Joshua Bassett says he experienced "a lot of homophobia" after coming out
12 August 2021, 11:33
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Joshua Bassett also said that coming out was "liberating".
Joshua Bassett has opened up about his sexuality and his coming out experience in a brand new cover story with Attitude.
Earlier this year, Joshua Bassett came out in an interview with Clevver News. Talking about his love of Harry Styles, Joshua said: "He’s hot, you know?" He continued: "This is also my coming out video I guess." The clip immediately went viral and Joshua then took to Instagram to confirm that, while he doesn't label his sexuality, he is part of the LGBTQ+ community.
Now, Joshua has spoken about what coming out was like for him and the homophobia he's faced since opening up.
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Speaking to Attitude, Joshua said: "My team were making me aware that [the interview] was blowing up, and they were, like, ‘What are we going to do?’ It kept going and growing, I was seeing comments and stuff, and I was, like, this is an important opportunity to say something that I’ve wanted to say for a while, but never felt like I had to, and never felt like I could."
He continued: "I wrote the statement in less than five minutes, and there was no part of me that was anxious, no part of me that was hesitant at all. It felt so right. I put it out and I’ve never looked back. It was liberating, it was freeing; it was nothing like I expected it to be."
As for his journey with his sexuality, Joshua said: "I never really questioned it [how I felt]. It just was, if that makes sense. That’s something that I think is really cool about this generation, and the generation to follow; that you don’t need a box, and you don’t need to be put in a box. But I would say that it definitely took a lot of time to realise that."
He also revealed that he's experienced homophobia since coming out. Joshua opened up, saying: "This was the first time where I was subjected to a lot of homophobia. You know, I seem ‘straight’ to everyone I meet, pretty much, and I have had to see that [homophobia] first-hand. Seeing that put things into perspective, of how far along we aren’t yet; I thought we were a lot further on than we are."
Joshua also said: "On the flip side of all that are the responses I’ve gotten from people saying, ‘I’ve never had somebody put into words exactly how I feel.’ Or, ‘Thank you so much for helping me be seen.’ Or, ‘I can’t be who I am around my family, but because of you I feel a little bit safer, a little bit more at home.’"
He ened by saying: "That makes it all worth it. People can hate me forever and say the nastiest thing possible, but it will not change a thing, because you need to stand tall and face those people as an advocate for all the people without a voice."
