NSYNC alum Lance Bass said in a recent
interview that his worst fear surrounding coming out gay was his
parents' disapproval.
The 43-year-old Bass came out in 2006
on the cover of PEOPLE magazine.
He and husband Michael Turchin are
raising two children born via surrogate.
(Related: Lance
Bass, husband Michael Turchin welcome twins.)
Speaking with People Parents,
Bass said that he “went through a major depression for years”
before he came out.
“I went through a major depression
for years – and to this day, I still struggle,” Bass said. “Do
I have PTSD from hiding a secret for as long as I did? I don't know.
I don't know exactly what damage was caused by staying in the
closet.”
Bass said that he feared his parents
would reject him if he came out to them.
“The last thing I'd ever want to do
is hurt my family. I was terrified of losing them. You hear so many
horror stories – especially in the South – of families rejecting
their gay kids,” he said.
Bass came out to his mother, Diane,
before his public coming out.
“My mom was surprised, and she had to
go through all of the emotions. It's almost like a feeling of loss,
like someone has died,” Bass
said. “You know, a huge part of me did die – that character I
created died, and I was finally able to be my true self. Up until
then I'd been lying and hiding.”
“She was just really emotional and
needed to get her thoughts together.”
“I would catch her reading these
really horrible, demonizing books [against gays], and I'd throw them
in the trash. Once she realized there was a lot of false information
out there, she started talking to different pastors that accepted gay
people.”
Diane and Bass' father, Jim, left their
congregation for one that was more accepting.
“Not only has she accepted the fact
that I'm gay, but she celebrates it,” Bass said. “The world has
so much to learn from her.”