Amber Heard calls on celebrity gay men to ‘come out’

Amber Heard calls on celebrity gay men to ‘come out’

BISEXUAL star Amber Heard has called for closeted celebrities to come out, singling out gay men.

Heard, who came out in 2010, said the ordeal of opening up about her sexuality was worth it. She wants other queer stars and public figures to follow her lead.

Speaking at The Economist’s Pride and Prejudice Summit last week, Heard said she came out even though she was advised not to.

“Everyone around me strongly advised me against it,” she said. “It was just wrong.

“I would rather go down for being who I am than to have risen for being something I’m not.”

Heard came out at the 2010 GLAAD Media Awards, when a reporter asked her about her relationship with then-girlfriend Tasya van Ree.

“An outlet specifically asked me who I was there with that night and who that person was to me and I just answered honestly,” she said.

Heard noted that many of the high-profile LGBTI celebrities coming out in recent years are women.

“Women are almost entirely doing this on our own,” she said.

“While it is apparently harder for men, I would argue also that is harder because there are no men challenging that. If women can do it and change the way this conversation is had in a large scale, then men should be able to do it.

“If every gay man that I know personally came out in Hollywood tomorrow, then this would be a non-issue in a month.”

Heard said she had some setbacks after coming out, including Hollywood suddenly doubting her credibility as a romantic lead. But she said coming out was worth it.

“While my private life is valuable to me, I knew that, being in Hollywood, I had a particular responsibility,” she said.

“I saw myself as being in this unique position with this unique gift. Any unique gift comes with unique responsibility.”

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