Sam Smith thought that fame would make them immune to homophobia.
The Too Good At Goodbyes hitmaker, who identifies as non-binary and uses gender-neutral pronouns, believes “it’s still hard to be queer” and claimed they are abused on the street because of their sexuality.
Speaking to Zane Lowe on Apple Music, Sam said: “It’s still hard being queer. There’s still backlash.
“They still say things to me on the street, even now. The weirdest thing is that you can be famous, you can be a pop star and you still get it.”
“Because I thought I would become a pop star and never say a bad word to myself again. I would never have homophobia. I would never experience it if I became a star. And then it happens and it’s still there. It’s still there.”
Sam is happy to be a voice for the LGBTQ+ community because they know they are in a “powerful” position thanks to their public platform.
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They added: “You have to talk about everything. And I’ve gotten into it because now I’ve realized how powerful it is. And there are kids who need this. They need us to talk about it.”
The 30-year-old star recently claimed that they have lost fans due to “homophobia and transphobia”.
Sam said last month: “In terms of music, I definitely feel like there are some people who have moved away, I think just because of homophobia and transphobia.
“It’s a difficult thing to accept, that people digest your music in a different way.
“My music has always been queer. On The Lonely Hour it was about being in love with a straight man. It’s fascinating how people’s politics can sometimes seep into their love of music.”