Aaron Carter is ‘looking forward to the future – with a man or a woman’
By Will Stroude
Aaron Carter says he’s “looking forward to the future” after coming out publicly in an emotional open letter at the weekend.
The US singer and former teen heartthrob, 29, says he’s open to starting a relationship with a “woman or a man” after opening up about his attraction to both sexes in a heartfelt message posted to Twitter on Sunday (August 6).
Carter, who rose to fame in the late ’90s with hits such as ‘Crazy Little Party Girl’, told The Bert Show that coming out publicly was something he’d been thinking about “for many years” after first realising he was attracted to members of the same-sex at the age of 12.
“I just felt like it was something I needed to do… It was something that I just felt like was important and I needed to say. It was a part of a new chapter of turning 30, on December 7 this year,” he said.
The younger brother of Backstreet Boys star Nick Carter added: “All I can say is that I’m really looking forward to the future right now – and whether I choose to be with a woman or a man is my decision.”
Carter went on to explain that he first became aware of his attraction to other boys as a pre-teen, but kept his feelings to himself for several years.
“I knew when I was a kid, like 12, 13, somewhere around there…”, he said. “No-one knew. Not my mom, no-one. It wasn’t until I was about 17 that there was somebody I had a small relationship with.”
Carter called it quits with girlfriend Madison Parker just days before his announcement, and the singer revealed that his former partner had been unable to cope with the news about his sexuality.
“I was having some personal issues, some turmoil in my ex-relationship,” he said. “I had discussed it with my ex-girlfriend and she didn’t really understand it, and that was it… We parted ways…
“I don’t really know what else to say about it.”
Despite his ex-girlfriend’s reaction, Carter said he had been “blown away” by the support he’d received from fans since the announcement, and encouraged others struggling with their sexuality to come out at a time they feel ready.
“The process is at your own pace and when you feel comfortable,” he said. “There might be a lot of people who don’t agree with it, but you might be surprised by the people who do.
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