“All-American Boy” singer/songwriter Steve Grand is experiencing a healthy dose of overnight fame since his latest music video procured over 800,000 hits on YouTube in little more than a week. He appeared on Good Morning America yesterday to talk about the success of the video and share his motivation for making it.
“I wrote it from the most purest, genuine place in my soul. It’s not about being gay, it’s about that longing for someone,” he said.
The piece goes on to say that when Steve’s parents first learned he was gay, they subjected him to gay conversion therapy. “I felt like I really was a shame to my parents,” he tearily said. “I felt like there was no way I could ever make them proud and I was a constant disappointment.”
They even talked about his steamy underwear modeling photos before reassuring everyone that Steve’s parents have come to accept him over the years. Isn’t that sweet?
How about we take this to the next level?
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Wilbready
I think we should start Straight Conversion Therapy! Way to be the religious system, Steve! You are my new hero!
tardis
This DIY culture is AMAZING.
dannyboi2
EWow..Tear jerker, well, he has touched a half a million and he’ll touch a few more.
It gets better and now he’ll make some money. I’m proud of him, it took a tremendous
amount of courage for him to finally feel vindicated. You go boy!!
Polaro
Didn’t work. Thank god.
Jackhoffsky
gay conversion therapy is something no one can get over… they can only learn to maneuver around. it’s a horrible concept. i cannot wait until it’s banned so that parents don’t have the opportunity to even consider that an option.
erasure25
How about that hunk in the video with whom he’s smitten!!!!!! Wooo!
MK Ultra
I agree with Jack.
People who make it out of ex gay therapy with their sanity really need to be called “survivors”
From a psychological point of view, it IS torture. There is no way it should be legal.
Charles175
The more this human carnage of ex-gay therapy comes to light, the faster this quackery will be done permanently away with. It took 37 long years for Exodus international to finally realize that it just does not work. This their failure, was the greatest blow of all to the erroneous belief that sexual orientation is supposedly learned rather than from birth.
AxelDC
It doesn’t hurt that he’s gorgeous!
Brian
Why did Steve Grand submit to ex-gay therapy? Nobody forced him. Stop playing the victim card, Steve.
On a general note, why on earth do performers like Steve allow themselves to be stereotyped by the mainstream media? There’s also a degree of self-stereotyping going on here. It’s counter-productive to one’s career. Just look at what happened to Adam Lambert.
MMDD
@erasure25: Steve is ten times hunkier than he is.
MMDD
@Brian: I guess you missed the part about the fact that his parents forced him to go to ex-gay therapy, which means he was underage and he didn’t have a choice in the matter. You’re an ass wipe, Brian.
nevereclipsed81
this guy is cool as hell. i’m a fan now.
Daniel-Reader
The fundamental question is whether Steve should accept his parents – not whether they accept him. They put him through hell. They should be begging his forgivenness for subjecting him to that as a young person. More gay people need to be taught survival skills including independence from those who have emotionally abused them in this way.
Fidelio
He is such a hottie. He’s got helluva more talent than a lot of “artists” out there now. The lead in the video is pretty damn hot, too (aka, Taylor from Fratmen.) Look up Jayden and Taylor on Fratmen. You’re welcome.
Creamsicle
It’s very brave of Grand to share this song and his story of being subjected to conversion therapy. No matter what else he ever does he’s already changed lives by being willing to tell people across the globe that they’re not the only ones who get left feeling cold and stupid after misreading someone’s behavior. More importantly he’s shown that even after the most degrading “treatment” you can still come out strong and with something worth sharing with the world.
Jackhoffsky
Can I say something without everyone jumping down my throat? I’m a BIG fan of the song, and of the video. But… in general, there’s something a little… fake about it all. NOT THAT ITS A BAD THING. It has gotten gay exposure, so I’m all for it. But that video was NOT made for $7000.00, the song is catchy but simple, the cast is from Fratmen.com, and he’s an underwear model who released a song in time to go viral for the 4th of July.
So… in my OPINION ONLY… there is either a lot of luck working for this guy (and I HOPE that is the case) or it was a very contrite orchestration. And the gay conversion therapy is where I finally caught on BUT I can’t figure out which.
The reason why I don’t mind… is (1) he’s f’n gorgeous (LOL), (2) it’s good to have a gay country song for a change, (3) the video shows a pretty decent straight character reacting to something very well (I totally appreciated this just because of my own history), (4) he did bring to light the flip side of gay conversion therapy. So I AM NOT BITCHING. I’m totally head over heals for this guy.
But in my opinion, there’s something a little orchestrated about this all. Honestly though, I don’t mind one bit.
sfbeast
He says his mom is proud of him now. I hope his parents have apologized for what they put him through.
Fidelio
@Jackhoffsky: I don’t think you’re too far off. I was wondering the same thing. Something is kinda off-kilter. BUT, I still support him and am enjoying his 15 minutes. I don’t buy the “nobody has ever paid attention to me, before” bit, but he’s fun to follow. I’m curious about how he’s going to parlay all this into a career.
the other Greg
@Jackhoffsky: I get what you mean, it seems a bit calculated. I think he was taking a shot with this, not sure how it would be received, but making an educated guess that the timing was right. He probably wouldn’t have been surprised (or the rest of us either) if it got a hostile reaction and it turned out that the country music world wasn’t quite there yet. Instead, it worked!
MK Ultra
@Jackhoffsky: Of course it’s clever marketing. Marketing makes the world go round.
