People are furious with Kevin Spacey for coming out as gay in response to sexual misconduct allegations
(Getty and Twitter/cameronesposito and billyeichner)
Stars in Hollywood and beyond have voiced their outrage at the timing of Kevin Spacey’s revelation that he is gay following allegations he made sexual advances on a teenage boy.
Star Trek star Anthony Rapp claimed that in 1986, when he was 14, Spacey invited him to a party at his New York apartment, and while drunk, tried to seduce him by climbing on top of him.
In an interview with BuzzFeed, Rapp, now 46, said he managed to flee before the encounter progressed any further.
In response, Spacey said he didn’t remember the incident, but apologised for “deeply inappropriate drunken behaviour.”
Writing on Twitter, the House of Cards star said he was “sorry for the feelings he [Rapp] describes having carried with him all these years,” before coming out as gay.
“As those closest to me know, in my life I have had relationships with both men and women,” he wrote.
“I have loved and had romantic encounters with men throughout my life, and I choose now to live as a gay man.
“I want to deal with this openly and honestly and that starts with examining my own behaviour.”
The way in which Spacey came out – as he was apologising after allegations of sexual misconduct against a 14-year-old – produced a huge backlash.
Billy Eichner, of American Horror Story, said: “That Kevin Spacey statement. Nope. Absolutely not. Nope.
“Kevin Spacey has just invented something that has never existed before: a bad time to come out.”
Comedian Cameron Esposito wrote: “Just wanna be really f***ing clear that being gay has nothing to do w/ going after underage folks”.
She added: “I have not chosen to live my life as a gay woman.
“I’m a gay woman, living my life.”
Sue Perkins, the British TV host who opened up earlier this year about coming out, was scathing, accusing Spacey of harming the LGBT community.
She said: “Well done Kev. You stay silent on your sexuality until the time comes when you can conflate it with an alleged sexual assault on a minor.
“In doing so, you simultaneously undervalue the horrific nature of the allegation and set back the LGBT+ community. Well done.”
Radio presenter Iain Dale reflected many people’s anger when he wrote: F**k you Kevin Spacey.
“Nice work in playing into the homophobes’ playbook – equating being gay with an interest in 14 year olds. Sick f**k.
And political commentator Owen Jones was similarly shocked, writing: “Oh wow.
“Kevin Spacey deflecting from attempting to molest a child by coming out as gay is the absolute pits.”
Talk show host responded to the news by sarcastically writing: “The classiest way to come out of the closet is as a PR smokescreen to distract people from the fact that you tried to molest a child.”
LGBT activist and journalist Dan Savage rejected Spacey’s response out of hand.
“Nope to Kevin Spacey’s statement. Nope. There’s no amount of drunk or closeted that excuses or explains away assaulting a 14-year-old child.”
Another journalist, Mark Harris, voiced his anger about choosing this moment to come out.
“I keep rereading this statement and getting angrier,” he said.
“Coming out is a beautiful part of being gay. Attaching it to this vileness is so wrong.”
And Olivier Award winner Jenna Russell was similarly furious, writing: “Kevin Spacey….no, absolutely not.
“The fact you are a gay man has nothing to do with the FACT you are a predator and a bully #enough“.
And Jason Steele, creator of comic videos like Llamas With Hats, had a well-received analogy.
