Interviewed in the Sunday Mirror, television presenter, 31 year-old Cassie Stokes spoke of how criticism of her proud lesbian stance on social media only makes her more determined to be open about sexuality.

Stokes, who is in a relationship with Canadian girlfriend Kathleen Gauvin, said she regularly receives homophobic abuse on social media. She has also spoken in the past about receiving homophobic hate-mail.

While admitting that “a lot of it has died down now,” the TV3 star said she got negative comments about her sexuality on Instagram last week.

“I was wearing a little white thing and I wrote, ‘Here I am in my little lesbian outfit’ and someone commented and said, ‘You don’t have to keep saying you’re a lesbian. We don’t care, it’s not like straight people are going around saying they’re straight all the time’,” she explained.

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“I was like, ‘Well, you know it’s a little bit different’ but then I was like, ‘OK I’m sorry to disappoint it’s just that I’m gay and proud’.”

“You know my Instagram is what I want to put up on it, if I want to say I’m a lesbian I can say that, it’s the truth.”

“I have blonde hair – are you going to call me out on that? I can’t describe that as hate, but more of a negative comment.”

Stokes’ story of anti-lesbian trolls comes as Hollywood star, Ruby Rose deleted her Twitter account after receiving anti-LGBT abuse following the announcement she will play the first openly gay superhero lead role in an upcoming TV series.

Rose, who has been cast as Catwoman, posted before deleting her account: “Where on earth did ‘Ruby is not a lesbian, therefore she can’t be Batwoman’ come from? Has to be the funniest, most ridiculous thing I’ve ever read.

“I came out at 12? And have for the past five years had to deal with ‘she’s too gay’. How do y’all flip it like that? I didn’t change. I wish we would all support each other and our journeys.”

She also wrote: “When women and when minorities join forces we are unstoppable… When we tear each other down, it’s much more hurtful than from any group. But hey, love a challenge.”