San Francisco LGBT community has mixed reactions to Kevin Spacey's coming out

Monday, October 30, 2017
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- People choosing to come out are usually applauded by the gay community, but not in this case as Kevin Spacey continues to receive loads of criticism locally and beyond.

RELATED: Kevin Spacey apologizes after allegation of past sexual advance

The International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences tweeted it will no longer honor the actor with the 2017 Founders Award, and Los Gatos-based Netflix confirmed it won't renew "House of Cards" past the upcoming sixth season.
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"I haven't watched 'House of Cards' because I don't have a lot of respect for him as a person," said Adam Ross of San Francisco.

And now the local gay community is expressing even less respect for the actor after his response to the sexual allegations made against him.

Spacey is accused of making sexual advances to actor Anthony Rapp who was 14 at the time. Spacey was 26.



Spacey apologized for the incident and then came out as gay.

In a statement, spacey wrote: "I have loved and had romantic encounters with men and women throughout my life, and I choose now to live as a gay man."

"That's not how you come out," said State Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco).
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Wiener says gay men have long been demonized as child predators and Spacey's response only fuels that false notion.

"I don't know if he's trying to deflect or what he's trying to do but these issues are unrelated. You know molesting a boy has nothing to do with being a gay man."

The other issue among members of the gay community is Spacey's choice of words: "I choose now to live as a gay man".



"I think it applauds the people who think gay is a choice and it's obviously not," said David Stithem of San Francisco.

Spacey has made no comment since his initial statement.
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