Ruby Rose came out as gay when she was just 12 years old, which made her a target for bullies.
The “Orange is the New Black” star came out as lesbian when she was just 12 years old but admitted if she’d realised how homophobic people could be, she wouldn’t have been so open so early in her life because she was bullied as a result.
She said: “I came out when I was 12, which is quite young. In a way, I only knew that to be my truth.
“I didn’t know how to live without being open and honest about my identity, but I think I was also very young and maybe if I was a little bit older and I realised how homophobic people are, I might not have come out so young.
“I got bullied for it. I got tormented. I felt like I got crucified at school. And it was tough being the only gay person in that school.”
The 35-year-old star admitted many people dismissed her coming out as just a “phase”.
She told the Beauty of Pride digital issue of Britain’s Glamour magazine: “In some ways it was good because people thought it was a phase.
“It’s like, ‘You’re 12, it’s a phase’ and it didn’t get taken as seriously. And then by the time everyone realised what that really meant, what being gay meant and what being with women meant, they’d gotten used to the fact that that’s what I am.”
Ruby’s own experiences at school taught her the importance of seeing same-sex relationships depicted on screen.
She said: “I was getting ready to graduate, and then ‘The L Word’ came out, and suddenly everyone at school was gay. It just goes to show how important it is to have a representation in the media. Because before ‘The L Word’, I didn’t know there was anyone else that felt like me and looked like me and had the same feelings. It made life liveable for me.”
Ruby is one of five Glamour cover stars this month, with Antoni Porowski, Madison Bailey, Kim Petras and Gottmik also featuring.