Amber Heard urges closeted male actors to come out

Actress Amber Heard has spoken about her sexuality and prejudices she’s faced in the film industry.

Heard delivered a speech at the Pride and Prejudice event held by the Economist which aims to advance a “global discussing on why LGBT-inclusion is good for business.”

According to NewNowNext, Heard reflected on her own sexuality, including her 2010 ‘coming out’ interview in the speech.

“Even though everyone around me strongly advised me against it, I just, it was just wrong,” she said.

“I would rather go down for being who I am than to have risen for being something I’m not. I was in a relationship and I just never hid it… an outlet specifically asked me who I was there with that night and what that person was to me, and I just answered honestly.”

Heard had no problems opening up about her sexuality, but claims that she became “attached” to the bisexual label, saying: “I realised the gravity of what I had done and why so many people – studio execs, agents, advisors – did not want this coming before my name.”

“I became attached to a label. I’ve never seen myself defined by the person I’m with, the same way you’re not defined by the hair colour of your partner – I never saw myself defined as one particular thing or not.”

She adds, “I watched as I quickly became not actress Amber Heart, but out lesbian Amber Heard.”

While the Danish Girl star still grapples with labels, she went on to say that she feels a “responsibility” to be proud of her bisexuality before praising the women who had taken on the responsibility including Kristen Stewart, Cara Delevingne and Evan Rachel Wood.

Heard then criticised men for not joining them, saying: “Off the top of my head, all the examples that are challenging this status quo are women.”

She adds, “If every gay man that I know personally came out in Hollywood tomorrow, then this would be a non-issue in a month.”

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