Here Are Gay Country Sgers Who Stood Out Loud and Proud

suspected gay country artists

Tim ntue to change Hollywood and around the untry. Over the past uple years, more and more celebri have e out of the closet as gay.

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HERE ARE GAY COUNTRY SGERS WHO STOOD OUT LOUD AND PROUD

Country mic has a lengthy reputatn for beg tensely homophobic. Gay untry sgers were, sadly, not warmly weled. Still, some stood out loud and proud. * suspected gay country artists *

For stance, Patrick Haggerty, whose band lled Lavenr Country, released what is wily believed to be the first explicly gay rerd 1973, ultimately leadg the band to fa to obscury.

TJ OSBORNE COM OUT AS GAY

Gay male untry sgers list: Hot, out and proud gay men untry mic now and then: TJ Osborne, Steve Grant, Drake Jensen, Mark Weigle, Josey Greenwell * suspected gay country artists *

From gay untry stars sgg os about lovg who you want to untry artists enuragg listeners not to be aaid to embrace their genr inty, the genre – both s artists and s fans – has fally reached a place where acceptance is the new standard. So, today, let’s take a look at some of the most celebrated gay untry sgers – om Grammy Award-wng stars Brandi Carlile and Lil Nas X to T.

” She even had never met another gay person – until she watched Ellen DeGener’ historic 1997 “I’m gay” episo, which she rerd on a VHS tape so she uld watch repeatedly. However, thgs changed at the height of his reer when he me out as gay durg the last day of Pri Month 2019 through a seri of tweets and his song lled “c7osure.

11 COUNTRY MIC ARTISTS WHO HAVE COME OUT AS GAY

Dirt Off Their Shoulrs - Once upon a time, llg a celebry "gay" was reer suici. In 2017, stars are bshg off speculatn about their sexual orientatn — and sometim even embracg . From Queen Latifah to Tyler Perry to Young Thug, the celebs show the right way to handle gay mors.  — By Moriba Cummgs(Photo om left: Prce Williams/Getty Imag, Marc Ingram/WireImage, Allen Berezovsky/WireImage) - Shemar Moore, Young Thug, Rich Homie Quan and more. * suspected gay country artists *

In 2014, the Nashville artist revealed to PEOPLE a part of himself he has kept secret for his entire reer: beg a “happy gay man. Herndon said that Anthony Robbs’ semar 2009 sparked the urage for him to e out, thkg how his story might help terrified gay youth. However, Oladokun was silently battlg si as she tried to rencile her fah wh the fact that she was gay, which she had been aware of at a young age.

Osborne, one half of the popular untry mic duo Brothers Osborne, had known he was gay sce “before I even unrstood what was.

While he went through some hardships, like feelg very isolated his early days Nashville, he found the right moment to publicly e out as gay as the band’s reer picked up – and his announcement went off really well. In his early 20s, he was discharged om the Peace Corps for beg gay, leadg him to bee a queer rights activist. As an openly gay man workg untry mic, Paisley Fields is boldly beg himself as he ntu to drive forward an often-perceived nservative mic genre.

FAMEWATCHER SEARCH PRIMARY MENU SKIP TO NTENT HOMECELEBRY HAIR TRANSPLANTCELEBRY PLASTIC SURGERYCELEBRY LEATHER JACKETBODY SHAPER SEARCH FOR: GAY MALE CELEBRI, HOT COUNTRY SGERSGAY MALE COUNTRY SGERS: EIGHT OUT AND PROUD COUNTRY STARS

Gay untry sgers are takg Nashville by storm, rvg out a space for LGBT love the rich history of the genre. * suspected gay country artists *

The untry artist first me out 2018 after he was spired by the film Boy Erased, which tells the story of a teenage gay. In 2020, Tommy Atks ma history on untry rad wh the first-ever h to feature openly gay lyrics Europe and the Uned Kgdom.

Atks’ first EP, Kiss Me, Cowboy, on the other hand, wonrfully documented young love ma plited by the ravag of homophobia. So, she released the album Wary + Strange 2021 – a raw, crystal-clear statement of gay pri and Black power.

