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Thomas Dekker is proud of his sexuality.
The 29-year-old actor, known for roles on The Secret Circle, Heroes and Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, came out as gay in a powerful essay shared to his Twitter on Thursday. Not only is Dekker a member of the LGBT community, he also revealed he and the love of his life wed in April.
In the statement, Thomas said he decided to go public with the matter after a fellow gay man seemed to “out” him during a recent award ceremony.
Dekker wrote, “My sexual orientation once again came into question this week when a prominent gay man used an awards acceptance speech to ‘out’ me. While he did not mention me by name, the explicit details of his reference made it easy for the public and media to connect the dots.”
The celeb is reportedly referring to Heroes writer Bryan Fuller, who was honored at an Outfest event and alluded to Dekker onstage. Fuller made a comment about a gay Heroes star whose management team didn’t want his character to come out for fear it would impact future casting decisions.
Dekker continued, “While it is an odd situation, I thank him because it presents a prime opportunity for me to publicly say that I am indeed a man who proudly loves other men. In fact, this April, I married my husband and I could not be happier.”
“I have never lied to the press about the fluidity of my sexuality but this man claiming that I came out is not true,” he added. “Because I have not ‘officially’ until this moment. I simply refuse to be robbed of the glorious joy that belongs to me. To say the words myself. ‘I’m gay’. Those words are a badge of honor that no one can steal.”
“Sexuality and who you love is a deeply personal and complicated thing. For some of us, it takes to cultivate, discover and conclude. It is not something anyone should ever be ashamed of and certainly not something anyone should be rushed into.”
Dekker also addressed why he hadn’t shared his sexuality with fans before, writing, “I agree with many who believe it is an important responsibility for LGBTQ persons with a platform to come out. It has the power to change minds, challenge beliefs and make others feel understood and supported. It can strengthen the progression of our community and help disarm those who discriminate against us.”
“It is a brave, powerful and important thing to do but it is also a deeply personal decision. One that should only be made when you are ready,” he said.
“If we are to stand strong in the gay community, our mission should be support, not exclusion; love, not shame. I choose not to look back on the past with a regretful heart but rather focus on the future with a hopeful one. A future where myself and all others can feel free to express their true selves with honor and dignity.”
Thomas’ message concluded, “I embrace you, any of you, with open arms, kindness, faith and patience. For all of you who have supported me, before and now, I thank you from the bottom of my fledgling heart. Be proud of who you are. No matter how long it takes.”
Fuller has not addressed Dekker’s coming out yet.
