Supergirl star Chyler Leigh comes out in a heartfelt ‘Wear Your Pride’ post

The actress says Alex Danvers’ coming-out story has resonated with her deeply

Supergirl star Chyler Leigh comes out in a heartfelt ‘Wear Your Pride’ post 1

Chyler Leigh, who plays Alex Danvers on The CW’s Supergirl, has come out in an emotional post, revealing how her character’s coming-out story had a significant impact on her own journey.

Titled Wear Your Pride, Leigh’s post was published on May 22nd on the website for Create Change, an organization whose goal is to help people discover their truest potential by giving them the courage for self-advocacy and the creative tools to make everlasting positive changes in their life and the lives of others. Leigh co-founded Create Change with her husband Nathan West and Angelo Lagdameo.

In the post, Leigh shared her initial reaction when she found out that Alex was coming out in the sophomore run of the series. Though Leigh later revealed that Alex’s coming-out story resonated with her personal journey, the actress didn’t apply a specific label to her identity.

“When I was told that my character was to come out in season 2, a flurry of thoughts and emotions flew through and around me because of the responsibility I felt to authentically represent Alex’s journey,” Leigh wrote. “What I didn’t realize was how the scene where she finally confessed her truth would leap off the pages of the script and genuinely become a variation of my own. IRL. My heart felt like it was going to beat out of my chest each take we filmed, every time presenting another opportunity to get those honest words out of my mouth. Though they don’t exactly match my personal dialogue, the heart behind it surely did. From the director, the press, the media, the cast, and the fans, I’m still told that it was the most realistic coming out scene they’d ever witnessed. And to steal from Alex’s words, that’s because there’s some truth to what she said about me. The scene is in season 2, episode 6 if you wanna see for yourself.”

Supergirl 2x06 Alex & Kara Scene #1

While a lot of fans were thrilled when the episode premiered, not everybody was okay with it. “Since that episode aired, I was told from dear friends (and even avid watchers of Supergirl) that they would no longer watch the show because of the fact that Alex’s journey took a turn from their less than acceptable beliefs,” Leigh wrote. “Soon after, they began to distance themselves and eventually my family and I were outcast, marking the loss of many folks we loved.”

But Leigh made it clear that she doesn’t hold a grudge towards the negative response, explaining, “We all have had a hard time in one way or another with acceptance (whatever the subject may be) whether towards ourselves or others.”

Though Leigh admitted that it’s been a “long and lonely road” for both herself and her husband, she said that they have learned to be proud of who they are “no matter the cost.”

On Monday, June 8th, two weeks after she shared the post, Leigh took to Instagram to thank for the “outpouring of love and support” she received for “acknowledging and loving myself as the person I truly am.”

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#pride #equality #love #lgbtq

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Leigh will reprise her role as Alex in season 6 of Supergirl, which is expected to premiere in midseason 2021.

Sources: New York Daily News, ComicBook.com