In a recent interview, out
singer-songwriter Troye Sivan said that being queer is “almost
cool” for artists.
The 23-year-old Sivan's sophomore
album, Bloom, arrives August 31. He also appears in the
upcoming film Boy Erased.
Speaking with NewNowNext, Sivan was
asked whether it's “getting better to be an LGBTQ artist in the
industry today?”
“One thing that’s surprised me
about all of [my success] is how quickly it’s all happened,”
Sivan said. “It’s been incredible to be embraced by people in
the industry and also the fans. And I absolute love seeing the rise
of other queer artists like Kim [Petras] and others. It’s almost
become cool to be queer, which is great.”
“My hope is that fans and the
industry keeps embracing diverse artists, but that no one is reduced
to their sexuality or their queer-identity. But as long as everyone’s
hearts are in the right place, I’m optimistic about where things
are headed. And I don’t take for granted the platform I have to be
a voice for marginalized youth,” he added.
(Related: Troye
Sivan “politely” declines “gay icon” label.)
On Boy Erased, in which a young
man is forced to attend an “ex-gay” camp after he's outed to his
conservative parents, Sivan said that he “never wanted anything so
bad as I wanted this role.”
“I’m thrilled to see more of these
movies [including The Miseducation of Cameron Post] coming out
because the queer community is diverse, and it’s important for
queer people to see a diversity of stories out there they can connect
to to see themselves and understand themselves,” Sivan
added.
(Related: Boy
Erased's
Garrard Conley calls history of queer cinema “torture porn.”)