So Disney Channel hasn’t had much luck with their past stars being shone in a good light. We’ve had Miley Cyrus, Lindsay Lohan, and Vanessa Hudgens just to name a few. They paint these people to be clean as a whistle. They make us think they are role models, and that we should let our kids evolve based on their representation of life. In their defense, they never asked to be anybody’s role model, but this most recent revelation has cause and uproar amongst the parents of many Disney Channel viewers.
On Tuesday, August 23, after a Snapchat posted by ex-Disney Channel star, Bella Thorne revealed that she is indeed bisexual. Bella posted a photo on her Snapchat story of her kissing an unidentified female. She was screenshot by one of her fans who then posted the photo to Twitter and simply asked her, “Are you bisexual?” Bella gave a simple response of, “Yes.” Pretty straightforward, if you ask me.
After this “announcement,” Bella received multiple tweets from her fans congratulating her on being her authentic self and not being afraid to tell the public truth. Many people were completely behind Bella, saying that she is a role model for the generation, and that she is showing the next generation that it is okay to be themselves. This was turning out to be a positive thing...or so we thought.
After this news was out for a couple of hours, parents began tweeting and writing on Facebook stating that this is “unacceptable.” People are angry with Disney Channel, saying that this “always happens.” Parents are feeling like Bella Thorne should have kept her private life private because it is affecting their children. When they say that this is “affecting” their kids, they mean that they didn’t want their children to be exposed to bisexualism or any other type of sexuality being that most of Bella’s fans are young children.
I personally feel as though life doesn’t always go the way we plan it. There are so many things that change along with the person you are, and sometimes that means your sexual preference changes. I mean, I’m not taking any sides here, but I can understand the uproar. The thing is, you can’t really control what your child is exposed to these days. Everything is allowed on television, and the internet has all kinds of websites and pop-ups, meaning you just never know what your child could be watching. In Bella’s defense, she never asked to be someone’s role model. She is 18 years old and growing up just like everyone else. It’s sad that she isn’t granted the privilege and ground room to make the mistakes and life decisions that everyone else in the world is allowed. I commend Bella for being so honest and sincere about the situation.
Bisexuality and Homosexuality are normal these days and that may not be what everyone wants, but shaming and bashing everything that you don’t agree with isn’t going to change what is happening. We as a people have to stop judging everything and everyone that we see. That isn’t for us to do. We all just want to be great and if we mind our own business and allow people their growing pains, the world would be so much better.
