In an interview with British GQ, Omar Apollo, the Grammy-nominated musician, opened up about his debut album, Ivory, and how he struggled with his sexuality while growing up in a Catholic household. Despite the challenges, the album became an instant hit, and Omar is now comfortable as an out gay singer.
However, his Catholic upbringing instilled a sense of guilt within him, and he found it challenging to live his authentic life. The strict rules of the Catholic church, such as not being able to be gay or do drugs, weighed heavily on him. He shared his struggles with the publication, saying, “All the rules, man. Can’t be gay. Can’t cuss. Can’t do drugs. I’m just like, ‘What am I supposed to do?’ It’s terrible. Really heartbreaking. But whatever.”
Despite his reluctance to be the poster boy for being a gay Mexican star, Omar recognizes the importance of his platform and knows how to have fun with his sexuality. He has been candid about his sexuality on social media and even responded to a fan accusing him of queerbaiting by stating that he “sucks d*ck [for real]”.
Growing up, Omar was the only one of his three brothers who would give fashion advice to his sister and even supplied his hair for his mother to test perm samples. He credits this awareness of his appearance to his gay side.
In recent times, Omar took a break from social media and experimented with astral projection. He revealed that he used to think happiness was a place he would get to when he was older, but he now realizes that everything he needs is already here. “I feel happy all the time throughout the day, and I feel terribly sad all the time,” he said.
Omar Apollo’s journey is one of inspiration and hope for many who are struggling with their identity. Despite facing challenges, he found the courage to be his authentic self and has used his platform to break down barriers and inspire others to do the same.