Dove Cameron is ready to publicly speak her truth when it comes to her sexuality.
During a recent interview with the Gay Times, the 25-year-old actress and singer (who first rose to prominence after starring in Disney Channel's original series Liv and Maddie and the popular Descendents film franchise) opened up about what it was like coming out to her fans and supporters, and how anxious she felt that she "wouldn't be accepted."
"I've hinted about my sexuality for years while being afraid to spell it out for everybody," the Daytime Emmy winner told the UK-based queer publication. "I did a lyric video last year, for "We Belong." It had moving line drawings of people falling in love...it was all a man and a woman making out and it was a weird moment for me."
As E! points out, Dove had to specifically ask the producers of her "We Belong" lyric video to feature more than just heterosexual couples, and it became a profound moment in her journey to being able to talk about her own sexuality to others, especially after some people thought she was trying to "queerbait."
"When the song came out, everybody got the idea that the song was a big LGBTQ+ anthem song and I found myself in this position where everyone thought I was queerbaiting," she continued. "I went on Instagram Live and said, 'Guys, I really needed to explain something to you. Maybe I haven't said it, but I'm super queer. This is something I want to represent through my music because it's who I am.'"
"It was about who I am as a whole rather than who I choose to date or sleep with," she added, talking about the coming out process. "I'm choosing to love myself, to be who I am every day and not edit myself depending on the room that I'm in."
But this isn't the first time Dove has been open about her identity and place within the LGBTQ+ community. Late last year, during a tweet session where she theorized about the sexualities of the many beloved characters she's played in her career so far (she made the revelation that her Liv & Maddie characters are both proud, card-carrying members of the queer community), a fan questioned her own sexuality, and Dove had a few simple words to say: "Girl I been bi."
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