After being photographed kissing a man at the end of a party in Rio de Janeiro, actor Leonardo Vieira, 48, decided to speak openly about the issue and denounce prejudice.
+Leonardo Vieira enjoys a night out shirtless and kisses a lot at a party in Rio
In an open letter sent to the press this Monday, the heartthrob talks about his homosexuality and narrates the episode of exposure, when websites and social networks published records of the kiss, which took place on December 28th.
In the text, Leonardo says that the man who appears with him in the photo is a friend and that the two were celebrating the actor's birthday. “We ended up kissing. A photographer didn't miss the opportunity and took a burst of clicks recording the situation. What was supposed to be my moment ended up becoming public”, he admits. "And I didn't choose to be gay. If I could choose, I would choose to be heterosexual, for sure," he continues, in another part of the letter.
"I'm not 'coming out of the closet' because I've never been in one."
Heartthrob of soap operas such as “Renascer”, “Sonho meu” and “Senhora do Destino”, Leonardo says he never hid his sexuality from relatives or friends.
"I'm not 'coming out of the closet', because I've never been in one. I've also never been a closet person. My parents knew about my sexual orientation when I was still very young. At first it wasn't easy for them, as we come from a Catholic family and with very conservative characteristics, but over time they started to respect me and accept my orientation. They understood that their son could be a good person, honest, with good character, a good son, a good friend, even though he was 'gay'” .
The actor also states that he intends to use the episode to try to break paradigms. He was at the Cybercrime Repression Police Station in Rio de Janeiro this Friday afternoon denouncing the attacks he has been suffering on social media after the publication of an image kissing a man on the mouth.
'I never felt like a criminal for being homosexual'
“I still don’t know what consequences are coming, but I want to transform the episode and the consequences I experience into something that has some value for a greater number of people”, he explains.
“I never felt criminal or guilty for being homosexual, I would feel that way if I had killed someone, or robbed someone or the nation. Being gay has never harmed or hurt anyone other than myself. (…) Now, people from the public to whom I dedicated my time, attention and affection, attack me on social media in a vile and violent way, because they 'discovered' that I am gay. I never said it wasn't, I just didn't go around with a flag flying. I have not betrayed anyone's trust, I have always been what I am. Something very simple to understand if in our society this issue wasn't still a taboo in 2017."
“I wouldn't like to put myself in the role of victim, but I am and I can't help but want my rights as a good citizen and demand justice for myself and, perhaps, for so many other homosexuals in my country who also suffer from this daily and for years in their lives. Homophobia needs to be treated seriously by justice and society. (…) I'm going to the human rights commission this afternoon to understand what my rights are as a citizen and perhaps serve as an example so that my case is no longer one and this can change something in our legislation".
See the full text:
Manifesto against homophobia.
“I want to start this letter by first wishing everyone a happy 2017! I wish the new year to be full of achievements for everyone, but mainly to be a year of more tolerance, respect and love between all people, beliefs, religions, colors, social classes, ideologies and sexual orientations.
The year 2016 ended and with it I received a task to face in 2017, which I want to share with you. Facing this mission will be a big change in my life, perhaps the biggest and an effective break of a paradigm. I still don't know what consequences are coming, but I want to transform the episode and the consequences I experience into something that has some value for a greater number of people.
On December 28th, I celebrated my birthday and, to celebrate, I went to a private party for an acquaintance. There I met a friend who no longer lives in Brazil and we ended up kissing. A photographer didn't miss the opportunity and took a burst of clicks recording the situation. What was supposed to be my moment ended up becoming public. The following day, the photo of the kiss between two men was featured on the cover of a major celebrity website and replicated in several other spaces.
I have never hidden my sexuality, anyone who knows me knows that. I'm not “coming out of the closet” because I've never been in one.
I've never been a closet person either. My parents knew about my sexual orientation when I was still very young. At first it wasn't easy for them, as we come from Catholic families with very conservative characteristics, but over time they started to respect me and accept my orientation. They could see through my conduct that this was just a detail of my personality. They understood that their son could be a good person, honest, with good character, a good son, a good friend, even though he was “gay”.
Today, my mother's only concern is that I'm not happy. I can tell her that I'm happy. I have a job that fulfills me, friends who love me and a family that really knows me and accepts me as I am, without hypocrisy. My case is neither the first nor will it be the last.
I knew from an early age that I wanted to be an actor. I was already doing amateur theater at school, even before I discovered myself sexually. At 22 years old, I was shot to fame like a rocket. In four chapters of a soap opera I became nationally famous and became the heartthrob of the moment, a “Brazilian boyfriend”. In a short time it was on all the covers of magazines and newspapers. I started to receive countless letters, invitations to television commercials, parties, parades, VIP appearances. The media classified me as a sex symbol and journalists asked me how I felt being the new “sex symbol”.
I was young and didn't know how to respond, I just said that I was happy with the impact of my work. I didn't even think I was that beautiful and sexy to be considered a sex symbol. I always thought I was a normal guy. I lived with a personal doubt that took away my peace for a while. How could I be a sex symbol for so many girls and women when my “real life” sexuality pointed in another direction? How to deal with this? What to do? Do I declare my sexuality? The pressure was enormous from all sides, I didn't know what to do and ended up not declaring myself publicly, I kept a discreet life and treated the matter within friendship, work and family circles as something natural.
I always thought that an actor should be like a blank canvas. There we will place paints, colors, shapes and feelings to bring different characters to life. I respect, but I have never agreed with actors who expose their intimate lives or raise ideological flags, precisely because in my opinion this could tarnish this blank canvas and run the risk of taking away the credibility of a work. The public starts to see the actor before the character and for me that has never been good. One of the reasons I never did my “outing” was this and that is not an excuse.
