Four-time Grammy winner Sam Smith recently opened up about his past experiences with homophobic bullying.
According to MTV News, Smith recently spoke out in an exclusive interview with The Sun about growing up and being bullied for being gay.
"A bunch of boys from a rival school would shout insults at me as I walked from my home to the train station," MTV reported he revealed to The Sun. "I remember walking to the station getting 'f-ggot' shouted at me all the time. It was the most mortifying thing. Not so much for me. I knew these people were stupid, uneducated twats."
In another incident, Smith recalled getting punched in the neck because to his attacker, he said, "it was pretty clear I was gay." He also reflected on an incident when he felt really lonely for not being accepted at a gay club in London.
"When I was 17 I decided to go gay clubbing in Soho in London. I remember walking in and this gay guy turned to his mate and said something really nasty about me," Smith said. "My whole world just crashed and I had a really lonely feeling. I knew then it was going to take a lot longer to be accepted. There's a lot of homophobia and bullying in the gay community. There's also a lot of body dysmorphia in the gay community, which means if you're not toned and skinny it can be awful."
Now as Grammy-winning, successful artist, the 22-year-old is using his musicianship and popularity for good causes. He recently collaborated with John Legend to record their version of Smith's "Lay Me Down" as a duet, for Comic Relief Charity's annual Red Nose Day. Rolling Stone reported that Smith was pleased with the Charity's support for the young LGBT commiunity.
"I recently visited a Comic Relief funded project in my hometown, which supports the young LGBT community in London. I'm extremely proud that my single will help raise money for projects like this and many others in the U.K. and across Africa."
