 In 1994 , at the closing ceremony of the Gay Games , he briefly took the stage to address the crowd , saying , " I 'm Sir Ian McKellen , but you can call me Serena " : This nickname , given to him by Stephen Fry , had been circulating within the gay community since McKellen 's knighthood was conferred . In 2002 , he was the Celebrity Grand Marshal of the San Francisco Pride Parade and he attended the Academy Awards with his then @-@ boyfriend , New Zealander Nick Cuthell . In 2006 , McKellen spoke at the pre @-@ launch of the 2007 LGBT History Month in the UK , lending his support to the organisation and its founder , Sue Sanders . In 2007 , he became a patron of The Albert Kennedy Trust , an organisation that provides support to young , homeless and troubled LGBT people . 
