He also admitted he was “scared” before coming out.
“Because I always felt there was something that I had to keep to myself,” he expressed. “There’s so much relief to not feel like you have to hide a part of yourself, like a secret.”
Archuleta, who said he struggled early on with reconciling his feelings for men and women, offered advice to those who might not understand or accept him in his coming out post on Instagram on June 12.
The “Crush” singer wrote in his caption, “For people who don’t really understand how feelings outside of just being heterosexual can be possible and okay I just plead that you be more understanding to people who experience and struggle with things that you may not experience or understand yourself.”
The American Idol star continued, “I just invite you to please consider making room to be more understanding and compassionate to those who are LGBTQIA+, and those who are part of that community and trying to find that balance with their faith which also is a huge part of their identity like myself.”
He also noted that he shouldn’t have to push out one part of his identity—being in the LGBTQIA+ community—to make room for his faith, concluding, “For me to find peace the reality has been to accept both are real things I experience and make [me] who I am.”