16 CELEBRI UNBOTHERED BY GAY {MARG:12PX TO 0;}@MEDIA (M-WIDTH:980PX){{MAX-WIDTH:50%;}}{FONT:NORMAL 400 1.4REM/1.5 "SOEHNE",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NONE;MARG:12PX TO 0;}@MEDIA (M-WIDTH:980PX){{MAX-WIDTH:50%;}}SHEMAR MOORE, YOUNG THUG, RICH HOMIE QUAN AND {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;MARG-BOTTOM:54PX;OVERFLOW-X:HIDN;}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-FLEX;DISPLAY:-MS-FLEXBOX;DISPLAY:FLEX;BACKGROUND:#FFFFFF;-WEBK-FLEX-DIRECTN:LUMN;-MS-FLEX-DIRECTN:LUMN;FLEX-DIRECTN:LUMN;BOX-SHADOW:0 4PX 8PX 0 RGBA(0,0,0,0.08);MARG-BOTTOM:54PX;}{WIDTH:100%;HEIGHT:TO;} IMG{HEIGHT:100%;WIDTH:100%;OBJECT-F:NTA;}{WIDTH:1920PX;HEIGHT:1080PX;}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:18PX 24PX;DISPLAY:GRID;GRID-GAP:18PX;TEXT-ALIGN:CENTER;}{LOR:#0A0A0A;}{FONT:NORMAL 700 2.0REM/1.25 "SOEHNE",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NONE;LOR:#0A0A0A;}1 / {LOR:#0A0A0A;} A{FONT:HER;LOR:HER;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} STRONG, B{FONT-WEIGHT:BOLR;}{FONT:NORMAL 400 1.4REM/1.5 "SOEHNE",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NONE;LOR:#0A0A0A;} A{FONT:HER;LOR:HER;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} STRONG, B{FONT-WEIGHT:BOLR;}DIRT OFF THEIR SHOULRS - ONCE UPON A TIME, LLG A CELEBRY "GAY" WAS REER SUICI. IN 2017, STARS ARE BSHG OFF SPECULATN ABOUT THEIR SEXUAL ORIENTATN — AND SOMETIM EVEN EMBRACG . FROM QUEEN LATIFAH TO TYLER PERRY TO YOUNG THUG, THE CELEBS SHOW THE RIGHT WAY TO HANDLE GAY MORS.  — BY MORIBA CUMMGS(PHOTO OM LEFT: PRCE WILLIAMS/GETTY IMAG, MARC INGRAM/WIREIMAGE, ALLEN BEREZOVSKY/WIREIMAGE){WIDTH:1597PX;HEIGHT:2400PX;}2 / 17SHEMAR MOORE - SHEMAR MOORE HAS BEEN PLAGUED WH GAY MORS SCE THE BIRTH OF HIS SEX SYMBOL STAT THE '90S. HOWEVER, IS ONLY RECENTLY THAT HE ACTIVELY ADDRSED THE CRICISM. SPEAKG EXCLIVELY WH 2016, HE SHARED THAT THE MORS DON'T REALLY BOTHER HIM, SAYG, "IF YOU THK I'M GAY, SEND YOUR GIRLIEND OVER TO MY HOE FOR THE WEEKEND AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS."