Pop singer Daya comes out as bisexual
Daya’s first album has been certified gold (Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty)
US singer Daya has come out as bisexual to her fans on social media.
The 19-year-old pop star, who made her name with the song “Hide Away”—which has been certified double-platinum—discussed her sexual orientation in an Instagram post published on Friday (October 12), the day after National Coming Out Day.
The musician, whose real name is Grace Martine Tandon, uploaded a photo of her looking directly at the camera with the caption: “One day late but happy 1st national coming out day to me! What a crazy thing!
Daya came out on Instagram (daya/instagram)
“All I gotta say is follow your gut and don’t feel like you owe any sort of explanation to anyone. Your sexuality is yours only so build with it at a pace that works for you,” she added, before revealing she was in a same-sex relationship.
“I’m proud to be a bisexual member of the LGBTQ community with a girl I love who makes me feel more like me every day,” wrote the star.
“The support has been beyond and though it wasn’t always easy I also recognise how privileged I am to have had so much of it, so I especially wanna be there for those of u who aren’t surrounded by the most accepting family/friends/communities.
Daya performs during MTV’s 2017 College Signing Day With Michelle Obama (Mike Coppola/Getty)
She added: “Stay authentic, talk thru it with people u trust, know you’re loved and that I’m thinking of u. That’s my long post of the month love yall be gay be free be wild n love lots xo.”
Fans closely following the star may not have been too surprised by the post. Daya, whose debut album Sit Still, Look Pretty went gold last year after it was released in 2016, has previously posted several pictures of her embracing Los Angeles-based photographer Clyde Munroe, whom she had called her “girlfriend” on Instagram in July.
Munroe, who works for record label Interscope Records, has professionally photographed singers Gucci Mane and Billie Eilish, as well as singer Kehlani, who came out as queer in April and revealed she was pregnant on Saturday (October 13).
Daya and Clyde Munroe (daya/instagram)
Daya’s announcement makes her the latest in a long line of singers to come out in the past year, including Janelle Monáe, Demi Lovato, Brendon Urie and Jason Mraz.
While Daya chose come out as bisexual to mark National Coming Out Day—even if only a day late—social media personality Andrea Russett came out to her 7.5 million Twitter followers and 4 million Instagram fans the day before Bi Visibility Day in September because, she said, her best friend Sandra Poenar told her she believed that queer people go to hell.
