Steve Grand, Gay Country Sger, Talks Ex-Gay Therapy And Viral 'All-Amerin Boy' Fame | HuffPost Voic

Contents:

• STEVE GRAND, GAY 'ALL-AMERIN BOY' SGER, PERFORMS AT NEW YORK'S BAILEY HOE BENEF
• COUNTRY'S NEWT STAR IS AN 'ALL-AMERIN BOY' WHO ALSO HAPPENS TO BE GAY
• STEVE GRAND, GAY COUNTRY SGER, TALKS EX-GAY THERAPY AND VIRAL 'ALL-AMERIN BOY' FAME
• STEVE GRAND’S ‘ALL-AMERIN BOY’ AND THE END OF THE GAY-PANIC DEFENSE‘ALL-AMERIN BOY’ONCE UPON A TIME, YOU ULD GET AWAY WH VLENCE IF WAS BROUGHT ON BY ‘GAY PANIC.’ NOW LEGAL MOV TO BAN THAT FENSE—AND A VIRAL H SONG ABOUT A GAY CSH THAT ENDS AMIBLY—MIGHT SIGNAL THE END OF THE ERA OF STRAIGHT RETALIATN.HUGH RYANUPDATED JUL. 11, 2017 9:22PM EDT / PUBLISHED JUL. 10, 2013 4:45AM EDT BRENDAN LEAHY/DIGAL SKYLIGHT, VIA APJT TIME FOR JULY FOURTH, STEVE GRAND—A SGER-SONGWRER WHO HOP TO BEE THE FIRST GAY MALE UNTRY IN—RELEASED HIS BUT VIO ON YOUTUBE. “ALL-AMERIN BOY” IS A PAEAN TO EVERYTHG UNTRY: BONFIR, WHISKY, PICKUP TCKS, THE AMERIN FLAG, SKNY-DIPPG, AND TRYG TO MAKE OUT WH YOUR BT IEND AS SOON AS THE GIRLS ARE GONE. IN JT A WEEK ’S ALREADY RACKED UP NEARLY A HALF LN VIEWS ON YOUTUBE. NOT BAD FOR A 23-YEAR-OLD KID OM CHIGO WH NO LABEL, NO AGENT, AND NO MANAGEMENT. GRAND HAS THE VOICE TO MAKE , NOT TO MENTN THE FACE AND THE ABS (PECIALLY THE ABS). BUT IS UNTRY MIC READY FOR HIM? WHO KNOWS? ARTISTS LIKE K.D. LANG AND CHELY WRIGHT HAVE PROVEN THAT THE WORLD IS READY FOR LBIAN UNTRY SGERS, AT LEAST A LIMED PACY; AFTER ALL, NEHER OF THEM IS (OR ASPIR TO BE) MILEY CYS OR CARRIE UNRWOOD. A TE GAY UNTRY STAR HIS PRIME STILL SEEMS AS FAR AWAY AS A GAY LEADG MAN. BUT EVEN IF GRAND IS JT A SEXY FLASH THE PAN, THE VIO FOR “ALL-AMERIN BOY” IS STILL NOTEWORTHY.IN THE VIO, WE WATCH AS GRAND’S PUPPY-DOG EY STARE LONGGLY AT HIS BT IEND ACROSS THE MPFIRE, A PICKUP TCK, AND, FALLY, WHILE SPLASHG THE LOL SWIMMG HOLE. AS THE MIC CLIMAX, HE KISS HIS IEND FULL ON THE MOUTH WHILE THEY BOTH TREAD WATER NAKED. FOR A LONG MOMENT, EVERYTHG IS SPEND AS WE WONR WHAT WILL HAPPEN NEXT. IS “ALL-AMERIN BOY” THE SPIR OF A “GAY IS GOOD” MID-’90S PENNT FILM, WHERE THE L OF FANTASY DICTATE THAT LOVE N OVERE ALL OBSTACL, EVEN GOOD-OLD-BOY HETEROSEXUALY? OR ARE WE ABOUT TO WATCH THE SORT OF BTAL SMACKDOWN THAT’S ALL TOO MON BOTH FILM AND REAL LIFE?AS TURNS OUT, NEHER. THE BOY PULLS AWAY AND RETURNS TO THE PARTY, AS DO GRAND. THE VIBE BETWEEN THE TWO IS UNCHANGED. SURE, TOMORROW AT THE ROO THERE MIGHT BE A FEW AWKWARD MOMENTS, BUT YOU GET THE SENSE THAT THAT’S . GRAND GETS TO BE DISAPPOTED WHOUT BEG DISPARAGED, DISOWNED, OR DISEMBOWELED. AND SOMEHOW, LIKE NEARLY EVERY LIVG WOMAN ON EARTH, GRAND’S LOVE TERT IS ABLE TO HANDLE A MAN’S UNWANTED ADVANCE WHOUT GOG APE SH AND KILLG HIM. ASTONISHG, RIGHT? THE TRADN OF KILLG A MAN BEE HE HS ON YOU IS SO ENSHRED OUR CULTURE, EVEN HAS A NAME: THE GAY-PANIC FENSE (SEE: MATTHEW SHEPARD, RICHARD BARRETT, STT AMRE, ETC., AD NSM—VERY NSM). “ALL-AMERIN BOY” IS A SIGN THAT