Here’s Anna Shumate’s advice for any girls in the closet

Featured photo by Brooke James for Playboy.

When Anna Shumate came out as a lesbian, it wasn’t just to her friends and family, but to millions of followers. The influencer, who sports more than 12 million followers on TikTok, came out for the second time in 2022 after identifying as bisexual. Now, she’s opening up about her coming out experiences in a new interview with Playboy.

“It took me so long to figure out my identity when I first came out,” Shumate explained. “I came out as bisexual, but I think that was just me thinking that I had this safety net to fall back on if I still liked men because I had a large following of men when I first started social media. So it took me, gosh, I don’t even know — maybe three years to fully recognize within myself that I don’t actually like men. I was just scared to let that part of myself go. Now, I like to say I’m a lesbian and I’m proud of that.”

So, having gone through it herself, what does Shumate have to say to any girls still struggling to share their sexualities?

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“It’s definitely a scary thing, even for me,” she said. “It was pretty scary and obviously some people may not like it, but what life is worth living if you’re not fully being you. If you’re constantly pushing away this part of yourself, that’s going to eat you alive inside. Once you’re truly being yourself and you’re out there, you feel pretty invincible, free, and unstoppable. And then you get to love openly.”

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And for those still in the closet, Shumate said she’s honored to potentially be a role model, the same way out-and-proud athletes were for her.

“When I was closeted, I always looked up to the U.S. Women’s National Team and the queer women on the soccer team. I always found a sense of safety in them,” she said. “So I’m just happy that, in my case, I can be that person for someone else. I try to be the best me that I can be so that they have someone to look up to who isn’t crazy.”

Check out Shumate’s full interview in Playboy.