Actor Nico Tortorella has opened up about his sexuality and polyamory
Nico Tortorella (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Mohegan Sun)
Actor Nico Tortorella has opened up about growing up queer and navigating polyamory.
The 28-year-old “Younger” star, who came out as “sexually fluid” early last year, has explained that he is now beginning to feel comfortable using the term bisexual.
The star explained that it took a long time for him to come to identify as bisexual, but that he was now proud of it.
Talking to Pride Source, he said: “I really like the term bisexual, and I fall somewhere under the umbrella that is bisexuality. I use the word bisexual because people have fought for so long for this word and the fact that it even exists in part of the LGBTI-etcetera is just a beautiful thing, and I’m not gonna be the person to take, like, fluidity or emotional fluidity or pansexual. I’m comfortable somewhere under the bisexual label, and I’m proud of it.”
The star explained that he knew he was queer when he was younger, but that it was not easy for him to come out because sexuality was not a topic of conversation for his family.
“I just wanna make it clear that it was not always easy for me. For sure, as a kid. I had a really bad stutter from 8 to 11. I wasn’t doing any theatre, and sexuality in my household was one thing and one thing only.
“Anything heard or talked about or seen outside of it was gross in one way or another. I mean, big Italian family in Chicago. It didn’t exist anywhere in my family. I didn’t have any gay relatives. It just wasn’t anywhere.”
However, the actor explained that he became more comfortable with being queer through theatre.
“I grew up in Chicago on stage, and I was constantly surrounded by a bunch of queer people. I really got along with them as a little kid and they really liked me too, so I don’t think there was one moment in my career, like, “Oh, now I see I can get along with these people.” I feel like it was always there. It was always in me; it was always part of me.
Since growing comfortable with his sexuality, Tortorella is taking pride in sharing his own story so that other young LGBT people can get the confidence to come out.
“For so long people have been so oppressed in who they are because it doesn’t match what we’re being shown. Now, in the age of the internet and social media, there’s just so much being thrown down our throats.
“Finally, people’s stories can be told. And my purpose in life is to extend these stories. I’m in love with people and I’m in love with their stories,” He added.
Tortorella is now beginning to navigate the world of polyamory and open relationships as a bisexual person.
He said: “Why is it socially acceptable for two gay people to be in an open relationship, but if you hear about a straight couple in an open relationship people are like, “What? How does that work?” It doesn’t make sense to people.
“Also, being somebody that dates both, how do I manoeuvre that conversation? Like, “Look, I want a boyfriend and a girlfriend at the same time – are you cool with that?” That’s even more confusing. But I’ve done it, and at the end of the day, that’s who I am. I think I’m coming more and more into my own acceptance with polyamory and how I think that I can just be the best partner if that is an option.”
