GRiZ, undoubtedly one of the most dedicated, caring, and fun loving artists in electronic music took some time to write an open letter to discuss his sexuality. The article shared via HuffPost serves as a note of encouragement to readers and fans, and completely humanizes his superstar producer status, into regular guy status.
“My name is GRiZ and…” the piece starts out. “I found myself laying in bed late every night depressed, stressing, losing sleep, praying to God. Why me? Is something wrong? Am I gay?”
Ten years later, Grant Kwiecinski is on top of his game, totally confident, and able to reflect on his life up until now, which hasn’t been all saxophones and rainbows. Growing up, he was just like the rest of us and had some major doubts about himself. 
“I played sports, was dedicated to my school work, had friends, loved Britney Spears, and discovered a deep interest and safe haven within music. But, as you may or may not know, even in the most stable of environments, the struggle of coming to grips with your sexuality can dominate your world. And for me, it did.”
This message couldn’t come at a better time, as many people struggle with self-identity and LGBTQ rights — but GRiZ is living proof that the only thing scarier than rejection is the risk of not being yourself. “If at this point you are telling yourself this sounds even mildly familiar, and you have so perfectly and with great pain kept your secret to yourself, I have one thing to tell you. It gets better,” he writes.
“Yes, there is a lot of negativity and hate. Instead of giving into that fear and sadness, we need to shine. Shine so brightly that it inspires your community to do the same. It won’t always be easy, but the battle is worth it. Never ever give up on yourself. It might not be cool to love Britney Spears, study AP physics or play saxophone but, it’s totally cool to be gay.”
Read the rest of the touching piece here! We love ya, GRiZ! Thank you for keeping it real!
P.S. As GRiZ is known for his charitable contributions, it’s no surprise he turned his official “coming out” into an outlet for making a difference. Check out his Show Love Spread Love pride merchandise line below, specially designed to raise awareness, with 100% of proceeds going to the Human Rights Campaign.
#ShowLoveSpreadLove
https://www.facebook.com/mynameisGRiZ/posts/1537428982975746
https://www.facebook.com/mynameisGRiZ/posts/1536046576447320
Source: HuffPost
