Lil Nas X says he used to pray being gay was just a phase

Rapper Lil Nas X has opened up about struggling with his sexuality during his teens, saying he once hoped that being gay was just a "phase".

In an interview with Gayle King in an episode of "CBS This Morning", the "Old Town Road" hitmaker said he had always known that he was gay but had difficulty in coming to terms with it.

"I knew, especially around my teenage years. You know, I would just, like, pray and pray and pray... That it was, like, a phase (or) go away. Because me being in this position, it's easy for me. But, like, some little boy 10 miles from here, it's not gonna be good for him," the 20-year-old musician said.

According to Variety, Nas X believes that his coming out story will motivate others.

"I think it's gonna always help. We still have a long way to go, because it's not like everybody is messing with me now. Of course, somebody who's listening to me in school right now, it's like (people are saying to them), 'You're gay because you're listening to him.' There's still a lot to be done, of course. But I do believe it's helping," he added.