Actor Chyler Leigh discussed her
sexuality in a post titled “Wear Your Pride.”
Leigh, who is raising three children
with husband Nathan West, said that she can relate to her Supergirl
character's coming out.
Leigh published her post on the
Creating Change website. The organization seeks to provide
“encouragement and inspiration to help you become the change you
want to see in the world.” Leigh co-founded the group and serves as
its chief creative officer.
“When I was told that my character
was to come out in season 2, a flurry of thoughts and emotions flew
through and around me because of the responsibility I felt to
authentically represent Alex’s journey,” Leigh wrote. “What I
didn’t realize was how the scene where she finally confessed her
truth would leap off the pages of the script and genuinely become a
variation of my own. IRL. My heart felt like it was going to beat out
of my chest each take we filmed, every time presenting another
opportunity to get those honest words out of my mouth. Though they
don’t exactly match my personal dialogue, the heart behind it
surely did. From the director, the press, the media, the cast, and
the fans, I’m still told that it was the most realistic coming out
scene they’d ever witnessed. And to steal from Alex’s words,
that’s because there’s some truth to what she said about me.”
Leigh added that her character's coming
out turned off some fans.
“Here’s the kicker though,” she
said. “Since that episode aired, I was told from dear friends (and
even avid watchers of Supergirl) that they would no longer
watch the show because of the fact that Alex’s journey took a turn
from their less than acceptable beliefs. Soon after, they began to
distance themselves and eventually my family and I were outcast,
marking the loss of many folks we loved. However, after the initial
sting, I don’t hold a grudge towards the negative response, because
as I said, we all have had a hard time in one way or another with
acceptance (whatever the subject may be) whether towards ourselves or
others.”
“It’s been a long and lonely road
for both my husband and myself but I can whole-heartedly say that
after all these years, he and I are still discovering the depths of
ourselves and each other, but throughout our journey we’ve learned
to be proud of who we are, no matter the cost,” she concluded.
Leigh, 38, also played Lexie Grey in
the ABC medical drama Grey's Anatomy.