Shawn Mendes Refuses to Help a Fan Come Out to Her Parents

Shawn Mendes is apparently being dragged for refusing to help one of his fans come out as bisexual to her parents, which is...not his job? Something she should do herself?

At a Q&A before his concert in Oakland, California, a fan asked Mendes if he could record a video telling her "strict" parents that she identifies as bisexual. He gently told her no and explained his reasoning.

"This is what I want to tell you, your parents are your parents," said Mendes. "They're going to love you no matter what you say, no matter how you say it, no matter how you look when you say it, any time of the day." That's not exactly true, as many queer people who have come out to their families and then lost them knows, and that's something a straight guy wouldn't get -- which is why you shouldn't ask a straight celebrity to come out to your parents for you!

"Nothing I say is going to mean anything that is even close to what you saying it means to them," Mendes added. "You're their world. I cannot possibly come close to the amount of joy and happiness that they're going to feel when they find out that you're telling them your truth and your honesty." Well...hopefully.

"Don't ask me to do that. I would if I thought that it was a better thing to do, but I know in my heart that it's not," Mendes said. "I know your parents are going to love you even more for being honest with them."

The singer has been both praised and criticized for his response, with some queer critics saying it's out of touch for him to suggest that the young fan's parents will support her no matter what, something that isn't true for many LGBTQ+ folks. But many supporters seem to agree that Mendes handled an awkward situation gracefully. Sure, it would be great for Mendes to use his privilege as a straight celebrity to help queer people, but coming out is incredibly personal and it's really just not his job. Let the boy sing his horny little pop songs and nuzzle Camilla Cabello's neck in peace.

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