Dustin Lance Black: ‘Tom coming out was incredibly brave’

Dustin Lance Black has praised his partner Tom Daley’s decision to come out publicly, describing it as “incredibly brave”.

In an interview in the new Attitude, the Oscar-winning screenwriter recalls how he felt when Tom and Australian diver Matthew Mitcham won gold and silver in the 10 metre synchronised platform event during the Commonwealth Games in July – the first time two out gay athletes had shared the top two medals.

“Obviously I’m incredibly proud of Tom, for many reasons,” Black says. “But certainly he’s one of those guys who’s inspiring future generations of athletes. He’s very good at what he does and he was brave enough to come out in the middle of his career – or the start, who am I to say!”

“So many people wait until it’s over to do that, but Matt [Mitcham] and Tom did something incredibly brave and it was beautiful watching them swap gold and silver over two days; it was really great to watch,” he adds.

Black also discusses his experiences working in Hollywood during the interview, explaining that he no longer comes across actors with staged girlfriends or “beards” – click here to read more.

You can read the full interview with Dustin Lance Black – in which he also discusses his work on Oscar-winning Harvey Milk biopic Milk, gay representation on TV and why he’s fighting for equal marriage in tribute to his late gay brother – in the new issue of Attitude.

The latest issue – The Film Special – also includes interviews with former Welsh international rugby player Gareth Thomas and his partner Ian, as well as former Girls Aloud singer Nadine Coyle and Pride star Ben Schnetzer.

You can download it to your mobile, iPad or tablet device now at Pocketmags.com/Attitude, and you can pick up a copy in shops from today (September 17).

If you can’t make it to the shops, but want a physical copy of the magazine, you can have one conveniently delivered to your door at newsstand.co.uk/attitude.