Knowing about yourself is a milestone in itself. And the journey of knowing oneself starts with self-exploration. However, not everyone finds it easy, as it’s indeed a task. Previously, American actor Donald Glover opened up about his struggle with his sexual identity.
During an interview with GQ, the actor talked about how people are curious to explore themselves, yet they feel stuck when it comes to the use of tags to help find others who are like them.
Donald Glover opened up about his struggle with his sexuality
There are many celebrities out there who have been vocal about their sexual preferences. However, there is hardly anyone who has ever talked about the struggle behind figuring out who you really are. Previously, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse star Donald Glover opened up about his struggle with defining his sexuality.
Earlier during an interview with British GQ, the actor discussed having security in being identified. The actor emphasized the use of labels and knowing people who are alike. Glover said,
“‘I’m a straight white male’ or ‘I’m a gay Asian dancer’ — you can find community easily and safely.”
The actor revealed that figuring out his sexual orientation wasn’t a one-day thing, as he had spent years realizing it. The actor said that he wasn’t aware of his sexual orientation when he was young. Glover said,
“Most of my college years were me being like,‘I don’t know what I like. I had friends who asked, ‘Are you gay.’ And I’d be like, ‘I sort of feel like I am because I love this community.'”
The actor shared that while he was trying to learn about his sexuality, he often doubted himself for not giving a tag to his sexuality. The actor said,
“I always was trying to figure out, ‘Am I weird for not wanting to label it? Yet, also, I never felt completely safe in just one place.”
The reason for not being vocal about his sexuality was that he faced racism while growing up.
Why did Donald Glover not feel safe labeling his sexuality?
One of the reasons Donald Glover was hesitant to label his sexuality was his previous experience with racial discrimination. During the same interview, the actor recalled an incident from his childhood when one of his friends, who was a white guy, used the n-word in front of him.
The actor went on to explain that the incident shook him. Later, he confronted his dad about it, who asked him about his feelings about this whole incident. The actor told his father,
“‘I think I understand what he meant. And that really hurts me.’”
That day, Glover realized that he and his friend were different. Glover’s sexuality evolved with time, although he still doesn’t prefer labeling it. However, he is very flexible when it comes to performing specific sexualities on screen.
Where some people openly talk about their sexuality, there are people who prefer not to talk about it publicly. Either way, it’s a matter of choice whether a person wants to label their sexuality or not.
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Source: Them
