Lil Nas X Used To 'Pray' That His Sexuality Would Turn Out To Be A Phase
Coming out can be a difficult process, even for one of the biggest music stars of the day.
Lil Nas X, who came out to fans at the conclusion of Pride Month 2019, revealed in an interview with CBS News that he hadn’t always felt comfortable with his sexuality.
While speaking with Gayle King of CBS This Morning in a segment airing October 1, the rapper said he first started exploring his sexual identity as a teenager. In the interview, King asked, “Did you know as a little boy that you were gay?”
Lil Nas X responded, “Yeah, definitely,” and went on to say that he initially kept his sexuality a secret. “I was just like praying, praying, praying ... that it was a phase,” he said.
The Billboard record-breaking artist said he recognised that his role as a noted musician gave him some privilege in being able to publicly share his identity.
“Me being in this position, it's easy for me,” he said. “Some little boy ten miles from here, it's not gonna be good for him,” pointing to the ways in which members of the LGBTQ+ community are still disenfranchised and forced to endure other people’s homophobic beliefs and actions in cities across the United States, and around the world.
Lil Nas X came out to fans on June 30 — the last day of Pride month — and pointed them to the lyrics of his song, "C7osure,” a track which detailed pursuing a better future.
The rapper later explained why he chose that moment to come out. In July, he told the BBC, “It’s something that, you know, I was considering never doing, ever. Just taking it to the grave or something,” he said. “But I don’t wanna live my entire life — especially how I got to where I’m at, not doing what I wanna do."
With a current presidential administration in the US that continues to threaten the rights of LGBTQ+ individuals daily, and in a climate where hates crimes committed against LGBTQ+ people remain all too common, Lil Nas X stressed that there’s still plenty of work left to do.
“We still have a long way to go ... There's still a lot to be done, of course. But I do believe it's helping,” he said.
Coming out is ultimately an individual choice, and not everyone experiences the same safety or acceptance in doing so. For individuals that need assistance, organisations like ReachOut Australia and QLife are here to help.
- Lauren Rearick
