Kevin Spacey’s response to sexual assault allegations elicits online backlash
Last night, in an interview with BuzzFeed News, actor Anthony Rapp alleged that Kevin Spacey had made unwanted sexual advances toward him in 1986, when Rapp was just 14 and Spacey was 26. Several hours later, Spacey posted a weak apology on Twitter, claiming that he didn’t remember the event, while also calling it “inappropriate drunken behavior.”
Then, in the same apology note, Spacey takes the time to announce that he has chosen to “live as a gay man.” This attempt to shift attention from Rapp’s allegations has been widely met with backlash online, as people point out that not only is Spacey’s coming-out a calculated public relations move, but it also reinforces dated and dangerous stereotypes that conflate homosexuality with…
