FRASIER STAR REVEALS HE’S MARRIED

Openly gay Frasier actor David Hyde Pierce has publicly revealed for the first time that he married his partner of 25 years, TV producer Brian Hargrove, last year.

Speaking on US talk show The View, 50 year old Pierce said he had married “very quietly last October 24th and thought that was fine, then suddenly the State of California said ‘No it’s not’. What we thought was a private, personal decision turned out not to be”.

Their marriage took place just before voters passed California’s Proposition 8, which banned marriage for same-sex couples.

“Can you imagine if you’re married and the people in your state are getting together and saying ‘Well, you know what, you’re not.’ It’s a very odd thing,” he said.

Last week, the state’s Supreme Court upheld Proposition 8, but ruled that the approximately 18,000 marriages conducted in California before the ban, such as Pierce’s union, are still valid.

Expressing his feelings about ban and the decision to uphold it, the star added: “It was a very angry-making feeling, both in November when it was taken away from me and this past Tuesday.”

Hyde Pierce spoke of sitting in front of the television wondering “Gee, I hope it’s OK the Supreme Court thinks I’m married. Excuse me, it’s none of your business”, to which the talk show audience responded with applause.