PERHAPS, JT PERHAPS, THE AGILE FLOWER OF AMERIN MASCULY HAS FALLY TOUGHENED THE FUCK UP. NOT THAT I DON’T CHERISH MY SUPPOSED ABILY TO DRIVE MEN CRAZY, BUT I’D LIKE THE CRAZY QUTN TO BE A LTLE MORE METAPHORIL AND A LTLE LS MURR-Y.IF THERE IS A SEA CHANGE THE MAKG, ’S GOOD NEWS FOR STRAIGHT GUYS AS WELL AS PREDATORY HOMOSEXUALS. JT THIS JUNE, THE AMERIN BAR ASSOCIATN’S CRIMAL JTICE SECTN ANNOUNCED A PROPOSAL TO URGE THE BANNG OF THE GAY-PANIC FENSE CRIMAL PROCEEDGS, WHICH WILL HOPEFULLY PASS AT S NATNAL MEETG AUGT. THE RELEVANT TEXT OF THE AGENDA FOR THE MEETG READS:THE CRIMAL JTICE SECTN ... URG ... ERNMENTS TO TAKE LEGISLATIVE ACTN TO CURTAIL THE AVAILABILY AND EFFECTIVENS OF THE “GAY PANIC” AND “TRANS PANIC” FENS, WHICH SEEK TO PARTIALLY OR PLETELY EXCE CRIM ON THE GROUNDS THAT THE VICTIM’S SEXUAL ORIENTATN OR GENR INTY IS TO BLAME FOR THE FENDANT’S VLENT REACTN.IN RECENT YEARS, THE GAY-PANIC FENSE HAS RARELY RRIED THE DAY URT, MAKG THIS MOVE SOMEWHAT SYMBOLIC. BUT HOMOPHOB, NSIR THIS A WARNG: VERY SOON, YOU MAY HAVE ONE LS EXCE YOUR ARSENAL. (OR MAYBE NOT VERY SOON, NSIRG THE STATE OF CONGRS AT THE MOMENT.)THIS CHANGE ISN’T HAPPENG A VACUUM. JT A AGO, THE SUPREME COURT’S LGS ON THE DEFENSE OF MARRIAGE ACT AND PROPOSN 8 WOULD HAVE BEEN UNIMAGABLE, LARGE PART DUE TO ARGUMENTS THAT SAME-SEX MARRIAGE WOULD, SOME EFFABLE WAY, DAMAGE STRAIGHT MARRIAG—OR PERHAPS THE VERY STUTN OF MARRIAGE SELF, NOT TO MENTN THE FAY, MASCULY, FEMY, RELIGN, AMERI, PUPPI, AND APPLE PIE. TODAY ONE NEED ONLY GOOGLE AROUND FOR A FEW SENDS TO FD ANY NUMBER OF AMG SAYS ABOUT WHAT A RIDICULO IA THIS IS, MANY OF THEM WRTEN BY STRAIGHT, MARRIED PEOPLE.OF URSE, THE CHANG ARE ALL WELL AND GOOD PAPER AND PIXELS, BUT THE REAL TT WILL E WHEN THE BBER HS THE ROAD, OR THIS SE, WHEN THE BOY HS ON THE BOY. AND SHOULD BE NOTED THAT WHILE THE BAR ASSOCIATN URG BANNG THE “TRANS PANIC FENSE” AS WELL, ACRDG TO THE NATNAL COALN OF ANTI-VLENCE PROGRAM’S 2012 REPORT, TRANSGENR PEOPLE ARE 167 PERCENT MORE LIKELY TO EXPERIENCE ANTI-LGBTQ HATE VLENCE THAN THEIR GENR-NORMATIVE LGB UNTERPARTS. IN FACT, 2012, 54 PERCENT OF ALL ANTI-LGBTQ HOMICI VICTIMS WERE TRANSGENR. IN MANY STAT, ANTI-TRANSGENR DISCRIMATN HOG, EMPLOYMENT, AND OTHER MATTERS IS STILL LEGAL. THOUGH THE ABA’S ROLUTN IS A STEP THE RIGHT DIRECTN, GIVEN THE MAGNU OF THE PROBLEM, IS TANTAMOUNT TO PUTTG A BAND-AID ON A FLH WOUND. THE LACK OF TRANSGENR LEGAL PROTECTNS THIS UNTRY SHOULD BE CRIMAL, AND SEEMS PRSGLY UNLIKELY THAT THE VAST APPARAT OF ANTI-ANTI-MARRIAGE MPAIGNS WILL TRANSFORM ANY TIME SOON TO A BROAR MOVEMENT FOR SOCIAL JTICE FOR ALL LGBTQ DIVIDUALS.BUT STILL, I N’T WATCH “ALL-AMERIN BOY” WHOUT SG, EVEN IF THE BOY DON’T GET THE BOY THE END. UNREQUED LONGG IS THE SENCE OF YOUTH. INED, WHOUT , TAYLOR SWIFT WOULD HAVE NO REER, AND TWILIGHT WOULD HAVE NO DIENCE. “ALL-AMERIN BOY” WEL GAY BOYS TO THE CLUB. HUGH RYAN
• GAY-THEMED MIC VIO 'ALL-AMERIN BOY' BE SURPRISE YOUTUBE H FOR STEVE GRAND

