LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – SEPTEMBER 22: Jameela Jamil walks the red carpet during the 71st Annual Primetime Emmy Awards on September 22, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Rich Polk/Getty Images for IMDb)

In response to the backlash over her being cast as a judge on HBO Max’s new ballroom voguing competition show, Legendary, British actress and activist Jameela Jamil has come out as queer.

Given that ballroom is an underground LGBTQI+ subculture where predominantly black and Latino members of the LGBTQI+ community can participate in drag competitions in a safe space, many were questioning Jamil’s qualifications for the role, given she was not known to be a member of the LGBTQI+ community.

The Good Place star began her post by writing, “Twitter is brutal. This is why I never officially came out as queer.”

“I added a rainbow to my name when I felt ready a few years ago, as it’s not easy within the south Asian community to be accepted, and I always answered honestly if ever straight-up asked about it on Twitter,” she continued. “But I kept it low because I was scared of the pain of being accused of performative bandwagon-jumping, over something that caused me a lot of confusion, fear and turmoil when I was a kid. I didn’t come from a family with *anyone* openly out. It’s also scary as an actor to openly admit your sexuality, especially when you’re already a brown female in your thirties.”

Jamil then addressed the specific backlash surrounding the show. “I know that my being queer doesn’t qualify me as ballroom. But I have privilege and power and a large following to bring to this show … Sometimes it takes those with more power to help a show get off the ground so we can elevate marginalized stars that deserve the limelight and give them a chance.”

She continued, “My 11 years of hosting experience, being fully impartial … and being a longtime ally of the LGBTQ community” as her qualifications for her inclusion in the show, adding that she is “a newcomer to ballroom (like much of the audience will be) and therefore a window in for people who are just discovering it now.”

“I really don’t want to talk about [coming out]. Let’s just focus on the contestants of the show until it’s out,” she concluded, noting that she would be taking a break from Twitter.

Following her statement, Jamil quickly began trending on Twitter, but not because the harassment or backlash was over. Rather, people flocked to invalidate her identity as a queer woman, saying that she couldn’t possibly be queer given she’s been in a relationship with a man – musician James Blake – for five years. Jamil was right: Twitter is brutal. But thankfully, some people can see her statement for exactly what it is: someone being real and vulnerable online.