So, after reading about Husband-In-My-Head Anderson Cooper's
Coming Out, I stumbled upon an article about, that other Husband-In-My-Head, Matt
Bomer's coming out and how he didn't realize what a step he was taking.
"I never really endeavored to hide anything, [but] there were times I chose not to relegate my history to the back page of a magazine, which to me is sort of akin to putting your biography on a bathroom wall."
But he has learned that just
by saying the words--and his coming out was as simple as thanking
his longtime partner, Simon
Halls, and their children, Kit, Walker and Henry, while
being honored by the Desert AIDS Fund in Palm Springs--and acknowledging that
he is a gay man, he will have an effect.
"I had somebody from the military approach me a few weeks ago just saying how this helps people, affects people. It brought me to tears."
And he understands that his
coming out, while, to him, just a bit of news, has great significance on
younger LGBTQ people, and that it might, just might, save a life.
"I hope so. [LGBTQ youth] need saving, certainly in this day and age as much as ever—no matter how much we think we've progressed."
And he hopes that by coming out, and as other actors do so as
well, it will have less importance in their careers.
"What we really have to do is stop the adjective before the job title—whether it's 'black actor,' a 'gay actor' or 'anything actor.' Everybody thinks that equality comes from identifying people, and that's not where equality comes from. Equality comes from treating everybody the same regardless of who they are. I hope the media and the press catches on to that because it's time to move out of 1992."
And every time a celebrity, a
journalist, anyone with a modicum of fame, comes out, we move further away from
that closet and closer to true equality.
This goes for Boomer too:
ReplyDeleteAS thrilled as I am that Anderson has confirmed his sexuality and in doing so he will save countless lives, families and spirits.
I will ask, "Why is one's sexual orientation a privacy issue for everyone not straight?" Straight people never think twice about people knowing who they date, have sex with, marry, have children with, live with etc.
Please don't say it's a privacy issue, please say "I feared for my career", "I feared rejection from friends and family, " I feared for my safety, and life." When you make sexual orientation a privacy issue, you make it sound dirty. And yes, I think that there are different standards for public figures and that everyone has the right to come out on they on terms and timetable. Just be real with the reason.
Bomer is so refreshing. Talent, class, looks, educated, lives his life on his own terms. Appears to be great father. Major role model for gay and straight people. Wish other actors behaved have this well.
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