When did neil patrick harris come out as gay

10 Memorable Celebrity Coming Out Moments

Oct. 30, 2013— -- intro: While it may seem there's never been a better time for stars to come out of the closet, Neil Patrick Harris cautions that the process remains extremely personal.

"It's a super-individual thing," the "How I Met Your Mother" star told HuffPost Live Monday. "I don't think (coming out) in an exploitative way makes sense. I just feel like that whole world is very personal."

"Here's a good analogy -- if you're going to jump into the pool and you're not sure how to swim, it's probably not so efficient to just push someone into the pool," he said.

Harris went public with his sexuality in 2006 in part because of his budding relationship with now-partner David Burtka.

"For me, I fell in cherish with a dude and started spending all my time with him. And therefore, you don't yearn to be suppressive of that," Harris said. "I didn't want to disrespect David. I didn't desire to make David touch like he didn't be in my life, and at the same day I didn't want David's identity to be, 'The guy th

Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka have been together for 17 years. Here's a timeline of their relationship.

Early 2000s: Harris met Burtka met through a mutual friend.

The pair co-penned a 2012 essay about their relationship for Out magazine, in which Harris wrote about his first impression of Burtka.

"I ran into my friend Kate one day and she was with this brooding, James Dean–type guy in a leather jacket who gave me the top nod and then turned away," he wrote. "I assumed he was Kate's boyfriend and said, 'Nicely done.' And she said, 'David? He's not playing on my team, but he has a boyfriend.'"

In the same piece, Burtka added that his long-distance relationship at the hour "was sort of on the rocks."

The two hung out for the first time at an "American Idol" viewing party thrown by a mutual comrade, and Harris wrote that he "couldn't take my eyes off" Burtka.

April 2004: The pair went to the movies for their first date.

Harris and Burtka first spent time hanging out with each other platonically.

"We began hanging out with other people, and we had a lunch or so, but nothing romantic," Burtka wrote for Out. "I thought he was adorable, though, with th

Neil Patrick Harris Opens Up About Coming Out as Lgbtq+ in Hollywood

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Neil Patrick Harris is opening up about his conclusion to come out as gay help in 2006.

"For me, I fell in love with a dude and started spending all my time with him," the 40-year-old thespian said of his partner of nine years, David Burtka, during his recent visit to HuffPost Live. "And therefore, you don't wish to be suppressive of that. And so as I started working more frequently, with more eyes on us, I figured that that was inevitability and the other side would be, again, suppressive."

"I didn't yearn to disrespect David," the How I Met Your Mother star continued. "I didn't want to make David perceive like he didn't exist in my life, and at the same second I didn't need David's identity to be the guy that's dating me. It's a very individual thing."

NPH agrees that now the public is more accepting of stars who decide to come out of the closet. "I think we dwell in a period now when people seem less concerned about who you're F-ing, and more importantly who you fall in passion with," he said.

What nationality is Neil Patrick Harris? When did Neil Patrick come out?

Neil Patrick Harris is an American by nationality. Neil Patrick Harris was born on June 15, 1973, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States of America. Harris publicly came out as same-sex attracted in November 2006.

Neil Patrick Harris is an award-winning American actor, singer, penner, producer, and television host. In 2009, Neil Patrick Harris hosted the 7th Annual TV Land Awards and appeared as a guest judge on Season 9 of American Idol.

Neil Patrick Harris hosted the Primetime Emmy Awards in 2009 and 2013 and hosted the 87th Academy Awards in 2015, making him the first openly gay man to host the Academy Awards.

In 2014, Neil Patrick Harris starred in the title role in Hedwig and the Angry Inch on Broadway, for which he won the 2014 Tony Award for Best Leading Performer in a Musical.

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In 2010, Neil Patrick Harris provided voice acting for the role of the adult Dick Grayson (Nightwing) in the animated film Batman: Under the Red Hood and the beagle Lou in the film Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore.

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Neil Patrick Harris discusses how National Coming Out Day 'allows your light to shine a brief bit brighter'

Ahead of National Coming Out Day on Thursday, Neil Patrick Harris spoke on "The View" about his own experience coming out as gay.

"When I came out, the ceiling didn't crash in — I was proficient to stand taller and be more ... transparent about who I was," the actor told the co-hosts. "I didn't have to be so guarded. And in turn, I think that allows your light to shine a brief bit brighter."

Harris has been married to his husband David Burtka since 2014. The couple acquire twins, Harper Grace Burtka-Harris and Gideon Scott Burtka-Harris, who turn eight years old this week.

Harris emphasizes that the act of coming out is specific to a person's circumstances.

"Some people... grasp who they are at a very, very early age —- and some people are married with kids and are still struggling with it," Harris said. "There's religious reasons, there's political reasons, there's familial reasons."

Harris says he "applauds" the holiday, suggesting that some "can use it as a conversation

when did neil patrick harris come out as gay