(PHOTO: ALLEN BEREZOVSKY/WIREIMAGE){WIDTH:1339PX;HEIGHT:1800PX;}3 / 17QUEEN LATIFAH - RUMORS THAT THE ENTREPRENR IS GAY HAVE BEEN SWIRLG FOR YEARS, BUT WHILE THE "U.N.I.T.Y." EMCEE DON'T MD TALKG ABOUT SEXUALY, SHE HAS ALWAYS REFED TO DISCS HER PERSONAL LIFE PUBLICLY. SHE DID, HOWEVER, ADM 2009 THAT THE NSTANT SPECULATN ANNOYS HER OM TIME TO TIME. "THEY WANT TO MAKE UP STORI AND MAKE ME GAY ALL THE TIME AND 'S LIKE, 'KEEP NNG WH ,'" SHE TOLD ACCS HOLLYWOOD. "I'VE FELY BEEN ANNOYED BY , BUT I LEARNED A LONG TIME AGO THAT WAS POTLS TO SAY ANYTHG." LATIFAH PLAYED LEGENDARY BLU SGER BSIE SMH, WHO WAS BISEXUAL, THE HBO BPIC BSIE. (PHOTO: ANGELA WEISS/GETTY IMAG FOR VARIETY){WIDTH:1200PX;HEIGHT:1800PX;}4 / 17JA JACKSON - AFTER JA JACKSON'S VELVET ROPE ERA, MANY BEGAN TO QUTN THE POP IN'S SEXUAL FLUIDY. IN A 2008 TERVIEW WH INSTCT, MS. JACKSON PROVED THAT SHE'S UNBOTHERED BY ALL. "IT NEVER TRAT ME; I'VE NEVER GOT UPSET BEHD ," SHE SAID. "FOR WHAT REASON? WHY GET UPSET BEE SOMEONE SAID YOU WERE GAY OR LLED YOU WOULD BE SOMETHG NEGATIVE TO ME AND 'S NOT." PREACH, DAMA JO!(PHOTO: VTOR ZUNO CELOTTO/GETTY IMAG){WIDTH:1274PX;HEIGHT:1800PX;}5 / 17JOHN LEGEND - THE "MA TO LOVE" SGER HAS BEEN ALG WH GAY MORS, WHICH HE BLAM THE BLOGS FOR CREATG, SCE THE BEGNG OF HIS REER. HOWEVER, THE IDLE SPECULATN HASN'T STOPPED LEGEND OM STANDG UP FOR EQUALY. IN FEBARY 2015, HE REFED TO ATTEND A PARTY HIS HONOR AT THE BEVERLY HILLS HOTEL AFTER LEARNG THAT S OWNER, THE SULTAN OF BNEI, IMPLEMENTED AN ANTI-LGBT LAW HIS HOME UNTRY. (PHOTO: ANDREW H. WALKER/GETTY IMAG FOR CY HARVT){MARG-BOTTOM:54PX;}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;MARG-BOTTOM:54PX;}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;DISPLAY:NONE;DISPLAY:-WEBK-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-FLEX;DISPLAY:-MS-FLEXBOX;DISPLAY:FLEX;} + .E1IATVX90{DISPLAY:NONE;}(:EMPTY){DISPLAY:-WEBK-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-FLEX;DISPLAY:-MS-FLEXBOX;DISPLAY:FLEX;-WEBK-BOX-PACK:CENTER;-WEBK-JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;-MS-FLEX-PACK:CENTER;JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;}(:EMPTY) + .E1IATVX90{DISPLAY:BLOCK;}{BACKGROUND-LOR:#0A0A0A;LOR:#FAFAFA;DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;-WEBK-LETTER-SPACG:NORMAL;-MOZ-LETTER-SPACG:NORMAL;-MS-LETTER-SPACG:NORMAL;LETTER-SPACG:NORMAL;PADDG:2PX 5PX;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;PADDG:3PX 5PX 4PX 5PX;LOR:#C4FF2C;BACKGROUND-LOR:#000000;LOR:#FFFFFF;DISPLAY:BLOCK;TEXT-ALIGN:CENTER;}{FONT:NORMAL 600 1.4REM/1.2 "SOEHNE",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NONE;BACKGROUND-LOR:#0A0A0A;LOR:#FAFAFA;DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;-WEBK-LETTER-SPACG:NORMAL;-MOZ-LETTER-SPACG:NORMAL;-MS-LETTER-SPACG:NORMAL;LETTER-SPACG:NORMAL;PADDG:2PX 