Lauren Jauregui is proud her decision to come out as bisexual has helped some of her fans feel confident enough to do the same.
The Fifth Harmony singer opened up about her sexuality in an open letter to supporters of Donald Trump, who was the President-elect at the time, calling herself "a bisexual Cuban-American woman" and expressing her pride at being "part of a community that only projects love and education and the support of one another." Speculation about Lauren's sexuality began when a photograph of her kissing another woman leaked online.
In her passionate letter Lauren also blasted everyone who voted for now President Donald Trump because of his treatment of the LGBT community, insisting their actions "have led to the single-handed destruction of all the progress we've made socially as a nation.
Now, in an interview with British newspaper The Sun, the 20-year-old discussed how writing the letter has had a positive effect not just on her life but also her fans.
“It’s hard to accept yourself when you live in a world where nobody is like you," she told the publication. "Or you feel like nobody is like you because there’s no representation.
“For me, coming into my own and being comfortable with myself really changed me as a person. And made me more confident and vibrant."
The singer is part of the popular girl group formed on the US version of The X Factor in July 2012, alongside band members Ally Brooke, Normani Kordei, Dinah Jane Hansen and previously, Camila Cabello, who left last year. And Lauren shared that their mainstream fan base haven't had any problems accepting her sexuality announcement.
"A bunch of my fans have come up to me and said, ‘because of you and because you came out, I have finally begun to accept myself’. That is infinitely incredible for me. I didn’t expect to get to the point where I would own up to it within myself," she smiled.
The Work From Home singer added her family have been similarly supportive, describing her parents as “loving, supportive people" who love her for who she is.