Ian McKellen: Shakespeare Enjoyed Sex With Men

"Shakespeare obviously enjoyed sex with men as well as women," says esteemed actor Sir Ian McKellen.

New York Postcolumnist Cindy Adams reports the 72-year-old actor, who has portrayed a number of leading Shakespearean characters including Macbeth and King Lear, as saying, "No doubt Shakespeare was gay. His predilection was evident from his works. An unmistakenly feminine portrait of his patron Henry Wriothesley adds evidence that early sonnets to 'fair youth' were probably meant for males."

McKellen continues, adding, "Married, with children, he left his wife in Stratford to live in London. I'd say he slept with men. The Merchant of Venice, centering on how the world treats gays as well as Jews, has a love triangle between an older man, younger man and a woman. And complexity in his comedies with cross-dressing and disguises is immense. Shakespeare obviously enjoyed sex with men as well as women."