Justice Smith breaks down why straight people don’t get to call him gay
The I Saw the TV Glow actor made the remarks on the latest episode of TikTok show, Gaydar, hosted by actor and drag queen Anania
By Callum Wells
Justice Smith has spoken out on how he wants his sexuality to be described, explaining that straight people don’t have the perspective to fully understand it.
The actor appeared on the latest episode of TikTok show, Gaydar, hosted by actor and drag queen Anania. The conversation covered a range of topics before concluding with the show’s usual wrap-up question: “If I had to guess if you were gay, straight, or a homophobe…”
Rather than answering, Anania asked Smith directly, “Would you just say you’re queer? What’s tea?” Smith replied, “I don’t allow straight people to call me gay.” He went on to elaborate on why, saying, “I think straight people have a limited definition of what gay is.”
“I think straight people have a limited definition of what gay is” – Justice Smith on how he wants his sexuality described
Smith illustrated his point with an example: when he mentions a former girlfriend in conversation, people often respond, “But I thought you were gay!” His reaction is straightforward: “You’re boring, and you’re basic.”
@gaydar.show waving through the windowwwww at the isttvg cast 🤩 feat. @my name is mustard smish host: @𝙰𝙽𝙰𝙽𝙸𝙰 created by: @Mutuals and @Amelia produced and shot by: @Tik Toker q’s and booking: @ilikerainbows edited by: @Andrew Bourne socials: @Kim ✨ #gaydarshow #mutualsmedia #lgbt #nowyouseeme #jesseeisenberg ♬ original sound – Gaydar with Anania
He added that this isn’t just a misunderstanding among straight people, noting that even gay people sometimes struggle to grasp that attraction can extend beyond a single gender.
The actor, who appeared in a 2022 Calvin Klein campaign with his boyfriend Nic Ashe, has a fluid understanding of his own sexuality, which aligns with his performance as Owen/Isabel in I Saw the TV Glow.
What has Smith starred in?
On the podcast, Anania asked Smith about the gayest moments on set. Smith said, “Everything was gay,” highlighting that the crew included “trans folk, nonbinary folk”.
Smith trained at the Orange County School of the Arts and first gained recognition for his performance as Ezekiel “Zeke” Figuero in Netflix’s The Get Down.
His film credits include Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, Detective Pikachu, All the Bright Places and Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves.