Wentworth Miller reveals he is gay

The 41-year-old actor declined an invitation from St. Petersburg International Film Festival director Maria Averbakh to attend the event, stating: "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's letter was posted on the GLAAD website and noted: ". 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."

Tensions between the LGBT community and Russia heightened when President Vladimir Putin signed a law that "sharply limits the adoption of Russian children by people from countries that allow same-sex marriage" in July. The law also banned "the public discussion of gay rights and relationships anywhere children might hear it," sparking controversy among Olympic hopefuls for the 2014 Games in Sochi, Russia.

Miller ended his letter with: "Perhaps, when and if circumstances improve, I'll be free to make a different choice," and signed as a member of GLAAD, The ManKind Project, and the Human Rights Campaign.

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