Lance Bass Defends 'Bachelor' for Anti-Gay Remarks

Former 'N Sync boy-bander Lance Bass is defending the current star of ABC's The Bachelor, Juan Pablo Galavis, after the reality contestant made negative comments about gay and bisexual people.

"I don't hate him at all," Bass, 34, told the Associated Press on the sidelines of the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. "I still think he's cute."

"Of course it's disappointing, because you don't want someone who (you) actually love to have those thoughts," added the singer, who is openly gay and engaged to be married to his partner, Michael Turchin. But Bass said the remarks are a reflection of the culture Galavis grew up in.

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"When you grow up in a place like that, you get brainwashed into
thinking that way, you know, you can't help what you grow up with. I mean, I grew up in Mississippi, so I know how people can get brainwashed into thinking really, really awful things," Bass said. "So hopefully, [Galavis] will learn from this and get educated."

Galavis -- who grew up in Venezuela -- apologized last week after audio of an interview was made public in which he told a journalist that he didn't think a gay or bisexual bachelor would set a good example for children. He also expressed his opinion that gays were more "pervert, in a sense." He later said he respected gay people and blamed a language barrier for his use of the word "pervert."

When asked about his own wedding planned for the fall, Bass said the couple hasn't yet "planned a thing." "It sucks when two guys are planning a wedding, because we're guys. So we have no idea what to do."