1He wants to be a role model
EJ is aware that as a public figure who is a member of two minority groups, he has a responsibility to be a role model. When talking about his position as the Celebrity Grand Marshall of the San Francisco Gay Pride Parade, EJ said, “Whether it’s the African-American community, or in my case, the gay community, it’s important to make sure that we represent those communities in a positive way.”
According to BET, he recognizes how lucky he his to be able to live freely as “a young Black man in the public eye who plays with gender norms.” EJ said, “I’m fortunate that I’m in a world where I can do what I want to do and walk down the street in whatever I want to wear and break those walls down.”
EJ also gave advice to closeted young people who might be looking to his lifestyle as a road map for their own. “I say dance around in your closet when no one is looking until the time is right,” he told BET. “Try your hardest to work towards getting to a place within yourself or the country where you can go and express yourself and come back and tell your story. I think that if getting out is really the only way to be able to live your life then that’s something to think about… also just make sure you’re safe. That’s something my dad always told me: Make sure you check your surroundings and be you, do you, but make sure you’re not putting yourself in dangerous situations where you could get hurt.”
