In November 2016, Lauren Jauregui came out in a powerful open letter to Donald Trump's supporters. "I am a bisexual Cuban-American woman and I am so proud of it," she wrote in the letter that also discussed intersectionality and privilege, among other things. "I am proud to be part of a community that only projects love and education and the support of one another."

Now in a new interview with The Sun, she says that coming out has had a profound impact on how she feels about herself.

“For me, coming into my own and being comfortable with myself really changed me as a person, and made me more confident and vibrant," she explained.

Lauren also discussed how much representation matters, and that a number of fans have talked to her about their own identities. "A bunch of my fans have come up to me and said, 'Because of you and because you came out, I have finally begun to accept myself," she explained. "That is infinitely incredible for me. I didn’t expect to get to the point where I would own up to it within myself."

“It’s hard to accept yourself when you live in a world where nobody is like you, or you feel like nobody is like you because there’s no representation," she added. It's true: a lack of LGBTQ representation tends to perpetuate stereotypes, as a GLAAD report about LGBTQ roles in Hollywood noted in 2016. But seeing yourself represented in celebrities is just as important as seeing yourself in characters, if not more so — these are people with whom you can relate on a tangible level, and whose real-life actions may resonate with you in ways that characters may not.

It's clear that Lauren's fans have found as much strength in her letter as she has.

Related: How to Come Out to Your Friends