Shawn Mendes recently sat down with Rolling Stone magazine where he talked about various aspects of his life. When the discussion turned to rumors about his private life, Mendes claimed the attention bothered him. This was mistake number one. Mendes then went into detail about one rumor in particular that bothers him; the one about him being gay. This was mistake number two.

Let me explain.

When you're a public figure like Mendes, you have to walk a fine line between being honest with your audience and protecting yourself. Sometimes, you have to sacrifice one in order to help the other. However, it's all about creating a healthy balance. You have to know how and when to pick your battles.

"In the back of my heart, I feel like I need to go be seen with someone — like a girl — in public, to prove to people that I'm not gay," Mendes says in the article. "Even though in my heart I know that it's not a bad thing. There's still a piece of me that thinks that. And I hate that side of me."

Mendes also talked about reading YouTube comments from people speculating about his sexuality. "I thought, 'You ****ing guys are so lucky I'm not actually gay and terrified of coming out,'" he went on to say. "That's something that kills people. That's how sensitive it is. Do you like the songs? Do you like me? Who cares if I'm gay?"

Celebrities are human beings and there's no denying that. Nobody can be expected to handle themselves perfectly in the public eye. However, admitting to the public that a rumor bothers you isn't a smart thing to do. This will just add fuel to the fire and attract more attention to it. Vent to those you trust in private. When confronted with such questions in interviews, it's best to have a nonchalant attitude about it. What makes this situation worse, is that it appears Mendes brought up the subject himself.

From what I've seen, most of the rumors about male celebrities being gay comes from gay men lusting over them. When you have that kind of wishful thinking and combine it with access to social media, this kind of attention is inevitable. It seems to me that when an artist signs a major record deal, they have to know what to expect on some level. It's not exactly a secret how much scrutiny famous people deal with these days. Mendes definitely needs to get a thicker skin, especially when other celebrities have faced much worse.

Michael Jackson faced extreme intrusion during his lifetime. Princess Diana died in a car crash because a paparazzi was chasing her in a tunnel. Britney Spears shaved her head, smashed a car with an umbrella, and got involuntarily taken to a mental hospital all in front of the cameras. I grew up watching these stories on the news and reading about them in the paper. It's difficult for me to equate that with some comments on a YouTube video.

However, that doesn't mean it's okay for people to leave those kinds of comments. If it's known to make the subject uncomfortable, it's customary to stop. I think everyone should be respected and while some straight celebrities can shrug off those rumors, not everyone is the same. Mendes' sensitivity, however, does make me question his honesty. I do have a hard time understanding why a straight man would be so bothered by gay rumors.

Now, to be clear, outing is a practice I do not support. I think everyone's process should be respected. It's only natural for people to live vicariously through the lives of famous people. However, it's not right to force someone to be out when they're not ready. Again, celebrities are human beings and should be treated as such.

The article goes on to talk about how Mendes was watching "Love, Simon" in a movie theater when his single, "In My Blood," came out. This was the moment in the article that left the biggest impression on me. The song features lyrics such as, "Keep telling me that it gets better/Does it ever?" and the film is about a closeted teen whose classmates expose his sexuality. During the film, he had a panic attack in the theater and had to leave.

This is exactly why public figures shouldn't make it known when certain rumors get to them. This information doesn't exactly help his case. I don't understand why Mendes would have a panic attack at that moment if he were truly straight. To be clear, I'm not trying to out Shawn Mendes. I have absolutely nothing to gain from him coming out. I am not trying to stir the pot. I just wouldn't be surprised if we witness Shawn Mendes coming out as gay in the future. However, if he is gay and decides to do that, it should be on his own time.