, the 36-year-old singer says he's known he was gay since he was young and that he has been out to friends and family for years.«I'm very comfortable being gay,» he says. «I find myself being guarded for not wanting to talk about something that I personally don't have a problem with.
That feels so strange.»While he is comfortable with his sexuality, he acknowledges that more conservative country music audiences might not be.«People will ask, 'Why does this even need to be talked about?' and personally, I agree with that,» he says of discussing his sexuality. «But for me to show up at an awards show with a man would be jaw-dropping to people.