Will Young has lashed out at Education Secretary Nicky Morgan at this year’s National Student Pride for ignoring the mental health needs of LGBT youth. The outspoken pop star also announced he would be picketing outside her offices until she finally listens and answers to the community. ‘The only conclusion that I can draw,’ he said, ‘is that she doesn’t give a shit about it.’
During the discussion, he told the audience he had met with the Ed Sec to discuss matters such as the negative use of the word ‘gay’ in schools, but left the meeting feeling unsatisfied. ‘It breaks my heart,’ he told them, ‘that there are going to be more and more generations of young LGBT people that are going to continue to have a lack of nurture and have this internalised shame which can be changed within the education system.’
Will is now urging for more awareness of LGBT mental health in schools because he says, the shame he was made to feel about growing up being gay led to him turn to sex, porn and alcohol addoctions. ‘I was a love addict, addicted to porn, certainly addicted to alcohol and it was because it was masking and aiding a huge void. I never went on a date without having at least two drinks before I left the house. I did;t notice that as a problem. Drugs I never got into. I toyed around with it but didn’t stick with me. It comes back to the fact that everyone’s trying to find their way. There’s stuff that is painful to deal with. From the age of four I knew I was gay. I came out at 21. That’s a lot of years of shame being hoisted on me. Shame is such a fundamental thing. Until I could look at it, I kept on having sex and porn and shopping to fill the void. They say when you come out everything will be okay, but it’s not the case.’
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