For years now, How To Get Away With Murder star Jack Falahee has played coy about his sexuality, refusing to discuss it publicly, and decrying the extra scrutiny on actors who play gay characters.
“It’s pretty reductive to ask just the actor playing the gay character what his sexuality is if you’re not going to ask that question of people playing straight characters on the show,” the 27-year-old said last year.
Related: Jack Falahee Live-Tweets Simulated Gay Sex On ‘HTGAWM’ Set
In another interview, he said, “I really hope that — if not in my lifetime, my children’s lifetime – this won’t be a question, that we won’t need this.”
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But now, in light of Trump’s election, he’s changed his stance — particularly after seeing his gay friend “sitting on the floor under a table crying,” totally unable to “face the reality of the next four years.”
Now, he’s decided that his coyness — a deliberate “attempt to try and dismantle the closet” — was ultimately “unhelpful.”
Related: Jack Falahee Thinks Your Questions About His Sexual Orientation Are Reductive
In a lengthy Twitter post, Falahee writes, “We now have a VP who doesn’t believe my friend should have the same rights as me and that’s scary.”
While I’m not gay, on HTGAWM I play a character who’s in an interracial relationship with an HIV positive man. However, in the past I’ve declined to discuss my own sexuality in an attempt to try and dismantle the closet.
Opponents to my ambiguous answers to questions surrounding my sexuality argued the importance of visibility. Unfortunately, I think that my stance has been unhelpful in the fight for equality. I feel I’ve sacrificed my ability to support the [LGBT+] community for a more theoretical discussion about sexuality.
Now more than ever, I want to offer my support to the community as an ally.”
Reaction to the news on social media has been predictably over the top and all over the place:
Jack falahee came out as str8 in support of LGBT. Something tons of straight people have done. Only he was more pretentious in the buildup.
— Jpofferz (@JamisonPoff) November 16, 2016
TLDR – Why so many words?! Just tell us, do you like the D or no?! @RestingPlatypus https://t.co/MzgPIv2oDi
— Scott Balf (@scottbalf) November 16, 2016
.@RestingPlatypus came out as straight. I've f-cking had it with you, 2016
— Lino Dimaculangan (@linoangelo) November 16, 2016
I'm triggered !!! @RestingPlatypus pic.twitter.com/N9R04zY85k
— andrew (@emmetrio) November 16, 2016
"Jack Falahee is straight" pic.twitter.com/Ga0lglNMg3
— Joseph (@Hewitt19) November 16, 2016
h/t: Attitude
jjose712
It’s curious how an inteligent guy can be so incredibly akward when it comes to talk about his sexual orientation.
He was not the only one in his show to be asked if he was gay, Conrad said yes, Matt said no, nothing happened (we still like them), but for some odd reason Jack had to go in circles (and more circles) to not say a thing about his sexual orientation.
He has all the right to do it but at least he could keep it simple and say he wasn’t talking about that for the sake of his character or something like that, instead he gave us all that philosophical nonsense.
I don’t doubt he wants to be an ally, but all this looks like a pr move. Daniel Radcliffe or Josh Hucherson are allies and they talk about that in a more natural way.
The truth is there were a lot of rumours about Falahee being gay, most of them due to his interviews, because i think if he was clear the first time the asked him the question the rumours could stop (or not, in fact we’ll see if the rumours stop after this).
Anyway, he seems a nice guy and i really like him in the show. So good luck to him, i don’t think he needs it, he is talented, and frankly being straight and an ally is the standard to young hollywood right now
Brian
Gay-identifying men are obsessed with label politics. Just look at the GLBTQI debacle.
I blame the label politics of gay-identifying men. Talk about ridiculous….
Alistair Wiseman
Gosh, he’s so brave.
Chris
He’s an ally, a verbose one, but an ally nonetheless. I welcome him to our cause.
ss2509
Never heard of him, and , frankly, could care less about his sessualatay! Harrumpf!!
Ken A.
Why is this an issue.
Brian
The worst label-pushers are gay-identifying men. Absolutely the worst. They obsess with “who’s straight, who’s gay” as if they need to know before venturing beyond their front door.
Sad, isn’t it?
SumSay
@Ken A.: It’s not. Who said it was?
I actually sensed he was more likely straight than gay so no surprise. Still, it was nice to wonder if he was or not, now he just seems less interesting.
Captain Obvious
Oooohhhh kay.
Jack Meoff
@Chris: I’m with you Chris.
wolfman6
Seems to me, everytime we have someone playing a gay character (or a straight character, but the actor is presumed to be gay but denies it) who refuses to reveal their sexuality eventually turns out to be gay (Sean Hayes, NPH, Zachary Quinto, Matt Dallas, TR Knight, and more). If an actor is straight and playing gay, they generally want you to know that they are straight and just playing a gay character. I think Falahee is doing what his handlers are telling him to do. He comes across gay to me in everything he has done. I think the rumors will continue and maybe he will eventually come out.