With all the glitz and glamour that surrounds Hollywood stars, it is not surprising that behind the appealing façade of fame there is a dark underbelly. Since October 5, when the first sexual assault allegation came out against film mogul, Harvey Weinstein, more and more stars in Hollywood are coming out about their unwanted sexual experiences in Hollywood and calling out the perpetrators, the most recent being actor Kevin Spacey. However, Spacey unlike others who were accused of sexual assault chose to respond to the allegations in a completely different fashion that has opened up a brand new conversation.

In late October, actor Anthony Rapp , described a time when he was fourteen when a then 26-year-old Kevin Spacey made a sexual advance towards him. In response, Kevin Spacey chose to deflect the claims and gain sympathy by finally coming out as a gay man and attempting to use his sexuality as a way to control the narrative in the sexual misconduct case. While no person should ever be afraid to live their truth and embrace their sexuality, it seems like Kevin Spacey is only using his to get out of trouble.

However, coming out is not a new tactic and has been used by many other high-profile politicians and actors in time of controversy. Kevin Spacey’s recent “coming out” serves as a reminder that powerful men often have the luxury of choosing when and how they want to come out. Often times when they do choose to, it’s not because they want to promote the LGBTQ community or advocate for other social change, instead it often falls to self-interest and protecting a brand. At a time when the LGTBQ community still experiences high rates of violence and sexual assault it’s not okay for Spacey to take this time to subtract from that issue.