Jesse Tyler Ferguson felt like an "outsider" growing up because of his sexuality

He told People: "I think representation is so important. I mean, the minute we start calling people who are not like us 'other' or 'weird'...I think it's just a very dangerous, slippery slope.

"And the minute you start segmenting people into tiny groups, subgroups, and saying 'You guys are this and you are guys are that,' and ostracizing different groups of people and not allowing us to all share in our experiences together, I think it's incredibly dangerous.

"And I grew up feeling very outside, being a closeted gay kid in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and not seeing people who were like me or representing the type of life that I wanted to have, whether it be on television or just in my everyday life.

"I just didn't see a lot of representation. And I think that the minute we start tearing down these walls that separate us and really making an effort to connect with people, whether they're different than us or not, is only going to be a good thing."

The former 'Modern Family' star - who has Beckett, four, and 21-month-old Sullivan with his husband Justin Mikita - also noted that as part of a same-sex parenting unit, he wants to make sure he is raising his children in a house where they will always feel that they are being listened to.

He said: "It's very important for me as a father of an LGTBQ family to raise my kids in a space where they feel like their family is also of value and are being heard and being seen and to experience the type of art that they want to watch."