MANILA, Philippines – After a year of coming out as a member of the LGBTQ+ community, American Idol alum David Archuleta opened up about his realizations since coming to terms with his sexuality. 

“That day I felt peace with myself. I wasn’t afraid anymore of who all of me meant. Even if that meant I liked guys,” the singer wrote in an Instagram post on Sunday, June 12, alongside the same photo he used for his coming out post in June of last year, along with a recent photo of him in the same spot, but this time, with blonde hair.

In the post, he disclosed that he’d ended an engagement with a girl a couple of weeks before coming out as it was “causing a lot of turmoil inside.” Archuleta also shared that he had three relationships where he was close to marriage, but he knew that “something was wrong” and that he wasn’t being fully honest with himself or to the girls he was dating. 

“They always thought it was them. I hope they know it was just me not understanding why I was the way I was,” he clarified.

The American Idol alum also mentioned a story of a friend who married a guy who was part of the LGBTQ+ community and only came out after a decade into the marriage. Archuleta said that he related to the ex-husband so much, saying that he “felt that same anger and hatred and resentment building and growing inside” of him.

“I didn’t want to be [like] that. I knew the way to find peace was to let all of me come forward and not judge or despise myself. It’s made all of the difference,” the singer added.

With this, he reminds everyone going through the same struggles that it is beautiful to be part of the LGBTQ+ community even if others do not understand.

“Dare to be you,” he boldly reminds them. “If those around you still don’t understand, you will draw people to you who will love you for all of you! Not only for the parts they want to see and not just under conditions of you hiding your queerness because they don’t understand what that experience is like. If you’re queer, being queer is beautiful.”

Archuleta also proudly announced that he identifies as gay, bisexual, or queer, and notes that queer is a good broad term, but he is not too worried about picking his identity labels.

“I never thought it was something to be proud of but rather ashamed, and why I tried so hard to change. I see why they encourage pride when we’ve always associated queerness with shame. But it really is something that is beautiful. So I hope you strip that shame and hate you may feel for yourself and replace it with love,” he wrote as a final statement, greeting his followers a happy Pride Month.

Archuleta rose to fame after finishing second on American Idol in May 2008. He released his eighth album, Therapy Sessions, in May 2020. He has also performed in the Philippines several times, even starring in a series with Jasmine Curtis-Smith and releasing an album of covers of classic Filipino songs. – with reports from Rainielle Kyle Guison/Rappler.com

Rainielle Kyle Guison is a Rappler intern.