5PX;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;PADDG:3PX 5PX 4PX 5PX;LOR:#C4FF2C;BACKGROUND-LOR:#000000;LOR:#FFFFFF;DISPLAY:BLOCK;TEXT-ALIGN:CENTER;}{WIDTH:2010PX;HEIGHT:1466PX;}6 / 17OPRAH WEY - CAN'T TWO WOMEN JT BE BT IENDS PEACE? APPARENTLY NOT, AS OPRAH WEY HAS BEEN MORED TO BE ROMANTILLY LKED TO HER BFF GAYLE KG FOR YEARS. IN A PERSONAL S-DOWN TERVIEW WH BARBARA WALTERS, THE QUEEN OF ALL MEDIA SAID, "I HAVE SAID WE ARE NOT GAY ENOUGH TIM. I AM NOT LBIAN. I AM NOT EVEN KD OF LBIAN." WEY ADD, "THAT IRRAT ME BEE MEANS SOMEBODY MT THK I'M LYG, THAT'S NUMBER ONE. NUMBER TWO, WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO HI ? THAT IS NOT THE WAY I N MY LIFE." (PHOTO: JOHN SCIULLI/GETTY IMAG FOR NAACP IMAGE AWARDS){WIDTH:2134PX;HEIGHT:1800PX;}7 / 17JADA PKETT-SMH - WILL AND JADA PKETT-SMH HAVE BEEN REPEATED TARGETS OF THE GAY MOR L, WH SOME TABLOIDS EVEN REPORTG THAT THE SMHS ARE SWGERS AND THAT WILL WAS GAY AND JADA WAS A LBIAN. THE GOTHAM STAR PUT ALL OF THE HEARSAY TO RT, TELLG GALA OF THE MORS, "I HAVE NO IA [WHERE THEY ME OM]. EVERY YEAR, ONE CELEBRY UPLE IS UNR THE MICROSPE. THIS YEAR, UNLUCKILY, 'S ! I ALMOST WANT TO SAY THAT WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN EXPECTG ."(PHOTO: KEV WTER/GETTY IMAG)8 / 17ZOE SALDANA - WHEN THE CELEBRI THEMSELV HT AT SEXUAL FLUIDY, CHANC ARE THE PUBLIC IS GOG TO N WH — JT ASK ZOE SALDANA. AFTER THE COLOMBIANA ACTRS TOLD ALLURE MAGAZE, "[I MIGHT] END UP WH A WOMAN RAISG MY CHILDREN," SHE WAS OFFICIALLY LABELED BISEXUAL. WHILE NO ONE KNEW FOR SURE IF SHE WAS, THE ACTRS STOOD BY HER WORDS, TELLG HOLLYSOP, "IT WAS A STATEMENT THAT I STRONGLY STAND BY. AS OF TODAY, I'VE BEEN ATTRACTED TO THE MALE SPECI, BUT IF ONE DAY I WAKE UP AND WANT TO BE WH A WOMAN, I WILL DO THAT BEE IS MY LIFE, THEREFORE IS MY CISN." ZOE IS NOW MARRIED TO A MAN, WH WHOM SHE IS RAISG THEIR TW BOYS.  (PHOTO: JONATHAN LEIBSON/GETTY IMAG FOR SAMSUNG)9 / 17NE-YO - AFTER BEG FORCED TO FEND HIS SEXUALY TIME AND TIME AGA, "SO SICK" CROONER NE-YO ADMTED THAT THE MORS ALL BEGAN TO MENTALLY AFFECT HIM. "THAT S**T ATE ME ALIVE... [I WAS] LIKE, 'WHERE DID THAT E OM?,'" HE SAID. "WHO ARE THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE GONE TO SUCH HEIGHTS TO TRY TO MAKE PEOPLE BELIEVE THIS?" DPE HIS SHOCKED REACTN TO THE GAY SPECULATNS AT FIRST, THE PUBLIC DIDN'T QUE BELIEVE HIM, BUT HE BEME LS UNBOTHERED BY THE MORS AS THE YEARS WENT BY. "PAY NO ATTENTN TO THE FACT THAT I GOT TWO KIDS AND A BETIFUL WOMAN BY MY SI," HE SAID JOKGLY.