Natalie Morales has come out as queer.
The Parks and Recreation star discussed her sexuality in an inspiring open letter for former costar Amy Poehler’s Smart Girls website.
“I don’t like labeling myself, or anyone else, but if it’s easier for you to understand me, what I’m saying is that I’m queer,” she wrote, in part.
I'm coming out. I want the world to know. #PrideMonth https://t.co/XTjpMsk9kT
— Natalie Morales (@nataliemorales) June 30, 2017
“What queer means to me is just simply that I’m not straight. That’s all. It’s not scary, even though that word used to be really, really scary to me.”
Natalie said she tries to stay out of the spotlight as much as possible, but wanted to write the letter because things are still “pretty bad out there” for members of the LGBTQ community.
“I think it’s important that I tell you that this familiar face you see on your TV is the Q part of LGBTQ, so that if you didn’t know someone who was queer before, you do now,” she shared.
“I’m not straight”: Parks and Recreation star Natalie Morales has come out as queer | NBC
“I also think it’s important that if there are any scared kids out there, like I was, I can tell you that whole ‘It Gets Better’ campaign is true. It does. And you’re not weird. You’re not bad. You’re not unholy. You’re exactly what God intended you to be.”
Natalie concluded: “So while I’ll still insist on privacy, and I still don’t want you to know who I’m dating, you should know that it could be anyone. And that’s okay, because that’s what it’s supposed to be. Because that’s me.”
Read her full letter on AmySmartGirls.com.
