Joe Manganiello, who plays werewolf
Alcide Herveaux on HBO's supernatural drama True Blood, has
praised Matt Bomer for coming out gay.
Bomer, star of USA Network's White
Collar, officially came out last February when he thanked his
partner Simon Halls and their three children for their love and
continued support in accepting an award for his HIV/AIDS advocacy in
Palm Springs.
The couple was honored Friday night by
The Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network (GLSEN) at the
group's eighth annual Respect Awards in Beverly Hills.
In presenting the award, Manganiello
heaped praise on his Magic Mike co-star, saying:
“You are the example that the rest of our country needs to wake up
and see in terms of equality and putting an end to the bullying
epidemic and making sure that every family is respected in our
schools and our society.”
In accepting the award, Bomer said
children learn to be bullies from the adults around them.
“Having kids teaches you so many
things, and one of the things we both have learned in our parenting
journey is how loving and accepting and open children's minds and
hearts are. Unfortunately, in some parts of the country, some kids
are taught at an early age that being different is somehow bad or
wrong or worthy of ridicule… Kids aren't born to be bullies,
they're taught to be bullies.”
(Related: Ricky
Martin, Elton John, Matt Bomer in Advocate's
hot gay dads list.)