Merle Dale Miller (May 17, 1919 – June 10, 1986) was an American writer, novelist, and best-selling author who came out of the closet in an article in the New York Times Magazine on January 17, 1971, titled "What It Means to Be a Homosexual". Due to the response of over 2,000 letters to the article (more than ever received by that newspaper) the article, with additional material was published later that year as a book. Miller became a spokesman for the gay rights movement.