Troye Sivan Opens Up About Masculinity, Bullying and the Teacher Who Changed His Life

Behind the confidence, the sex appeal and the unapologetically queer pop star, Troye Sivan remembers a little boy who was terrified of not being masculine enough. And one teacher who helped him see himself differently.

Troye Sivan has shared an unexpectedly emotional story about growing up gay, struggling with traditional expectations of masculinity and the teacher who made him feel accepted.

The 31-year-old Australian singer opened up during an intimate episode of A View From A Bridge, released on 22 October 2026.

Standing on a bridge in London’s St James’s Park, speaking into a bright red telephone, Sivan reflected on childhood experiences that shaped his relationship with men, identity and self-confidence.

And beneath the glossy music videos and carefully choreographed pop performances, his story feels painfully familiar.

Troye Sivan Admits He Struggled With Masculinity

During the conversation, Sivan explained that he has long had a complicated relationship with men and his own masculinity.

Growing up in Perth, Australia, he often felt different from the boys around him.

Sport was a particular source of anxiety.

While other boys seemed comfortable playing football and competing in school activities, Troye felt deeply uncomfortable.

He even admitted that one of his fears today is walking past a group of men playing football and being expected to kick their ball back.

It sounds like a small, almost funny detail.

But for someone who grew up feeling judged for not behaving like other boys, those moments can carry enormous emotional weight.

The School Experience That Left Him Wanting to Cry

One of Sivan’s strongest childhood memories involves a compulsory swimming competition at school.

He was not a confident swimmer.

During the event, he struggled to complete even a short distance, repeatedly stopping to catch his breath while other pupils watched.

Some of the boys had already mocked him for singing in a way they considered feminine.

For young Troye, failing at swimming felt like further evidence that he didn’t fit their expectations.

He remembers desperately wanting to cry.

The experience was about much more than a swimming competition.

It was about the fear of being exposed as different.

Then One Teacher Changed Everything

When the following year’s swimming event approached, Troye decided he couldn’t face going through the same experience again.

He approached a teacher he admired and explained that he didn’t want to swim.

Rather than insisting that he participate, she offered him a different challenge.

He could skip the competition.

But he had to sing the Australian national anthem in front of the school.

And so he did.

Instead of being humiliated in the swimming pool, he found himself performing something he genuinely loved.

The audience applauded.

Years later, Sivan recognises the importance of what that teacher did.

She hadn’t tried to turn him into the kind of boy society expected.

She had recognised something valuable in the person he already was.

Watch Troye Sivan’s Emotional Interview

The video was published by A View From A Bridge, the series created by Joe Bloom in which people share personal experiences through a telephone conversation recorded on a bridge.

Watch Troye Sivan’s original video on Instagram.

You can also listen to the full conversation on Apple Podcasts.

It is a touching reminder that sometimes a seemingly small act of kindness can change how somebody sees themselves.

From the Boy Who Felt Different to a Queer Pop Superstar

Today, Sivan is one of the most recognisable openly gay figures in international pop music.

His videos celebrate queer intimacy, desire and self-expression without feeling the need to apologise.

Earlier this month, The Gayly Mirror explored his unapologetically queer music video FF, released alongside his latest album, She’s the Best.

And while his music now projects enormous confidence, his latest interview reminds us that confidence is something many LGBTQ+ people spend years developing.

There is something powerful about watching an artist who celebrates queer male desire openly acknowledge that he once felt afraid of simply being himself.

Especially when the traditional expectations surrounding masculinity still make growing up difficult for so many queer boys.

Why This Story Matters Beyond Troye Sivan

Sivan’s experience is not simply a celebrity childhood anecdote.

It speaks to something many LGBTQ+ people recognise: the pressure to hide the parts of themselves that others might judge.

For young boys, those expectations can involve sport, physical strength, mannerisms, friendships and what society considers acceptable masculinity.

But being good at football doesn’t make someone more of a man.

And loving music, fashion or the arts doesn’t make anyone less worthy of respect.

As The Gayly Mirror previously explored in our feature on queer musicians and their influence on rock history, LGBTQ+ performers have spent generations challenging rigid ideas about gender and self-expression.

Sometimes that challenge begins long before someone becomes famous.

Sometimes it begins in a school corridor, with a teacher who chooses kindness instead of conformity.

The Little Boy Who Finally Felt Seen

Troye Sivan’s story is a reminder that support doesn’t always arrive through grand gestures.

Sometimes it comes from someone recognising what makes you different and refusing to treat it as something that needs correcting.

That teacher probably had no idea that her decision would remain with him for decades.

But it did.

And now, millions of people know the name Troye Sivan.

The little boy who was afraid of not being masculine enough became a pop star celebrated for being unapologetically himself. And somewhere along the way, one teacher helped him discover that he was already enough.