Billy Porter Opens Up About His Harrowing Sexual Abuse Story

Billy Porter, one of the breakout stars of two of Ryan Murphy's popular FX shows, Pose and American Horror Story, penned a poignant op-ed for PRIDE's sister publication, OUT Magazine this week. In his piece, Porter bravely recounts the harrowing sexual abuse he faced at the hands of his stepfather when he was only a child.

"Seven-year-old boys do not have affairs with 50-year-old men. It’s called sexual abuse. Plain and simple," Porter wrote, remembering a conversation he had with this therapist about how to more accurately describe what had happened to him. 

Speaking on the current #MeToo and #TimesUp movements, and why there's still a lot more work that needs to be done in order for abusers to see justice, Porter continued: 

"So it’s not surprising that this whole "#METOO/Times Up" situation has triggered all sorts of monsters in my psyche with the force of a thousand aftershocks. And while there has been some movement in the right direction in our culture. Now, on occasion it’s, "We believe you." And yet - no consequences. The same old narrative continues to be the status quo. We’ve been forced to endure yet another public victim of these violent atrocities be shamed, mocked, laughed at, disbelieved and discredited while the monsters receive saintly status and are elevated to the highest court in the land with the power to legislate our lives as they see fit.  No accountability. No consequences. Time’s up, Bitches! TIMES! UP!"

He then urged people to go out and exercise their right to vote, especially since it's so important for the upcoming midterm elections: 

"So - fuck this shit! I ain’t scared! I’m ain’t terrified! I’m pissed! I’m enraged! And you should be too. We are on the precipice of a modern civil war, so it’s time to stop taking a bag of popcorn to a gun fight. We have to stop in-fighting each other and band together to save our Democracy and earth’s humanity.  Period! The End! Cause I know when the shit hits the fan they’re coming for my black faggoty loud mouth ass first. So I’m gonna stand on the shoulders of all those who came before us, the folk who laid down their lives for the rights we seems to be so carelessly squandering -  and keep screaming and fighting till my dying day! Who’s gonna join me?  Pull it together people, it’s time to save the world!

VOTE, BITCHES!!! While we still can! It’s the only power we have!"

Read Porter's full op-ed over at OUT.