An Open Letter to Kevin Spacey
Dear Mr. Spacey,
You truly outdid your multiple villainous roles when you took to Twitter to come out and deflect attention from your sexual misconduct.
Earlier this week you decided to take advantage of social media’s recent buzz around sexual violence to speak about your own experiences, and more over, your sexual orientation. I’m a huge proponent and supporter of the LGBTQ community and really value coming out experiences and stories, but the announcement of your sexual orientation as a means of deterring attention from your misconduct is repulsive and manipulative.
Anthony Rapp, who starred as Mark in Rent on Broadway and the big screen, told Buzzfeed earlier this week that he identified alongside many of other victims and survivors of sexual abuse and violence. In his story, he detailed that you tried to “get with [him] sexually” in 1986, when he was only 14.
You responded to his allegations against you in an insincere, disingenuous, cyber-apology with, “I don’t remember that” thrown in for good measure.
— Kevin Spacey (@KevinSpacey) October 30, 2017
Instead of reaching out to him in a personal, well-meaning way, you guarded your name and protected your pride by stating that you didn’t “remember” and that any actions were “deeply inappropriate drunken behavior.” You finished your tweet by, for the first time, announcing that you are now living as an openly gay man.
It doesn’t take much thought to recognize that this announcement of your sexual orientation was a tactic to deflect attention from your behavior. We see you.
Mr. Spacey, there are a plethora of issues at hand here. Between your alleged sexual assault on a minor and your inappropriate use of social media as a platform for apology, you’ve done enough, but what I am really struck by is your appropriation of the coming out process.
You have taken something that for many in the LGBTQ community is a tremendous moment of vulnerability and reclamation of power and used it to curtail potential backlash from your admittance to sexual assault on a minor.
As a gay man, you are part of a loving and all-embracing community. But that does not mean that the LGBTQ community will stand with you if you perpetuate sexual violence.
Mr. Spacey, I am appalled that you would allow yourself to let the verbalization of your sexual orientation take precedence over Anthony Rapp’s vulnerability and experiences. You do not get to let your coming out stand as more newsworthy or legitimate than someone vocalizing their fears and experiences with you, a sexual predator.
Sincerely,
One of the Outraged
