Happy Pride Month! It’s June, and one month in the year where the LGBTQIA+ community, and their allies, shine an even brighter spotlight on the injustices and inequality non-heteronormative people face.
It is now also the month that former Bachelorette suitor Josh Seiter expressed his sexuality to the world. He came to terms with the fact he was bisexual, and now dating a man. While he received a lot of love following the announcement, he also got a handful of bigoted hate from those who followed him on social media.
Trigger warning: Discussion of mental health, suicide, and anti-LGBTQIA+ bigotry.
Josh was told to “go back in the closet,” and worse
Some of the messages are too graphic to show on Reality Tea. They range from your typical bigoted stances, to outright death threats. A particularly nasty message from an anonymous account tells Josh that he should have “finished the job” when he made an attempt on his own life. They ended their tirade by using a slur against Josh.
Another told Josh to “go back in the closet,” while somebody else said that he should have “stayed straight.” One of the most confusing was from an account who claimed to know Josh’s sexuality better than the man himself.
“You aren’t bisexual,” they said. “You’re just horny! Keep it in your pants and maybe you’ll find someone who actually cares.” When reading these sorts of hate-fuelled attacks, it’s hard to remember that we’re in 2023. While the world is moving forward with acceptance and equality in some spaces, there are still those who would rather see all of that stripped away from minorities.
For his part, Josh is focusing on the positive. He is speaking with his therapist about the biphobic attacks, and felt encouraged to expose some of the nastiness that he is attempting to brush off.
“I believe a lot of my serial dating was a result of me trying to come to terms with my sexuality and, ultimately, my identity,” the reality star explained.
“To everyone who has sent me messages of support, thank you,” he said. “To the people bent on hate, please look inside yourself and find the healing you need to be a better human being. Happy Pride Month everyone!”
TELL US – DO YOU HAVE ANY MESSAGES OF SUPPORT FOR JOSH? ARE YOU PROUD OF THE WAY HE’S HANDLING THE TROLLS?