STEVE GRAND, GAY 'ALL-AMERIN BOY' SGER, PERFORMS AT NEW YORK'S BAILEY HOE BENEF

After the vio for his highly fect untry-tged pop song “All-Amerin Boy” went viral, Grand’s doe-eyed mug was plastered across seemgly every gay blog, which quickly led to mastream attentn, om an appearance on Good Morng Ameri to cln the annual Out 100 list of LGBT movers and shakers.

There's a lot of talk about me beg a untry artist, and that was the headle om the start: “Gay untry artist. Do you feel pigeonholed as a gay artist?

You turn on pop rad and how many artists that you listen to are openly gay?

COUNTRY'S NEWT STAR IS AN 'ALL-AMERIN BOY' WHO ALSO HAPPENS TO BE GAY

Bgraphi and analysis of work by Lbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgenr+ intified artists, or works associated wh LGBT+ topics. As art holds an sential place the LGBT muny, The Advote striv to she a light on the work of gay, lbian, bisexual, and transgenr artists who are movg the cultural needle wh the artists spotlight sectn.

Disver slishows om gay art opengs across the world wh mediums that range om photographs, to oils, to sculpture, and more. Browse through the artist spotlight and other sectns that celebrate gay culture. Steve Grand, the YouTube sensatn who has been scribed as the first openly gay male untry star, recently had his but New York performance wh a tenr rendn of his h "All-Amerin Boy.

"All-Amerin Boy" tells the story of a gay young man who velops an affectn for his straight iend -- the feelgs of which aren't reciproted. In a mastream dtry which parameters for each genre are so tightly fed, sometim jaws are dropped simply bee somethg don't sound right, regardls of how nocuo the subject matter saw wh Macklemore's "Same Love, " an o to gay activism and a celebratn of love bld of sexual orientatn. "Same Love" turned heads and even lead to some backlash simply bee was promotg a msage that was foreign hip-hop, a genre that of late has bee ridn wh misogyny and homophobia.

