American Idol star David Archuleta opened up about his sexuality as well as his struggle with religion on social media. In a statement posted to Twitter and Instagram, Archuleta revealed that he is “not sure†about his sexuality. He explained, “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.†Archuleta, who was raised Mormon, revealed that he struggled to reconcile his religion with his sexuality, and called for compassion from religious communities “to those who are LGBTQIA.†He continued, “I think we can do better as people of faith and Christians, including Latter-day Saints, to listen more to the wrestle between being LGBTQIA+ and a person of faith.â€
The American Idol season-seven runner-up also added, “I don’t feel comfortable sharing it, but felt I needed to to bring more awareness to people in my same situation and let you know you’re not alone. You can be part of the LGBTQIA+ community and still believe in God and His gospel plan.†He concluded the statement by encouraging his fans to “keep asking and seeking, and having compassion and patience.â€