The actor took to Instagram to publicly declare his sexuality after rumours about his departure from Heroes re-emerged, and claimed that he has been ‘outed’ by Bryan Fuller, a writer on the show.
Dekker played Zach, best friend of Hayden Panettiere’s character, during the first two seasons of Heroes before exiting abruptly with no explanation.
Dekker’s note to fans read: “My sexual orientation once again came into question this week when a prominent gay man used an awards acceptance speech to ‘out’ me. While he did not mention me by name, the explicit details of his reference made it easy for the public and media to connect the dots.
“While it is an odd situation, I thank him because it presents a prime opportunity for me to publicly say that I am indeed a man who proudly loves other men. In fact, this April, I married my husband and I could not be happier.”
Dekker wrote that he has “never lied” about his sexuality. He continued: “I simply refuse to be robbed of the glorious joy that belongs to me. To say the words myself. “I’m gay”. Those words are a badge of honor that no one can steal. Sexuality and who you love is a deeply personal and complicated thing. For some of us, it takes time to cultivate, discover and conclude. It is not something anyone should ever be ashamed of and certainly not something anyone should be rushed into.
“I agree with many who believe it is an important responsibility for LGBTQ persons with a platform to come out. It has the power to change minds, challenge beliefs and make others feel understood and supported. It can strengthen the progression of our community and help disarm those who discriminate against us. It is a brave, powerful and important thing to do but it is also a deeply personal decision. One that should only be made when you are ready.”
Bryan Fuller, who worked on the fantasy from the outset, admitted at Outfest this week that a gay storyline never went ahead on Heroes because of major drama backstage with an unnamed actor.
“The gay character was het-washed after the actor’s management threatened to pull him from the show if [the character] were gay,” said the producer.
While there’s no confirmation as to which character Fuller was talking about, at the time the show was on the air, many viewers believed that Zach, played by Dekker, was gay.
Continue reading at Attitude Magazine