on a journey

David Archuleta says he used to pray to be straight and is still saving himself for marriage

 

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A post shared by David Archuleta (@davidarchie)


Former American Idol contestant David Archuleta gave an interview to Good Morning America yesterday in which he opened up further about his sexuality.

Earlier this month, the Mormon-raised singer, who came second on the seventh season of the show in 2008, publicly came out via an Instagram post. He said then he was uncertain of his sexuality and thought he might be bisexual.

In yesterday’s interview, he said he felt relieved about coming out.

“There’s so much relief to not feel like you have to hide a part of yourself, like a secret.”

He said he still struggled to label his sexuality, describing himself as, “some form of being bisexual because I’m still attracted to both, whether I want to or not.”

Related: American Idol’s David Archuleta Leaving Pop Music For Two-Year Mormon Mission

He said he was still saving himself for marriage, had never dated a man, and had made attempts to pray himself straight in the past.

“I still believe in saving myself for marriage … I’ve prayed. I was praying like, ‘God, you can do all things.’ … I would say, ‘Please take these feelings away from me because I don’t want to feel things that I shouldn’t and I don’t want to feel things that would be wrong.’

“That’s been the process. I’ve had to learn how to love myself even when I don’t understand why I am the way I am, but to learn that that’s how God has created me and I have to discover that.

“And there are so many millions of other people who’ve gone through the same thing as me where they try to change who they are.”

Archuleta remains an active member of the Church of Latter Day Saints, and recently went on a mission trip to Chile for the church. He said he had felt no rejection from Mormon leaders since coming out.

Related: Gay man born without limbs talks about coming out, finding love and makeup

In his emotional Instagram post from early June, the performer said those close to him had known what he had realized for some time: “I am not sure about my own sexuality.”

He went on to say he had told his family he was gay in 2014, but later had attractions to men and women, so now thought he might be bisexual. He said, “You can be part of the LGBTQIA+ community and still believe in God and His gospel plan.”

 

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A post shared by David Archuleta (@davidarchie)

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