Abhay Deol refuses to define his sexuality; says ‘I’ve embraced all experiences in my life’

Actor Abhay Deol rejects the ‘Western way’ of labeling sexuality, preferring to operate without labels meant to ‘neatly slot’ individuals for others' comfort.

When asked about his view on sexuality, Abhay described it as a spectrum, emphasizing that he rejects the Western binary approach because ‘it's so black and white.’

In an interview with Dirty Magazine, he said, ‘The Eastern approach is so different; it recognises the whole of us. I don’t define my sexuality, and this might sound controversial but for me it’s not something that I think can be defined. I think it’s more for the other person’s comfort, so that they can put you in a box, neatly slot you. Why should I define myself in Western terms? I have embraced all experiences in my life and I continue to do so. I don’t know how to label that, I don’t want to label that. All of us have a masculine and feminine within us, so in my opinion we are all they/them.’

For Abhay Deol masculinity means ‘the ability to make people feel safe and included.’ He mentioned that as a man, he feels like a ‘protector and provider,’ noting that this could stem from personal experience or societal conditioning.

He said, ‘But there is a sense of taking charge and leading. Having said that I would happily give it up to a woman too if she wanted to take charge and lead, that’s also part of my masculinity.’

When it was noted that his views don't make him a ‘toxic’ man, Abhay responded, 'It's very easy to be provocative through violence and sex. It's much harder to be provocative through silence. How do I provoke you by not saying anything? That's what interests me.’

The actor mentioned that he isn't ‘hiding,’ but spends most of his time at his home in Goa. He also noted that over the past nine years, he has frequently been in Los Angeles, enjoying the anonymity it provides.

Abhay’s work front

Abhay will soon be seen alongside Shabana Azmi, Zeenat Aman, and Lin Laishram in ‘Bun Tikki’.

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