Probably, if I were straight, I would maintain the same discreet stance regarding my private life.
Unfortunately, we live in a country still full of prejudices and homophobia is one of them. Revealing yourself as homosexual is not easy for anyone and I believe it is even more difficult for a public person. I always thought “coming out” was too heavy a term. A crime, a misdemeanor, an error and a serious misconduct are assumed. Am I wrong in being who I am? Do I have any blame to take? This term “coming out” haunted me as if I had committed some crime and that I would have to make a “mea culpa” and be convicted.
I never felt criminal or guilty for being homosexual, I would feel that way if I had killed someone, or robbed someone or the nation. Being gay has never harmed or hurt anyone other than myself; and I didn't choose to be gay. If I could choose, I would definitely choose to be heterosexual. Life would be much easier, I wouldn't have to face the difficulties I faced with my parents, I wouldn't be discriminated against in certain social circles, I would have a family with children (I always dreamed of being a father), I wouldn't suffer prejudice from colleagues, I wouldn't be attacked on the streets, I would not be insulted on social media, I would not fail to be chosen for certain characters, I would be invited to more advertising campaigns and magazine covers. I have lived and suffered prejudice throughout my life and most of the time no one noticed, only I felt it firsthand, but that didn't mean I was victimized.
I never stopped doing anything in my private life because I was a famous actor. I've always gone to gay places, I've dated amazing guys, I have several gay friends and I also go to straight places, I have straight friends, I go to the supermarket, to the market... I've always had a normal life like every human being deserves to have. I never felt special for being an actor and I always made a point of moving around freely, even if I often had to stop for a minute of my existence to take a photo or sign an autograph.
Now, people from the public to whom I dedicated my time, attention and affection, attack me on social media in a vile and violent way, because they “discovered” that I am gay. I never said it wasn't, I just didn't go around with a flag flying. I have not betrayed anyone's trust, I have always been what I am. Something very simple to understand if in our society this issue was not still taboo in 2017.
Regarding the “gay kiss” episode, which at first seemed to be a “last minute scandal” or a stumbling block, I stopped to reflect and saw that it was, in fact, a gift. A great opportunity to get something off my back that made me suffer for many years. I sincerely thank the website and the photographer who published the photos of the kiss, as I felt obliged to write this letter and make my position clear, thus removing a weight that I have carried on my shoulders for years, in addition to being able to help so many people who suffer prejudice, discrimination or have not yet come to terms with their sexuality. I'm feeling a lot lighter, but I could be feeling a lot heavier if I didn't have the support of my family and friends.
Although the publication did me a great favor, it could have hurt me immensely professionally (we will only know in the future) or it could have destroyed my family, if by chance they hadn't already known about my situation. Unfortunately, the same media that says it is against intolerance, discrimination and prejudice, feeds these feelings irresponsibly, without measuring the consequences. It's incredible that works like "Beijo no Asfalto", by Nelson Rodrigues, based on a kiss between men and transformed into media sensationalism, are still current.
This open letter here is not an apology, because I don't think I should apologize for being gay. On the contrary: I have always been proud to be who I am. This letter is a manifesto against homophobia. I discovered to my surprise that homophobia doesn't land anyone in jail. This crime, which can be devastating to people's lives, has no equal defense. Some commit suicide and others kill out of simple prejudice, which, combined with verbal, psychological or physical violence, is one of the ills of our society.
I wouldn't like to put myself in the role of a victim, but I am and I can't help but want my rights as a good citizen and demand justice for myself and, perhaps, for so many other homosexuals in my country who also suffer from this daily and for years on end. Your lives.
Homophobia needs to be treated seriously by justice and society.
The objective of this letter is not only to clarify, once and for all and to anyone who may be interested, my sexual orientation, but also to alert to the true psychological and lethal crime that people commit when they waste time in their lives to attack others in internet or on the streets.
What still surprises me is the violence, war, discrimination, intolerance, the lack of respect between equal people who attack each other because of their differences, whether because someone is gay, straight, black, white, rich, poor, evangelical. or Muslim. If I'm gay, it won't change anyone's life or anyone reading this, but my case could perhaps help people who suffer from sexual discrimination or any other form of discrimination and prejudice. I can't understand why people still care so much about other people's sexuality and make it a reason for discord and violence.
There are women and men on the internet saying horrible things about me. I have suffered homophobic attacks for being photographed kissing a man. If I were straight, I would never get involved with a prejudiced and inelegant woman, because I also wouldn't get involved with a prejudiced and inelegant man. Being a human being with good character, honest, friendly, loyal, polite, kind, generous and other qualities is much more important than who you kiss or have sexual relations with, regardless of whether you are a man or a woman.
That's why I'm going to the human rights commission this afternoon to understand what my rights are as a citizen and perhaps serve as an example so that my case is no longer one and this can change something in our legislation.
To conclude this manifesto, I would like to honor and thank some people who, before me, had the courage to come forward and declare their sexual orientations without fear of facing the consequences: Kevin Spacey, Rick Martin, Ian McKellen, Alessandra Maestrine, Marco Nanini, Ney Matogrosso, Daniela Mercury and many others. I would like to express my deepest gratitude and respect to everyone who fights for this cause: freedom so that everyone can be who they are.
Well, life goes on and if you want to check out my work, I'm showing at the Folha theater in São Paulo, starting on January 11th, always on Wednesdays and Thursdays, at 21 pm, in the comedy Nove em Ponto, by Rui Vilhena. ”
Leonardo Vieira
