Celebrating PRIDE with David Archuleta!

We are kicking off #Pride Month with a very special interview with the SUPER talented American Idol & The Masked Singer star David Archuleta! I hope you will take the time to watch this beautiful & heartfelt episode. We talk about everything from processing the chaos of American Idol as a young teen to coming out as a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community to his new song “Up” which comes out tomorrow, June 2nd. David's had one inspiring & amazing journey! I hope this interview helps any parent out there who is struggling with embracing their LGBTQ+ child and anyone struggling to be their authentic self. As ‪@davidarchie‬ and I discussed, God is LOVE and may this episode be a reminder that each and everyone of you matter. Happy Pride, everyone! 🏳️‍🌈🥄💖 #aspoonfulofpaolo #pridemonth
FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER / paolopresta
FOLLOW ME ON FACEBOOK / spoonfulofpaolo
WATCH ALL OF OUR CELEBRITY INTERVIEWS AT www.aspoonfulofpaolo.com

[@davidroberts9037]

What so many people fail to realize is that you are the same person whether or not you are out. People knowing that you are gay does not change who you always have been. David, your new music is much more you now. Your voice is awesome awesome.

[@dalus8073]

David Archuleta is becoming one of the teachers of our era.

[@michaelmetcalf2715]

David Archuleta is authentic and living his best life. Proud of him. I didn't come out until my 30's. Glad David bit the bullet and nothing is going to stop him now!!!🎉🎉💪👑

[@bluegalaxy14]

Best interview with David Archuleta ever. Ive been an archangel since '08. Thank you, Paolo! You are an angel.

[@smokerscough2907]

Sitting here with tears running down my face right now. Paolo, from the bottom of my heart, thank you for platforming David and speaking with him not only about the dark times, but about his childhood and music facts that show just how special he really is. I can tell you’re just as big of a fan as the rest of us. David’s story is such an important one that needs to be heard. So many of us can relate to him, especially when he spoke about suppressing parts of his mannerisms and hiding himself to avoid the bullying and homophobia that came his way. I’m a lesbian and I experienced similar feelings of wanting to hide myself away and not be seen because it was easier to be invisible and suppressed than authentically myself, taking up space as I truly am. David’s journey has effectively taken place on a public stage his entire life, and I thank you for bringing that up. He’s finally free to do and be what he wants to be, not just by being open about his sexuality and leaving his religion, but by opening doors that had been shut before. There’s an entire new world out there for him to explore and to discover parts of himself he never knew existed. Please consider having David back in the future. You and your husband are so warm and loving to him and I thank you for it.

[@aspoonfulofpaolo]

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. You are so kind and I am so happy you enjoyed the interview. :)

[@robyn7127]

This was a wonderful interview and it really warmed my heart when you told David that he is a gift from Heaven, because many of his fans feel that way about him. 🥰❤️ And you and your husband were so sweet to David and he was visibly touched by the donation you made in his honour. ❤

[@EarthyDear]

Thank you Paolo for this lovely interview with David 💖❤🧡💛💚💙💜 My heart shares the love you show so beautifully 💞 I'm grateful for you 🙏

[@aspoonfulofpaolo]

Awww thank you. You are so kind. ❤️☺️

[@Love-Is-Kind]

So incredibly grateful for the miracle of D.A. Thank you so much for this lovely interview. Stay healthy & take care. 🌈✨💖🌟💯

[@aspoonfulofpaolo]

awww thank you :)

[@janey79]

So very happy David is here ♥♥♥

[@TheBookBreak]

SUCH a great interview! David, you are an incredible persone, and I sincerely appreciate you sharing your truth.

[@barbweaver497]

Oh my gosh, tears... thank you for this wonderful interview. I've loved David since American Idol...I have a whole group of friends that I met because of him and we have so much fun getting together and going to his concerts. Watching him grow and come into this place of self-acceptance and awakening has been such a joy. I want nothing but the best for him and hope he truly understands the impact he has made on so many people's lives, no matter their sexuality, just by being himself. He is the kindest, sweetest soul and I hope and pray that all the love he puts out into the world comes back to him ten-fold.

[@aspoonfulofpaolo]

Thank you so much! :)

[@martindowling1401]

Love ❤️ David Archuleta

[@squidink3470]

Beautiful interview. 💗💗❤❤🧡🧡💛💛💚💚💙💙💜💜

[@ivandouglas-happyhealthyli3405]

Love David! You’re absolutely correct. He is a beacon of light. May his light continue to shine!

[@scottmena4653]

Lovely interview. You know a ton about David! So glad you brought up about his mom and her support for him on her Facebook post. He is going to be doing some incredible things.

[@chad.antonio84]

David would be great to play Marius in a Les Miserables production.

