Heartthrob Zac Efron doesn’t mind the adoration he receives from his gay fans; in fact, he thinks gay is okay.

In a new interview with The Advocate, he says he feels “incredibly grateful and honored” by his gay fan base.  Efron is hoping to return to musical theater and has “no doubt” that in the future he’ll play a gay character.

Efron tells The Advocate‘s Brandon Voss:

“I’m extremely aware of the support I’ve gotten from you guys over the years, and it’s amazing that it’s taken this long to sit down and actually discuss it, but please know that it hasn’t gone unappreciated.”

Efron received a considerable amount of attention from men and women alike affter appearing on the cover of Men’s Health earlier this year, showing off his recently buffed up body.

During his High School Musical days, Efron first learned about his gay fan base:

“I think the gay audience related to my character Troy, because it really was a story of embracing who you are, no matter how different you might be, and not being afraid to show it. That’s a universal theme for everyone, but it specifically resonated with the gay community, and I felt very proud of that.”

Also addressed in the interview were the gay rumors that have been circling around Efron for years.  He took it with a grain of salt:

“I don’t like to live in fear about things like rumors and backlash to begin with — that’s the way I was raised — but I just can’t see what’s so wrong about being gay.”

When Voss asked about Efron’s views on same-sex marriage, Efron was more than supportive:

“It’s an issue that affects so many people in my life — a lot of my close friends and some of the most influential people around me. I just want them all to be happy. It would make me so happy to see them able to live their lives and do what they want to do.”