Elliott - who has directed films such as The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, Easy Virtue and romantic comedy A Few Best Men - used his presenter's slot at the film and television awards ceremony in Sydney to call for marriage equality in Australia.
"I was scared of who I was. I basically was scared that I was gay," he told the audience. "Even after Priscilla, I stayed offshore basically because I was frightened of my family. And tonight I'm coming out."
Although Elliott's speech was not shown during the telecast, The ABC reports that he was met with "loud, supportive applause" from guests.
Elliott thanked audience members for their support and appealed for the entertainment industry to campaign for equal marriage rights for same-sex couples across Australia.
© WENN
He also used his speech to take aim at movie critics including The Age's Jim Schembri, who branded A Few Best Men "unreleasable" and "brain-numbing crud" in a recent review.
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