[@sydshrimp]

What a great interview Paolo! Many thanks for talking to David and helping to bring out his kind and caring nature.

[@jtara9266]

Such a wonderful, beautiful interview! Loved the questions and comments and David's heartfelt responses. Thank you. He is such a good soul. ❤

[@johnflynn9619]

David is Very Talented. He has a Magnificent Voice. He should start Acting.

[@samrlim]

DAVID SPREAD YOUR WINGS AND ZOOM TO THE TOP THERE'S NOTHING TO BE AFRAID OF AND BE WHO YOU ARE NOTHING TO BE ASHAMED OF.... YOU ARE A WONDERFUL PERSON AND ON TOP OF THE WORLD.❤😊

[@Shane.C.]

Such a wonderful interview- and thank you for all the love you gave David - May he take all our love and care to keep him strong and continue his beautiful path. Spirituality and God is for all. Oneness in love. Blessings All 💛🌅🙏✨✨

[@aspoonfulofpaolo]

Thank you so much! :)

[@TheBookBreak]

Awww, I have to comment again, as I watch this video. Paolo, your story is beautiful too! It makes me grasp my on heart (and I also can't help my "old lady" tendancies to say out loud, "Oh honey!") I'm SOOO happy to see people being able to speak LOVE!

[@brunerguy1]

He said it was scary to perform on MASKED SINGER. What concerns me is that David needs and should embrace the depth of his talent. In all these years listening to David, he has moved me profoundly. The reason we will embrace him is the pleasure that voice and performance ability gives his audience. It is so more satisfying that David has embraced who he is with the rest of letting us know he is and will be loved. Now, sing for us!

[@kimk7132]

outstanding interview thank you!!

[@jeffduteil]

Wonderful interview, Paolo. Subscribed.

[@aspoonfulofpaolo]

Thank you!! :)

[@djdingwall1]

I absolutely am completely loved this interview. Sending love to you both❤❤🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈

[@aspoonfulofpaolo]

wow...thank you so much! :)

[@martindowling1401]

So glad you are here!

[@lisalovesarchuleta22]

I love David's story

[@lisalovesarchuleta22]

We love y david archuleta

[@martindowling1401]

Spirits having an earthly experience!

[@dsallenger0314]

❤David❤

[@ambsat]

Wow, so happy to find this tonight, 2 mos late! Paolo, I’ve always enjoyed all your interviews; you have such a sweet sincere heart about you, very genuine, and it makes these interviews what they are. And THIS one…like you I’ve been an exuberant fan for David since Idol…how excited I was to see you had interviewed him because I knew it would be good and it was. I’ve seen David interviewed so many times, and when he senses a sincere host, you can tell he’s comfortable and opens up and is his true self and vulnerable. That was evident here. I could so relate to your “disbelief” at the end that you were actually talking to “that kid you voted for in 2008” lol, same as I felt when I finally met him at a VIP. Anyway…thank you for this, as David said, “lovely” interview. Well done. ❤

[@GoodDeedADay]

Incredible interview, so moving!!! Paolo, thank you for shining a light on all the qualities we fans love about David, his huge talent… of course! … but also the genuine, kind, beautiful soul he is. Look forward to your next chat! Happy Pride!! ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜

[@aspoonfulofpaolo]

Your kind message made my day. Thank you! :)

[@nirmalmaharaj7456]

Your a god sent angle you habe so. Much love that evolved around you ❤

[@lisalovesarchuleta22]

❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@ShaneShipman]

YES 😊

[@ericmazzie]

Loved the joke about the letter. 😅

[@korribier-lo3nm]

I love it

[@ShaneShipman]

Never forgot

[@nirmalmaharaj7456]

❤

[@traceypease3024]

Raised in Utah now living in Texas it still saddens me that a boy from our graduating class of 1980 did take his life over being gay. He held positions in our student council and was very well liked and popular. But he had taken his life before we even had our class of 1980 five year reunion.

[@martindowling1401]

Hey read this?

[@davidrobinson8470]

Thank you for leaving the LDS Church. You rejected the corrupt deal that they offered you. Hurrah!

[@musicinme5741]

I wish David would stop referring to himself as queer. That's a derogatory term. He's a gay man. What does stepping away from the church mean? Temporarily or permanently?

[@truthtea9626]

He’s been using gay and queer interchangeably for a while now so it doesn’t bother me much, but I agree with you. It wasn’t used in a derogatory way against him like the word gay was, so he has less of a struggle using it as a descriptor. He’s still working through trauma and baggage though and seems open to learning. He never said that he officially left the church, but all the posts I’ve seen from his siblings and mom talk about them and their family officially removing their records because of how he was treated so I have zero doubt he did the same. He has a publicity team for narrative control to soften the blow since he still has to make $$$.

