Over the weekend, actor Danny Pintauro, 50, posted his recollections of being forced out of the closet back in the 1990s. His thoughts prompted an unexpected wave of replies that deeply touched him.
By David Hudson
Pintauro found fame as a child actor in the sitcom Who’s The Boss? (1984-1992). Then, in 1997, he came out as gay via an interview with The National Enquirer.
Rediscovering a copy of that interview prompted his reflections on that time.
“I FINALLY FOUND IT,” he said, before delving into his story:
“I was 21 years old, and the Enquirer had made it clear they were going to run a story about my sexuality whether I participated or not. So I made the decision to speak for myself.
“Seeing the actual article again almost 30 years later is surreal.
“And here’s something I had forgotten: all things considered, it’s actually pretty heartfelt.”
“Kind of proud of him”
In his note, Pintauro said he was proud of how he handled a difficult situation as a young 20-something.
“Yes, the headline is enormous and very 1997: ‘TV sitcom star reveals: I’m gay. But the story talks about the support I received from my family, Tony Danza and Judith Light, and even includes a message about courage and coming out from Chaz Bono.
“It’s wild to think how short the list of openly gay public figures still was in 1997, and how many people would come out publicly in the years that followed.
“That doesn’t change how complicated it was to have something so personal become national news before I was ready for it to happen on my own terms. But reading it now, I can also see a 21-year-old me trying to take control of a situation I hadn’t chosen and say, ‘If this story is going to be told, I want my voice in it.’
“And I’m kind of proud of him for that.
“And a little thank you to Chaz Bono, too. Seeing those words of support sitting beside my story nearly 30 years later means more to me now than I probably understood at the time. ❤️
“Almost 30 years later, I finally have the actual piece of history back in my hands. Still gay. Still here. And very grateful that today, I get to decide how my story is told.”
The internet reacts
Pintauro’s recollection prompted tens of thousands of likes. Many people commented on how his decision to come out positively impacted them.
“For a kid in Oklahoma, this was a pivotal moment for my de-indoctrination from a fundamentalist upbringing,” said one. “We are about the same age, so I ‘grew up’ with you. Your character was funny and sweet and at the time I felt like I knew your character. So when this article came out, I was so shook. But that created cracks in the hateful logic I was raised to believe: gay people are evil. But I knew you weren’t evil.”
Another man added, “I hated when the tabloids did this to people like you and Chad Allen and others. It was evil. What Barbara Walters did to Ricky Martin was evil too. As imperfect as our world still is, at least those tabloids have minimal power now and the media doesn’t seem to try to actively out actors and singers or athletes.”
Another said, “Men like you walked, dragging progress into the future with you, so men like me can run! Thanks for setting the pace Danny!”
“Our history matters”
On Sunday, Pintauro revealed the post received over 5 million views. He was visibly touched by the comments.
He said many people had written him letters at the time. However, in the pre-internet age, he had no real insight into how his coming out widely impacted so many other people.
“When I shared my original coming-out article from 1997, I thought I was sharing a piece of my past,” he said in a video caption.
“I never imagined how many of you would tell me it was a piece of yours, too.”
He closed by reflecting on the importance of LGBTQ+ history, and his small role in it.
“Almost 30 years later, I’m learning that the impact of that moment reached so much further than I ever realized,” he said. “Our history matters. Our visibility matters. And the people who helped pave the way matter. Thank you for reminding me of that.”
Source: https://www.queerty.com/actor-danny-pintauro-reflects-on-being-forced-out-of-the-closet-in-1997-20261102/
