We know Charlie Carver from the nice meaty handful of shows and movies he’s graced us with. When We Rise, The Leftovers, Teen Wolf, and Desperate Housewives have all given us a chance to see Charlie’s talent.
It’s great to see our fellow LGBTers on the small and big screen, but seeing what they do off the screen is just as important, too. No, I’m not talking about the overabundance of man crack and pectorals we see on some of the more youthful and apparently hungry recently out stars. Those are enjoyable, probably good for someone's spank bank, but we desire more cerebral stimulation from our stars. We’re talking about involvement in the community and the sharing of their stories. For a start, Charlie’s involvement in GLSEN is very applaud worthy.
Knowing more about the personal struggles the stars experienced also makes them more real and pride worthy. In a recent Playboy piece titled To All LGBTQIA+ People: You Are Remarkable, Charlie goes back into his past and shares a life changing event with the readers.
At 11 years old I found out my father was a faggot. I hate that word, but it’s precisely how the news resonated with me at the time, so I will write it. This was, what, 1999? Before the first civil unions, and not before Matthew Shepard. I’d already conditioned myself to believe that any expression of gayness could lead to being tied up to a fence, and so you bet I was doing my damndest to pass in a disguise of frosted tips and Team USA soccer jerseys. But with Dad’s news, the hammer finally fell on a loaded chamber and I was forced to reckon with what felt like was a shameful inheritance.
I know many of us go through that self-doubt, the feeling that we don’t want to be “like this,” that WE need to change, alter our being. Carver tells of his unhealthy weight loss, his emotional emptiness.
What is also beautiful in an odd way is that even now that Charlie is out and proud, he states that there’s still more growth for him to have, more growth that he wants to have.
For more on Charlie's future planned growth and goals, head over to Playboy. Yes, people do read the articles.
How have you grown since you came out?
Was your coming out just the beginning?
What are your other LGBT goals after coming out?