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SALT LAKE CITY — David Archuleta, a popular Utah musician, announced on social media Saturday that he is part of the LGBTQ community.
"I've been open to myself and my close family for some years now that I am not sure about my own sexuality," he posted on Twitter. "I came out in 2014 as gay to my family. But then I had similar feelings for both genders so maybe a spectrum of bisexual. Then I also have learned I don't have too much sexual desires and urges as most people which works I guess because I have a commitment to save myself until marriage. Which people call asexual when they don't experience sexual urges."
🙏❤️ sharing my thoughts pic.twitter.com/NELz0Ufc10
— David Archuleta (@DavidArchie) June 12, 2021
The musician also shared how he has found peace with his identity and his faith as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
"I've tried for almost 20 years to try and change myself until I realized God made me how I am for a purpose," he said. "Instead of hating what I have considered wrong, I need to see why God loved me for who I am and that it's not just sexuality."
Archuleta also asked people of faith to be more compassionate to those in the LGBTQ community who are working to balance faith and their sexuality.
"I don't think it should come down to feeling you have to accept one or the other," he tweeted. "For me to find peace the reality has been to accept both are real things I experience and make who I am. I've yet to figure out what that means but I appreciate you listening to this personal matter."
Archuleta competed in the televised singing competition "American Idol" in 2008 and took second place. After the competition, he continued his successful music career before putting it on hold to serve a mission for the church in 2012.
