Coming out is never an easy task, especially when you make the brave decision of coming out to your parents.
Case in point: Demi Lovato.
Demi, who recently returned to the stage with her emotional Grammys performance, sat down with Andy Cohen on his SiriusXM show to share her coming out story. For the singer, the experience was both nerve-wracking and cathartic.
“I’m still figuring it out. I didn’t officially tell my parents that I saw myself ending up possibly with a woman until 2017. It was actually emotional but really beautiful. After everything was done, I was like shaking and crying. I just felt overwhelmed. I have such incredible parents. They were so supportive.”
According to Demi, it was much easier to come out to her dad, especially because he didn’t exactly seem phased by her sexual orientation. In fact, he expected it.
“My dad was like, ‘Yeah, obviously.’ And I was like, ‘Oh, OK, Dad.'”
Talking to her mom was another thing, though. In the end, her mom let her know that she had nothing but her love and support.
“My mom was the one that I was super nervous about. But she was like ‘I just want you to be happy.’ And that was so beautiful and amazing. I’m so grateful.”
While Demi’s story is heartwarming, it’s important to remember that for many in the LGBTQ community, their coming out experiences aren’t exactly ideal.
According to a recent survey from the Human Rights Campaign, 48% of LGBTQ youths who are out to their families are made to feel guilty because of their sexual orientation. And the numbers are only worse for queer youth of color.
Not to mention that many queer minors are forced to leave their homes due to abuse or lack of acceptance from their parents. According to True Colors United, LGBTQ youths are 120% more likely to experience homelessness than their cisgender and heterosexual peers.
Shortly after coming out to her parents, Demi decided she also wanted to come out to her fans.
There was already a lot of speculation about her sexuality, but Demi decided she wanted to come out on her own terms in her YouTube documentary, Demi Lovato: So Complicated, in October 2017. She told her fans,
“I am open to human connection. So whether that’s through a male or female, it doesn’t matter to me.”
Demi recently (and briefly) dated male model Austin Wilson but is currently single and focusing on herself and her recovery.
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