N’SYNC’s Lance Bass is slated to screen a documentary he produced at Outfest which launches next week in Los Angeles.
“Mississippi I Am” was inspired by Constance McMillen – a lesbian who sued (and won) - a lawsuit to take her girlfriend to the Prom.
Bass not only attended the “Second Chance Prom” – but also – acted as Emcee at the highly-publicized event which attracted students three hundred strong.
The sexy young heartthrob (who came out a few years ago) was keen on producing a film about LGBT youth, but found it difficult to get a project kick-started until the McMillen case happened along.
Because of his involvement with the popular Boy Band – and for personal reasons – Bass struggled with coming out as well.
One of the problems?
“There weren’t too many successful role models at the time,” he confided to one local reporter on a recent press junket.
Because most of the gay spokespersons were often made fun of, he resisted stepping forward into the glare of the spotlight. Bass acknowledges now that he wishes he came out sooner.
“Having relationships in your teens is important to one’s growth. You get heartbroken. You get crushes. I would have loved to experienced that.”
“Mississippi I Am” tosses a searing lens on gay youth struggling to come out in the Bible Belt region of the South.
“You are brainwashed to think like your parents. That’s why your parents care so much about you being gay. If your kids are gay, you’re not going to heaven,” he noted poignantly for the record.
In the final analysis, Bass hopes that his documentary will change those views.
"Mississippi I am" screens at Outfest at the DGA on July 14th at 11:30 a.m.
See ‘ya there!
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