The Wheel and Axle

I won’t lie and say that there are no closet cases that irritate me. I’m not perfect, and there are certain types I hold in disdain. They fall into two categories:

• The closet cases who compensate for it by being homophobic and are assholes towards other gay people. These closet cases, in my opinion, deserve a lot of rightful shaming for being vile hypocrites.
• The closet cases who use unsuspecting women as beards in order to give off the illusion that they are straight. Often, this type of relationship results in major pain for the woman involved, and in some cases, can also lead to abuse. (I’m 50/50 on closet cases who date women who know the truth and are willing parties in order to help cover up for the guy; I guess that depends on the situation.)

I believe that one can be in the closet without having to put down other gay people or to hurt women just to keep one’s secret. One, after all, has a right to privacy as long as this does not destroy the lives of others.

“Hey, I’m an ass. Gay, but also an ass.” (Photo: ABC)

There are a variety of reasons why many LGBT people stay in the closet. In many parts of the globe, it’s a matter of safety and security; it’s a world where archaic laws provide harsh punishments for simply being gay. Even in progressive countries like the USA, hate crimes still exist.

In other cases, it’s a matter of stigma, insecurity, religion, culture, career, or family. It’s rarely easy to come out, and it rarely happens on a whim.

Coming out is a personal process that is, unless one is hurting others in the process, nobody else’s business.

So it’s really fairly disgusting when a young upstart like this Noah Galvin shames Colton Haynes, another actor, for how the latter handled his public coming out.

We get it, Galvin. You’re an out and proud actor unafraid of losing jobs because you’re gay. This is probably why, to your own admission, your IMDB credit list isn’t exactly long.

However, this does not give you the moral high horse to shame other actors who have felt not felt the need to discuss their sexuality as they build their careers. Despite progress, discrimination still exists in Hollywood at some level, so much so that some prominent actors have expressed regret coming out early in their careers.

Nonetheless, it’s 2016, not 1989, and while being gay can still have a negative impact to one’s career, we’ve seen a lot of examples where sexuality rarely matters, just acting ability. Thus, coming out has become an easier choice for some performers these days.

Arsenal

But it’s still a choice. That person’s choice alone, and no one else’s.

Colton Haynes, in particular, may have been ambiguous about his sexuality for the longest time, but as far as I can recall, he never resorted to dating beards, and he always showed open support for the LGBT community.

I’ve followed Colton since he first appeared on Arrow. I could not claim to know him personally (I wish), but from what I’ve seen on his Instagram and Facebook accounts, he seems to be a fairly warm and caring person who’s also very real.

And he has a great sense of humor.

This is a guy who had no qualms spoofing Jennifer Lawrence’s Golden Globes moment.

This is a guy who had no qualms dressing up as Princess Fiona and Ursula for Halloween.

This is not a guy who’s uncomfortable or ashamed of his sexuality.

My shirt that Colton thought was “sick.”

I met Colton briefly during the Asia Pop Comicon last year. Yes, I was a plebeian who fell in line to get his autograph and talk to him, albeit briefly. I’d brought with me an Arsenal comic for him to sign, which he thought was very cool.

That, and he almost signed it with a heart – which I wouldn’t have minded because, well, obviously.

I wouldn’t have minded having the hearts, Colton.

In that very brief encounter (which I managed to record as per the above audio file), I found Colton to be a pretty nice guy.

This is a guy who doesn’t deserve the vitriol from a little gay brat like Noah Galvin.

Colton is not the only actor who came out at a later time in his career. Victor Garber and Wentworth Miller came out only a few years ago, at a time when they’ve become established names in the business.

Incidentally, along with John Barrowman, these four are openly gay actors playing straight characters in the Arrow/Flash/DCLoT TV Universe – disproving Ramin Setoodeh’s notions that gay actors cannot be convincing straight leads. This also tells Galvin that perhaps he lost out on that straight role not because he’s gay but maybe because he’s not as good an actor as the one who finally got it.

Although Vulture was the one that threw Colton’s name into the interview, Galvin’s response was no less vile. Was there any reason to react that way? Would he have responded the same way if the interviewer had thrown in Victor’s name or Wentworth’s? Or is Colton simply just fair game because he’s not as established as Victor, Wentworth, Jodie Foster or Zachary Quinto?

Dracula knows how to suck.

And not that I advocate attacking Luke Evans, a wonderful actor, but he’s had a more controversial coming out. Or rather, a going-back-in-then-slithering-back-out. Back in 2002, when Luke was still an unknown, he told the Advocate he’s gay. Then, when he started to make a name for himself, he was suddenly “dating” a female publicist. Then later on, it’s become something not to be talked about.

That sounds a bit more like the “fucking pussy bullshit” that Galvin likes to call out, but I do not want to judge Luke Evans. Okay, maybe just a tiny bit for thinking you can bury a 2002 interview in the age of the internet. But since he’s playing Gaston soon, I’ll give him a pass for his PR team’s blunders.

So now: why would Galvin single out Colton?

My friend Charlene theorizes that it sounds like someone trying to get the attention of his someone he likes. You know, that little boy who pulls the hair of the little girl he actually likes. Interesting read. This is why Charlene is my friend.

To his credit, Colton shut down Galvin pretty easily – and with class.

Noah Galvin has since apologized for his statements.

Colton at Asia Pop Comicon 2015