In a candid conversation on Origins with Cush Jumbo aired on November 5, singer and actress Kate Nash opened up about the challenges she faced while grappling with her bisexuality during her formative years. The 37-year-old former star of GLOW shared poignant memories from her primary school days that shaped her understanding of identity and acceptance.
Nash recounted a vivid experience involving a new classmate who identified as bisexual. “I remember there was a bisexual girl at my primary school in the last year,” Nash revealed. “She would walk down the street reading a book, and everyone was like, ‘She’s so weird.’ I thought to myself, ‘Yeah, she says she’s bisexual, and we’re like, ‘Weird, what a freak,’ you know?” This moment encapsulated the confusion and fear that often accompany young people discovering their sexual identities.
Reflecting on her internal conflict, Nash recalled how peer pressure stifled her true feelings. “At school, I remember a girl saying to me, ‘It’s just so disgusting, the thought of two girls kissing, like just makes me feel sick,’ and I’m like, ‘Yeah, me too.’ But inside, I was really thinking, ‘I think I want to kiss girls—is something wrong with me?’”
The singer’s narrative took a positive turn when she transitioned to the BRIT School during her teenage years. There, she found a vibrant community that celebrated diversity and openness. “Everyone was so cool and different,” Nash said. “I had a ton of gay friends talking about all of their sexual experiences with me. Finally, I could kiss girls without pretending it was gross.” This newfound acceptance allowed Nash to embrace her identity fully.
In addition to discussing her sexuality, Nash touched on the complexities of sexual education she received in school. She humorously recounted a lesson where a teacher labeled masturbation as a sin. “The teacher was kind of laughing, and I feel like she kind of knew,” Nash shared. “One of the boys asked about it, and she said, ‘Yeah, that’s a sin.’ We were all like, ‘Ah,’ because he was talking about masturbating.” Reflecting on her own experiences, Nash added with a laugh, “I was like masturbating every night—desperately sinning my soul away.”
Nash has never shied away from discussing personal topics. In past interviews, she has bravely addressed body shaming in the public eye. “When you’re a woman in the public eye, you have such a strange relationship with your body,” she stated in 2017. “People comment on my body all the time in ways I find completely offensive.”
Through her openness about her struggles with sexuality and body image, Kate Nash continues to inspire others to embrace their true selves without fear or shame.
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