(PHOTO: ANNA WEBBER/GETTY IMAG FOR LLN MOTOR COMPANY){WIDTH:1220PX;HEIGHT:1800PX;}10 / 17TREY SONGZ - IN 2014, SOMEONE APPEARED TO HACK TO THE R&B STAR'S OFFICIAL TWTER ACUNT AND "OUT" HIM. "I THK 'S TIME TO FALLY TELL MY FANS. ALL GAM AND JOK ASI... I'M GAY," THE FAKE TWEET READ. TREY CLARIFIED THE NEXT DAY, "THE THGS YOU PEOPLE CRAFT UP WH HATRED YOUR HEARTS. THE THGS PEOPLE BELIEVE WHOUT QUTN, OR VALIDY, ALL BAFFL ME." HE FOLLOWED UP WH, "IF I'M GAY THEN TUPAC BRGG ME A OUNCE FOR THIS SSN W BIGGIE TOMORROW. NO WEAPON #LOVE."(PHOTO: SLAVEN VLASIC/GETTY IMAG){WIDTH:1198PX;HEIGHT:1800PX;}11 / 17RSELL SIMMONS - MIC AND LIFTYLE GU RSELL SIMMONS WAS PUT ON BLAST BY GAY RAPPER CSHUN, WHO CLAIMED HE SAW "STEAMY TEXT MSG" ON HIS PHONE. WHEN NONTED WH THE MOR BY THE DALLAS VOICE, UNCLE RS WASN'T HAVG . "DON'T DRAG ME TO AN TERVIEW THAT'S LOWER THAN MY PERSON — A TTY A** HE-SAID, SHE-SAID," HE SAID TO SET THE RERD, UM, STRAIGHT. "I BELIEVE GAY PEOPLE SERVE DIGNY. CSHUN DON'T MEAN NOTHG TO ME. HE'S NOT WORTH . ESSENTIALLY, HE WANTS TO MAKE HIMSELF FAMO. I THOUGHT HE WAS A GOOD RAPPER."(PHOTO: JOSHUA BLANCHARD/GETTY IMAG FOR DR. MONA VAND){WIDTH:1196PX;HEIGHT:1800PX;}12 / 17TYLER PERRY - FILM JUGGERNT TYLER PERRY IS ARGUABLY AN EASY TARGET FOR THE GAY MOR L SCE HE MAK A LIVG BY DRSG UP AS A WOMAN — HEY, MAA! THOUGH MANY BELIEVE THAT PERRY IS LGBT-INTIFYG, HE NTU TO NY THE CLAIMS. "IT ED TO BOTHER ME A WHOLE LOT THE BEGNG, REALLY, REALLY DID," HE SAID. "BUT WHAT 'S DONE IS GIVEN ME FIRM SEATG MY MANHOOD. AND IF SOME PEOPLE N'T SEPARATE THE CHARACTER OM THE MAN THAT I AM, THEN THAT'S THEIR ISSUE, NOT ME."(PHOTO: FRAZER HARRISON/GETTY IMAG FOR A&E NETWORK)13 / 17TYSON BECKFORD - "HE'S HANDSOME, HE'S FASHNABLE AND HE'S RARELY SEEN WH A WOMAN ON HIS ARM, SO HE MT BE GAY." THIS IS THE SENTIMENT MANY SHARED ON INIC MALE SUPERMOL TYSON BECKFORD. WHILE IS TE THAT HE IS ATTRACTIVE AND STYLISH, HE ENSUR THE WORLD THAT HE IS 100 PERCENT STRAIGHT. "I WORK WH GLAAD, I WORK WH GAY MEN'S HEALTH CRISIS — I WORK WH ALL OF THAT," HE SAID. "IT'S JT I'M A STRAIGHT MAN WHO GOT A LTLE B OF STYLE SO THEY JT SAY, 'HE'S GAY.'"