WILLIAM THE FIRST BRITISH ROYAL ON COVER OF GAY MAGAZINE

JUST days after the deadly shooting at an LGBT club in Orlando, Prince William appeared on the cover of a gay magazine as part of efforts to raise awareness about homophobic bullying.

“You should be proud of the person you are and you have nothing to be ashamed of,” William said to Attitude, a leading British magazine on gay issues.

William is the first member of the British royal family to be photographed for the cover of a gay magazine.

In May, Attitude magazine and members of the LGBT community met at Kensington Palace, the London residence of the prince and his wife, to talk about their experiences of bullying and its effect on mental health.

After the meeting, William wrote: “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.”

He added: “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.”

The Diana Award is an anti-bullying organisation set up in honour of William’s mother, the late Princess Diana, who campaigned against bullying and famously raised awareness about people living with HIV/AIDS. | The Washington Post