Nico Tortorella speaks out: LGBTQ community “does not really recognize bisexuality. Biphobia is very real yall”

Younger star Nico Tortorella posted a photo of himself on Instagram taken at this week’s Queerties and had a lot to say in the caption.

Here it is in its entirety:

I spent so many years repressing my own identity early on in my career. I actually felt that in order to become famous and make money, I had to be the straight dude. The industry was a lot different back then, this is pre social media, and there was even more of a pressure on heteronormativity. Tea? Hollywood still doesn’t really value queerness unless its profitable, unless someone else is making money off us. And furthermore? This world, even this community, does not really recognize bisexuality.
Biphobia is very real yall. We’re taught that we have to be one way or the other, and that anything in between isn’t real. The binary. Being bisexual is like living in this netherworld where you have one foot in the closet and one foot out, and people on each side keep pushing and pulling in both directions. And what happens when a bisexual person is in a seemingly heterosexual relationship? Does that other part of their identity disappear just because they have chosen one or the other? It’s important to point out my own internalized biphobia over the years. Like my desire for men would somehow disqualify my desire for women. This emphasis of monosexuality, like I had to be committed in one direction when in actuality I could date whoever I wanted and still be valid. I was and always have been bisexual, the space between. And I hold my self-accountable for my own repression. We all have to hold ourselves accountable.
This past Tuesday I won my first award. The first time I’ve been honored for the work. RADICALLY QUEER. Thank you @queerty for holding me accountable. Thank for for recognizing the space I hold for myself and for the community. I accept this in responsibility, to do more, be more, fight more. I accept this for the bisexual, the queer, the non binary, the non monogamous, the radical, the love, the human, the me, the you.
All of it is you
All love it is you