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After dozens of people walked out of a Christmas concert by “American Idol” star David Archuletta, the singer says there’s no way he’ll give in to a concert promoter’s request that he stop discussing his journey from hiding to embracing his queer identity after a “few dozen” people walked out of a recent concert. Here’s how the drama unfolded…
Concert Promoter Asks David Archuleta to Stop Talking About LGBTQ+ Journey
Archuletta, who was runner-up to David Cook on “American Idol” in 2008, revealed publicly in 2021 that he is proudly part of the LGBTQ+ community, and shared how hard it had been to explore his true identity and feelings while growing up in the Mormon church. Though he’s received tons of support from most of his fans, he is still facing backlash from some.
On November 30, 2022, Archuleta shared two Instagram posts following his Christmas concert tour stop in Delta, Utah. One featured photos of him performing, in which he thanked the small-town audience for being “amazing.” The second, however, revealed that not everyone was thrilled with his performance.
Archuleta shared a text exchange on Instagram between his manager and a concert promoter who asked that the singer no longer speak about his sexual identity on stage since people walked out of his Christmas show in Delta, Utah the previous night. The person wrote that the concert was “phenomenal,” but that it took a turn when the singer talked about “his journey to being queer” and that such discussion “should not be allowed.”
“They did not pay for David to take 15 minute and ruin that Christmas experience they just had,” the message said. “I do not believe [the] concert was the setting for that to happen. We have some very upset patrons that I will [be] dealing with today.”
Archuleta fired back in his post, explaining why it’s important for him to share his truth.
“This tour hasn’t been the easiest for me to do,” he wrote. “A way for me to find peace with it is by being open about my journey. I am sharing something that I’ve felt I had to keep hidden nearly all my life.”
In his lengthy response, Archuleta also wrote, “2 years ago I was thinking ending my life was better than admitting this openly. If you are more offended that I say I like guys than you are that someone has felt it was better to end their life for that very same reason. I want you to think about why that makes you uncomfortable. I want to have uncomfortable conversations. That’s how you gain understanding. I didn’t say anything explicit or inappropriate. If a few dozen people walk out, but there are others staying who need to know they’re not alone in this journey. It’s worth it to me.”
Archuleta Tells Reporter ‘I’m Not Gonna Apologize’
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GettyDavid Archuleta performs during On Our Sleeves, The National Movement for Children’s Mental Health event in Los Angeles on November 11, 2022
On December 1, TMZ filmed Archuleta at the airport as he arrived in Los Angeles and asked about the drama, inquiring why he thinks some people “hate” him.
“I don’t think they hate me,” he responded. “Otherwise they wouldn’t have paid to come to a show. But I think they’re just like, ‘Oh no, he’s talking about something we’re not supposed to hear.”
Archuleta went on to explain that he can relate to the “few dozen” disgruntled fans’ fears and anger because he, too, grew up thinking such talk was forbidden and that to love someone of the same sex was wrong.
“The eyes that I was given, growing up through the religious eyes, was making me feel like it would be better for me to not be here, to not exist as a queer person,” he said.
The 34-year-old singer also said he’s not shocked by the response in rural areas, saying the concert in Delta was in a “tiny town, in the middle-of-nowhere Utah.” But that won’t keep him from sharing his story, because there may be someone in those places that needs to hear it.
“I’m not gonna apologize for what I said because I didn’t say anything disrespectful, didn’t say anything inappropriate,” Archuleta reiterated, adding that he hears from people all the time who thank him for speaking up.
“I have to talk about my journey even though it’s, like, awkward, even though it’s a touchy subject,” he said. “But I have to say it on behalf of everyone else going through the same thing who don’t have the same platform I do, who don’t have people listening to what they’re saying the way I do.”
Archuleta’s 2022 Christmas concert tour includes eight more dates in Utah, Nevada, Texas and Arizona.
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