a Twitter #BringBackOurGirls campaign, they are seeking help anywhere they can find it.

It's hard to imagine a more compelling, dramatic, heartbreaking story. And this is not a one-off event. This tragedy is driven by forces that will grow stronger and deadlier if the captors manage to succeed.

Reports: Kidnapped teens forced to marry

Nigerians react to schoolgirl abductions

I think of these girls as trapped in the rubble of a collapsed building. Their mothers and fathers try to dig them out with their bare hands, while the men who brought down the building vow to blow up others. Everyone else walks by, with barely a second glance.

Perhaps this story sounds remote. But at its heart it is a version of the same conflict that drives the fighting in other parts of the world. These young girls, eager for an education, are caught in the crossfire of the war between Islamic radicalism and modernity. It's the Nigerian version of the same dispute that brought 9/11 to the United States; that brought killings to European, Asian and Middle Eastern cities; the same ideological battle that destroyed the lives of millions of people in Afghanistan; that drives many of the fighters in Syria and elsewhere.

In Nigeria, the dispute includes uniquely local factors, but the objectives of Boko Haram sound eerily familiar.

Boko Haram wants to impose its strict interpretation of Sharia -- Islamic law. It operates mostly in the northern part of Nigeria, a country divided between a Muslim-majority north and a Christian-majority south. Islamic rule is its larger objective, but its top priority, judging from the group's name, explains why it has gone after girls going to school.

Boko Haram, in the local Hausa language, means roughly "Western education is sin."

But women are just the beginning, and Boko Haram goes about its goals not only by kidnapping, but also by slaughtering men and women of all ages and of any religion.

These militants view a modern education as an affront, no matter who receives it. In February, they burst into a student dormitory in the northern state of Yobe, where teenage boys were sleeping after a day of classes. They killed about 30 boys, shooting some, hacking others in their beds, slitting the throats of the ones trying to flee. In July, also in Yobe state, they shot 20 students and their teacher.

The gruesome attacks are not restricted to remote areas. A few weeks ago, a bus bombing in the capital of Abuja killed more than 75 people. Boko Haram took responsibility. It was the deadliest terrorist act in the city's history.

Boko Haram has killed thousands of people since 2009 and has caused a humanitarian crisis with a "devastating impact," causing nearly 300,000 to flee their homes, according to Human Rights Watch.

Nigeria is a resource-rich nation whose people live in grinding poverty. It is also plagued with endemic corruption. That triple combination -- poverty, corruption and resource-wealth -- creates fertile ground for strife and extremism. And the instability in Nigeria sends tremors through a fragile region. Boko Haram keeps hideouts and bases along the border with neighboring countries Cameroon and Chad.

This is an international crisis that requires international help. Is there anything anyone can do? Most definitely.

First, it is urgent that the plight of these girls and their families gain the prominence it so clearly deserves.

Global attention will lead to offers for help, to press for action. Just as the intense focus on the missing Malaysian plane and the lost South Korean ferry prompted other nations to extend a hand, a focus on this ongoing tragedy would have the same effect.

Nigeria's government, with a decidedly mixed record on its response to Boko Haram, will find it difficult to look away if world leaders offer assistance in finding and rescuing the kidnapped girls from Chibok, and another 25 girls also kidnapped by Boko Haram in the town of Konduga a few weeks earlier.

This is an important story, a wrenching human drama, even if it happened in a part of the world where news coverage is very difficult compared with places such as Malaysia, South Korea or Australia. The plight of the Nigerian girls should remain in our thoughts, at the forefront of news coverage and on the agenda of world leaders.

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What if 200 girls were abducted here?

Obiageli Ezekwesili, former Nigerian education minister and vice president of the World Bank's Africa division, leads a march of women and mothers of the kidnapped girls in Abuja on April 30.

A woman cries out during a demonstration April 29 in Abuja with other mothers whose daughters have been kidnapped.

Mothers weep during a meeting with the Borno state governor on April 22 in Chibok.

Borno state governor Kashim Shettima, center, visits the Chibok school on April 21.

Frida Ghitis: If more than 200 girls were kidnapped elsewhere, it would be world's biggest story

Ghitis: Parents desperate, anguished with no resources to help, while world turns away

Ghitis: Boko Haram slaughtered thousands of people, many in schools, to stamp out education

Coverage led to international effort for Flight 370, she says, and we need effort to save girls

(CNN) -- If it had happened anywhere else, this would be the world's biggest story.

