Prince William makes history as cover star of gay magazine Attitude
Duke of Cambridge declared that no one should be bullied for their sexuality
Prince William has made history after becoming the first member of the royal family to be photographed for a gay publication.
The 33-year-old dad-of-two spoke out in support of members of the LGBT community who have suffered at the hands of bullies as he posed for the cover.
The historic edition went to print on June 8 – just days before the tragic shooting in Orlando, which saw 49 members of the LGBT community lose their lives.
The Duke of Cambridge invited the magazine to bring members of the LGBT community to Kensington Palace to listen to their experience of bullying and the impact that can have on their mental health.
The group told William about how bullying they endured had led to low self-esteem, suicide attempts, eating disorders, depression, addiction and even death.
Their revelations come after a recent report from PACE RARE shockingly found that 33.9% of young LGB people had made at least one suicide attempt compared to 17.9% of young straight people.
Speaking out against bullying, the Duke told the magazine: “No one should be bullied for their sexuality or any other reason and no one should have to put up with the kind of hate that these young people have endured in their lives.
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“The young gay, lesbian and transgender individuals I met through Attitude are truly brave to speak out and to give hope to people who are going through terrible bullying right now. Their sense of strength and optimism should give us all encouragement to stand up to bullying wherever we see it.”
He continued: “What I would say to any young person reading this who’s being bullied for their sexuality: don’t put up with it – speak to a trusted adult, a friend, a teacher, Childline, Diana Award or some other service and get the help you need. You should be proud of the person you are and you have nothing to be ashamed of.”
Attitude’s editor Matthew Todd remarked on the impact of the Duke’s comments, saying: “During my time as editor of Attitude I have met parents whose child has taken or lost their life after being bullied for being LGBT+ or even just perceived to be LGBT.
“I am very happy that the future King of The United Kingdom agrees this must stop and I would urge parents in particular to raise their voices in their communities to ensure that every school protects – really protects – all children.”
A Kensington Palace spokesman said: "The Duke of Cambridge is working hard to support the fight against bullying and to help break the stigma around mental health. He has established a taskforce on the prevention of cyberbullying and along with The Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry is leading the Heads Together campaign on mental health and well-being.
"He knows that LGBT young people suffer unacceptably high rates of bullying and he was grateful to Attitude for facilitating such a serious conversation on this topic. He was moved by the stories he heard and impressed by the positivity and courage of the people he met."
Read the full interview in Attitude – out Wednesday June 22.