Billy Porter recalls coming out during the height of the Aids epidemic
The actor is currently starring in Ryan Murphy's new series 'Pose'
By Steve Brown
Words: Steve Brown
Billy Porter has recalled coming out during the height of the Aids epidemic.
The openly gay actor – who is currently starring in Ryan Murphy’s latest series Pose – has been vocal in LGBTQ rights and during an interview with Variety, Porter recalled coming out during the height of the Aids epidemic.
Porter said: “I came out as gay in 1985, it was the middle of the Aids crisis.
“It was a dark time, it was a dark, dark time. We were living through a plague. And it was a group of people that it felt like nobody cared about and that cloud was hanging over the city in a really hard way.”
During the Actors on Actors interview, Porter was asked about his involvement in Murphy’s new series – which focuses on the New York ballroom scene – and how he feels to portray the historical story on screen, something he claims he never thought he would see.
He continued: “The great part about it was that – and I think this is what infuses the show – is the choice to choose life anyway is such a powerful thing.
“It’s a powerful tool to have in life in general and you can’t have a testimony unless you have a test.
“If I’m being honest with you, I never felt like this story being told would ever be an option.
“My dreams have always been huge, but they’ve always been spring-boarded off to something I had already seen. Never the impossible.”