Reports: Kidnapped teens forced to marry

Nigerians react to schoolgirl abductions

In Nigeria, the dispute includes uniquely local factors, but the objectives of Boko Haram sound eerily familiar.

Boko Haram, in the local Hausa language, means roughly "Western education is sin."

But women are just the beginning, and Boko Haram goes about its goals not only by kidnapping, but also by slaughtering men and women of all ages and of any religion.

Boko Haram has killed thousands of people since 2009 and has caused a humanitarian crisis with a "devastating impact," causing nearly 300,000 to flee their homes, according to Human Rights Watch.

This is an international crisis that requires international help. Is there anything anyone can do? Most definitely.

First, it is urgent that the plight of these girls and their families gain the prominence it so clearly deserves.

Follow us on Twitter @CNNOpinion.

Join us on Facebook/CNNOpinion.

Gergen: Obama, 33 lame duck months?

David Gergen: Obama is experiencing another low point in his presidency

He says there's a risk Obama could be seen as a lame duck for next 33 months

Gergen: A second-term president still can be a strong leader, particularly overseas

He says Obama shouldn't diminish the potential impact of his decisions

Editor's note: David Gergen is a senior political analyst for CNN and has been an adviser to four presidents. A graduate of Harvard Law School, he is a professor of public service and director of the Center for Public Leadership at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government. Follow him on Twitter at @david_gergen. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.

(CNN) -- Coming home from Asia, Barack Obama is obviously going through another rough patch in his presidency. But this time, it could be more dangerous: He is perilously close to becoming a lame duck 33 months before he leaves office. That is bad for him, bad for the country and bad for the world.

The second term of a presidency often follows an arc. As Lyndon Johnson told his aides after his landslide victory in 1964, you've got about a year to get things done at home. And second-term presidents have often seized on those early months for domestic accomplishments. After that, Washington becomes mired in midterm politicking, and in your third year, people start looking over your shoulder at who is coming next.

With power seeping away at home, second-termers increasingly turn their attention overseas, where they can still get big things done as commander in chief of the most powerful nation in history. That's why presidents spend so much time on the road in their final years.

Obama's second term is a total aberration. Resisted by obstructionists among Republicans and plagued by his own mistakes, the first 12 months after re-election were a bust. Why he and his team didn't take more care in the rollout of the Affordable Care Act website will remain one of the great mysteries for historians.

But it has now become equally puzzling why he has not become more sure-footed in foreign affairs. He is one of the brightest men ever to occupy the office, and yet his learning curve has been among the flattest. Talking to players on the world stage -- most of whom still want him to succeed -- one finds them genuinely rattled, worried about a lack of national will and operational competence.

On the tail end of his Asia trip, Obama told the press that in foreign policy, he thinks a president hits mostly singles and doubles and an occasional home run. It was odd enough that given his huge power and influence, he thinks small ball. But he also raised the question: Why so long between home runs? When was the last one? Three years ago with Osama bin Laden?

Not to overdo his analogy, but the years since have brought a notable string of strikeouts. The administration would vigorously disagree, but just how much success can it genuinely claim in Syria, Egypt, Libya or even Iraq? Or the Russian reset? Or Ukraine?

China looms large over Obama trip

The administration's increasing focus on Asia is a welcome move, but it too has gone less well than expected. Experts have long said that much of the success of the famous "pivot" will depend upon completion of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, the most important trade agreement in decades. To its credit, the administration has aggressively pursued the deal but to little avail. The President's trip to Tokyo revealed that the partnership is in serious trouble, mired down by domestic politics in both the U.S. and Japan.

Obama did provide much-needed assurances to Japan about American credibility as a military ally. Still, the facts remain that even as the U.S. cuts defense spending, China is boosting its defense budget by 12% and flexing its muscles off its shores. With nationalism on the rise across Asia and sparks starting to fly, who can be certain that America will be there to put out a fire?

The net result is of a president who sadly seems diminished both at home and abroad. He appears to have only minimal objectives with the current Congress -- passage of a higher minimum wage and pieces of an immigration bill -- and may not get either.

Most Americans still want him to succeed, but when television executives put him on the air, audiences often melt away. Even before the midterms, voters are looking over his shoulder at who comes next. "Waiting for Hillary" is a bigger story than "What Happened to Obama?" And there are few prospects for home runs overseas.

This is bad news and not just for the President's personal fortunes. America needs a strong, effective president year in, year out, to help propel us forward. Our success as a people has depended on our capacity to solve the problems of today so we can move on to tomorrow. The endless evasions and diversions are tying us in knots and draining our spirits.

