Entertainment

Colton Haynes says coming out harmed his career, but he still has hope: “I’ve done the right thing” – Queerty

I think that I’ve done the right thing by being so honest about my life. Do I think my career would be a completely different career if I just would’ve not come out of the closet and just would’ve played the game and just like not given any actual factual information out and just lied to everybody? Yeah, because you see it all the time if a lot of people who are successful aren’t genuine…

… It is extremely hard navigating the industry as an out person, an out LGBTQ+ actor, no matter how hard the media loves to try to tell you that, you know, things are different now. They’re not. I mean, you have incredible movies at the box office that aren’t doing or getting the respect that they deserve. You have actors who aren’t being paid the same as everybody else, even though they’ve been a part of projects for 10 years.

… I played straight characters my whole career. Then I came out of the closet and now the opportunities aren’t there. And so I think that’s something that needs to change. But also I think we just have to start making our own things and we have to start writing our own things and trying to uplift our communities as much as we can and not be the people in the community who try to continue to tear it down as well.”Colton Haynes speaking very candidly to the Behind The Velvet Rope with David Yontef podcast about how coming out has negatively impacted his career.

Related: EXCLUSIVE: Colton Haynes opens up about homophobia in Hollywood and surviving sexual abuse