Yiannis Katinakis speaks out on school bullying and societal pressures

YouTuber and actor Yiannis Katinakis appeared on 'The 2night Show' on October 5, 2026, to discuss his experiences with bullying and homophobia. During the broadcast, Katinakis shared a distressing memory from his school years, revealing that school authorities had instructed his mother to encourage him to be less feminine, effectively asking him to suppress his identity to conform to rigid societal norms of that time.

Katinakis detailed the environment he faced as a student, describing physical acts of bullying such as being pushed and shouted at by peers, along with the use of abusive language. He emphasized that the school environment failed to protect him, with teachers often remaining indifferent to the mistreatment he experienced in corridors and during breaks. Katinakis characterized these attempts to force him to change his behavior as absurd, irrational, and abusive, framing them as a broader reflection of the hate and discrimination he has encountered throughout his life due to his sexual orientation.