The 30-year-old Minnesotan — better known to Russian television viewers as Phil Richards, the keen American medical intern on hit sitcom “Interny” — revealed earlier this week in an interview with New York Magazine that he is gay.
In 2013, Russia adopted legislation banning the “propaganda of nontraditional sexual relations among minors.” Critics of the law say it has further stigmatised Russia’s LGBT community by restricting its members’ freedoms and rights, and has led to a surge in hate crime.
“I do not see myself as an activist and I didn’t set out to involve myself in politics,” Biron said. “But at a time when sexual minorities in Russia face greater adversity, both socially and legally, than at any time in recent memory, I feel compelled to use my unique platform to speak out. If my coming out publicly can give hope to anyone, or encourage them to do the same, then the sacrifice of my privacy is worth it.”
Read more at themoscowtimes.com
A small step for actor Odin Lund Biron – but a very big step for the Russian LGBT community.
