“I saw how gay and lesbian people get harassed, and I heard the language around it, and that scared me,” the 42-year-old singer explained. “I thought ‘if I’m gay, what does that mean for me, my community, my family and career?”‘
He continued, “It was a struggle. I was nervous about what my family would think.”
Before coming out, Mraz spoke ambiguously about his sexuality throughout his career. In 2005, he defined himself as “bisexually open-minded” in an interview with Genre. Then in 2010, he opened up to Pride Source and made a flirtatious remark that experimenting with men taught him he’s “not really into facial hair.”
Finally, last year, Mraz came out publicly as bisexual.
“I’ve had experiences with men, even while I was dating the woman who became my wife. It was like, ‘Wow, does that mean I am gay?” he told Billboard.
“And my wife laid it out for me. She calls it ‘two-spirit,’ which is what the Native Americans call someone who can love both man and woman. I really like that.”