Every openly queer person around the world has their own personal coming out stories — how they first knew they were LGBTQ, how they came out to those around them, and how their lives have changed since. Now, Demi Lovato is ready to share her story with the world.
On Friday (Oct. 9), Lovato hosted Facebook Watch’s “Coming Out 2020” stream alongside Queer Eye star Tan France to celebrate Sunday’s National Coming Out Day. Throughout the hourlong event, Lovato spoke candidly about her coming-out journey, saying that she intentionally wrote songs about women throughout her musical career, even though her fans didn’t necessarily pick up on them.
“There were times where I wrote songs about girls that my fans thought I wrote about a guy,” she revealed in her interview, without specifying which songs she meant. “I’m surprised that some of them didn’t figure out that some of the songs were for certain people. I was sharing it with the world, yet I wasn’t being completely obvious with what I was talking about. Music was my safe space.”
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Asked by France how she first knew she was queer, Lovato grinned and revealed that there was one classic ’90s film that definitely helped her realize that she was not straight. “It was definitely when I was young and should not have been watching Cruel Intentions, but I did,” she said. “It was that scene where they made out on the park lawn, and I was just like, ‘Oh, wait a minute, I really like that!'”
Lovato and France also spoke about the common method of coming out in stages — first to certain people very close to you, then slowly working outward — and how each of them followed that trend in their own personal coming-out journeys. “I pretty much told all of my friends and older sister when I was 17,” she said. “They all knew before I brought it to my parents, and then the public. Those were my three phases.”
In the end, though, Lovato made clear that she is proud of who she is and has no regrets about coming out to her friends, her family or her fans. “I identify as queer, and I’m here,” she said, with a smile.
The live event also featured a musical performance from queer singer-songwriter LP singing her song “Strange,” along with testimonials and appearances from queer stars like Angelica Ross, Trixie Mattel, Tyler Oakley, Law Roach & more. The stream also featured the story of Thomas, a 34-year-old man who officially came out to his friends and family in clips throughout the event.
Check out the full “Coming Out 2020” stream below: