Joshua Opened Up About The Homophobia He Experienced After Coming Out

During an Aug. 11 interview with Attitude Magazine, Joshua Bassett said that while it’s been “liberating” to come out, it’s also taught him about the unfortunate realities the LGBTQ+ community goes through each day, like receiving hate because of his sexuality. Joshua Bassett opened up about homophobia he experienced after coming out, saying, “I thought we were a lot further on than we are."

He said it’s been an eye-opening experience getting hateful comments after he revealed he’s part of the LGBTQ+ community. "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,” the High School Musical: The Musical: The Series star told Attitude Magazine. "Seeing that put things into perspective, of how far along we aren't yet.”

However, he said most of the reactions online have been positive. "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 explained.

For him, the positive comments outweigh the negative. "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," he said. "Ultimately, all that garbage melts away from one story, let alone thousands of people telling me I've changed their life, which is wild, but a crazy honor."

After Bassett called Harry Styles “hot” in a May 10 interview with Clevver and said it was his "coming out video,” he later expanded on his comments on Instagram, revealing he’s still discovering his sexuality. “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,” he captioned his post.

Bassett then confirmed he’s part of the LGBTQ+ community during a June 24 interview with GQ. “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,” he said. “I think nothing is more powerful than speaking the truth.”

Even though he doesn’t owe anyone an explanation, fans appreciate how Bassett has been so honest with them throughout his coming-out journey.