Get Out! GAY Magazine – Issue 433 August 28, 2019

INTERVIEW
It’s been a wild summer for you.
This summer has been exceptional.
We’ve seen incredible progress to ban
conversion therapy across the United
States and beyond. It’s a movement
that has built tremendous momentum,
and it’s important to me. I’ve been able
to participate in many discussions and
fundraisers across the country, and
have met some of the most tireless and
dedicated volunteers in the process.
They inspire me a lot. Combine that
with releasing one of the most exciting
and heartfelt projects I’ve worked on.
The album releases September 10,
and it’s been getting a lot of hype,
not just for its important messaging
on surviving conversion therapy but
also for its sound.
I began working with a new producer
and songwriter named Taylor Hartley
two years ago. He’s a Utah native and
has been through the same religious
experience as me. He has a fantastic
ear for dance and pop, and when
we started collaborating, it became
apparent that we had a pretty incredible
and unique combination. He’s pushed
me lyrically, vocally and musically, and
it’s been exciting to explore this new
side of my sandbox I didn’t realize I
had. Even the more somber songs on
“Scars” are intense and have a quicker
tempo. I’ve really focused on keeping
this album anthemic and pop-driven. It’s
been a refreshing change for me.
What impact has your experience
with conversion therapy had on your
life?
It created hurdles of trust and intimacy
on multiple levels. I’ve met and even
dated other men who have been
through it, too, and years later, they’re
still unable to have a normal relationship
since anything that would have included
being gay as part of their identity has
been vilified, stripped of its integrity,
broken down and compartmentalized as
a condition. Years later, I am still trying
to come off one of the medications I
was prescribed. We’ve tried switching
the medication, and it does not go
well. So, every day I take a pill that is
a reminder of the lie I was legally sold
by an unregulated, religiously biased,
licensed therapist.