American Idol singer Rayvon Owen has come out in his new music video.
At the end of the video titled “Can’t Fight It,” released on Valentine’s Day, Owen meets a mysterious man across the room – Shane Bitney Crone, reports The Advocate. Crone is known for his 2013 documentary, Bridegroom, which is about the discrimination he faced when his partner, Tom Bridegroom, died and the family kept him from the funeral.
Crone said on Facebook that he’s “incredibly proud” of Owen. “He is using his platform to help and inspire others,” said Crone, “especially young LGBT people.”
Describing what coming out means to him, Owen told HRC, “I grew up in Richmond, Virginia, which is a very conservative place. Church and spirituality was, and still is, an important part of me and my family’s life and it was hard to feel safe about coming out because of how often the Bible is misinterpreted to make LGBT people feel less than—and not worthy of—God’s love. It wasn’t until I went to school in Nashville, Tennessee when I started to accept this part of myself and come to peace with my religious beliefs and relationship with God. Coming out means not hiding certain parts of myself and loving myself for who I am, completely, as God made me.”
Watch the video above.
