‘Love is love – it doesn't matter what form that comes in'

As we enter Pride month, TOWIE star Bobby Norris opens up about the homophobic abuse he receives and his mission to raise awareness for LGBTQ+ rights

- BOBBY NORRIS AND GEMMA MCCARTNEY

Pride month has always been close to my heart. It’s so important that we have that time every year where we celebrate, because when you look back – and I’m not talking hundreds of thousands of years ago here – 53 years ago, being gay was illegal, unbelievably.

So many people have been through so much. It’s important to celebrate that love is love and it doesn’t matter what form that comes in. We’ve come such a long way, but we’ve still got a hell of a way to go. I feel so fortunate that I have a platform to represent the LGBTQ+ community on TV. It’s important that TV shows, whether that be reality or soaps, are a true representation of society.

I get so many messages from parents saying things like, “Thank you so much, my son is a massive fan and felt comfortable to come out after watching you for years.”

It brings tears to my eyes sometimes because you forget having that platform can really help someone. I love that I can make anyone feel comfortable to be their true self and that they can tell other people who they really are. And that’s why I’m so big on speaking out about the trolling I receive, because I’m all for people having opinions, but not if it crosses a line.

For example, the online abuse I get is always homophobic. That’s not just having an opinion, people are sending me specific and detailed death threats because of my sexuality. I’ve got a thick skin and I can take that and still sleep at night, but if that had been me when I was younger, and for those who aren’t as thick-skinned as me, those people can struggle with that.