Dove Cameron is looking back on her journey to living authentically.

The actor and singer identified herself as part of the LGBTQ community in an Instagram Live interview last year while discussing the lyric video for her song We Belong , which featured same-sex couples in tender embraces.

Speaking to Gay Times for its summer issue, Cameron said she grappled over whether to address her sexuality in the weeks leading up to the songs release, noting she feared she wouldnt be accepted for who she is.

Ive hinted about my sexuality for years while being afraid to spell it out for everybody, the 25-year-old said. I was never confused about who I was. ... It felt like something that I could never talk about.

The We Belong video, Cameron explained, initially drew accusations of queerbaiting , referring to a disingenuous marketing strategy used to attract LGBTQ consumers. (Artists such as Nick Jonas and Harry Styles have faced similar criticisms.)

Cameron has dated only men publicly and was in a high-profile relationship with actor Thomas Doherty from 2016 to 2020. The actors decision to live as her true self came after she acknowledged she was behaving like somebody who was out and I realized I wasnt.