And as others have said I’m glad this was well received and I’m interested to see what he does next.
dannyboi2
This guys been working it for some time his timing was perfect and if that’s Calculated so, be it. He mentions his Mom, but what about daddy? It’s so hard to believe his parents would actually send him to that therapy. Freaky… I wish him the best he sure is cute.
mpwaite
I’m so proud of him.. I LOVED his video and thought it was so genuine. How many of us been in the same position/predicament??? It brought back some painful high school memories… I too to an Ex- Gay ministry, EXODUS back in the ’90s; It obviously didn’t make me straight, however, I learned some interesting things about myself, and was able to change from an immature man to a caring, loving, and thoughtful man. That is the ONE thing I’m happy about. I wish Steve the BEST…
Cagnazzo82
I honestly cannot believe people are falling for this.
The guy’s been a model for years, under 3 different aliases. The other guy, the love interest in the video, he’s a fratpad model. Do people not recognize Fratpad Taylor when they see him? Just type in the name on google (mind you NSFW). He’s been doing porn for years.
And everyone’s just buying this shtick about the sob story. This guy’s like at the top echelon of gayness. Male model with rippling abs who hangs around with porn stars.
And everyone’s acting like this is just some country boy who came off a farm.
It’s all marketing. Pure and simple.
parisinla
Yurnin? ::hard eye roll::
JimboinLA
Of course he’s in the top echelon of gayness…LOOK AT HIM. Any gay bar he walks into he’s gonna be well received. The thing people seem to be missing here is THIS SONG IS NOT FOR US!! It for all the homophobic country loving ‘Mericans who live in fly over country. It’s for all the closeted kids in the bible belt and their homophobic parents LIKE HIS WERE. It’s caters to a market that is notoriously homophobic. That’s why this is a big deal. It’s not gay men who are making this song viral, it’s female country fans who love looking at him as much as we do. This is a HUGE step for gay acceptance in The Bible Belt. i wonder if they will play it on country radio. And if David Geffen were the mastermind behind this I wouldn’t mind one bit, but he’s not. It’s a gay underwear model and his boyfriends who made this happen. All we can do is buy his record and make him a huge star. Cause that’s what we do best. We tell straight people what is cool. And this is way cool. Can someone make a dance remix?? Probably already happening.
ShowMeGuy
@tardis: makes you wonder how much longer before the rich elite and the corporate pigs put a stop to it…..since DIY denies them the right to make more money.
marco43
this Gay therapy treatment thing is not a physical or psychological treatment, it’s a religious thing…….you can change someone’s religion but you can’t change their psychological make-up.
when are people going to wake up and realize that you can’t change those inborn traits of a person…….just like…..my favorite color is blue, don’t tell me it’s red…..something in me tells me that I like blue…….get over it religious fanatics and embrace your fellow man no matter who they are.
People take different roads seeking fulfillment and happiness. Just because they’re not on your road does not mean that they are lost.
blech
Life is torture…one way or another. This is just one of many ways to start! My suggestion? Start learning to enjoy the pain!
yaoming
Do we know “Steve Grand” is his real name? (Sounds like a model or porn name to me.) And do we know he actually wrote and performed the song and if that’s really his voice? I wouldn’t be surprised if the whole thing turned out to be a publicity stunt populated with actors-for-hire… and so what?
Publius
@JimboinLA: A song about how gays are secretly pining after their straight friends and want to get them alone and naked in the lake to kiss them is a big step for us in the Bible Belt?
Publius
“It’s not about being gay”
Bull f***ing s***, yes it absolutely is. And so what?
John Doe
Wow, I can’t believe how negative, critical and self-righteous SOME of the above comments are. It seems like some people are always looking for some rock to throw at someone, something to attack someone about, etc. Thankfully I don’t have to hang out with such people in real life. I just see them trolling online and throwing mud from behind their computer screens.
JimboinLA
@Pubilus: LOL. I see your point. I think the big step is a sexy hunky GAY male country singer appealing to (mainly female) country fans. The song and the story are kind of hokey. I got that the singer was closeted and unsure how to deal with his same sex attraction, then when he misread some cues and made his bold move he was heartbroken but able to survive with dignity..PERFECT COUNTRY SONG..LOL. Its about heartbreak and loneliness which are universal themes everyone can relate to. The song’s story isn’t a big step, a gay country singer getting acclaim and rightfully declaring that he is an all American boy and his sexuality is as American as apple pie, is. A perfectly made gay apple pie I may add (I make a killer apple pie).
JimboinLA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6UAacxKkVRQ
Watch him talk about feeling that there was no way he could ever make his parents proud after he came out. Goddamn heartbreaking. That’s how MY parents reacted. It’s hard to understand that your parents are bigots who have been brainwashed by a sect of the cult of Christianity. This boy is an artist…cause he put all that into a three and a half minute video. Listen to it and turn off your screen. Just listen. That moment when the song stops. Remarkable.
connorlarkin19
The ex-gay orgs Administrators and staff should have to register as sex offenders for life.
MMDD
@Publius: Oh, come now. There’s not a gay man out there who hasn’t fallen for an unavailable straight guy at some point in his life (hell, I could write a book). That’s what the song is about.
MMDD
@Publius: It’s more about unrequited love. It just so happens that the singer is gay.
Stache1
@Cagnazzo82: I wonder if that’s even his real voice?
Publius
@MMDD: Which makes it a gay song. Why are we so afraid to admit that? Why does everything have to be “X that just so happens to be gay”?
MMDD
@Publius: I see where you’re coming from and do sympathize. I do get annoyed when I hear statements like, “It’s not about a group of gay men, it’s about a group of men who happen to be gay.” (Good grief!) When Steve says it’s not about “being gay,” I think he may be referring more to the struggle we go through in accepting ourselves and that this song is more about the general desire of wanting someone and then being rejected by that person. I don’t know, I’m just guessing here. But yeah, I understand what you’re saying.