Dove Cameron came out as queer — and it was the best thing to ever happen to her.
Since first opening up about her sexuality in 2020, the musician and actor says she finally feels that she can really be herself in the spotlight.
"I honestly look back at that first initial foray into the conversation about my sexuality as my first time ever really being myself publicly," Dove told E! News.
She explained that despite there being a narrative that coming out is a "big revelation" for a queer person, she's always known who she is.
"I think there's this narrative where if you are a queer person and you speak about your identity, its though you've been sitting on a secret your whole life and it's this big revelation," she said.
Dove continued, "Where in my experience, it wasn't a revelation. I always knew who I was. Ever since I can remember, I knew I was queer."
And while she admits she was anxious about coming out to the public, it wasn't for the reason you would usually expect.
"I wasn't ever afraid of people knowing who I loved," Dove said, adding, "I was afraid of people having access to the human parts of me in an industry that can be so anti-human."
Dove says the whole experience was "emotional" but "turned out to be the best thing that could have ever happened" to her.
"Mentally, I'm so much better now," Dove concluded.
It's so nice that Dove now knows that she can be her true self, even in the public eye. Happy Pride!
Looking for more ways to get involved? Check out all of BuzzFeed's posts celebrating Pride 2022.
My Fake Boyfriend, a new LGBTQ+ rom-com from BuzzFeed Studios starring Keiynan Lonsdale, Dylan Sprouse, and Sarah Hyland, is out June 17 in the US — just in time for Pride! Sign up for Prime Video now so you're ready to watch.
