Lil Nas X opens up about struggles with sexuality, says he used to pray he would become straight
Lil Nas X (Frederick M. Brown/Getty)
Rapper Lil Nas X has revealed that he struggled with his sexuality and used to pray that he would become straight.
The ‘Old Town Road’ hitmaker made the comments in an interview with Gayle King on CBS’ This Morning.
He told King that he knew he was gay during his teenage years but didn’t want to face up to the reality.
“I was just like, praying, praying, praying that it was a phase, that it would go away,” he said.
Lil Nas X: Society still has ‘a long way to go’ on LGBT+ issues
He also said that he believes society must make significant progress to be fully open and accepting of LGBT+ people. When asked by King if he thought his coming out might inspire others, he replied: “I think it’s gonna always help, you know it’s gonna.
“But you still have a long way to go. You know, someone who’s like, listening to me in school right now, it’s like, ‘You gay cause you listening to him.’ There’s still a lot to be done of course but I do believe it’s helping.”
He continued: “Me being in this position, it’s easy for me. But like, some little boy 10 miles from here, it’s not going to be good for him.”
I was just like, praying, praying, praying that it was a phase, that it would go away.
The 20-year-old rapper made headlines across the globe when he came out as gay on Twitter on June 30 of this year.
“Some of y’all already know, some of y’all don’t care,” he wrote at the time.
“But before this month ends I want y’all to listen closely to C7osure.” The lyrics of the song reference letting go and being free.
Since then, Lil Nas X has spoken on a number of occasions about his sexuality and the struggle he faced in coming out.
He opened up about ‘nerve-wracking’ experience of coming out to his father.
Last week, he revealed to Billboard that coming out to his father in June of this year was a “nerve-wracking” experience.
“It’s something I never probably would have did if I was still living with my parents,” he said.
“I have that independence to do it, you know?”
While Lil Nas X received an outpouring of support after coming out, the praise was not universal. Rapper Young Thug said he should not have publicly come out.
In an interview with No Jumper, Young Thug said: “I feel like he probably shouldn’t have told the world. He shouldn’t have told the world.”
“These days, motherf*****s, it’s just all judgment. Motherf*****s is just judging. It ain’t even about the music no more.
“Once you found out he was gay, as soon as the song come on now, everybody like, ‘This gay-ass n****.’
“N****s don’t even care to listen to the song no more… It’s just like, to certain people, you know what I’m saying?”
