Curtis Braly Sheds Light on LGBTQ Artists in Country with New Video: 'This Is About All of Us'

Curtis Bralyis getting candid about his Pride-inspired music video and his personal experience as a gay country singer.

On Wednesday, the singer premiered the music video for his latest single, “That Should Be Me,” and he’s opening up about the message he wants to send fans with the ending that “catches people off-guard.”

Braly, who’s performed with big-name artists likeTanya TuckerandDolly Parton, reveals that throughout his career he’s been told that country music isn’t “ready for a gay artist,” but now he’s done letting others tell him “what is appropriate for the genre.”

Courtesy Curtis Braly

“A number of Nashville music executives looked me in the eye and said things like, ‘Country music fans will not support a gay artist’ or “I wouldn’t gamble any money on a gay male country artist,'” he tells PEOPLE.

“I got the urge to prove something that I already knew; that country music fans are better than that. I’ve spent years touring the country and meeting these fans,” he continues. “Those shows were proof that country music fans are some of the most loving, compassionate and caring individuals I’ve ever met.”

Curtis Braly.Curtis Braly/Youtube

Curtis Braly/Youtube

Braly says he hopes the concept of the video will erase the stigma that country music isn’t for everyone and inspire people to embrace their true selves without fear of rejection.

“I knew with this video concept that viewers would jump to a conclusion of what was taking place and I wanted to show that what may be your reality, isn’t always someone else’s reality,” Braly says. “This video is all about championing the outsiders, the ‘misfits’ and even those that look to the naked eye like they belong, but still feel fundamentally flawed. This isn’t just about me or country music; this is about all of us.”

source: people.com