Chappell Roan opens up about growing up religious and queer: ‘I couldn’t be myself’
Chappell Roan grew up in Missouri before moving to Los Angeles to pursue music. (Getty)
Pop sensation Chappell Roan has reflected on her religious upbringing and how it has impacted her, especially when it comes to her sexuality
Roan spoke up about religion during an appearance on the A Carpool Karaoke Christmas holiday special, which was released last week on Apple Music.
Speaking with host Zane Lowe during the drive around Roan’s home state of Missouri, while her parents Kara and Dwight were in the back, she said that she found growing up with religion stifling.
She said: “I know for a lot of people, it’s actually very freeing. For me it almost did the opposite, where I felt like I couldn’t be myself, that who I was was a sin and I was going to hell no matter how good of a person I was or how much I loved God, for being gay.”
“And I just couldn’t handle feeling ashamed anymore,” Roan continued.
Roan said she is “grateful” to be from Missouri but that she found a lot more freedom when she removed to Los Angeles.
“[In] a conservative community, I understand the fear and where it comes from. It’s scary when it’s something you don’t know or understand. So it’s like one degree every conversation,” she explained.
“It’s conversation after conversation and not just giving up on people that had helped you when you were in diapers. Like, that’s just not how I personally operate. The door has to be open or there is no learning.”
Roan has mentioned her religious upbringing before, previously telling NME that she was “raised on Christian rock” but “never identified with it”.
“I felt such a push and pull because I was so curious about pop music but couldn’t identify why I related to it. It was [talking about] lifestyle I did not live. I was very sheltered and very prude.”
Roan also said that she found out what she had been told about Los Angeles being “demonic” as well as the aspersions cast on the queer community as a whole when she was a kid was not true when she moved to Hollywood.
“Going to gay clubs for the first time, it felt spiritual,” Roan added.
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