So it seems 2014 is the year of coming out for women.

In the last week we've had Juno star Ellen Page publicly come out, and now Cara Delevingne and Lost actress Michelle Rodriguez have announced they are an item.

After generations of gay women in the public eye feeling unable to be publicly proud of their sexuality, now is the time of the...Celesbian.

Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi

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After Ellen's bold coming out in 1997 on her prime-time US television show, she dated bisexual actress Anne Heche before they split in 2000.

Around the same time, she met Ally McBeal star Portia de Rossi, 41.

But nothing happened until 2004 when they bumped into each other at a photo-shoot.

Of meeting Ellen, 56, Portia recalled: "She took my breath away.

"That had never happened to me in my life, where I saw somebody and experienced all of those things you hear about in songs and read about in poetry.

"My knees were weak."

The couple, who married in 2008, have denied recent claims their relationship is on the rocks and earlier this year, DeGeneres surprised Rossi with a £96,000 car.

Clare Balding and Alice Arnold

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BBC presenter Clare and former Radio 4 newsreader Alice first met during the 1990s.

They got together around 2002 and the following year, were outed when they attended the premier of movie Seabiscuit.

Speaking last year, Alice, 51, said: "Clare and I met about 13 years ago.

"We became friends.

"To be honest, I didn't take much notice of her.

"A few years later when we were both available, Clare was there.

"We fulfilled the girly pattern of moving in with each other more or less straight away and never looked back."

The couple had a civil partnership in 2006 and have expressed their intention to wed once gay marriage becomes legal.

Clare, 43, said: "As far as marriage is concerned, I'd like to marry for the verb.

"The civilly partnered phrase is a bit unwieldy.

"Otherwise I can't see it making any difference to us."

Cynthia Nixon and Christine Marinoni

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Sex and the City star Cynthia Nixon met education activist Christine at a fundraiser in New York City in January 2004.

Cynthia, 47, who has two children from a previous relationship, announced her engagement to Christine in May 2009 and in 2011, Christine gave birth to their son, Max Ellington Nixon-Marinoni.

Of their relationship, Cynthia said: "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."

Alice Walker and Tracy Chapman

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The Color Purple author Alice Walker, 70, was in a relationship with notoriously shy singer Tracy Chapman.

Their relationship was kept out of the headlines but speaking in 2006, Alice spoke fondly about her relationship with the 49-year-old Fast Car star.

She said: "Why was it kept so quiet at the time?

"It was quiet to you maybe but that's because you didn't live in our area."

Asked why they didn't make more of their relationship in public, Alice continued: "It was delicious and lovely and wonderful and I totally enjoyed it and I was completely in love with her but it was not anybody's business but ours."

Lindsay Lohan and Samantha Ronson

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Troubled actress Lindsay Lohan started seeing DJ Samantha Ronson in 2008.

The 27-year-old Mean Girls actress seemed smitten in their relationship and speaking about their romance, Lindsay said: "People can think what they want.

"I'm really happy, and that's all that matters."

But things soon took a turn for the worst and in October 2009, their previously happy union unceremoniously ended for good in a Twitter tirade, in which Lindsay accused her of doing "nothing but break my heart".

Madonna and Sandra Bernhard?

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One of the biggest "are they, aren't they?” couples of the last three decades.

American comedian Sandra, who has been open about her bisexuality for years, was the Material Girl's BFF during the 1980s.

Their relationship was so close many speculated they were an item.

Speaking on the David Letterman show in 1988, Sandra did little to dispel the rumours when she told the host she had slept with Sean Penn – Madonna's then-husband – and then turned to Madonna and said: "You were much better."

But more recently Sandra has denied the former friends – they no longer speak after Madonna stopped contact - were ever romantically involved.

She said: "Madonna and I had a fun time and it was a great friendship, but I don't miss her particularly."

And asked if they did have an affair, she responded: "No, we were just friends."