The world needs strong, effective American leadership as well; for all our mistakes like Iraq, the U.S. is the one nation that still has the power to keep world order. But in the twinkle of an eye, we have gone from being indispensable to indisposed.

There is no obvious game plan for Obama to bounce back. It would help if he and his team promised less and delivered more. It would help if more Republicans put the country first. The White House must also avoid the clear danger of so eagerly wanting a big breakthrough -- say, in negotiations with Iran -- that it weakens our security. No deal is always better than a bad deal.

But mostly, the Obama team probably has to be patient. Fresh opportunities for leadership will come; they always do at the White House. And for all his troubles, the President retains enormous powers and public good will. It is in not in our national interest to have a lame duck for 33 months.

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2016: A Bush-Clinton rematch?

It's hard to understate the depth of the Bush-Clinton impact on American politics

For 32 years, there was either a Bush or a Clinton in the White House or the Cabinet

A Jeb Bush-Hillary Clinton 2016 matchup wouldn't be the first time a Bush faced a Clinton

Washington (CNN) -- Two families, two political parties -- one family business.

It's hard to understate the depth of the Bush-Clinton impact on American politics. Think of it this way: For 32 years, there was either a Bush or a Clinton in the White House or the Cabinet. And in 2016, the families could be competing again -- in a Jeb Bush vs. Hillary Clinton face off.

Whether that should come to pass has been a topic of lots of debate and speculation -- even inside the Bush family.

After Barbara Bush made her now infamous pronouncement last year on the "Today" show that Jeb should sit it out ("We have enough Bushes," she said), there's been lots of private family discussion.

But in an exclusive interview with CNN, Jeb's brother, Neil, made it clear that his dad -- George H.W. Bush -- wants his son to run, no matter what his wife says.

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State spokesperson gets Clinton redo

Jeb Bush Translated

Clinton's 'army of older women'

"If you asked Dad the same question 'Should Jeb run?' he'd say yes." Asked again whether Bush 41 would specifically be for it, Neil Bush replied, "Yeah, he would say yeah."

Has Neil asked his father himself? No. But he allowed, "I have heard him answer that question."

And right now, that's as close as you'll get to the family thinking.

A common concern

Barbara Bush's concern -- that there are "other families" out there who can serve -- may be anathema to the family, but it's a common concern in the rest of the political world.

Isn't it an advantage, for example, for a name brand to raise gobs of money from a standing start? Not to mention starting out with a ready made political organization.

David Frum, a speechwriter in the George W. Bush White House, likens it to something, well, un-American.

"The thing that they bring to the table that nobody else has is the massive preexisting ability to raise money," he said. "If we end up having a presidential race in which one dynasty plays off against another dynasty, you'll say is this America or is it the last days of the Roman Republic."

He has a point.

A Jeb-Hillary 2016 matchup wouldn't be the first time a Bush faced a Clinton. Bill Clinton defeated George H.W. Bush in 1992; now the men are the closest members of the ex-presidents club.

"I think there is a great, you know, kind of bond ...," Neil Bush said of Clinton and his family. "I think George (W. Bush) calls him 'Bubba.'"

The next chapter

What happens next with the Clintons and the Bushes is the story of great expectations. In many ways, said political commentator and author David Maraniss, Jeb Bush and Hillary Clinton have had similar trajectories.

"Jeb ... was the chosen one. He was the one who would be president someday and succeed his father, but 'W' was the oldest and had better political skills and came first," Maraniss said. "And similarly with Hillary, there was a feeling before she even married Bill Clinton. People in the early '70s were starting to think someday there would be a woman president."

Of course, not all Bushes and Clintons are created alike. Some have political skills and some don't. And former Bush 41 and 43 adviser Mary Matalin said both Jeb and Hillary offer some things others don't -- experience and ideas.

"This campaign particularly at this time in our country's history is gonna turn on message, candidate skills, candidate policies -- not their names," Matalin said. "They can run as Hillary and Jeb Smith and people will be listening to what they are proposing."

There are real downsides to carrying the Bush or Clinton moniker -- preexisting family friends and enemies, unwelcome comparisons to what came before, a sense that you can't be about "change" if you've been around forever.

And one more thing: fatigue -- as in, aren't we just too tired of these families to watch another replay in 2016?

A longing for familiarity

Well, maybe. But Maraniss figures that one of the reasons we keep coming back to them is the familiarity we can also scorn.

"It's true that things are constantly changing and new names are arising all the time, but still there's a longing for familiarity and celebrity that lasts through all of that," he said. "It's just like Hollywood or anywhere else. There are certain names that stick and people remember."

