American Idol runner-up David Archuleta has come out as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community, appealing for more compassion towards others who also "wrestle" between their sexual identity and faith.
Archuleta, in a Facebook post on Sunday (Manila time), said he came out as gay to his family in 2014. He then realized that he could have feelings for both men and women and identified as being bisexual. But he also learned he doesn't have "too much sexual urges... which people call asexual."
He said he was "still trying to figure things out," but he deemed it important to share it anyway because "so many other people from religious upbringings feel the same way."
"There are people experiencing the same feelings of being LGBTQIA+, a lot of them wrestling to follow their beliefs that are so important to them as I have," Archuleta said, who was raised as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
Although many people don't understand what being a member of the LGBTQIA+ community means, Archuleta said there are "a lot of unique experiences people feel and live that make them feel isolated and alone that are represented."
With this, he urged people to be more understanding and compassionate towards the LGBTQIA+ community.
"I think we can do better as people of faith and Christians, including Latter-day Saints, to listen more to the wrestle between being LGBTQIA+ and a person of faith," Archuleta said.
"There are more than you may realize going through that wrestle after all the misunderstandings that come with it. I don’t think it should come down to feeling you have to accept one or the other," he added.
Archuleta said people could still be a part of the LGBTQIA+ community and believe in God. He admitted that he felt uncomfortable sharing his sexual identity, he needed to do so "to bring more awareness to people in my same situation and let you know you’re not alone."
"I’ve tried for almost 20 years to try and change myself until I realized God made me how I am for a purpose. And instead of hating what I have considered wrong I need to see why God loved me for who I am and that it’s not just sexuality," he added.
Archuleta rose to fame in 2008 after placing runner up to David Cook in the 7th season of American Idol. He also starred in the TV5 mini-series "Nandito Ako" in 2012 alongside Jasmine Curtis-Smith.
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