[@mimidoodle58]

​​​@@truthtea9626 Forgive me for getting this wrong, but didn't David say he was mostly attracted to both men and women in a prior interview but that being attracted to men feels more natural to him? I know he is also still trying to figure that out and that's why he's using queer as a neutral term rather than gay or bisexual. Don't kill me on this, I love David and he has been one of my favorite singers and I am just trying to understand him better with love and acceptance.

[@charlesmendeley9823]

This is just my personal impression following his coming out. He is still uncomfortable labelling himself as gay because of all the stigma his church has put on homosexuals. The weirdest point was when he used the label "asexual" during his self realising phase. He was "asexual" in the sense that he is not attracted to women, but he would not yet allow himself to feel his inner attraction to men. Whatever we think personally (I agree gay is the more straightforward label, pun intended), let's support David on his journey.

[@truthtea9626]

@@mimidoodle58 No worries, you don’t have to apologize for asking. I’ve been following his coming out journey extensively since 2021, but especially since he announced he left his church. It’s pretty well known that repression of sexuality in high demand religions like Mormonism can cause identity crises like David has gone through. He grew up in a time when the LDS church was teaching young kids that the word “gay” was shameful and that acting on your sexuality was as bad as murder. He’s not talked much about it in his interviews, but David moved to Los Angeles earlier this year and making connections in the gay scene there. He has a boyfriend too and I’m pretty sure they’re living together, some fans have picked up on the context clues. His recent interviews have referred to him as gay or queer (which can be used to describe gay men) both coming from the interviewers as well as David himself. Check out the one he did with HeyGayLife, they’re the ones that produced his lately music video I’m Yours. David’s still got decades of repression, trauma and internalized homophobia to work through. I know because it took me years to piece together the way my own sense of sexuality and knowledge of attraction was warped by growing up in a homophobic church. As a sidenote, you can still be gay and have found someone of the opposite sex attractive or want to spend time with them. Elton John married a woman before coming out as gay. Freddie Mercury identified as a gay man until his death, but he had relationships with women in his earlier years of self discovery.

[@mimidoodle58]

Okay, I hope this doesn't get deleted but I just want us to remember not to make any assumptions about himself. Let's let him figure this out instead of assuming this. Most of this is up to him, not us and nothing has been confirmed. He's only begun this journey. We're NOT him, please be respectful and accepting.

[@NathanRBradfordMusic]

The reason why PRIDE and the LGBT community isn’t a very successful organization is because it is very distracted. It seeks self worth outside of themselves. It forces others to accept them in a desperate and needy way. I don’t feel that to succeed in school, or to apply for a job and be successful in this life, that promoting lust and expressing your hormonal levels make any difference. Sexual feelings don’t need to be shouted from the rooftops and shared with everyone. It is seriously something to keep to yourself. I don’t tell others of my testosterone levels and feel that my self worth and success as a person is attached to my hormones and sexual pleasures. It is very irrelevant and has nothing to do with anything. I wish people could see the LGBT as a disaster waiting to happen rather than a praiseworthy group. We don’t need to celebrate Lust and Testosterone levels. We need to stick to the core moral values that people had back in the founding of this country.

[@aspoonfulofpaolo]

What we are NOT going to do in this Pride month of 2023 is have you, Nathan, come here with this laughable attempt to straightsplain our LGBTQ+ existence to us. You can LISTEN to us and LEARN from us if you would like to be an ally. If not, your uninformed opinion “is very irrelevant and has nothing to do with anything”. I know it’s unsettling to not be at the center of every conversation, but our month of celebration has absolutely nothing to do with you. Our goal is not to make you comfortable or convince you of anything. We are joyfully celebrating our strength and boldly protesting our oppression. It’s no surprise that you long for “the core moral values that people had back in the founding of this country” when Black people were property, women had no rights and Queer people were persecuted. Good luck with that. We will be fighting you every step of the way. 🏳‍🌈✊

[@fpinto2]

@@aspoonfulofpaoloBravo, Paola! I stand with you and David and the whole community. Also, such a wonderful interview. Thank you!

[@edwardharriss1463]

Dude, after all these people have been through, they deserve to be loved and heard and they deserve to shout their message from the rooftops, stop burying that caveman head of yours in the sand and get with the freaking programme already

[@janey79]

@@aspoonfulofpaolo excellent response ♥

[@sandee-zn9tq]

Love switching it up- hetero-sexuals need to think about being forced to be w/same sex partner, the same way heterosexuals insist gays be w/ opposite sex partner. Does it work for you? Think NOT! Hypocrites.

[@martindowling1401]

It freed him!!!! Yes! It did! Gay is different....but not feminine... 🫂