And close Clinton ally Paul Begala makes the case that Hillary Clinton earned this on her own.

"They don't want Hillary to run because her husband did a great job. They want her to run because they think she'd be a great president," Begala said.

As for looking like yesterday instead of tomorrow, Begala argued that, "When you're seeking to be the first woman president, it's kind of impossible to paint you as the past."

The durability of the families is obvious. Not only because they're fixtures in American politics, but also because the younger generations have shown an aptitude for it as well -- Jeb's son, George P. Bush in Texas, and perhaps even Chelsea Clinton, who isn't ruling anything out these days.

But if you call either of these families a dynasty, there's pushback from the patriarchs.

"A dynasty involves people who get jobs solely because of what their last name is," Bill Clinton said in 2008 as Hillary Clinton mounted her first presidential run. "The question is where she should be eliminated because she happened to have married me a long time ago ... this is not a blood deal."

George H.W. Bush had a similar take in 1999, standing next to his son George W. at the family compound in Kennebunkport, Maine, the day after he had announced his own White House campaign.

"We never felt we were entitled to something. Dynasty at least connotes, has a connotation, of something coming your way," he said.

Dynastic terminology

Neil Bush is one of the rare family members who seems to have no problem with the dynastic terminology.

"I don't have a problem with it. My mother doesn't like to use the word 'dynasty' because she thinks it's elitist or whatever," he told CNN. "The fact that there happens to be name recognition or brand recognition of the Bush name or brand shouldn't be a handicap."

Neil tells the story of watching his mother's candor on the "Today" show when she and the family were preparing to leave for the opening of the George W. Bush presidential library.

"We were all watching Jeb standing in the corner just like ... What's your response to that? I don't know," Neil recalls.

"You know, Mom is just going to say what's on her mind and she just really believes that it's time for the country to look at different families, but it's not going to affect Jeb's decision."

For the Bushes, the family's political dominance is a matter of longevity and sheer size. For the Clintons, it's a newer business -- more of boutique operation.

"It's a powerhouse. Clinton and Clinton. It's a law firm. It's a political law firm and a powerful one," Maraniss said. "The most powerful one in the country still."

Will they run?

While Hillary Clinton herself stays noncommittal about a potential second White House run -- despite all of the activity on her behalf -- her backers seem to be gearing up for another Clinton campaign.

As for Jeb Bush, he's continuing to travel the country on behalf of 2014 Republican candidates, collecting chits along the way. Funders have shown more interest in his candidacy now that New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie's star has dimmed.

As for Neil Bush, it's all in the family. He recounts a funny story about growing up Bush. He was 8 and big brother, George, was 16. There was a BB gun fight, and Neil lost — getting shot in a most uncomfortable place.

"When Dad became president, it was like the fulfillment of an expectation. He's always been my hero. He's always been Mr. Perfect," Neil said of his father's election in 1988.

In the end, Neil admired what his brother W accomplished as president, but early on he couldn't imagine it. To him, "W" was the the guy "who shot me in the ass."

Will racism end as old guys die off?

LA Clippers owner Donald Sterling, here with V. Stiviano, was banned for life from the NBA following racist comments.

Chuck Walton looks at the generational differences in racial attitudes in America

Racism is a learned behavior, he says, that his generation must fight to unlearn

Walton: Technology exposes us to new ideas but makes it easier for like thinkers to cluster

Editor's note: Chuck Walton III, a recent graduate of Howard University in Washington, co-founded elite-insiders.com, a sports and entertainment blog, and now works with ESPN 980. You can follow him on Twitter @ChuckyWalton. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.

(CNN) -- In the past week, we've seen an 80-year-old basketball franchise owner fall under the weight of racist comments about banning blacks and Latinos from his arena, and a 73-year-old Nevada rancher implode after saying blacks would be better off picking cotton.

So, does that mean we are finally coming to the end of all of this? Once these octogenarian white men from another time die off, will we finally be free of empirical racism in America?

Doubt it.

I'm a young guy -- 24. I went to Howard University in Washington. I hang out with the basketball team (in fact, I am Howard's first play-by-play announcer for our home games. Go Bisons!). My friends are of mixed background. We all get along.

But I also see others around me who, on the surface, may roll with a similar crowd, listen to the same music, say the right things, but who are also slowly being infected with the American disease of racial bias.

