DWTS’ Ezra Sosa on Coming Out as Gay After Growing Up Mormon

Growing up in a conservative Utah household, Ezra Sosa could hardly imagine he’d one day become a world-famous dancer.

“I definitely feel like growing up,” the Dancing With the Stars pro told E! News in an exclusive interview, “I was shoved into a box.”

While beating the odds to land a coveted spot on the wildly popular ABC reality TV competition series was one major hurdle on his path to stardom, being honestly and authentically himself was another challenge he’d have to overcome.

“I was told by many people—not by anyone a part of the show—that I couldn’t be openly gay on Dancing With the Stars,” Ezra recounted. “That’s really hard to hear, especially when that’s your biggest dream. But if I listened to them, I wouldn’t be here today. So, it’s really important to keep those dreams going.”

Of course, growing up Mormon didn’t provide the 25-year-old with many queer role models in his immediate community. But while Ezra spent most of his childhood wrestling with the thought of coming out, he knew the one place he could truly express himself was in the ballroom.