STEVE GRAND, GAY COUNTRY SGER, TALKS EX-GAY THERAPY AND VIRAL 'ALL-AMERIN BOY' FAME

The fact that "All-Amerin Boy, " a sgle sung by gay untry star Steve Grand to his love tert, is gettg rad play will all but certaly garner some ntroversy. It will also reach a few people who need and untry have two long documented histori of homophobia, leavg gay fans of the genr wh nflicts of tert that are hard to rolve.

STEVE GRAND’S ‘ALL-AMERIN BOY’ AND THE END OF THE GAY-PANIC DEFENSE‘ALL-AMERIN BOY’ONCE UPON A TIME, YOU ULD GET AWAY WH VLENCE IF WAS BROUGHT ON BY ‘GAY PANIC.’ NOW LEGAL MOV TO BAN THAT FENSE—AND A VIRAL H SONG ABOUT A GAY CSH THAT ENDS AMIBLY—MIGHT SIGNAL THE END OF THE ERA OF STRAIGHT RETALIATN.HUGH RYANUPDATED JUL. 11, 2017 9:22PM EDT / PUBLISHED JUL. 10, 2013 4:45AM EDT BRENDAN LEAHY/DIGAL SKYLIGHT, VIA APJT TIME FOR JULY FOURTH, STEVE GRAND—A SGER-SONGWRER WHO HOP TO BEE THE FIRST GAY MALE UNTRY IN—RELEASED HIS BUT VIO ON YOUTUBE. “ALL-AMERIN BOY” IS A PAEAN TO EVERYTHG UNTRY: BONFIR, WHISKY, PICKUP TCKS, THE AMERIN FLAG, SKNY-DIPPG, AND TRYG TO MAKE OUT WH YOUR BT IEND AS SOON AS THE GIRLS ARE GONE. IN JT A WEEK ’S ALREADY RACKED UP NEARLY A HALF LN VIEWS ON YOUTUBE. NOT BAD FOR A 23-YEAR-OLD KID OM CHIGO WH NO LABEL, NO AGENT, AND NO MANAGEMENT. GRAND HAS THE VOICE TO MAKE , NOT TO MENTN THE FACE AND THE ABS (PECIALLY THE ABS). BUT IS UNTRY MIC READY FOR HIM? WHO KNOWS? ARTISTS LIKE K.D. LANG AND CHELY WRIGHT HAVE PROVEN THAT THE WORLD IS READY FOR LBIAN UNTRY SGERS, AT LEAST A LIMED PACY; AFTER ALL, NEHER OF THEM IS (OR ASPIR TO BE) MILEY CYS OR CARRIE UNRWOOD. A TE GAY UNTRY STAR HIS PRIME STILL SEEMS AS FAR AWAY AS A GAY LEADG MAN. BUT EVEN IF GRAND IS JT A SEXY FLASH THE PAN, THE VIO FOR “ALL-AMERIN BOY” IS STILL NOTEWORTHY.IN THE VIO, WE WATCH AS GRAND’S PUPPY-DOG EY STARE LONGGLY AT HIS BT IEND ACROSS THE MPFIRE, A PICKUP TCK, AND, FALLY, WHILE SPLASHG THE LOL SWIMMG HOLE. AS THE MIC CLIMAX, HE KISS HIS IEND FULL ON THE MOUTH WHILE THEY BOTH TREAD WATER NAKED. FOR A LONG MOMENT, EVERYTHG IS SPEND AS WE WONR WHAT WILL HAPPEN NEXT. IS “ALL-AMERIN BOY” THE SPIR OF A “GAY IS GOOD” MID-’90S PENNT FILM, WHERE THE L OF FANTASY DICTATE THAT LOVE N OVERE ALL OBSTACL, EVEN GOOD-OLD-BOY HETEROSEXUALY? OR ARE WE ABOUT TO WATCH THE SORT OF BTAL SMACKDOWN THAT’S ALL TOO MON BOTH FILM AND REAL LIFE?AS TURNS OUT, NEHER. THE BOY PULLS AWAY AND RETURNS TO THE PARTY, AS DO GRAND. THE VIBE BETWEEN THE TWO IS UNCHANGED. SURE, TOMORROW AT THE ROO THERE MIGHT BE A FEW AWKWARD MOMENTS, BUT YOU GET THE SENSE THAT THAT’S . GRAND GETS TO BE DISAPPOTED WHOUT BEG DISPARAGED, DISOWNED, OR DISEMBOWELED. AND SOMEHOW, LIKE NEARLY EVERY LIVG WOMAN ON EARTH, GRAND’S LOVE TERT IS ABLE TO HANDLE A MAN’S UNWANTED ADVANCE WHOUT GOG APE SH AND KILLG HIM. ASTONISHG, RIGHT? THE TRADN OF KILLG A MAN BEE HE HS ON YOU IS SO ENSHRED OUR CULTURE, EVEN HAS A NAME: THE GAY-PANIC FENSE (SEE: MATTHEW SHEPARD, RICHARD BARRETT, STT