Matt Bomer comes out

(CBS) "White Collar" star Matt Bomer has confirmed he is gay.

The actor came out while accepting an award over the weekend, where he thanked his partner, publicist Simon Halls, and their three children.

Pictures: Out in the spotlight

"I'd really especially like to thank my beautiful family: Simon, Kit, Walker, Henry," Bomer said during the Steve Chase Humanitarian Awards on Saturday. "Thank you for teaching me what unconditional love is. You will always be my proudest accomplishment."

The actor made the comments while accepting the New Generation Arts and Activism Award, for his work in the fight against HIV/AIDS. You can see a video of his acceptance speech here.

Bomer had previously kept quiet about his private life. When asked by Details magazine in 2010 about speculation he was gay, Bomer replied, "I don't care about that at all. I'm completely happy and fulfilled in my personal life."

In addition to his role on "White Collar," Bomer will appear next in a guest role on "Glee," playing the brother of Blaine Anderson (Darren Criss), and in the film "Magic Mike" with Channing Tatum. He has also been cast in the film adaptation of "The Normal Heart," a Tony Award-winning play about the HIV/AIDS crisis in New York in the early 1980s.