After some dubious accusations of child molestation, because the cool new thing in Hollywood is to have been sexually assaulted, abused or harassed (not to cast aspersions on the victims or doubt on any of the actual Holywood stuff, but we getting to the point where attention-whores are trying to jump on the band wagon - how is getting bumped from behind by a wheelchair-bound nonagenarian remotely in the same category as getting pressured to have sex with both physical force and a threat to your career? Making that incident a case of sexual assault is like claiming Pappy Bush supports Colin Caepernick, because he didn't stand for the national anthem at the World Series the other night, or even salute the flag), Kevin Spacey responded claiming he has no recollection of the event and is all sorts of sorry and appalled. And then he mentioned that he is gay and is officially coming out.

This is the text of his comment:
I'm beyond horrified to hear his story. I honest do not remember the encounter, it would have been over 30 years ago. But if I did, behave then as he describes, I owe him the sincerest apology for what would have been deeply inappropriate drunken behavior, and I am sorry for the feelings he describes having carried with him all these years

This story has encouraged me to address other things about my life. I know that there are stories about there about me and that some have been fueled by the fact that I have been so protective of my pricacy. As those closest to me know, in my life I have had relationships with both men and women. I have loved and had romantic encounters with men throughout my life, and I choose now to live as a gay man. I want to deal with this honest and openly and that starts with examining my own behavior.

I did not read that statement as equating homosexuality with child molestation, nor did I see it as attempting to hide behind his orientation and use it to avert criticism. It looked like he was owning his sexual advances against a young male person, to the extent that it is prudent to do so, and saying "Well as long as we're talking about me hitting on males, I might as well go on record about my sexuality once and for all." I reads to me like he is offering to sacrifice his privacy and prefered reticence on the issue of his sexuality and personal relationships in order to address possible problematic aspects of his behavior.

Even if you don't believe that it is dangerous to be openly gay, or that you are more likely to be victimized or persecuted if you are out, I can see why an actor or performer would be reluctant to commit to such a public image. It gets you typecast, roles start being seen as statements and all the rest of that. If he had been out prior to making his current Netflix show, "House of Cards", people would have been reading all sorts of things into his character's homosexual activity. Until he admitted his own orientation, such speculation would have been slanderous, and thus seldom entered criticism and analysis of his role. And according to the narrative to which most of Spacey's creative colleagues seem devoted, he's just put an enormous target on himself. So either way, it seems far more likely that his statement was intended to man up and deal with the accusations, rather than deflect, distract or seek immunity.