(PHOTO: DAVE KOTSKY/GETTY IMAG){WIDTH:1335PX;HEIGHT:1800PX;}14 / 17KANYE WT - FOR YEARS, MORS ABOUT KANYE'S SEXUAL ORIENTATN HAVE FOLLOWED THE RAPPER. BUT ANYONE WH EY N SEE THAT YEEZY ULDN'T BE MORE SMTEN WH HIS WIFE KIM KARDASHIAN, WHO LLS THE MORS "ABSURD." KANYE, WHO SEEMS PLETELY UNFAZED BY THE MORS, HAS FACT BEEN AN ADVOTE FOR EQUALY FOR YEARS. BACK 2005, HE BLASTED HOMOPHOBIA HIP-HOP, "NOT JT HIP-HOP, BUT AMERI JT DISCRIMAT. AND I WANNA JT, TO E ON TV AND JT TELL MY RAPPERS, JT TELL MY IENDS, 'YO, STOP .'" (PHOTO: LARRY BAC/GETTY IMAG FOR TIME){WIDTH:531PX;HEIGHT:642PX;}15 / 17YOUNG THUG - THE DAYS, THUGGER HAS BEEN MAKG HEADL FOR HIS BEEFS WH GAME AND LIL' WAYNE, BUT ONCE UPON A TIME, THE RAPPER WAS A HOT TOPIC FOR HIS MORED SEXUALY. AFTER WORD GOT OUT THAT THE "LIFTYLE" EMCEE LLS HIS MALE IENDS "BAE" AND "LOVER," THE SPECULATN WAS NSTANT. DURG AN TERVIEW WH BOSSIP, YOUNG THUG NONCHALANTLY NIED THE CLAIMS, SAYG THAT 'S JT A "LANGUAGE." "THERE'S NOTHG STUPID OR UY GOG ON... THOSE ARE MY BA, THOSE ARE MY LOVERS, 'S WHATEVER YOU WANT TO LL ," HE SAID. THE MORS RURFACED AGA 2017, AND HE TOOK TO SOCIAL MEDIA TO RPOND, SAYG, "IT IS I, JEFFERY. THE ONE THAT GET THE MOST HATE, AND THEY SAY GAY, BUT IS ALSO THE RICHT THE A."(PHOTO: BENT RAGL/BET/GETTY IMAG FOR BET){WIDTH:1375PX;HEIGHT:1800PX;}16 / 17RICH HOMIE QUAN - IS RICH HOMIE QUAN ONE OF THE "BA" YOUNG THUG IS TALKG ABOUT? WELL, SORT OF, BUT 'S STRICTLY PLATONIC. AFTER THE TWO RAPPERS WERE MORED TO BE LOVERS, THE "TYPE OF WAY" RAPPER WENT ON SWAY THE MORNG TO SET THE RERD STRAIGHT. "EVERYONE ATLANTA [KNOWS] ME AND YOUNG THUG IS [SIC] NOT GAY," HE SAID. "WH THUG, 'S DIFFERENT, 'S JT HIS SLANG. I DON'T TAKE NOTHG OF OR NOTHG. I KNOW I A'T [SIC] GAY. EVERYBODY KNOW I A'T GAY."(PHOTO: EARL GIBSON III/GETTY IMAG FOR BET)17 / 17A$AP ROCKY - GAY? UNLIKELY. COCKY? FOR SURE. IN AN TERVIEW WH MEN'S FASHN BRAND MR. PORTER, A$AP ROCKY ADDRSED THE GAY MORS THAT POP UP AROUND HIS NAME ONCE A WHILE. "PEOPLE SAY I'M GAY SOMETIM, BUT I HAVE A LOT OF B*****S SO WHY WOULD I RE? IT DON'T BOTHER ME AT ALL," HE SAID. EVEN SO, A$AP THKS THAT HOMOSEXUALY HIP-HOP SHOULD NOT BE A HOT TOPIC THIS AGE. "IT MAK ME UPSET THAT THIS TOPIC EVEN MATTERS WHEN TO HIP-HOP BEE MAK SEEM LIKE EVERYBODY HIP-HOP IS SMALL-MD OR STUPID AND THAT'S NOT THE SE."(PHOTO: ILYA S. SAVENOK/GETTY IMAG FOR 2015 TRIBE FILM FTIVAL)

