OUT & PROUD
BROTHERS Osborne singer TJ Osborne has come out as gay, revealing that "it's a big part of who I am."
TJ, 36, who is one half of the country music duo with his brother John, shared the news in an interview on Wednesday and said he's "ready to put this behind" him.
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“It is a big part of who I am: The way I think, the way I act, the way I perform," he told Time magazine.
"God, think of all the times that we talk about love, and write about love. It’s the biggest thing we ever get to feel."
"And I’ve kept the veil on," TJ said, later adding that "at this point, my happiness is more valuable than anything else I’d ever be able to achieve.”
During the candid interview, TJ said he is "very comfortable being gay" yet finds himself being "guarded for not wanting to talk about something that I personally don’t have a problem with."
“People will ask, ‘Why does this even need to be talked about?’ and personally, I agree with that," he explained.
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"But for me to show up at an awards show with a man would be jaw-dropping to people. It wouldn’t be like, ‘Oh, cool!”
TJ is now officially the first openly gay artist to be signed to a major country label.
Although he doesn't anticipate being "run off the stage in Chicago," Osborne said he is curious to see what the reaction will be in a rural town.
The country crooner also opened up about his struggle growing up closeted in Maryland, saying it was "so lonely and isolating" and made him resent people.
After a secret heartbreak in his early twenties, TJ channeled his distress into music, he told the magazine.
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The song "21 Summer" still reminds him of that isolation and he told Time there were so many time he sang it and "wanted to cry."
After moving to the country music hub Nashville, Tennessee, where the Brothers Osborne singed a publishing deal, TJ told John that he was gay.
Although his brother was supportive and the duo's inclusive gestures – like featuring LGBTQ couples in the "Stay A Little Longer" video – were mostly well received, it also resulted in cruel homophobic slurs, TJ said.
“There were people who were like, ‘F****t lovers!’” the singer said, recalling how he was forced to ask guys he was dating not to hold his hand and to wait in the car.
Now, the brothers hope that TJ's openness will expand their audience and "others will now feel invited to the country music party for the first time."
After the interview, which TJ said "carried him over the finish line," he took to Instagram to speak to fans directly.
"This story always seemed too mountainous to tell but now that it’s been told I am at a loss for words as to how clear the path was all along," he captioned the video.
"I know it's going to help my relationship with my fans, and my family and honestly, it will help my relationship with myself ..." TJ said in the clip. "I just want to thank everyone for the support and I love y'all."
John also praised his brother on social media in his own recorded address, saying "I'm very proud of my brother today."
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"He's taken one of the most important steps of his entire life and he's doing it in front of the entire world," he said. "He's always had my support no matter what and he will continue to have my support.
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"It's an honor to call him my brother: he's a beautiful, amazing human being – so talented so caring, so giving.
"And it's an honor to have a member of my family be a part of the LGBTQIA community. Proud of you TJ, love you, man."
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