Wentworth Miller, the “Prison Break” star and “Stoker” scribe, came out as gay in a letter sent Wednesday to the St. Petersburg International Film Fest, declining to participate because of Russia’s anti-LGBT laws.
“I am deeply troubled by the current attitude toward and treatment of gay men and women by the Russian government,” Miller wrote. “The situation is in no way acceptable, and I cannot in good conscience participate in a celebratory occasion hosted by a country where people like myself are being systematically denied their basic right to live and love openly.”
GLAAD spokesman Wilson Cruz released a statement: “Wentworth’s bold show of support sends a powerful message to LGBT Russians, who are facing extreme violence and persecution: you are not alone. As people from across the globe continue to speak out against Russia’s horrific law, more celebrities and corporations should follow his courageous lead in openly condemning Russia’s anti-LGBT law.”
Russia’s anti-LGBT legislation have attracted international censure since the nation’s parliament passed a law in June, which bans “propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations” and imposes fines on those holding gay pride rallies.
Russian Gay Anchor Fired
Meanwhile, Russian anchor Anton Krasovsky was fired for coming out on live TV earlier this year.
“I’m gay, and I’m just the same person as you, my dear audience, as President Putin, as Prime Minister Medvedev and the deputies of our Duma,” he said.
According to an interview with Snob.ru, Krasovsky was reportedly fired from KontrTV, a government-backed cable network in December, and the footage of his announcement was quickly deleted from KontrTV’s website and YouTube.
“Somebody should do it,” he told CNN earlier this week. “I decided it’s time to be open for me. That’s it.”
While the anchor’s firing happened earlier this year, his story is grabbing the attention of the media now that Russia’s antigay law has passed and is being strictly enforced.
“They immediately blocked all my corporative accounts, my email. Literally immediately, overnight,” Krasovsky told Snob.ru. “They deleted not only my face from the website, but also all of my TV shows, as if I’d never really existed.”
He said after making the announcement toward the end of his newscast, the audience and the crew applauded.