"I think some of you missed the point of the show. But talking about someone's sexuality in a public forum when they're not comfortable with it is a whole other kind of intrusion.
'Heartstopper' tackled teen sex. "Until that shift happens, we must intentionally choose who we wish to invite into a celebration of our identities."
Shawn Mendes is letting us in.
He said that he was trying to allow himself to “be a human and feel things.”
Shawn Mendes says he's 'figuring out' his sexuality. "I'm trying to be really brave and just allow myself to be a human and feel things. And I’m trying to be really brave and just allow myself to be a human and feel things.
His comments spurred discussion online about how fans discuss artists’ and celebrities’ sexualities. But should they, especially when they're still "figuring it out like everyone?" And do they need to say anything about it either way?
The short answer: No. Because the consequences, especially if someone is pushed out of the closet, could be dire.
And he shouldn't feel pressured to tell us anything else.
Everything Shawn Mendes Has Said About His Sexuality
Shawn Mendes spoke candidly about his sexuality during his concert at Red Rocks Amphitheater on October 28, 2024. I don’t really know sometimes and I know other times. While he identified as straight, rumors have swirled online about his sexuality for years.
And it feels really scary because we live in a society that has a lot to say about that," said the pop star in a moment captured on TikTok. Fans accused the star of "queerbaiting" – when a straight, cisgender person seems to cash in on LGBTQ fashion, music, acting roles and more.
That debacle highlighted what happens when queerbaiting goes awry.
He previously described the gossip surrounding his sexuality as “frustrating."
“You want to say, ‘I’m not gay but it’d be fine if I was gay — but also there’s nothing wrong with being gay but I’m not.’ You don’t really know how to respond to the situation,” he said in an interview on Dax Shepard’s podcast, “Armchair Expert,” in 2020.
In recent days, social media users had renewed speculation about Mendes' sexual orientation after a video of him was posted by Interview Magazine.
“I think it’s kind of silly because I think sexuality is such a beautifully complex thing and its so hard to just put into boxes,” he said during his show, which took place at Red Rocks Amphitheatre. Many fans online said they feel that the public is not entitled to know about the private lives of celebrities.
Mendes also revealed that people have been questioning his sexuality since the start of his career at age 15, and he's not a fan of it.
"The real truth about my life and my sexuality is that, man, I'm just figuring it out like everyone. "There is a vast difference between audiences raising legitimate concerns about exploitative, LGBTQ-mediated representations and queerbaiting and online trolling …" Melvin Williams, associate professor of communication and media studies at Pace University, previously told USA TODAY.
The same can be said for Mendes.
Here’s why.
Speculating about sexuality is intrusive
Kit Connor, star of Netflix's "Heartstopper," came out as bisexual two years ago. In it, the pop star is seen sharing his phone screenshots.
Shawn Mendes opens up about his sexuality
Shawn Mendes said that he is “figuring out” his sexuality during his concert in Denver on Monday, according to video footage shared by fans on social media.
The singer said that he had been unable to “discover” certain parts of himself because he began working at such a young age.
congrats for forcing an 18 year old to out himself," Connor wrote in a short tweet.
Take one spin through social media or Google anti-LGBTQ legislation in the U.S. and see why.
Watch it here: Stream your favorite shows, the biggest blockbusters and more.Coming out isn’t actually over.