Actor-singer Thomas Dekker, who is best
known for playing Zach on NBC's Heroes, has come out gay and
married to a man.
In a Twitter post, Dekker said that he
was coming out in response to comments made by Heroes producer
Bryan Fuller.
During an event at Outfest, Fuller
talked about “het-washing” on the series, saying that an actor's
management team pressured the show to alter the sexuality of their
client's character.
“The character became straight and
the actor came out as gay,” Fuller
said.
Dekker criticized Fuller's
characterization that he was public about his sexuality and suggested
that he had “robbed” him from the “glorious joy” of coming
out.
“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, wrote. “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.”
“While it is an odd situation, I
thank him because it presents a prime opportunity for me to publicly
say that I am indeed a man who proudly loves other men. In fact,
this April, I married my husband and I could not be happier.”
“I have never lied to the press about
the fluidity of my sexuality but this man claiming that I came out is
not true. 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,” he said.
Dekker added that he had not come out
sooner because he was not 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. 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 said.
Dekker also appeared on The CW's The
Secret Circle and Fox's Terminator: The Sarah Connor
Chronicles.