Eli Medina, an openly gay high school student, had to move out of his house and break ties with his mom, as she disagreed with his gay lifestyle.
Now Eli has appeared on Made, MTV’s reality show about making dreams come true.
According to Medina, “I just wanted to prove my worth to my mother, and to the world, by learning to sing and becoming a superstar diva.”
In stepped Cyndi Lauper, his idol, who came to the aid of the gay teen. Lauper offered him a voice lesson and wise advice about being a gay youth.
“I wanted to touch her face and just make sure she wasn’t a hologram,” a thrilled Medina said.
Lauper sat down with Medina and talked about his strained relationship with his mother.
“Sometimes with parents when their kid isn’t like who they think they should be, they think it’s a reflection on them,” Lauper told Medina on the show.
“And … a lot of ways that’s your opportunity to step up and open your heart and understand you can’t change the past, you can only change the present and the future,” she adds.
