28 year-old Canadian actor Luke MacFarlane, who plays Scotty Wandell on the ABC series “Brothers & Sisters,” has come out as a gay man to Canadian newspaper The Globe & Mail.

————-possible spoilers————-
Luke’s character on “Brothers & Sisters” is gay, and he will marry his partner on the show, character Kevin Walker, in the season finale to air next month.

He confirms that he is a gay man, and says that it’s a great time in society for people of all persuasions. He wouldn’t dish on who his current partner is, though, and just said that he’s in a relationship now:

“From a standing outside perspective, and also as someone who is gay, I think that it’s a very exciting time. How exciting that we’re saying, ‘This can be part of the cultural fabric, now,’ because it is two series regulars, two people that you invite into your home and you see every week. It’s telling of the beginning of more waves and I’m very proud of that.”He does, however, note that a certain irony still exists: While a show featuring a gay marriage may be an important step toward building tolerance, it’s still an attention-grabber in today’s television world.

“Most importantly, in portraying gay people, the more we realize it’s just like portraying anybody else and, gay marriage, it’s not about two people being gay, it’s about two people who love each other and who have decided to commit to each other for the exact same reasons any other couple would get married. Hopefully, the more that becomes part of the cultural awareness it won’t be,” he pauses and says, employing a mock, exaggerated voice of a television announcer, “a spectacular Sunday episode.”

Sitting on the patio of an exclusive Hollywood hotel, wearing a grey T-shirt and red jacket, Macfarlane says he does intend to keep a certain amount of his life private. Asked if he is currently in a relationship, his answer is quick: “That is my personal life. That is where I draw the difference.” He does allow though, that he would like to be married some day.

[The Globe and Mail via AfterElton.com and ONTD]

MacFarlane has been seen out with fellow gay actor T.R. Knight and with Prison Break’s Wentworth Miller.

An actor’s sexual preference is something they should be able to keep private if they want to. When more celebrities come out of the closet they help show that it’s a common, everyday thing and that there’s no reason to make it out to be something sensational. It’s also nice to see same sex relationships covered in entertainment.

Luke MacFarlane is shown in stills from “Brothers & Sisters,” thanks to LukeMacFarlane.org.