Soap hunk Greg Rikaart killed two birds with one rainbow-colored stone last Thursday — celebrating the week’s historic marriage equality victories and coming out of the closet — when he tweeted a photo of himself cuddling with his boyfriend.
“Not getting married anytime soon, but celebrating #equality tonight nonetheless,” Rikaart captioned the pic. Long an advocate for LGBT rights, the award-winning actor had never previously discussed his personal life publicly.
Rikaart has played the role of bad boy Kevin Fisher on Y&R since 2003 and won the Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in 2005. Last summer, he took fellow soaphead, Days of Our Lives’ Melissa Reeves , to task for expressing her undying love and support for Chick-fil-A.
“Part of why I stand up and am proud to be an advocate is because this is less about grownups than it is about children. This is no different than kids being bullied in a schoolyard,” Rikaart told TV Guide. “People wonder why there is an epidemic of bullying in this country. Well, it’s because kids are learning it from the grownups, from people like Melissa Reeves who is a grown-up bully. I believe in respecting everyone’s religious beliefs but those beliefs don’t belong anywhere near my rights or anyone else’s.”
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We’re assuming another part had to do with the smiley guy behind him.
h/t: Gay Star News
balehead
Where’s the surprise…aren’t most soap opera actors gay?…
that_dude247
@balehead: Damn, you beat me to it. Plus, what soaps are still on?
balehead
I know!!
Cam
Good for him!
Just makes those sniveling closet cases seem even more pathetic…and yes, Kevin Spacey I’m talking about you.
stfallon1028
What terrific news. Rikaart is a great actor, and Kevin is one of the most twisted and delicious characters on daytime. There’s all the potential for him to have a wonderful career beyond Y and R.
miagoodguy
Good for him for coming out when he was ready, but let’s be honest, he is no hunk. He is a good looking guy, but definitely not a hunk.
Fael
A few weeks ago I was searching this same actor, and everywhere there was information that he is gay, I do not see the surprise and/or revelation in this…
Author G D Grace
I know it must be a relief. I’m so glad that I am alive to witness this evolution of tolerance as it evolves. In all honestly, I know a great deal of closet cases are there because it is safest to them, and that they generally feel comfortable living two lives — one visible and one in the shadows. To each their own. Congratulations Greg Rikaart!
gayjim1969
@miagoodguy: To each his own. To some he is a hunk; to others, he isn’t. Who cares?
jmmartin
For those of us who would not be caught dead watching a soap on TV, it would be nice if you had told us which of the two men is Mr. Rikaart.
gayjim1969
@jmmartin: It is done in the last sentence. “We’re assuming another part had to do with the smiley guy behind him.” So, the guy in the front, and to the left in the pic is Mr. Rikaart, the man in the back and to the right in the pic is his partner.