*NSYNC member Lance Bass delivered an emotional speech on Monday as he joined former bandmates JC Chasez, Joey Fatone, Chris Kirkpatrick and Justin Timberlake to receive a (long-overdue) star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Bass spoke at length about his journey toward accepting himself as a gay man after the band broke up in 2002 .

Growing up in Mississippi and in a Southern Baptist church, in a town where everyone knows your business, I had a secret. I was gay, Bass told the crowd. At the time, I thought Id never be able to tell anyone. ... I didnt want to jeopardize the careers of these guys up here, much less the hundreds of amazing people who worked tirelessly to bring *NSYNC to the world.

Check out Bass full speech in the video above. His comments about coming out start around the three-minute mark.