Coming out of the closet, or coming out as LGBT, can cause adverse reactions in our lives, ranging from family rejection and loss of friends to acceptance by the people we love and are important in our lives. Ex-Disney actor Joey Pollari, who is also in the cast of “Love, Simon”, recently spoke about his coming out at the age of 18. He is currently 23. “[Simon’s] experience was the same as mine,” he begins. “I think in a way they all already knew [family and friends]. Only two people were shocked. The only difficult part for me was coming out to myself. My mother knew. She threw some hints at me.” “I was ashamed of myself. I believe that a system of power, of patriarchy and masculinity impacted me,” he reveals. “The biggest difficulty was that [being gay] didn’t fit with the idea of who I was. It seemed to contradict the future I imagined”, he continues. “Every love story, whether gay or straight, needs to come from coming out of some closet, overcoming some fear and entering another territory. This story just makes this a little more explicit and makes a connection with the gay experience”, concludes the actor. “With Love, Simon” opens in theaters on March 22.
in Culture
Ex-Disney, Joey Pollari tells what it was like to come out of the closet: “I was ashamed of who I was”
