Earlier this month, the 23rd season of NBC’s hit singing competition series The Voice launched with a slew of talented new contestants vying for $100K and a record deal with Universal Music.
Blake Shelton and Kelly Clarkson returned as coaches, with Chance the Rapper and former One Direction member Niall Horan taking their first turn sitting in the show’s infamous big red chairs.
Among the contestants causing a buzz this season is 31-year-old singer EJ Michels from Draper, Utah.
Michels stunned with his rendition of Adele’s “Easy on Me” and soon had both Chance and Blake both wanting him to join their teams. After choosing to become part of Team Blake, Michels shared his journey of coming out as a gay man on the show.
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In an emotional segment, Michels disclosed his “inner turmoil” while struggling with his sexuality as a member of the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Watch his coming out segment on The Voice below:
The church opposes same-sex marriage and requires gay followers to abstain from dating and sex.
It wasn’t until after he came back from one of his missions and divorced the wife he had married in the church that he was able to begin to fully accept who he was.
“…This thing I was so afraid of is actually the thing that makes me unique and beautiful. This thing that I’ve been taught my entire life to run away from — by accepting it, I’m actually doing the opposite,” he elaborated in a new interview with the Salt Lake Tribune. “I’m stepping into my life of beauty as opposed to into darkness and destruction.”
Since leaving the church, Michels has found love with his boyfriend Michael and feels completely at peace with himself.
Related:
Singer Avery Wilson comes out as bisexual on his 25th birthday
Wilson’s announcement quickly went viral on Twitter and prompted a range of reactions.
“I hate painting anything in a bad light, and I don’t want to do that,” Michels said. “But I also need to tell my story and just say — it was hard growing up because of what I was taught within my family and my religion. I definitely had to eventually step away from all that.”
While many of his family members are still in the church, Michels said they watched the segment on The Voice and “took it with open arms and positivity.”
Since the segment aired he’s also received positive feedback from viewers who have gone through similar experiences and are grateful he shared his story on national television.
“It brought me to tears,” Michels told the outlet. “Just finding that level of connection with other people who’ve been through something similar is a really impactful thing for me.”
While his journey on The Voice continues this week, Michels is set to perform during the NBA halftime show at the Utah Jazz’s Equality in Action night on March 27th, where David Archuleta will sing the National Anthem.
Related:
Former Mormon shares emotional coming out story on ‘The Voice’ & now everyone’s eyes are watering
EJ Michels stunned with his rendition of Adele’s “Easy on Me” and his powerful coming out story.
abfab
Not everyone’s…..
Rambeaux
He is in denial.
His Mormon friends and family have cut him off and will ignore him for the rest of his life.
They will give a stiff smile to his face, if and when they run in to him.
But to them, he is shunned and might as well be dead.
He needs to start a completely new life and leave the past in the dust.
dbmcvey
He’s left the church, found a boyfriend and started on a new career. He’s doing fine.
Fahd
Is Utah really that great that after coming out and deciding to pursue a showbiz career that you’d remain living there? Maybe he’s caring for a dependent relative or something, but otherwise….
dbmcvey
I guess if you don’t know anything else and lived there all your life you might just be used to it. I grew up there and couldn’t wait to get out.
Jim
What if there was a show that spotlighted people’s singing talent!!
We can only hope
In the mean time we’ll have to settle for pity parties that have musical interludes.
Major
EJ!
We are cheering you on from Texas!
Rock on!
Major and Beau
SDR94103
maxwell, d’angelo = no. He has his own voice and style wo doing others.
dbmcvey
Good for him!
It’s hard coming out of a religion you were born into but I’m glad he’s found support.
baggins435
I moved to Utah for work and stayed 20 years. Salt Lake City isn’t bad. The largest LGBT Pride parade I’ve ever seen. Most people are ok. I held a door open for an older woman and she wouldn’t go through because “you have earrings and I don’t know if I can trust a man with earrings.” Most, if not all, of the homeless youth are LGBT kids who were either kicked out or ran away from their families. Every time I was asked if I was a member of the church you could hear it as “The Church.” I would reply “which church?” and that ended the conversation. LDS from other states who move to Utah are often treated the same as non-LDS by residents because they are used to more diversity and have more open minds. I heard from people that their kids were not allowed to play with, or date LDS kids because they weren’t LDS. The wife of a co-worker who also moved there for work had a difficult time finding a job because she wasn’t LDS. During the interview she would be asked which ward she was in, which is like a Catholic Parish except they keep records on your tithes and other things about you. Prospective employers will contact your ward’s Bishop and ask about you before offering a job. Just remember, in Utah the separation of Church and state is one city block. The legislature doesn’t do anything without input from the church. Changing liquor laws? Closed door meetings with representative from the LDS church because of their “well known stance on alcohol.” Like the Baptists and others don’t have positions on alcohol.
mje562
An inspirational story of absolute bravery. Bravo.