Wentworth Miller turned down an invitation to Russia’s St. Petersburg Film Festival on Wednesday, and in doing so, made a major statement. Citing the country’s anti-LGBT laws, the Prison Break star explained that he could not support an event held in a place that allows such discrimination.
“Thank you for your kind invitation,” he wrote to the Festival’s director. “As someone who has enjoyed visiting Russia in the past and can also claim a degree of Russian ancestry, it would make me happy to say yes. However, as a gay man, I must decline.”
This is the first time the actor has publicly come out as gay. He went on to explain his decision, adding, “I am deeply troubled by the current attitude toward and treatment of gay men and women by the Russian government. The situation is in no way acceptable, and I cannot in good conscience participate in a celebratory occasion hosted by a country where people like myself are being systematically denied their basic right to live and love openly.”
Wentworth closed out his letter by saying that if the circumstances are different in the future, he’ll be able to make a different choice. His message was supported and promoted by GLAAD on their website.
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