Ask anyone what Will Young’s story is and they’ll probably tell you he’s a singer who won Pop Idol in 2002, went on to release a string of multi-platinum albums, win two Brit awards and had countless other successes. They are unlikely to say that his story has been one of gay shame that has blighted his life. And yet, says the 42-year-old musician, whose new book To Be a Gay Man, has just come out in paperback, “gay shame was a part of my life from the age of six. It has clung on to me and literally stopped me truly flying in life”. 1
To be a Gay Man
Million-selling pop star and co-host of influential podcast ‘Homo Sapiens’, Will Young is calling for an end to society’s legacy of gay shame, revealing the impact it had on his own life, how he learned to deal with it and how he can now truthfully say he is gay and happy. In To Be a Gay Man, Will Young speaks out about gay shame, revealing the impact it had on his own life, how he learned to deal with it, and how he can now truthfully say he is gay and happy. We know Will as a multi-platinum recording artist, Olivier-nominee, and the first winner of the Idol franchise. But his story began long before his first audition. Looking back on a world where growing up being called gay was the ultimate insult and coming out after a lifetime of hiding his sexuality, Will explores the long-lasting impact repressing his true self has had. As Will’s own story demonstrates, internalized shame in childhood increases the risk of developing low self-worth, and even self-disgust, leading to destructive behaviors in adult life. Will revisits the darkest extremes he has been to, sharing his vulnerabilities, his regrets, tracing his own navigation through it all and showing the way for others who might have felt alone in the same experience. Here you will find a friend, champion and mentor, breaking taboos with frank honesty, and offering invaluable practical advice on overcoming the difficult issues too often faced within the LGBTQ+ community.
- The Evening Standard, Katie Law, May 19, 2021 – Will Young: My story of how I overcame gay shame and found my peace – Today the Evening Standard in association with Netflix launches its first Stories Festival. Will Young, a speaker and a judge of our What’s Your Story? writing competition, tells Katie Law about why it’s so vital to help young people find their voice
