Nick Jonas: I learnt to accept gay people at eight years old
The pop star and actor says his acceptance of LGBT people began when his was just a child, after his father told him, “”It’s all love, it’s all the same”.
The Jonas Brother has become one of LGBT community’s strongest allies in recent years, but he has revealed this week that his acceptance of gay people goes back much further.
During an appearance at the Outfest Film Festival – a festival celebrating LGBTs in the film industry – in Los Angeles this week, Jonas thanked his Protestant minister father for teaching him a lesson about same sex love when he was just eight years old.
Whilst performing as a member of the Jonas Brothers, Nick said he realised one of the performers in their show was gay.
“One of my friends who was one of the guys in the show – his name was Mark – was leaving the theatre one day and I saw him leave with his partner,” he said
“I looked at my dad and said, ‘Oh, that’s different,’ and he was like, “It’s all love, it’s all the same.”
“It just connected with me immediately,” he told the gathered crowd at the Harmony Gold Theatre.
“I came from a religious background and my dad is actually a pastor. But he is an incredible man with an amazing open mind and heart.”
In June, the Jealous singer stepped in to headline Pittsburgh Pride – after rapper Iggy Azalea dropped out of the event over claims of homophobia and racism.
He has also admitted that The Jonas Brothers didn’t ‘do enough’ to acknowledge their gay fan base, saying: “When my brothers and I started touring and had some success, naturally they [the gay community] became a pretty big part of our following.
“I don’t know that we ever did enough to really own that.”
