Prison Break star Wentworth Miller came out as a gay man in an open letter to the St. Petersburg International Film Festival. Miller declined an invitation to the festival as its guest of honor, citing Russia's anti-LGBT laws.
The letter, which was posted online by GLAAD, reads:
Dear Ms. Averbakh:
Thank you for your kind invitation. 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.
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.
Perhaps, when and if circumstances improve, I'll be free to make a different choice.
Until then.
Wentworth MillerGLAAD spokesman Wilson Cruz released a statement: supporting Miller's stance.
"Wentworth's bold show of support sends a powerful message to LGBT Russians, who are facing extreme violence and persecution: you are not alone," GLAAD spokesman Wilson Cruz said in a statement. "As people from across the globe continue to speak out against Russia's horrific law, more celebrities and corporations should follow his courageous lead in openly condemning Russia's anti-LGBT law."