Editing Simon Callow (section)

==Personal life==
Callow [[coming out|came out]] as gay in his 1984 book ''Being An Actor''. He was listed 28th in ''[[The Independent]]''{{'s}} 2007 listing of the most influential gay men and women in the UK.<ref>{{cite news |title=Gay Power: The pink list |date=2 July 2006 |newspaper=[[The Independent]] |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/gay-power-the-pink-list-406297.html}}</ref>  He married his partner Sebastian Fox in June 2016.<ref>{{cite interview |title=Simon Callow: 'Marriage is a remarkable thing to happen to someone at the age of 67' |url=https://www.thetimes.com/culture/theatre-dance/article/simon-callow-marriage-is-a-remarkable-thing-to-happen-to-someone-at-67-but-im-not-decrepit-qz9rl0lw2 |url-access=subscription |interviewer=Nick Curtis |website=[[The Times]] |date=31 December 2016 }}</ref><ref>{{cite interview |url=http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2016-07-20/simon-callow-on-love-and-loss |title=Simon Callow on love and loss |interviewer=Michael Hodges |website=Radio Times |date=20 July 2016 }}</ref>

In an interview, Callow stated: <blockquote>I'm not really an activist, although I am aware that there are some political acts one can do that actually make a difference and I think my coming out as a gay man was probably one of the most valuable things I've done in my life. I don't think any actor had done so voluntarily and I think it helped to change the culture.<ref>{{cite news|title=Simon Callow: Laughter in the dark |last=Byrnes |first=Sholto |date=26 April 2004 |newspaper=[[The Independent]] |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/theatre-dance/features/simon-callow-laughter-in-the-dark-561274.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100204130334/http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/theatre-dance/features/simon-callow-laughter-in-the-dark-561274.html |archive-date=4 February 2010 }}</ref></blockquote>

Although he was a prominent supporter of [[Stonewall (charity)|Stonewall]] when it was set up in 1989, he has more recently distanced himself from the organisation due to its stance on trans self-identification.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Wade |first1=Mike |title=Actor Simon Callow attacks Stonewall, the LGBTQ+ group, over trans self-identification |url=https://www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/article/actor-simon-callow-attacks-stonewall-the-lgbtq-group-over-trans-self-identification-6l3nd7hw3 |access-date=20 January 2025 |work=[[The Times]] |language=en |archive-date=23 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220423121115/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/actor-simon-callow-attacks-stonewall-the-lgbtq-group-over-trans-self-identification-6l3nd7hw3 |url-status=live }}</ref>

In August 2014, Callow was one of 200 public figures who were signatories to a letter to ''[[The Guardian]]'' expressing their hope that Scotland would vote to remain part of the United Kingdom in the [[2014 Scottish independence referendum|referendum on that issue]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/aug/07/celebrities-open-letter-scotland-independence-full-text |title=Celebrities' open letter to Scotland – full text and list of signatories |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=7 August 2014 |access-date=26 August 2014}}</ref>

In the [[1999 Birthday Honours]], he was appointed [[Commander of the Order of the British Empire]] (CBE) for his services to acting.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/queens-birthday-honours-the-full-list-1099582.html|title=Queen's Birthday Honours: The Full List|date=1999-06-12|work=The Independent|access-date=2018-05-05|language=en-GB}}</ref>