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Amid Pride Month, GRiZ has published a sweet message to his fellow members of LGBTQIA+ community.
“Happy pride month to all my LGBTQIA+ family!” the artist wrote on Instagram Sunday (June 21). “I love being gay and that took an admittedly LONG time to accept into my heart. The road was long and at times very dark and if you’re there right now.. know that theres a bright light always in the distance.”
The producer born Grant Kwiecinski publicly came out as gay in 2017 via an op-ed written for the Huffington Post. Two years later, he was the spokesperson and model for MeUndies’ 2019 Pride Collection.
“For me … I finally found my community and am so very lucky to have a loving and accepting family,” GRiZ’s message continued. “I recognize that for many this will be your first pride being out and I am so so so happy for all our baby gays out there stepping into all this for their first time no matter your age. I also know there are those of us who are still finding the right time to be out… and that is ok and exactly where you need to be right now. Your time will come and when it does it will be perfect and beautiful and a little bit messy just like all of us.
“I want to mention that …. I am able to exist in this world the way I do largely because of the bravery and hardship that so many people before me had to endure,” he went on. “Their work to change legislation, protections for queer folk, and social landscape has changed our lives, and the work is not over. Our rights to exist on equitable and equal terms are constantly being challenged. So we must continue to honor their fight with our own. That can look like many things from political action, the simple but brave act of existence, or the significant role of allyship and advocacy.
“Being gay is cool and if you’re not out yet thats cool too. Just know – no matter what pride looks like for you this year or any year in the future…you always have a home and safety at GRiZ spaces. And … WE LOVE U!!”
He added that he’s made a donation to The Center on Colfax in Denver, where he lives. The Center on Colfax is, according to its website, “the largest LGBTQ community center in the Rocky Mountain region, giving voice to Colorado’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) community and playing a pivotal role in statewide initiatives to reduce harassment and discrimination.”
GRiZ recently sat down with Billboard for a rare interview about his hiatus and new album, Future Funk Volume 1. He performs at Electric Forest in his home state of Michigan Friday (June 26) and Sunday (June 28).
