Demi Lovato: My grandfather came out as gay in the 1960s
Demi Lovato has revealed for the first time that her grandfather was gay, and came out in the 1960s.
The actress and singer was speaking last night at an event for Logo’s upcoming ‘Trailblazers’ special, which will air tomorrow to mark the one-year anniversary of the repeal of the Defence of Marriage Act.
The former US X Factor judge, who grew up in Texas, said: “I’ve never spoken about this before, but my grandfather was a trailblazer himself.
“He was brave enough to come out in the 1960s, and I feel a lot of my spirit has come from him.
“He passed away a few years later and I only wish he could have been able to see all the progress that has been made.
“It’s such an honour to be welcomed and embraced by the LGBT community, so thank you very much.”
Former US President Bill Clinton also spoke out in favour of gay rights for the special, saying he was “honoured and grateful to be among the voices” urging for the repeal of DOMA, which he himself signed.
He also paid tribute to DOMA plaintiff Edith Windsor and lawyer Roberta A. Kaplan, saying: “As marriage equality spreads across the states, the number of people impacted by these two amazing women will only continue to grow.”
