Sometimes the path to knowing yourself isn’t a straight line—and that’s okay. Vanderpump Rules alum Dayna Kathan, 35, marked Pride 2026 with a deeply personal milestone: publicly coming out as a lesbian on Monday, June 8, sharing the moment with her Instagram followers alongside photos of her celebrating with friends.
“Shout out to my fellow late in life lesbians!!!”she wrote, accompanied by pride-themed emojis and snapshots that included Beartooth frontman Caleb Shomo (who recently came out as gay himself), Mara Beauty founder Allison McNamara, and other close friends. In one photo, she rocked a tank top emblazoned with the word“gay”—a visual declaration that matched the clarity of her words.
What makes Kathan’s announcement particularly meaningful is the context. Back in February 2020, during an episode that aired from Pride 2019, she’d come out as bisexual while attending the celebration with fellow Vanderpump Rules cast member Ariana Madix. At that time, she recalled feeling lighter after revealing that truth.“I just remember noticing both genders”when I was in middle school, she’d explained in a confessional, describing a journey of self-discovery that clearly didn’t end there.
Her former costars got it immediately. Katie Maloney, Ariana Madix, and Scheana Shay flooded the comments with love, while Caleb Shomo chimed in with“Lysm gay girl 🖤🖤🖤.”The support was swift and genuine—a reminder that growth and identity shifts deserve celebration, not judgment.
In a follow-up Instagram Story posted Wednesday, June 10, Kathan opened up about the real work behind this moment.“My journey with queerness wasn’t linear, and at times very scary and confusing,”she wrote.“I had to unpack a lot of s*** to get to this point.”Then came the message that matters most:“if you aren’t out and struggling — take your time. You will get there. And it’s pretty fab on the other side.”
That’s the kind of honest, hard-won wisdom that can’t be rushed or faked. Kathan’s latest chapter isn’t about erasing her past; it’s about finally claiming the whole truth of who she is.
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Local Lawton
Local Lawton is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.