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Christopher
Atkins: Poster Child for Gay Rights Movement?

Christopher
Atkins: Poster Child for Gay Rights Movement?

Back in the early '80s, just after the release of the then-controversial film The Blue Lagoon, Atkins says his nude scene made him an unexpected poster child for the gay rights movement.

These days Christopher Atkins is middle-aged and starring on the VH1 reality series Confessions of a Teen Idol. But back in the early '80s, just after the release of the then-controversial film The Blue Lagoon, Atkins says his nude scene made him an unexpected poster child for the gay rights movement.

Celebrity entertainment site UInterview.com sat down with the former pinup to talk about the film -- and his now-infamous nude scene.

"That was a really big deal," Atkins said in the interview. "I'm a fortunate person in that I have a tremendous gay fan base -- and straight fan base. You put them together and that's a big deal. Somebody asked me once, 'Do you know why?' And I said, 'No.' They told me, 'When your movie came out, back in the early '80s, it was a huge coming-out time for the gay movement. People were starting to come out and be proud. Blue Lagoon came out with male nudity, and you became the poster child to gay movement.'

"I thought it was fascinating and unexpected. It was the right time in history for that to have happened."

Atkins also told UInterview that he dropped out of the Hollywood scene after a while to be a hands-on father, trading casting calls for Little League. Confessions of a Teen Idol marks his return to the spotlight. (Advocate.com)

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