Amber Heard came out after being asked what she ‘identifies’ as
Amber Heard came out in an interview in which she was asked how she identifies.
Amber, who was previously married to Johnny Depp, reflected on her decision to be open about her identity at a time when it wasn’t as common in Hollywood.
She acknowledged the professional risks but explained that being true to herself was more important.
Speaking at The Economist’s Pride & Prejudice event in New York, she said (via People): “When I hear someone comment about me coming out, I think it’s funny, because I was never in. I saw myself being in this unique position, and I saw that as a responsibility to take charge of this conversation in a way that is meaningful.”
The actress also discussed her choice to embrace her platform, even when it could have been easier to stay quiet. “I personally think that if you deny something or if you hide something, you’re inadvertently admitting it’s wrong,” she said. “I don’t feel like it’s wrong.”
The actress candidly shared her perspective on labels and the importance of living authentically.
Speaking to Allure in 2017, she said: “I don’t identify as anything.” As tempted as I may be to explain Amber’s sexuality, I’m going to let her do it. I’m a person. I like who I like. I happened to be dating a woman, and people started taking pictures of us walking to our car after dinner.
“I [was] holding her hand, and I realized that I have two options: I can let go of her hand and, when asked about it, I can say that my private life is my private life. Or I could not let go and own it.”
She told the outlet: “Everyone told me: ‘You cannot do this.’ I had played opposite Nicolas Cage [in one movie], and in another I was playing opposite Johnny. And everyone said, ‘You’re throwing it all away. You can’t do this to your career.’ And I said, ‘I cannot do this any other way. Watch me.’ ” At this point, I decide with absolute certainty never to cross her.
“They pointed to no other working romantic lead, no other actress, that was out. I didn’t come out. I was never in. It’s limiting, that LGBTQ thing. It served a function as an umbrella for marginalized people to whom rights were being denied, but it loses its efficacy because of the nuanced nature of humanity.
“As we become more educated and expand the facts of our nature, we keep adding letters. It was a great shield, but now we’re stuck behind it. It’s so important to resist labels. I don’t care how many letters you add. At some point, it’s going to spell ‘WE ARE HUMAN.’ ”
Her simple yet powerful statement resonated with many, as it challenges the need for rigid definitions around sexuality.