Sweden is one of the most progressive countries in Europe, if not the world. Same-sex sexual activity was legalized there in 1944. Transgender people have been able to change their legal gender post-sex reassignment surgery since 1972. Same sex unions have been legally recognized since 1995 and gay marriages in 2009.
But even in such a liberal environment, it can be difficult for gay youth to come out.
Andreas Wijk is a singer from Sweden. He grew up in a devoutly Christian Pentecostal family. His father works as a pastor in a prison. So coming out to his parents at T he at the age of 15 was a challenge. In an interview he describe their response:
“They were like, 'We love you so much Andreas, but you're going to hell for this, we want to help you, because we love you so much.”
Help meant his family researching “conversation therapy,” and they even asked another pastor to “pray the gay away.”
Andreas felt torn between his faith and wanting to be free.
“I woke up (every) morning and was like, ‘am I straight today? Oh no, I’m not straight’. It pushed me even further back because I felt so shameful that I couldn’t be free.”
Fortunately, since then Wijk explained that he and his parents have experienced a new understanding.
“Homosexuality and being who I am, is who I am. My parents have gone from a place where they believed in their faith, they thought I was going to hell. And now they definitely don’t. They believe that God loves me and created me.”
He recently posted a video where he shared a song he’d written, “if I was gay” which described his experience. The video ends with Andreas and his father sharing a heart felt hug.
Andreas hopes that his song will help other gay youth with their coming out journey.
