“At the very least say ‘no comment,'” he adds, “Just keep your personal life personal. But if you’re going to closet yourself, that sends a negative message.”
He’s also sceptical about those who say being gay will limit an actor’s potential in Hollywood nowadays. Black says, “I’ve never encountered homophobia in casting from the studios or networks, not once, not ever. Where you encounter it is with the agents and the managers, they’re the ones who have an outdated notion of the price an actor might pay if it’s discovered that they’re LGBTQ… often they don’t want to see anything happen that might compromise their investment.
“I think they cripple their actors because they stunt the star’s ability to be open and honest, and an audience can feel that.”
In March, ABC in the US will debut the mini-series When We Rise, which Black wrote. The show chronicles the rise of the gay-rights movement from the Stonewall riots to the triumphs of recent year. The cast includes Guy Pearce, Mary-Louise Parker, Rachel Griffiths, Whoopi Goldberg, Rosie O’Donnell, Denis O’Hare, David Hyde Pierce, Michael K. Williams, Charlie Caver and Ivory Aquino.
uhm excuse me but if someone wants to stay in the closet then that’s completely okay. we cannot judge queer people for the existence of homphobia. not everyone wants to or can live a life where they are being judged for their sexual orientation. of course it’s good and necessary that more and more people come out, but saying you don’t respect someone who doesn’t want to is so harmful. why formulate a statement denying closeted people your respect instead of speaking out against straight people’s homophobia?! this man’s point of view is beyond me …
I have no respect arrogant white guy who feels he is entitled to set the bar for gay morality.