Steve Grand isn't the first openly gay male untry sger, but he is the first to be gag signifint regnn. The Chigo rint has released * suspected gay country artists *

It is Lily Rose’s way of changg the hearts and mds of many untry mic listeners – amidst s homophobic reputatn. Even so, Bell adms she didn’t want to reveal she was gay her songs when she first released her album.

’s son, untry sger Sam Williams, released a mic vio for his song “Tilted Crown, ” where he me out as gay. Nearly two s later, Payne released the album Blue Ey, The Harlot, The Queer, The Pher, & Me, where he reunts his journey to live as an out gay man.

Brothers Osborne sger-guarist TJ Osborne has publicly e out as gay, revealg the news an terview wh Time. Wh this revelatn, Osborne be the first openly gay man signed to a major untry label and one of the first mastream untry artists to e out the prime of their reer. Getty ImagWhile is fely not the same as a formerly-closeted LGBTQ+ celeb publicly g out and livg/sharg their tth to the world, sometim 's the straights who have to do the talkg when to explag the sexuali and are a few stanc where famo men had to clarify that they are, fact, not gay.

‘I’M HERE, I’M QUEER AND I’M COUNTRY’: THE TOP 5 GAY COUNTRY SONGS

Chely Wright may be the first major openly gay untry mic star, but she's hardly the first one to the party * suspected gay country artists *

That's a very worryg thg, like they have sat at home and have got pictur of me next to other famo, gay [people] -- Elton John, I don't know -- jt parg across the years. The Emmy wner who played gay serial killer Andrew Cunanan The Assassatn of Gianni Versace: Amerin Crime Storyspoke about his sexualy a 2011 terview wh Out. )"I thk 's more empowerg to everybody, cludg myself, if I'm articulate about intifyg myself as a straight male playg a gay character, " he said when asked about beg fortable playg gay characters.

In his first gay prs terview wh The Advote 2012, the High School Mil and Hairspray heartthrob opened up about how although he don't intify as gay, he fds the love and support he gets om his big, gay fanbase to be "flatterg. After High School Mil and Hairspray, I've always felt embraced by the gay muny, and I feel credibly grateful and honored, " he said. Unfortunately, that wasn't the se, and an terview the followg month wh the Rad Tim, he cleared up mors about his sexualy, tellg people he isn't gay.

OPENLY GAY COUNTRY SGER SPARKS A BUZZ ON THE WEB

* suspected gay country artists *

"One of the lads was at my London flat and I Instagrammed a picture of him and said, 'Look at this cutie, ' and a ln outlets reported I was g out as gay, " he said. "I'm not gay but two of my mat me out when I was 15 and was a joy to support them bee, as a group, we are all secure who we are. After already addrsg the mors of him beg gay back 2016, he reerated his heterosexualy a November 2018 terview wh Rollg Stone and an April 2019 terview wh The Guardian.

"I thought, 'You f*ckg guys are so lucky I'm not actually gay and terrified of g out, " Mens told Rollg Stone.

COUNTRY MIC'S (NOT SO SECRET) GAY HISTORY

Realy TV star and The Bachelor Atralia alum Matt Agnew (left) had to set the rerd straight about his sexualy when ter mors started circulatg that he was gay after he posted pictur of he and his gay iend/fellow Asie TV personaly Khanh Ong (right) gettg close while on vatn Vietnam. The Love Island UK season 9 nttant had to reassure fans about his sexualy and nfirm that he isn't gay a March 2023 terview wh the Daily Mirrorafter speculatn started swirlg onle about him durg his time on the popular realy datg petn show. The Abbott Elementary star took to his Instagram stori and publicly addrsed mors about his sexualy June 2023, sharg that although he isn't gay, he is an ally and that the culture of tryg to "overanalyze" someone's behavr to try and out them is dangero and homophobic.

"I’m not gay, but I thk the culture of tryg to ‘fd’ some kd of hidn tra or behavr that a closed person ‘let slip’ is very dangero.

It mak the most pestrian of nversatns and teractns spac feel ls safe for our gay brothers and sisters and those who may be qutng. In se you missed the news om 2021, the Brothers Osborne ontman me out as gay, sayg his fay and close iends have known for que some time, but he wants to be his full self at this pot his reer.

