Robert Hampton

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23rd August 2013

Miller Time
Posted by at 7.44pm | Gay | No responses

Wentworth Miller, star of Prison Break, is the latest public figure to declare that he’s gay. Rumours and gossip had swirled about for ages, heightened by paparazzi photos of him “hanging out” with a fellow actor. Speculation was so rife that in 2007 Miller issued a public denial that he was gay. It’s a shame that he felt the need to do that, but his belated U-turn is welcome.

His decision to open up about his sexuality was motivated, at least in part, by the current situation in Russia. He outed himself in an open letter to an invitation from the organisers of the St Petersburg Film Festival:-

Thank you for your kind invitation. As someone who has enjoyed visiting Russia in the past and can also claim a degree of Russian ancestry, it would make me happy to say yes.

However, as a gay man, I must decline.

I am deeply troubled by the current attitude toward and treatment of gay men and women by the Russian government. The situation is in no way acceptable, and I cannot in good conscience participate in a celebratory occasion hosted by a country where people like myself are being systematically denied their basic right to live and love openly.

Perhaps, when and if circumstances improve, I’ll be free to make a different choice.

It would be deliciously ironic if Russia’s anti-gay policies resulted in more people coming out publicly like this.

Miller’s announcement comes just a few weeks after another actor, Ben “Should have been the 12th Doctor” Whishaw, confirmed that he is gay (and in a civil partnership!). It’s great that an increasing number of high profile celebrities feel secure enough to live their lives openly.