Josh Hutcherson hopes to shut down his LGBT charity

Josh Hutcherson says he hopes that he’ll live to see the day he can see his LGBT support charity shut down.

The Hunger Games star founded Straight But Not Narrow – an LGBT support network which campaigns against homophobia in schools and works to create ‘straight allies’ – in 2011, but says that despite recent legal developments like the introduction of equal marriage across all 50 states, the group still has a lot of work to do.

“There is still so much to do,” the 22-year-old told E! Online. “It’s not only even about legislation. It starts there by making it legally acceptable but socially there is so much prejudice and bias that is integrated into our culture and that’s going to be around for while.

“I hope one day in my lifetime we get to close the door on this group but there’s a lot more work to do.”

Hutcherson – who starred opposite Julianne Moore and Annette Benning in LGBT family dram The Kids Are Alright in 2010 – went on to recount the story of one gay youth who had got in touch with him after coming into contact with the group.

“I think one of the moments that was really rewarding was probably about two years ago when we got an email from a young guy in Florida,” he recalled.

“He was like, ‘I’m 14 years old and I go to a very religious middle school and it’s been a really hard thing for me to come out and find support because I was afraid I wouldn’t be accepted in my community.

“But because of Straight But Not Narrow and the support that you show me from the straight community, it’s made me see a really different side of things and I’m so happy now that I came out to my friends and family and they all love me and support me so much.'”

Hutcherson will soon be back on our screens opposite Jennifer Lawrence in the Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2, which hits UK cinemas on November 20.

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