29 CELEBRI WHO SOME BELIEVE ARE GAY

He me out as gay last Febary makg him, the words of wikipedia, “the first openly gay artist signed to a major untry mic label”. Their stars may not be as bright as untry stars such as Garth Brooks, Keh Urban, and our favore untry sger Blake Shelton but the gay untry sgers are jt as talented. Anyhoo, let’s start our list wh:Steve Grand: Male mol-turned-openly-gay-untry-sger om Lemont, Illois is the breakout star of 2013.

14 CELEBRY MEN ACCED OF BEG GAY

Canadian untry sger Drake Jensen married partner Michael Mor 2008 and publicly me out as gay four years later by releasg a mic vio for the sgle, On My Way to Fdg You, which featured his hband. Drake dited the song to a gay Ottawa teen, Jamie Hubley, who mted suici bee of about his sexualy (via Towleroad): “As a child I always knew there was somethg different about me above and beyond the gay thg. Next our list of gay male untry sgers is Brian Glenn who performed wh big untry stars such as Garth Brooks, Alan Jackson, Reba McEntire, Patty Lovels, and his favore of them all Dolly says of his experience sgg wh Dolly (via the Wdy Cy Tim): “It will be one of the greatt moments mic to date for me—backg up Dolly Parton.

”In 2002, Glenn joed Marty Stuart’s band, The Fabulo Superlativ, and me out to Marty who apparently didn’t md if Glenn is gay or straight. Remember this was more than a ago when gays were still aaid to e Brian of tourg wh The Fabulo Superlativ (via Wdy Cy Tim): “I love tourg wh Marty. [The band] beme aware [that I was gay] about three or four months to [my time wh the band], the fall of 2002, and hasn’t been a signifint enough of a problem for anyone to be replaced.

WHO'S GAY GOSPEL MIC?

When I cid that I wanted Marty to know that [I was gay], I certaly was apprehensive and prepared for the worst. The Stranger tells more about Lavenr untry: “Lavenr Country—wh the origal lp of lead sger and guarist Patrick Haggerty, keyboardist Michael Carr, volist and fiddle-player Eve Morris, and lead guarist Robert Hammerstrom — formed Seattle 1972, and their self-tled 1973 album is regnized as the first gay-themed untry album ever.

The album’s 10 songs are sweet, funny, liltgly lo-fi, and—wh lyrics like ‘There’s k and honey flow’ when you’re blow’ Gabriel’s horn’ and a song straight-up lled ‘Cry’ The C*cks*ckg Tears’—super gay by any era’s standards. After the wife of untry sger Jason Alan ma an ignorant post thankg her parents for not "forcg her" to be trans when she was a tomboy, other sgers, like Maren Morris, clapped back, sayg there's no room for homophobia and transphobia untry mic and that those clgg onto need to change or get out of the way.

"But there's a very sid culture of people feelg very fortable beg transphobic and homophobic and racist, and that they n wrap a joke and no one will ever ll them out for . When he me out as gay, and also revealed that when he had been sexually abed by an uncle, he was disowned om his fay. Herndon is nsired by most to be the first mastream male untry artist to e out as gay when he did so 2014.

ANRSON COOPER GAY: COUNTRY ARTISTS REACT

The album explored the tersectn of beg gay and relig and her song "Lovg You" is a self-acceptance anthem about lovg who you love no matter Getty Imag.

WATCH ALL YOUR FAVORITE BET SHOWS1 / 17Dirt Off Their Shoulrs - Once upon a time, llg a celebry "gay" was reer suici. — By Moriba Cummgs(Photo om left: Prce Williams/Getty Imag, Marc Ingram/WireImage, Allen Berezovsky/WireImage)2 / 17Shemar Moore - Shemar Moore has been plagued wh gay mors sce the birth of his sex symbol stat the '90s.

Speakg exclively wh 2016, he shared that the mors don't really bother him, sayg, "If you thk I'm gay, send your girliend over to my hoe for the weekend and see what happens.

*BEAR-MAGAZINE.COM* SUSPECTED GAY COUNTRY ARTISTS

Gay Country Mic: Nashville Com Out – Rollg Stone .

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