Pop singer Lance Bass arrives at the 2014 Elton John AIDS Foundation Oscar Party in West Hollywood, California March 2, 2014. (Reuters)
LOS ANGELES – Lance Bass is getting serious. The former NSYNC boy bander has become a 37-year-old environmental activist — and a very outspoken one when it comes to President Donald Trump.
"Unfortunately, we can’t rely on our president for the first time in history," Bass, a presenter at the Environmental Media Association Summit in Beverly Hills, told Fox News. "So we are going to have to do it ourselves. That is why organizations like EMA exist.
“You can’t always trust your leaders to do the right thing, so that is why we have to pick up the slack. And for the next four years, or however long ‘45’ is going to be in, we are going to have to pick up the slack and we are ready for that, and that's what we were built for. I think we do a great job."
The "My Kitchen Rules" star said environmental activism has always been important, “but it has never been so important as it is right now, because everything is getting defunded that has to do with helping this planet. And that is the scariest thing I have ever witnessed in my lifetime.
“To know half this country agrees with that, or is scammed to not think that that is dangerous, is really scary. I’m planning on having kids, and I want my grandkids and great-grandkids to have a healthy life on this planet, and we have to pre-empt that now."
Bass said celebrity provides a platform for social, environmental and political advocacy.
"I think it's very important,” he said. “We have a responsibility. If you have a fan base, I think you need to have a message, whether it's environment, any kind of cause, you need to be passionate about what you believe in. You need to spread the good word and educate people."
Being outspoken wasn’t always easy, Bass said.
"I've seen a lot of ignorance in this world,” he said. “I came from Mississippi, I'm a gay man, I was in a boy band — so I've seen a lot of hatred and ignorance over stupid things. So you just have to figure out how to talk about that, how to speak to people who don't agree with you.
“That has been the tricky part for sure, and you learn. And it's nice when you change people's opinion."
The March 23-34 EMA Summit focused on solutions of impact investing, sustainable corporations, environmental innovation and activism. Among the other presenters were Swedish-Canadian actress Malin Akerman and Canadian actress Emmanuelle Chirqui.
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