Greek singer George Perris opens up about his sexuality, People Magazine reports. "I do not consider this a coming out, in the sense that I never went into a closet," Perris, 38, says in a Zoom interview from his home in Athens in early March to the magazine. "I never hid my life. I've always lived the way I wanted to; it's just that I didn't have the courage to talk about it publicly." With his new album, appropriately entitled "No Armor" out this week, the singer says he is ready to live authentically in the public eye. "I'm relieved, I'm happy, and I'm proud of myself that I'm able to do this," Perris says. Perris tells People that he knew he was gay early on but felt shame to conform to heteronormative pressures. "I grew up believing that there was something wrong about me because, at the time, when you were a kid in the '80s or '90s, you came to believe there was something wrong with you," he says. "Back then, people would always use words like 'tolerant' or 'open-minded,' and I always hated those terms because I think they hide a defiance; there's contempt to it. I don't want you to tolerate me. I want you to accept me because we're 100 percent equal." Nor did he see much queer representation, but he saw a turning point when George Michael came out in 1988 when he was 15, which he saw as a "revelation." He says, "I didn't know you could have a superstar who was an extremely talented and incredible artist and a beautiful man and everything and he was gay, and he was living a normal life."⁠ ⁠ Tap link in bio to continue on @EDGEmedianetwork⁠ ????⁠ ?: George Perris @georgeperris

Greek singer George Perris opens up about his sexuality, People Magazine reports. "I do not consider this a coming out, in the sense that I never went into a closet," Perris, 38, says in a Zoom interview from his home in Athens in early March to the magazine. "I never hid my life. I've always lived the way I wanted to; it's just that I didn't have the courage to talk about it publicly." With his new album, appropriately entitled "No Armor" out this week, the singer says he is ready to live authentically in the public eye. "I'm relieved, I'm happy, and I'm proud of myself that I'm able to do this," Perris says. Perris tells People that he knew he was gay early on but felt shame to conform to heteronormative pressures. "I grew up believing that there was something wrong about me because, at the time, when you were a kid in the '80s or '90s, you came to believe there was something wrong with you," he says. "Back then, people would always use words like 'tolerant' or 'open-minded,' and I always hated those terms because I think they hide a defiance; there's contempt to it. I don't want you to tolerate me. I want you to accept me because we're 100 percent equal." Nor did he see much queer representation, but he saw a turning point when George Michael came out in 1988 when he was 15, which he saw as a "revelation." He says, "I didn't know you could have a superstar who was an extremely talented and incredible artist and a beautiful man and everything and he was gay, and he was living a normal life."⁠
⁠
Tap link in bio to continue on @EDGEmedianetwork⁠
????⁠
?: George Perris @georgeperris