“Heroes” actor Thomas Dekker has come out as gay and married after producer Bryan Fuller outed the star.
While speaking at an Outfest event, “Heroes” producer Bryan Fuller mentioned “het-washing” on the series, when an actor’s management team did not want his character to be gay on the show.
“The character became straight, and the actor came out as gay,” Fuller said.
In a Twitter response, Dekker came out as gay and revealed he got married to his husband in April.
“My sexual orientation once again came into question this week when a prominent gay man used an awards acceptance speech to ‘out’ me,” Dekker, 29, writes. “While he did not mention me by name, the explicit details of his reference made it easy for the public and media to connect the dots.”
Dekker also says that he never publicly came out and felt it wasn’t Fuller’s place to reveal his sexuality to the world.
“I have never lied to the press about the fluidity of my sexuality but this man claiming that I came out is not true,” Dekker continued. “Because I have not ‘officially’ until this moment. I simply refuse to be robbed of the glorious joy that belongs to me. To say the words myself. ‘I’m gay’. Those words are a badge of honor that no one can steal. Sexuality and who you love is a deeply personal and complicated thing. For some of us, it takes time to cultivate, discover and conclude. It is not something anyone should ever be ashamed of and certainly not something anyone should be rushed into.”
As for why he waited so long to come out, Dekker says it’s because he simply wasn’t ready.
“I agree with many who believe it is an important responsibility for LGBTQ persons with a platform to come out. It has the power to change minds, challenge beliefs and make others feel understood and supported. It can strengthen the progression of our community and help disarm those who discriminate against us,” Dekker writes. “It is a brave, powerful and important thing to do but it is also a deeply personal decision. One that should only be made when you are ready.”
Dekker has also appeared on “The Secret Circle” and “Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles.”
PLEASE READ 💛 pic.twitter.com/Uo5hM94Qp5
— Thomas Dekker (@theThomasDekker) July 14, 2017
