Country Singer Billy Gilman Comes Out

Country singer Billy Gilman has followed in one of his peers' footsteps by also coming out as gay.

The 26-year-old star posted an emotional five-and-a-half-minute video on YouTube Thursday, where he talked about the hardships he has faced in the country music industry as a result of his previously rumored sexuality. Billy reveals in the video that all of the rumors nearly cost him potential record deals.

"I threw a showcase in Nashville, and no major label showed," he admits.

"It's difficult for me to make this video, not because I'm ashamed of being a gay male artist, or a gay artist or a gay person," he continues, "but it's pretty silly to know that I'm ashamed of doing this knowing that I'm in a genre and an industry that's ashamed of me for being me."

After a reporter spotted him with his partner several months ago and snapped a photo, Billy said he knew what he had to do, but needed to gather the courage to do it.

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