ZedDash

You don't find Jonas using any gay dating apps like Grindr or Scruff, however. While he's played a handful of gay characters in movies and on TV, Jonas identifies as heterosexual. Still, Jonas says he is happy to be an ally for the LGBTQ community. "It's funny. I play a gay character on a TV show," he says. "Whether it's me or the character, at the end of the day it's still my body, it's still telling the story. It's the character and his journey, but it's my body, my lips, my hands."

Some critics have argued that Jonas was pandering to gay audiences, which he says is unfair. "There's always going to be negativity toward anything that is a positive effort toward change. As a heterosexual male, [I am] open and comfortable about loving my fan base, gay or straight, because to me there is no difference, it is my fan base. Your sexual preference does not matter to me and it shouldn't matter to anybody," he says. "I thought [the criticism] was kind of dumb, considering I play this gay character on a gritty show. There's a gay sex scene. I kissed a man."

"The goal is acceptance on all levels," he tells Complex. "That should be the focus. I've gone to normal clubs, straight clubs, and I've gone to gay clubs, to party with my friends and fans. There's no difference. I have nothing to prove," he says of not needing to defend his sexual orientation. "I'm very comfortable in my own skin and I'm thankful to have as many close gay friends as I have, people who have been so supportive in my life, and have always been there for me."

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7prvNpaCnnV6YvK57zZ6urGdnaIJ5gZZopaKbm2K3sLrArGSdoaOYwrS%2FxKxkoaGjYsKvrsSloJ6ukZe5pnnCqKWnnZOptrC6jK2mZqORqbJutNSdqqimXZfCtXnTnqOlq12YvK68y56vZqCVYsBuwsSrsGalpZi1br%2FIp56lnQ%3D%3D