The actor, 41, who confirmed that he is gay publicly for the first time via the letter, turned down an offer to be a “guest of honour” at the St. Petersburg International Film Festival.
He wrote: "Thank you for your kind invitation. As someone who has enjoyed visiting Russia in the past and can also claim a degree of Russian ancestry, it would make me happy to say yes. However, as a gay man, I must decline."
"The situation is in no way acceptable," he wrote, adding: "I cannot in good conscience participate in a celebratory occasion hosted by a country where people like myself are being systematically denied their basic right to live and love openly."
Miller stated that he was "deeply troubled by the current attitude toward and treatment of gay men and women by the Russian government.” » | Matilda Battersby | Thursday, August 22, 2013
