It was not. I'm well into my 60s, and Rock's name was always a byword for what we now called "closeted" behavior. Audiences looked the other way. Hell, Liberace's audiences looked the other way! Along with being sad because of his terrible death, I can also say I was grimly amused by the "shock" expressed by the press. The same press that had printed he and Jim Nabors had "married" a few years previously. Everybody knew, really. Another exampleJohnny Mathis. And anotherTab Hunter.
Then how do we explain comments such as these made by Robert Stack when questioned by Larry King?:
KING: Did you, as a coworker, did you know he was gay?
STACK: Well, we had all kind of heard that. I'm I'm close to the police department, and we heard that he one time had picked up a young boy or something, but you know, I always figured in this profession, with this Ingrid Bergman with Rosselini, is none of my damn business, you know.
KING: You could always stay removed from stuff like that.
STACK: Yeah. He never impinged himself upon me either.
And this one when Angie Dickinson was questioned by King:
KING: Did you know that he was gay?
DICKINSON: No, I didn't. First of all, well, I did at a certain point but not most of his life. And that was never important to me. And, I don't even know when I knew or when I suspected or when I I tell you one little story, may I?
We also have denials from Doris Day, Tony Randall, and Susan Saint James. Hudson's close friends at school never saw and signs. Hudson's navy buddies were shocked to hear he was homosexual and were of the opinion that Hollywood had made him that way.

It was not. I'm well into my 60s, and Rock's name was always a byword for what we now called "closeted" behavior. Audiences looked the other way. Hell, Liberace's audiences looked the other way! Along with being sad because of his terrible death, I can also say I was grimly amused by the "shock" expressed by the press. The same press that had printed he and Jim Nabors had "married" a few years previously. Everybody knew, really. Another exampleJohnny Mathis. And anotherTab Hunter.

Rock Hudson never openly admitted to being gay and there was an interesting mix of people who knew, didn't know, were aware of rumors but were not certain, or heard the rumors and didn't believe them.
We have enough confirmation from others who knew Hudson to know that he was gay.

My father told me in the Seventies as well and I always just accepted it as a fact w/o judging because my father wasn't judgmental about it either.
That's why I was surprised that much later it was like the "big surprose".

My grandfather told me Rock was gay in the early seventies when he was making a movie in rural South Loui5b4siana. He had been seen at a bar frequented by homosexual men. I didn't believe him at the time, but when Rock died of AIDS I did believe him. Certainly Hollywood people knew and kept his secret.

Nope - it wasn't a "secret" at all. Everyone knew (my mother told me in the 60s when I got into the 50s romcoms he made with Doris Day). But he was discreet and as long as he was it was an "open secret". Hypocrisy at it's best

It was as much a secret (to the public) as FDR being in a wheel chair.
Harriet Jones, Former Prime Minister.

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My dad claimed that pretty much everyone knew it, it just wasn't talked about

Why the hell would he chose Jim Naybors
jim gave gr8 head
I cried because I had no shoes until I met a man with no sole.
~ Ancient Disco Proverb

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Your wondering why he wold marry his agents secretary??? Why the hell would he chose Jim Naybors when he could have had any man he wanted!!

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He had a boyfriend in Austin back in the '70s. Even my mother knew. No matter; how could you not love Rock Hudson. Who could be taller or more handsome!

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I would say it was a secret and it also wasn't. For example when Hudson worked with John Wayne the subject of Hudson's sexuality came up and Wayne supposedly said "I don't care what he does in the bedroom, he is a good chess player and a good actor". The same with Susan Saint James who heard rumours but never believed them.
So it would have been in three parts, those who knew, those who heard about it and those who didn't know.

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According to her comment when interviewed right after he passed away was - "no, not really", she said everyone always hears gossip but she didn't hear it from him and certainly she couldn'111ct tell. I think she is also quoted in his book (sara davison's).

I wonder if Susan Saint James, who starred with Hudson in McMillen and Wife in the '70's was aware of his sexual orientation? I always had a crush on her!