▁it ▁was ▁not ▁until ▁ 1 9 8 8 ▁that ▁he ▁came ▁out ▁to ▁the ▁general ▁public , ▁in ▁a ▁programme ▁on ▁BBC ▁Radio . ▁The ▁context ▁that ▁prompt ed ▁McK ellen ' s ▁decision — over rid ing ▁any ▁concerns ▁about ▁a ▁possible ▁negative ▁effect ▁on ▁his ▁career — was ▁that ▁the ▁controvers ial ▁Section ▁ 2 8 ▁of ▁the ▁Local ▁Government ▁Bill , ▁known ▁simply ▁as ▁Section ▁ 2 8 , ▁was ▁then ▁under ▁consideration ▁in ▁the ▁British ▁Parliament . ▁Section ▁ 2 8 ▁proposed ▁prohib iting ▁local ▁authorities ▁from ▁prom oting ▁hom osex ual ity ▁"... ▁as ▁a ▁kind ▁of ▁pret ended ▁family ▁relationship ". ▁McK ellen ▁became ▁active ▁in ▁fighting ▁the ▁proposed ▁law , ▁and , ▁during ▁a ▁BBC ▁Radio ▁ 3 ▁programme ▁where ▁he ▁deb ated ▁Section ▁ 2 8 ▁with ▁the ▁conserv ative ▁journalist ▁Per egr ine ▁Wor st hor ne , ▁declared ▁himself ▁gay . ▁McK ellen ▁has ▁stated ▁that ▁he ▁was ▁influenced ▁in ▁his ▁decision ▁by ▁the ▁advice ▁and ▁support ▁of ▁his ▁friends , ▁among ▁them ▁noted ▁gay ▁author ▁Arm iste ad ▁Mau pin . ▁In ▁a ▁ 1 9 9 8 ▁interview ▁that ▁discuss es ▁the ▁ 2 9 th ▁anni versary ▁of ▁the ▁Stone wall ▁ri ots , ▁McK ellen ▁commented , ▁I ▁have ▁many ▁reg rets ▁about ▁not ▁having ▁come ▁out ▁earlier , ▁but ▁one ▁of ▁them ▁might ▁be ▁that ▁I ▁didn ' t ▁eng age ▁myself ▁in ▁the ▁polit ick ing . ▁He ▁has ▁said ▁of ▁this ▁period : ▁My ▁own