I hear the subtle signs of racism on talk radio or on the Internet, where coded language of "quotas" and "boot-straps" is used in substitution of the old phrases of "ghettos" and "laziness." I read the Twitter feeds and troll the comment boards, listening to how those of like mind cluster together, reinforcing their own points of view.

But we've got a black President, right? It's all good, right?

Yes, racism, in less than a half-century, has largely gone from commonplace to taboo. If you are a 67-year-old beloved cooking show star who admits to having used the N-word, there are going to be consequences. If you own a nearly all-black NBA team yet verbalize a disgust for African-Americans, you're going to get checked.

Today, any controversial statement, once exposed to the disinfectant of sunlight and mass media, gets met with immediate backlash. As it should.

Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling learned this firsthand when NBA Commissioner Adam Silver banned him for life. Cue applause, drop the mic, walk off the stage. We're done.

Sure, we have come a long way. From the days when my father, a leading real estate inspector in Chicago, couldn't live in certain areas or shop in certain stores, to today, when I can graduate from a leading university, enter the field of media, and truly believe I have a chance to exceed my dreams, a lot has changed.

What if Sterling fights Clippers sale?

V. Stiviano: One day I will be president

What's next for Donald Sterling?

But, for my generation, there are still real problems. We don't truly understand our history. And too often do we go from captivated to uninterested overnight, distracted by the next shiny object or hot Internet meme.

We Millennials are the "here today, gone tomorrow" type of activists. This is most disappointing because access of information is easier than ever before. You no longer have to be rich or famous to have a voice. Just get a Twitter handle, post to your Instagram page or fire up a WordPress blog.

So the question becomes, what happens next? We cannot simply stand idly by celebrating surface victories while the problems persist. Racism, as with all other prejudices, has to be attacked at the source. It will not become extinct with the passing of the older generations. A new racist is born every minute.

I went to a largely white high school in the western suburbs of Chicago. When I was younger, maybe 10 or 11, I got into a fight with a neighbor kid who had just called me that magic word -- the "N" word. That was in 2000.

Parents intervened, the skirmished ceased, and each of us was swiftly scolded. Now it's quite obvious where he learned the word. He wasn't born saying it; someone had to teach it to him.

That kid is much older now, also in his mid-20s. I haven't seen him since, but I wonder what's in his head now? Is he growing up to become the next Donald Sterling or Cliven Bundy or Paula Deen? Or has time and society shifted his adolescent feelings about me and others like me?

It must be remembered that racism is not an innate trait. It is a learned characteristic. We see it on TV. We hear it on the radio. We watch it coming from our parents. I just hope my generation has made that kind of an education a little less desirable.

Within our generation are the remnants of a time long past. Today, we live in an age of tolerance. Yet everything is moving 100 miles per hour. That's one of the big differences between generations past and Millennials.

For us, technology is a given. But it's also an opportunity. It provides an unprecedented level of exposure and opportunity to interact with others not like ourselves.

In our generation a six-second Vine clip has the potential to become the lead story on the news, and what we do at a party or a game or in school can be celebrated or scorned with the click of a "Like" button.

But we've got next. There is a changing of the guard coming in our society, and our number is coming up.

So now, it falls upon a generation of young people to see the fight through. We are trapped in between two worlds, the new and the old. Our choices will shape the future. It is our duty as a generation to teach ourselves discipline. To know right from wrong, unacceptable from appropriate.

This won't be on Sterling's generation. It will be on us.

It is our duty to wash out the ignorant tendencies of our forebears across the board, regardless of race. Dedication will be required, along with an attention span that lasts longer than 140 characters.

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Ellen Page admits to nerves in coming out

Actress Ellen Page announced she is gay at a Human Rights Campaign event in February. "I am tired of hiding, and I am tired of lying by omission," Page told the crowd. Here are some other celebrities who have come out:

In case you didn't know, the character Damian who was "too gay to function" in "Mean Girls" is actually gay. Actor Daniel Franzese, seen here at a screening of "Dirty Girl" in 2011 in Los Angeles, California, revealed to the Los Angeles Dish Nation radio hosts that he is gay.

In a March issue of Rolling Stone, Neon Trees frontman Tyler Glenn reveals that he's gay. "I've always felt like I'm an open book, and yet obviously I haven't been completely," Glenn says in the feature.

In a March 11 interview with a <a href='http://ift.tt/1nE3F1h' target='_blank'>"Game of Thrones" fan site</a>, actor Kristian Nairn confirmed that he's gay -- even though, as he says, he's never been in the closet. "It's a very small part of who I am on the whole, but nonetheless, in this day and age, it's important to stand up and be counted," he said.

