No more secrecy!
Joshua Bassett has confirmed he is part of the LGBTQ+ community, a month after sparking speculation! In early May, rumors spread online over the High School Musical: The Musical: The Series star’s sexuality after he made adoring comments about Harry Styles in a Clever News interview, joking:
“I guess this is also my coming out video, I guess, uh…”
Related: Twitter Can’t Stop Laughing At Lifetime’s New Harry & Meghan Movie Trailer
See the full moment for a refresher (below)!
Many fans took to social media to praise the actor for coming out at the time, while others couldn’t tell the seriousness of his comment, accusing the Lie Lie Lie singer of potentially queerbaiting. While he took to his socials a day after the interview aired with a snippet of an original song and a vulnerable post about sexuality, toxic masculinity, and his views on love, questions remained, as he neither confirmed nor denied the rumors.
But on Thursday, he opened up about his queerness, telling GQ:
“I wasn’t joking.”
The 20-year-old noted the moment was “an opportunity to say something that I believe in,” which is why he took to Instagram at the time to express:
“love who you love shamelessly. it’s ok to still be figuring out who you are. life’s too short to let ignorance and hatred win. i choose love.”
Reflecting on that upload, he admitted to the magazine:
“I stood behind every word that I said. Even if there are consequences, I would much rather deal with consequences and live my truth than live in fear.”
Not unsurprisingly, he received a mixed reaction of “texts and calls” filled with “love, hate, anger, [and] confusion” after the video dropped. But having filmed it months before it went viral, Bassett recalled never questioning admitting his obvious crush on the One Direction alum either, noting his views of coming out:
“I am anti–coming out in the sense that there’s no need to…people are welcome to have boxes if they want them.”
Growing up as the only boy in a family with five sisters, he often heard comments like, “when’s he gonna find out he’s gay?” All for playing dress-up with his siblings. Worse, those around him tried to tell him how to act and who to love, the Grey’s Anatomy alum expressed:
“People would tell me that I’m straight or [I] can’t be gay because XYZ thing… People not believing me either way if I talked about my sexuality in any way.”
Related: Is Joshua’s Single Another Shady Message To Olivia Rodrigo?!
Wow…
How courageous to finally admit his truth just as his career is taking off, too! LOVE it! For now, Joshua identifies as a member of the LGBTQ+ community, but hasn’t put a definitive label on his sexuality:
“There are plenty of letters in the alphabet… Why bother rushing to a conclusion? Sometimes your letter changes, sometimes you try a different one, other times you realize you’re not what you thought you were, or maybe you always knew. All of these can be true. I’m happy to be a part of the LGBTQ+ community because they embrace all. Don’t let anyone tell you love isn’t love. They’re the ones who probably need it the most.”
Since coming out, HSM:TM:TS stans have noticed that the cast is made up of more queer performers than straight celebs — a bit of a rarity in the entertainment industry, but a joy for many! Musing on this, the Cali native expressed:
“I think nothing is more powerful than speaking the truth.”
To read more about how impactful the gay storylines on the Disney+ hit show have been for the Stuck In The Middle lead, check out the full interview HERE! Thoughts, Perezcious readers?! We’re so happy Joshua is no longer living in fear of being his authentic self! Let us know YOUR reactions in the comments (below)!
[Image via FayesVision/WENN]
The post Joshua Bassett Confirms He’s Part Of The LGBTQ+ Community After THOSE Viral Harry Styles Comments! appeared first on Perez Hilton.
