Sophia Bush was told to 'hide her politics' when she was a 'baby gay' actor

Sophia Bush is opening up about her early days in Hollywood.

The former One Tree Hill star and out actor was speaking at a Democratic National Convention creator party when she talked about some of the barriers she faced as a young queer woman working in the entertainment industry.

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"We have talked a lot about feeling reinvigorated for joy. Being reminded that yes, politics is longevity, it requires a commitment that is generational. It's not instantaneous like refreshing an app," Bush said, speaking to guests. "We can use our voices, we can use our platforms. I just want to say thank you because I'm not going to be ignorant and pretend that it's always easy. I know that it doesn't come without risk."

"Back when I was a little baby actor – I did premiere as a little baby actor, as a little baby gay, but somehow the internet didn't get it," she joked. "People said to me, they said, 'You cannot be this political. You pick a charity, you go to a gala, you write a check, that is all you do, you have to keep your mouth shut. This will ruin your career. And I said 'dare me.'"

"None of those people are on my team anymore," she said. "And also none of them are at this fucking party!"

Bush officially came out in an essay for Glamour this April where she said, "I think I’ve always known that my sexuality exists on a spectrum. Right now I think the word that best defines it is queer. I can’t say it without smiling, actually. And that feels pretty great."

Before that, she was the subject of relationship rumors with former soccer player Ashlyn Harris, when the two were linked following their respective divorces, Bush from her husband Grant Hughes, and Harris from her wife Ali Krieger.

The pair officially went public with their relationship in March of this year, taking pictures together at the Elton John AIDS Foundation's annual Oscars viewing party.