In a March 11 interview with a "Game of Thrones" fan site, actor Kristian Nairn confirmed that he's gay -- even though, as he says, he's never been in the closet. "It's a very small part of who I am on the whole, but nonetheless, in this day and age, it's important to stand up and be counted," he said.

On December 29, "Good Morning America" anchor Robin Roberts came out as a lesbian in a <a href='http://ift.tt/1fTDcJ2' target='_blank'>Facebook post </a>reflecting on the past year and thanking fans for their support after her bone marrow transplant. It was also the first public acknowledgment of her partner Amber Laign. "I am grateful for my entire family, my longtime girlfriend Amber, and friends as we prepare to celebrate a glorious new year together," Roberts wrote.

On December 29, "Good Morning America" anchor Robin Roberts came out as a lesbian in a Facebook post reflecting on the past year and thanking fans for their support after her bone marrow transplant. It was also the first public acknowledgment of her partner Amber Laign. "I am grateful for my entire family, my longtime girlfriend Amber, and friends as we prepare to celebrate a glorious new year together," Roberts wrote.

In a column in the <a href='http://ift.tt/1c8tcMe' target='_blank'>December 1 issue of the New York Times</a>, Maria Bello describes the process of falling in love with her female best friend, Clare, and how that impacted her relationship with her 12-year-old son.

In a column in the December 1 issue of the New York Times, Maria Bello describes the process of falling in love with her female best friend, Clare, and how that impacted her relationship with her 12-year-old son.

British diver Tom Daley <a href='http://ift.tt/1dS088g' target='_blank'>used YouTube to announce</a> that he's in a relationship with another man. "Of course, I still fancy girls," he says in his video. "But, I mean, right now I'm datin' a guy and I couldn't be happier."

British diver Tom Daley used YouTube to announce that he's in a relationship with another man. "Of course, I still fancy girls," he says in his video. "But, I mean, right now I'm datin' a guy and I couldn't be happier."

Bob Harper's confirmation that he's gay came about as a desire to comfort a "Biggest Loser" contestant. On the November 26 episode, personal trainer Harper, 48, talked about his sexuality for the first time on the reality weight loss competition in an effort to show the contestant that he doesn't have to be ashamed. "I'm gay," Harper said. "I knew a very long time ago that I was gay. ... And being gay doesn't mean that you are less than anybody else. It's just who you are."

Maulik Pancholy's sexuality wasn't a secret, but he did take the extra step of going on the record about it in November -- just in case someone out there wasn't clear. The actor, who memorably portrayed the obsessive and loyal assistant Jonathan on "30 Rock," told Out magazine that he's been in a relationship for nine years. "It feels like a nice time to be celebrating something like that, especially on the heels of the DOMA and Prop 8 decisions," the actor said.

Ellen DeGeneres came out shortly after her character Ellen, on an ABC sitcom, came out on-air amid controversy in 1997. "I never wanted to be the lesbian actress," DeGeneres told Time magazine. "I never wanted to be the spokesperson for the gay community. Ever. I did it for my own truth." DeGeneres' current partner, Portia de Rossi, also kept her sexuality a secret for many years.

"Fast & Furious" star Michelle Rodriguez <a href='http://ift.tt/1c8tbb2' target='_blank'>recently told EW</a> "I've gone both ways. I do as I please" while discussing how many have assumed she is gay.

"Fast & Furious" star Michelle Rodriguez recently told EW "I've gone both ways. I do as I please" while discussing how many have assumed she is gay.

"Prison Break" star Wentworth Miller <a href='http://ift.tt/1dS08oF'>recently came out</a> after he withdrew from the St. Petersburg International Film Festival in protest of Russia's anti-gay policies.

"Prison Break" star Wentworth Miller recently came out after he withdrew from the St. Petersburg International Film Festival in protest of Russia's anti-gay policies.

Lucas Cruikshank is the star of Nickelodeon's hit series "Fred." He <a href='http://ift.tt/1c8tbb8'>came out via a YouTube video</a> in August.

Lucas Cruikshank is the star of Nickelodeon's hit series "Fred." He came out via a YouTube video in August.

On August 2, Raven-Symone, who played adorable Olivia on "The Cosby Show," <a href='http://ift.tt/14Om5jM'>indicated for the first time</a> she is a lesbian. She first tweeted the news: "I can finally get married! Yay government! So proud of you." She later released a statement saying, "I was excited to hear today that more states legalized gay marriage. I, however am not currently getting married, but it is great to know I can now, should I wish to."

