CMT personality and country music singer Cody Alan has come out of the closet as gay, an important step in a musical genre severely lacking representation from the LGBTQ community.
Alan came out to the public via his social media channels and with the help of GLAAD.
“This is not a choice I made, but something I’ve known about myself my whole life,” Alan said. “Through life’s twists and turns, marriage, divorce, fatherhood, successes, failures - I’ve landed on this day, a day when I’m happier and healthier than I’ve ever been. And I’m finally comfortable enough for everyone to know this truth about me.”
Chely Wright, one of the first prominent country stars to come out of the closet, suffered a massive audience backlash and plummeting album sales after coming out in 2010.
Since then, other country stars have come out and found audiences to support them. Ty Herndon came out as a “proud and happy gay man” in 2014, with Billy Gilman following suit soon after.
Even so, it can still be extremely difficult for country music singers and personalities to come out of the closet, but hopefully as more and more individuals open up about who they really are, that will change.
Welcome to the family, Cody!
