Andrew Scott has called for the ban of the phrase ‘openly gay’ ahead of his latest film, a LGBTQ romantic fantasy.
The Fleabag actor, 47, who is gay, plays grieving screenwriter Adam alongside Normal People actor Paul Mescal, 27, in All Of Us Strangers, set to be released on January 26.
The film explores loneliness and grief but is also a love story between Adam and Paul’s character Harry.
Ahead of the release, Andrew said he believes the expression ‘openly gay’ should be retired as he feels it has negative connotations.
‘I’m going to make a pitch for getting rid of the expression openly gay. Hear me out, it’s an expression that we actually only ever hear in the media. You’re never at a party and you say “this is my openly gay friend”,’ Andrew told The Hollywood Reporter.
‘Why do we put openly in front of that adjective? We don’t say “you’re openly Irish”. You don’t say “you’re openly left handed.” There’s something in it. That’s a little near (the word) shamelessly.
‘I’d nearly prefer shamelessly. Sometimes I just feel like if you’ve got to say it to understand it just say “out” possibly or, you know what, sometimes don’t say anything at all. I just think it’s time to park it’.
Fans took to X, formerly Twitter, to share their support about Andrew’s call to retire the phrase.
One wrote: ‘I agree with Andrew Scott. Let’s stop saying “openly gay” when it comes to LGBTQ celebrities.’
Another said: ‘I saw Andrew Scott make an excellent point about the term “openly gay” recently. Let’s just stop using this expression.’
Andrew previously discussed his sexuality in a 2013 interview with The Independent, saying he didn’t want to ‘trade on it’.
He said: ‘Mercifully, these days people don’t see being gay as a character flaw.
‘But nor is it a virtue, like kindness. Or a talent, like playing the banjo. It’s just a fact.
‘Of course, it’s part of my make-up, but I don’t want to trade on it. I am a private person; I think that’s important if you’re an actor.
‘But there’s a difference between privacy and secrecy, and I’m not a secretive person. Really I just want to get on with my job, which is to pretend to be lots of different people. Simple as that.’
In All of Us Strangers Paul and Andrew’s character’s are neighbours living in contemporary London, who become lovers after a chance encounter, but find themselves haunted by memories of the past.
It begins as writer Adam (Andrew) returns home one night and catches a glimpse of Harry (Paul) from the street below their high rise apartment block.
Harry then pays Adam a visit admitting that he saw him ‘starring’ from the street and had assumed he was single as he ‘never sees him with anyone.’
But as romance blossoms between the pair Adam becomes increasingly preoccupied by memories of his past.
Adam returns to his childhood home where he discovers that his dead parents (Claire Foy and Jamie Bell) appear to be alive but have not aged a day in 30 years.
After welcoming their son back home, the family sit down for dinner together at the table.
The film is an adaptation of Taichi Yamada’s 1987 Japanese psychological novel Strangers.
