On Wednesday, Feb. 3, T.J. Osborne, a member of the award-winning country group Brothers Osborne, got candid in an interview with Time Magazine about his sexuality publically for the first time.
T.J. Osborne is the frontman for Brothers Osborne and is often known for his musical influence on the group, but he has now earned another title as the first openly gay man signed to a major country record label.
T.J. Osborne’s interview with time magazine
As this news came as a shock for both his fans and the public, Osborne made it clear that he does not find coming out as a “big deal.”
“I’m very comfortable being gay. I find myself being guarded for not wanting to talk about something that I personally don’t have a problem with,” Osborne said in a tell-all interview with Time Magazine. “That feels so strange.”
That being said, Osborne admitted that he is reserved in a sense about his sexuality given the specific genre he is a musician for. As Time Magazine stated, “If liberal Hollywood is notorious for pushing a progressive agenda, country has historically been its counterpoint—a safe haven for traditional “family values.”
After emphasizing the traditional family values of country music, he stated, “For me to show up at an awards show with a man would be jaw-dropping to people. It wouldn’t be like, ‘Oh, cool!” However, Osborne is open to whatever the future may hold in terms of fans’ perceptions changing of him, but he is coming out for his own happiness. He believes being transparent will help deepen his relationships with both himself and his fans.
Osborne took to Instagram shortly after his candid interview and posted a video message to his followers thanking them for their continued love and support.
Brothers Osborne and country stars reactions
In an Instagram post on Wednesday, John Osborne, another member of the group Brothers Osborne, showed a great deal of support toward the release of his brother’s news and revealed that he believes T.J is “taking one of the most important steps of his entire life.”
John Osborne is one of the many supporters of T.J. who have come forward since he came out. Amongst the millions of supporting tweets T.J. has received, multiple country stars have praised him for his courageous story.
Be sure to check out the full-length interview of T.J. Osborne with Time Magazine, here.
