The “Abbott Elementary” star said the “conversation is bigger than me” after fans theorized he was gay.
Tyler James Williams made a poignant statement on Sunday about rumors surrounding his s-xuality, saying that speculating can do more harm than good.
In a series of Instagram Stories, the Abbott Elementary star, 30, wrote over a black background confirming that he “wouldn't address stuff like this” but felt the “conversation is bigger than me.”
“I'm not gay; but the culture of trying to ‘find’ some kind of hidden trait or behavior that a closeted person ‘let slip’ is very dangerous," Williams wrote. “Overanalyzing someone's behavior in an attempt to ‘catch’ them directly contributes to the anxiety a lot of queer and queer questioning people feel when they fear living in their truth.”
Williams also said that trying to make assumptions about a
person's s-xuality based on characteristics “reinforces an archetype many
straight men have to live under that is often unrealistic, less free, and
limits individual expression.”
Fans online have made jokes or
started rumors that Williams is gay, particularly after he played a gay man
in Dear White People — but the actor has never officially made a statement
about it until now.
Williams wrote that he's been using his platform to “push against
those archetypes” often assigned to different men.
“Being
straight doesn't look one way. Being gay doesn't look one way,” Williams
continued. “And what may seem like harmless fun and conversation may
actually be sending a dangerous message to those struggling with real
issues.”
After wishing a “Happy Pride to all my queer and questioning
brothers, sisters, and individuals,” Williams also vowed to continue
to help “cultivate a future where we are all accepted and given permission
to be ourselves.”
