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Sophia Bush spoke out about what inspired her to come out as queer.
He A hill of trees The alumna first announced that she was queer and in a relationship with former American soccer player Ashlyn Harris in an essay she wrote and published on GlamorOn Thursday, July 18, he spoke with The Walking Dead: The World Beyond Star Nico Tortorella, who uses the pronouns “they”/”them,” for an episode of his series. Work in progress podcast, in which she shared why she spoke openly about her relationship with Harris.
He Chicago Police Department The actress mentioned that part of her decision was to avoid people making assumptions about her sexuality before she had the chance to tell the world on her own terms.
“People will really take away your self-discovery,” Bush said. “What made me make the decision was knowing that we had entered a post-facto vacuum. So I thought, ‘What I’m going to do is sit back and wait, but ultimately what I’m going to do is clarify very firmly but gently what’s real, because it’s important to me. ’”
The actor continued: “I personally didn’t appreciate it, but what really scared me, in terms of the public nature of it, was that this is so vitriolic, so violent, and so ugly, what is this going to do to a young queer girl in Ohio or Alabama who sees what the internet is doing to people who she perceives to have far more power than her?”
“You can always take your power back,” Bush said. “That was part of what I thought was really important.”
Bush addressed the online backlash surrounding his relationship with Harris in his… Glamor Essay. “What seemed like seconds after I started seeing what was in front of me, the online rumor mill began to spit in the ugliest ways,” she wrote.
“There were outright lies. Violent threats. There were accusations that I’m a homewrecker. Those who said I’d left my ex because I suddenly realised I wanted to be with women… my partners have known what I like for as long as I have (so it’s not that, sorry!)”
Elsewhere in the podcast, Bush spoke further about how she felt after publishing her essay about her sexuality. “I finally feel like I can breathe. I don’t think I can explain how profound that is,” she said. “I’m going to take my power back and I’m going to really stand up and say that the purest, most special thing that’s ever happened to me has happened and you’ve treated it like the ugliest thing because you’re looking at the image and not the reality.”
The actress added that she wanted to be open and honest on her own platform because of how big it was and that “there are kids who don't have platforms at all and are very afraid to be who they are.”
“I don't care if you're 14 or 41, you can choose for yourself,” Bush said.
Most recently, Harris wrote a touching tribute to Bush on her birthday on Instagram. “Happy birthday, beautiful. I hope you feel special and fulfilled today knowing how much we love you,” Harris began the caption. “You are such a gift in this world. Seeing you shine and be happy fulfills us all.”
“I love your heart, Soph,” she added. “I love everything about you. Happy birthday, baby.”
