Lauren Jauregui came out as bisexual last year after a photo of her kissing a girl was leaked online, but she was apparently still nervous about her family and the public's reaction when they saw her in an editorial called Bared With Me that showcased her relationship with her girlfriend at the time, Lucy Vives. The Fifth Harmony singer displayed this side of herself in a breathtaking photoshoot done by photographer Nicole Cartolano, which resulted in some incredibly beautiful photos, and now she has spoken out to MTV News about what really went down during the shoot.

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There is a deeper significance behind these photos aside from Lauren wearing a see-through gown in the swamps of New Orleans. Nicole said that the fact that Lauren is from Cuba and Lucy is Colombian had a lot to do with why they chose to come out through a photo shoot like this one, since the pair was worried about how the Latino community would react to them.

“Both girls trusted me to photograph them together as sort of a coming-out, but they were nervous how their families would respond and the publicity they’d attract, especially from the Latin American community,” the photographer said.

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“‘Bare With Me’ is a compromise which allowed us to describe what Lauren called ‘love in the 21st century.’ We felt like the way that these photographs are presented are very disarming, sensual, and empowering all at once. And they’re not provocative or with ill intent. … It was important to use their voices to show the world that this is OK, this is acceptable, in the gentlest way possible.”

“You could tell that they’ve been best friends for a very long time. They’ve known each other since high school. And they dated on and off for a few years. So they’re good friends over everything else,” she said. According to the photographer, they were "very loving" with one another during the shoot and said that they are still happy with the photos being released even if they are not a couple at the moment.

“They agreed, and Lauren said this: that it’s a reminder of a really good moment in time. Because at the time, they did really like each other. And it was a very good memory."

There is a photo the stylist shared on Instagram where both of the girls are sitting on a dock and you can't see either of their faces but the connection between them jumps out at you. “I really like that shot because for me it was even more than a love story. It’s both sisterly and maternal. It’s comforting in a sensual way — there’s a difference [between] sexual and sensual.”

“I did not stage that, I did not tell them to do that. A lot of the moments were very real. Very candid.”

We are so proud that Lauren is sharing her truth and that she chose to share these images with the world because they truly are incredible. For more photos, click here.

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