On August 2, Raven-Symone, who played adorable Olivia on "The Cosby Show," indicated for the first time she is a lesbian. She first tweeted the news: "I can finally get married! Yay government! So proud of you." She later released a statement saying, "I was excited to hear today that more states legalized gay marriage. I, however am not currently getting married, but it is great to know I can now, should I wish to."

`NSync singer Lance Bass appeared on the cover of People in August 2006 with the headline "I'm Gay." "I knew that I was in this popular band and I had four other guys' careers in my hand, and I knew that if I ever acted on it or even said (that I was gay), it would overpower everything," Bass told the magazine in explaining why he didn't come out sooner.

CNN's Anderson Cooper <a href='http://ift.tt/MDofz9' target='_blank'>came out publicly </a>as gay in an e-mail message to the Daily Beast's Andrew Sullivan, which was posted to the site in July 2012.

CNN's Anderson Cooper came out publicly as gay in an e-mail message to the Daily Beast's Andrew Sullivan, which was posted to the site in July 2012.

In May 2012, a <a href='http://ift.tt/1dS08oI' target='_blank'>New York Times</a> story about "The Normal Heart's" Jim Parsons revealed that the "Big Bang Theory" actor is gay and in a 10-year relationship.

In May 2012, a New York Times story about "The Normal Heart's" Jim Parsons revealed that the "Big Bang Theory" actor is gay and in a 10-year relationship.

While accepting a humanitarian award in February 2012, "White Collar" star <a href='http://ift.tt/1c8tbbe' target='_blank'>Matt Bomer said</a> he "especially" wanted to thank "my beautiful family: Simon, Kit, Walker, Henry. Thank you for teaching me what unconditional love is." (People magazine identifies "Simon" as his partner, publicist Simon Halls.) Bomer's reveal wasn't overt, but some have congratulated the actor for acknowledging his sexuality, which has been the subject of gossip in the industry.

While accepting a humanitarian award in February 2012, "White Collar" star Matt Bomer said he "especially" wanted to thank "my beautiful family: Simon, Kit, Walker, Henry. Thank you for teaching me what unconditional love is." (People magazine identifies "Simon" as his partner, publicist Simon Halls.) Bomer's reveal wasn't overt, but some have congratulated the actor for acknowledging his sexuality, which has been the subject of gossip in the industry.

Actor Zachary Quinto said he was inspired to <a href='http://ift.tt/1c8td2L'>acknowledge his homosexuality</a> in October 2011 after a 14-year-old, who was apparently being harassed over his sexuality, killed himself. "In light of Jamey's death, it became clear to me in an instant that living a gay life without publicly acknowledging it is simply not enough to make any significant contribution to the immense work that lies ahead on the road to complete equality."

Actor Zachary Quinto said he was inspired to acknowledge his homosexuality in October 2011 after a 14-year-old, who was apparently being harassed over his sexuality, killed himself. "In light of Jamey's death, it became clear to me in an instant that living a gay life without publicly acknowledging it is simply not enough to make any significant contribution to the immense work that lies ahead on the road to complete equality."

"There had never, ever been a country music artist who had acknowledged his or her homosexuality," Chely Wright <a href='http://ift.tt/19EZRsO' target='_blank'>told People</a> when she came out in 2010.

"There had never, ever been a country music artist who had acknowledged his or her homosexuality," Chely Wright told People when she came out in 2010.

Pop singer Ricky Martin declared publicly in March 2010 what he avoided discussing for years. "I am proud to say that I am a fortunate homosexual man," Martin wrote on his official website. "I am very blessed to be who I am."

In April 1998, British pop star George Michael told CNN that he was gay. "This is as good of a time as any," the Wham! singer said. "I want to say that I have no problem with people knowing that I'm in a relationship with a man right now. I have not been in a relationship with a woman for almost 10 years."

After years as a stand-up comedian and actress, Rosie O'Donnell came out two months before her talk show went off-air in 2002. The announcement came during a comedy routine at the Ovarian Cancer Research benefit at Carolines Comedy Club in New York. "I don't know why people make such a big deal about the gay thing," she said during her act. "People are confused, they're shocked, like this is a big revelation to somebody." She became engaged to partner Michelle Rounds in 2011.

British singer Elton John discussed his bisexuality for the first time in a 1976 Rolling Stones interview. "There's nothing wrong with going to bed with somebody of your own sex," he said. "I think everybody's bisexual to a certain degree. I don't think it's just me. It's not a bad thing to be." John married David Furnish in December 2005.