AMRE, ETC., AD NSM—VERY NSM). “ALL-AMERIN BOY” IS A SIGN THAT PERHAPS, JT PERHAPS, THE AGILE FLOWER OF AMERIN MASCULY HAS FALLY TOUGHENED THE FUCK UP. NOT THAT I DON’T CHERISH MY SUPPOSED ABILY TO DRIVE MEN CRAZY, BUT I’D LIKE THE CRAZY QUTN TO BE A LTLE MORE METAPHORIL AND A LTLE LS MURR-Y.IF THERE IS A SEA CHANGE THE MAKG, ’S GOOD NEWS FOR STRAIGHT GUYS AS WELL AS PREDATORY HOMOSEXUALS. JT THIS JUNE, THE AMERIN BAR ASSOCIATN’S CRIMAL JTICE SECTN ANNOUNCED A PROPOSAL TO URGE THE BANNG OF THE GAY-PANIC FENSE CRIMAL PROCEEDGS, WHICH WILL HOPEFULLY PASS AT S NATNAL MEETG AUGT. THE RELEVANT TEXT OF THE AGENDA FOR THE MEETG READS:THE CRIMAL JTICE SECTN ... URG ... ERNMENTS TO TAKE LEGISLATIVE ACTN TO CURTAIL THE AVAILABILY AND EFFECTIVENS OF THE “GAY PANIC” AND “TRANS PANIC” FENS, WHICH SEEK TO PARTIALLY OR PLETELY EXCE CRIM ON THE GROUNDS THAT THE VICTIM’S SEXUAL ORIENTATN OR GENR INTY IS TO BLAME FOR THE FENDANT’S VLENT REACTN.IN RECENT YEARS, THE GAY-PANIC FENSE HAS RARELY RRIED THE DAY URT, MAKG THIS MOVE SOMEWHAT SYMBOLIC. BUT HOMOPHOB, NSIR THIS A WARNG: VERY SOON, YOU MAY HAVE ONE LS EXCE YOUR ARSENAL. (OR MAYBE NOT VERY SOON, NSIRG THE STATE OF CONGRS AT THE MOMENT.)THIS CHANGE ISN’T HAPPENG A VACUUM. JT A AGO, THE SUPREME COURT’S LGS ON THE DEFENSE OF MARRIAGE ACT AND PROPOSN 8 WOULD HAVE BEEN UNIMAGABLE, LARGE PART DUE TO ARGUMENTS THAT SAME-SEX MARRIAGE WOULD, SOME EFFABLE WAY, DAMAGE STRAIGHT MARRIAG—OR PERHAPS THE VERY STUTN OF MARRIAGE SELF, NOT TO MENTN THE FAY, MASCULY, FEMY, RELIGN, AMERI, PUPPI, AND APPLE PIE. TODAY ONE NEED ONLY GOOGLE AROUND FOR A FEW SENDS TO FD ANY NUMBER OF AMG SAYS ABOUT WHAT A RIDICULO IA THIS IS, MANY OF THEM WRTEN BY STRAIGHT, MARRIED PEOPLE.OF URSE, THE CHANG ARE ALL WELL AND GOOD PAPER AND PIXELS, BUT THE REAL TT WILL E WHEN THE BBER HS THE ROAD, OR THIS SE, WHEN THE BOY HS ON THE BOY. AND SHOULD BE NOTED THAT WHILE THE BAR ASSOCIATN URG BANNG THE “TRANS PANIC FENSE” AS WELL, ACRDG TO THE NATNAL COALN OF ANTI-VLENCE PROGRAM’S 2012 REPORT, TRANSGENR PEOPLE ARE 167 PERCENT MORE LIKELY TO EXPERIENCE ANTI-LGBTQ HATE VLENCE THAN THEIR GENR-NORMATIVE LGB UNTERPARTS. IN FACT, 2012, 54 PERCENT OF ALL ANTI-LGBTQ HOMICI VICTIMS WERE TRANSGENR. IN MANY STAT, ANTI-TRANSGENR DISCRIMATN HOG, EMPLOYMENT, AND OTHER MATTERS IS STILL LEGAL. THOUGH THE ABA’S ROLUTN IS A STEP THE RIGHT DIRECTN, GIVEN THE MAGNU OF THE PROBLEM, IS TANTAMOUNT TO PUTTG A BAND-AID ON A FLH WOUND. THE LACK OF TRANSGENR LEGAL PROTECTNS THIS UNTRY SHOULD BE CRIMAL, AND SEEMS PRSGLY UNLIKELY THAT THE VAST APPARAT OF ANTI-ANTI-MARRIAGE MPAIGNS WILL TRANSFORM ANY TIME SOON TO A BROAR MOVEMENT FOR SOCIAL JTICE FOR ALL LGBTQ DIVIDUALS.BUT STILL, I N’T WATCH “ALL-AMERIN BOY” WHOUT SG, EVEN IF THE BOY DON’T GET THE BOY THE END. UNREQUED LONGG IS THE SENCE OF YOUTH. INED, WHOUT , TAYLOR SWIFT WOULD HAVE NO REER, AND TWILIGHT WOULD HAVE NO DIENCE. “ALL-AMERIN BOY” WEL GAY BOYS TO THE CLUB. HUGH RYAN

