Demi Lovato reveals how Cool For the Summer helped her come out to her parents -TGN

Demi Lovato shares the story behind her coming out with her parents. (Getty)

Demi Lovato has been candid about how she came out to her parents.

It’s hard to believe it’s been eight years since Lovato sent the LGBTQ+ community on a tailspin with her sexually exploratory hit “Cool for summer”. Since then, the pop star has been exploring her gender identity and sexuality, recently sharing the news that she had reclaimed her/his pronouns after coming out as non-binary in 2021.

But while Lovato is now an unashamed LGBTQ+ advocate, she wasn’t always so open about her identity.

In a recent interview with SiriusXMthe creator of “Heart Attack” reflected on her conversation with her mother and stepfather.

“I came from a Christian background and grew up queer, but didn’t tell people until I felt comfortable with it,” she said.

“It wasn’t until I was 25 that I came out to my mother. At that time I was bisexual, then I realized I was pansexual. It took me a while.

“It was kind of funny because I released ‘Cool for the Summer’ before coming out to my parents,” she continued. “(The) ‘have a test for the icing/I just need to take a bite’ lyrics (are) very clear, but I didn’t feel like I was ready.

“One day I was about to go to a show, and I was on a plane with my stepdad, who is actually my dad, and I thought, ‘Hey, I have to tell you something, I like girls too.’ And he was like, ‘Yeah. I know, you finished “Cool for the Summer,” and I was like, “Oh.”

According to Lovato, her mother had a similar reaction.

“I was about to go out with a girl and I didn’t know if I was going to get photographed or what would happen and I really liked this girl and I thought, ‘I think it’s time to tell my mom in case it gets serious,'” she recalled.

“I put my mom down and said, ‘I need to talk to you. You know, I’m about to go out with a girl and I just wanted to let you know and hear from me that I like girls too.” She almost started crying and said, ‘I just want you to be happy’.”

The former Disney Channel star recalled the value of having a positive coming-out experience, explaining that her mom’s response made her feel “so valuable and so valued,” especially since “there are so many parents who don’t respond that way.”

For Lovato, it’s especially important to provide “that energy, community, and safe space” for her young LGBTQ+ fans, who may not be accepted in their own homes. It’s one of the reasons why she regularly posts queer content on her social media platforms so that those fans can feel “appreciated and valued”.

After dropping her political pro-choice rock anthem “Swine” last month, Lovato is now gearing up for the release of her next studio album, Renewed, in September. It will feature her greatest hits, including “Cool for the Summer” reimagined as rock songs.