Abbott Elementaryy star Tyler James Williams responds to rumors that he is gay – and stands against speculation about someone’s sexuality.
Over the weekend, the actor took to Instagram Stories to confirm that, contrary to some speculation, he’s “not gay.” Williams, 30, went on to explain why “overanalyzing” others and trying to guess their sexuality is a “very dangerous” practice, both because it limits the behavior of straight men like him, and leaves LGBTQ people or those who question their feeling of “less safe” sexuality.
“Usually I wouldn’t bring up this stuff, but I feel like a conversation is more important than me,” wrote Williams, who plays Gregory on the hit ABC sitcom. “I’m not gay, but I think the culture of trying to ‘find’ some sort of hidden trait or behavior that a locked-in person has ‘missed out’ is very dangerous.
“Overanalyzing someone’s behavior in an effort to ‘catch’ them directly contributes to the anxiety that many queer and queer-questioners feel when they are afraid to live in their truth,” the former said. Everybody Hates Chris star continued. “It makes most pedestrian conversations and interactions in spaces less safe among our gay brothers and sisters and those who may be wondering.
“It also reinforces an archetype that many straight men have to live under that is often unrealistic, less free and limits individual expression,” added Williams, who has become a red carpet favorite thanks to her willingness to walk away. traditional looks for men. “I’ve been very clear about the intentionality that I try to put into using my platform to push back against these archetypes at every opportunity I have.
The Golden Globe winner continued, “Being straight doesn’t seem to be a one-way street. Being gay doesn’t seem to be a one-way street. And what may seem like fun and innocuous conversation can actually send a dangerous message to those struggling with real issues.I refuse to inadvertently contribute to this message.
Williams signed off by sharing a white heart emoji and wishing “Happy Pride to all my queer and questioning brothers, sisters and individuals.”
He added: “I pray that you will feel seen in such a way that you will feel safe during this month’s celebration. As an ally, I continue to be committed to helping where I can and to help cultivate a future where we are all accepted and given permission to be ourselves.
In an interview with QG in March, Williams shared that he was single and spoke about his struggle to date given his fame and the misconceptions others might have around him. As a former child star who grew up in front of the camera, Williams also shared how he went to therapy to work on his sense of “hypervigilance.”
“I’m always triggered by things that are part of everyone’s childhood,” he told the magazine. “Whenever someone comes to me, no matter what they recognize me for, what it tells me in the moment is that I am seen. I must be turned on, immediately, because someone is watching Hypervigilance was one of the things we had to tackle because I was listening to everyone’s conversation in one room I could hear my name being mentioned from two, three tables down I could see how many people timed me when I walked through the door. And that’s not healthy.”