Shawn Mendes was praised by Colorado Governor Jared Polis, the state's first openly gay governor, after addressing rumors about his sexuality during his show in the state's Red Rocks Amphitheatre Monday.
Polis, 49, told TMZ Wednesday that the Canadian singer-songwriter, 26, 'was surrounded by welcoming Coloradans who support his personal freedom to be exactly who he is.'
Polis told the outlet: 'Red Rocks is a great place to share anything and everything. Colorado is a state where everyone, no matter who they are, can love who they love without fear and be who they are.'
The Stitches singer, in his show in Colorado, made headlines after revealing he's 'just figuring' out his sexuality 'like everyone' else.
The Treat You Better vocalist was previously in high-profile romances with songstress Camila Cabello, 27, model Hailey Baldwin Bieber, 27, and singer-actress Sabrina Carpenter, 25.
Shawn Mendes, 26, was praised by Colorado Governor Jared Polis, the state's first openly gay governor, after addressing rumors about his sexuality during his show in the state's Red Rocks Amphitheatre Monday
Polis, 49, (pictured in 2020) said Wednesday that Mendes 'was surrounded by welcoming Coloradans who support his personal freedom to be exactly who he is'
Mendes spoke on the topic in his concert amid his new track titled The Mountain, in which he addresses longtime speculation over his sexuality, with lyrics like, 'You can say I like girls or boys / Whatever fits your mold.'
During his concert Monday, he told the crowd, 'Since I was really young, there's been this thing about my sexuality, and people have been talking about it for so long.
'I think it's kind of silly, because I think sexuality is such a beautifully complex thing, and it's so hard to just put into boxes.'
He continued: 'It always felt like such an intrusion on something very personal to me, something that I was figuring out in myself, something that I had yet to discover, and still have yet to discover.
'The real truth about my life and my sexuality is that, man, I'm just figuring it out like everyone. I don't really know sometimes, and I know other times. And it feels really scary because we live in a society that has a lot to say about that.'
Mendes said that by speaking publicly about the speculation, he was making an effort 'to be really brave' and 'just allow [himself] to be a human and feel things - and that's all I really want to say about that for now.'
He told iHeartPodcasts' On Purpose with Jay Shetty September 30 that the public split following the yearslong romance with Cabello was 'brutal' for both parties.
'Honestly, I think Camila and I have just done the best job at preserving our private little fire of love for each other,' Mendes said.
Mendes told Colorado concertgoers earlier this week, 'The real truth about my life and my sexuality is that, man, I'm just figuring it out like everyone'
The Stitches singer was seen October 16 at JFK airport in NYC
The vocalist said that 'no matter how strong mentally you are, when there are millions of people commenting on it, it's so hard not to be affected by it, and to be swayed by it, and to be inspired by it, and to desire it.'
Mendes said he and his ex-girlfriend Cabello had taken measures to 'protect each other' and themselves, noting that he had began refraining from going on social media as 'it's honestly too detrimental to the actual relationship itself.'
Mendes added, 'This is not a movie - this is real life - this is real love, and love is confusing and hard and goes through dips, goes through pauses, goes through breaks.'
Mendes is due to put out a new album, titled Shawn Mendes, on November 15.