‘N Sync boybander: "I'm gay"

26/7/06

Boybander Lance Bass of ‘N Sync, has officially come out of the closet.

In an interview with People magazine, Bass declared: ”I’m gay”.

For months bloggers have speculated about and ridiculed the pop star’s sexuality, posting pictures of Bass, 27, together with his current beau, reality TV star Reichen Lehmkuhl, 32, of Amazing Race, who started seeing each other earlier this year.

Gossip queen Perez Hilton even posted pictures of the boys on separate occasions, wearing each others clothes – sharing everything from t-shirts to a pair of jeans.

Prompted by the rumours, Lance Bass went to the popular magazine to tell his story.

"I knew that I was in this popular band and I had four other guys' careers in my hand, and I knew that if I ever acted on it or even said (that I was gay), it would overpower everything," Bass told People.

"I didn’t know: Could that be the end of ’N Sync? So I had that weight on me of like, ‘Wow, if I ever let anyone know, it's bad.' So I just never did.”

Earlier this month, when pictures of the Lance and Reichen appeared together in a Provincetown gay bar, the Washington Blade reported that Bass had been outed.

"If privacy is what Lance wants, that's something that's easy to have," Kevin Naff, managing editor of the Washington Blade. "But if you're Lance Bass, and you're going to the gayest town on the gayest day of the year and going to gay parties, you have to expect something."

Bass explained he came out because the rumours “really were starting to affect [his] daily life”.

“Now it feels like it's on my terms. I'm at peace with my family, my friends, myself and God so there's really nothing else that I worry about."

"The thing is, I’m not ashamed – that’s the one thing I want to say."

"I don't think it's wrong, I'm not devastated going through this. I'm more liberated and happy than I’ve been my whole life. I'm just happy."

Last week Darren Hayes, ex-lead singer of Savage Garden, also came out – and announced a civil partnership with his boyfriend of two years.