Sir Ian McKellen urges celebrities to 'come out' as gay
Lord of the Rings star Sir Ian McKellen has urged more celebrities to 'come out' as gay as he said there needs to be more gay role models. Sir Ian, 70, came out when he was 49 years old and admitted there needs to be more gay role models to make people feel more at ease at coming out.
He said: "There is still a lot to do in this country: we have to address attitudes and the rise in casual homophobia, the young people getting abused, even killed, for being gay. "I wish that a major sportsman or woman would come out, that would make a huge difference. We need more role models in the public eye, and I know that some of those people are fearful about how people would perceive them if they came out." Sir Ian didn't come out until he was in his forties and he admitted it was Section 28, the clause in the Local Government bill that outlawed the 'promotion' of homosexuality, that helped him to admit the truth. He said: "I didn't come out until I was 49. I had been living a pretty open life, and everyone knew apart from close family. "Before I came out, if a newspaper asked me about getting married, I'd say that I hadn't met the right person yet. "But Section 28 changed me. That's when I made the connection between the personal and the political."
Provided by: Sophie Eager / Splash News
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