Replace "boy" wh "girl" and you have a smash Le Bryan mak "All-Amerin Boy" stand out om "Same Love" is that unlike Macklemore, Grand intifi as gay.

In a "weird" role is veteran character actor Ned Glass as a gay boxg manager named film seems to want to pict how society falls all over self to be around "betiful" people and terg to their every whim, wh ltle is woon and lacks any type of emotn, but that what mak him so great. He his looks and charm to get what he wants om his fay, iends, women, and even other men, gay or All-Ameri Boy was a box-office flop.

Skip to Ma ContentThe hunky gay sger-songwrer whose mic vio ma him an overnight sensatn is revealg a paful past. Steve Grand, whose untry-tged power ballad "All-Amerin Boy" has received more than 400, 000 views sce s release last week, now tells ABC that he attend reparative, or "ex-gay, " therapy shortly after g out to his fay. " Grand, 22, go on to note that he wrote "All-Amerin Boy" om "the purt, most genue place my soul, " addg that "It's not about beg gay; 's about that longg for someone.

GAY-THEMED MIC VIO 'ALL-AMERIN BOY' BE SURPRISE YOUTUBE H FOR STEVE GRAND

Jt time for July Fourth, Steve Grand—a sger-songwrer who hop to bee the first gay male untry in—released his but vio on YouTube. A te gay untry star his prime still seems as far away as a gay leadg man.

Is “All-Amerin Boy” the spir of a “gay is good” mid-’90s pennt film, where the l of fantasy dictate that love n overe all obstacl, even good-old-boy heterosexualy? The tradn of killg a man bee he hs on you is so enshred our culture, even has a name: the gay-panic fense (see: Matthew Shepard, Richard Barrett, Stt Amre, etc., ad nsm—very nsm). Not that I don’t cherish my supposed abily to drive men crazy, but I’d like the crazy qutn to be a ltle more metaphoril and a ltle ls there is a sea change the makg, ’s good news for straight guys as well as predatory homosexuals.

Jt this June, the Amerin Bar Associatn’s Crimal Jtice Sectn announced a proposal to urge the banng of the gay-panic fense crimal proceedgs, which will hopefully pass at s natnal meetg Augt. Ernments to take legislative actn to curtail the availabily and effectivens of the “gay panic” and “trans panic” fens, which seek to partially or pletely exce crim on the grounds that the victim’s sexual orientatn or genr inty is to blame for the fendant’s vlent recent years, the gay-panic fense has rarely rried the day urt, makg this move somewhat symbolic. But homophob, nsir this a warng: very soon, you may have one ls exce your arsenal.