Stand-up comedian and actress Wanda Sykes announced her sexual orientation -- and her marriage -- in 2008 at a rally for gay marriage. "You know, I don't really talk about my sexual orientation," Sykes said. "I didn't feel like I had to. I was just living my life, not necessarily in the closet, but I was living my life. ... But I got pissed off. They pissed me off. I said, 'You know what? Now I gotta get in your face.' " Sykes was referring to the passage of Proposition 8, banning gay marriage, in California days after her wedding.

Reports of "Sex and the City" star Cynthia Nixon's relationship with Christine Marinoni surfaced in 2004, six years after the television show's premiere. Nixon discussed her relationship with New York Magazine in 2006, saying, "I never felt like there was an unconscious part of me around that woke up or that came out of the closet; there wasn't a struggle; there wasn't an attempt to suppress. I met this woman, I fell in love with her, and I'm a public figure."

Known best as the TV character he played during childhood, Doogie Howser, Neil Patrick Harris has continued his successful acting career as an adult. Harris often walks the red carpet with partner David Burtka, and stars in the hit sitcom "How I Met Your Mother." He told People magazine in 2006 that he is, in fact, gay. "I am happy to dispel any rumors or misconceptions and am quite proud to say that I am a very content gay man."

"Family Ties" actress Meredith Baxter confirmed in December 2009 rumors that she is a lesbian. "Anyone who's a friend of mine, anyone who knows and cares about me, knows," the actress explained to Matt Lauer on the "Today" show. "It's no secret that I'm gay, but it has been to the greater world." Baxter is in a long-term relationship with a building contractor, Nancy Locke.

He had an 11-year run on "Frasier," but it wasn't until he returned to Broadway in 2007 that David Hyde Pierce confirmed his sexuality. The actor is <a href='http://ift.tt/1dS08oQ' target='_blank'>married</a> to writer/producer/director Brian Hargrove. Pierce first talked about his partner in an Associated Press interview about his Tony-nominated performance in "Curtains."

He had an 11-year run on "Frasier," but it wasn't until he returned to Broadway in 2007 that David Hyde Pierce confirmed his sexuality. The actor is married to writer/producer/director Brian Hargrove. Pierce first talked about his partner in an Associated Press interview about his Tony-nominated performance in "Curtains."

Ellen Page admits to being nervous about her coming out speech in February

But Page tells a Canadian magazine she now feels happier and more confident

The actress also thanks Ellen DeGeneres for helping pave the way for her and others

(CNN) -- The world has changed for actress Ellen Page.

After the 27-year-old came out in a speech during a February Human Rights Campaign event, she can finally be herself. Gone are the days when she had to think carefully about how to refer to an ex in the press, and the pressure to present herself in a certain way publicly is in the past.

Attending a Vanity Fair Oscars party a few weeks following her declaration that she's a lesbian, Page felt "happy and confident," she tells Canadian fashion magazine Flare in its June issue. "The difference was huge."

But preparing to give her eight-minute speech, which was delivered on Valentine's Day, was a lengthy process that left Page feeling conflicted, she tells the magazine.

The star of the upcoming "X-Men: Days of Future Past" wanted to make her announcement in support of a cause, and worked with the HRC to coordinate it. When she took the stage at the HRC's Time to Thrive conference, held to promote issues in the gay community, she said, "I'm here today because I am gay. And because ... maybe I can make a difference."

Getting those words out was a nerve-wracking experience, Page tells Flare.

"I was very nervous," admits Page, who says she came out to her parents at 19. "You think you're in a place where you're all, 'I'm thrilled to be gay, I have no issues about being gay anymore, I don't feel shame about being gay,' but you actually do. You're just not fully aware of it. I think I still felt scared about people knowing. I felt awkward around gay people; I felt guilty for not being myself."

Yet those nerves gave way to a tidal wave of support, one that's been "remarkably positive," the actress says. "Which is beautiful, because it's indicative of the change that's happening."

The change Page is witnessing was once spearheaded by another Ellen: comedian and daytime TV personality Ellen DeGeneres.

In an upcoming episode of the talk show host's program, Page thanks DeGeneres for paving the way with her own coming out announcement in 1997.

"Your speech was incredible," DeGeneres tells Page in the episode, which is scheduled to air May 27. "I know how scary that is. ... It's a scary thing to verbalize, to say it out loud."

Page admits that she was "the most nervous I've ever been in my life," but "I was just so ready to do it, and, quite frankly, so excited to do it. ... (I'm) grateful to have that moment, and grateful to you because you did it in time when it was much harder and much scarier."