Azariah Southworth (born May 13, 1986) is an American writer and former television presenter of ''The Remix -'' a syndicated

reality Reality is the sum or aggregate of all that is real or existent within a system, as opposed to that which is only imaginary. The term is also used to refer to the ontological status of things, indicating their existence. In physical terms, r ...

show on the NRB, TBN,

JCTV JUCE TV is a defunct youth-oriented Christian television network and is a current YouTube channel owned and operated by the Trinity Broadcasting Network. The channel is aimed at teenagers and young adults between the ages of 13 and 30 years, a ...

, and VTN networks. ''The Remix'' featured Christian artists such as Jars of Clay,

Rachael Lampa Rachael Maureen Lampa (born January 8, 1985) is an American contemporary Christian singer, songwriter and record producer. At age 15, she rose to fame and critical acclaim in 2000 with the release of her debut album, '' Live for You''. Early ...

Shane & Shane Shane & Shane is a Texas-based contemporary worship music band known for acoustic praise and worship music. The band consists of Shane Barnard (vocals, acoustic guitar) and Shane Everett (vocals). They are often joined by their drummer and manag ...

and watched by more than 200,000 viewers a week. Raised in Orland,

Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...

, Southworth currently resides in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...

. He announced he is

gay ''Gay'' is a term that primarily refers to a homosexual person or the trait of being homosexual. The term originally meant 'carefree', 'cheerful', or 'bright and showy'. While scant usage referring to male homosexuality dates to the late 1 ...

on Wednesday, April 16, 2008, stating, "This has been a long time coming. I’m in a place where I’m at peace with my faith, friends, family and more importantly myself. I know this will end my career in

Christian television Christian media, sometimes referred to as inspirational, faith and family, or simply Christian, is a cross-media genre that features a Christian message or moral. Several creative studios and mass media formats are considered to be aspects of Ch ...

, but I must now live my life openly and honestly with everyone. This is my reason for doing this." After making this public to ''

Out & About Newspaper ''Out & About Newspaper'' is a free, monthly LGBT newspaper in Nashville, Tennessee. Overview ''Out & About Newspaper'' was started in 2002. The newspaper has a target audience of more than 250,000 people. Circulation for the newspaper is 30,000 ...

'' in Nashville, Southworth subsequently became the first Christian entertainer to come out publicly. The story was covered by ''

The Huffington Post ''HuffPost'' (formerly ''The Huffington Post'' until 2017 and sometimes abbreviated ''HuffPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and ...

'', PerezHilton.com, '' The Advocate'', and Fox News Channel. After coming out, Southworth was named one of '' Instinct's'' "Leading Men of 2008". Southworth has advocated for

LGBT rights Rights affecting lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender ( LGBT) people vary greatly by country or jurisdiction—encompassing everything from the legal recognition of same-sex marriage to the death penalty for homosexuality. Notably, ...

with the Soulforce Q "2008 Equality Ride". In 2010, Southworth was the opening act for gay Christian singer

Ray Boltz Raymond Howard "Ray" Boltz (born June 14, 1953) is a retired singer and songwriter who first came to wide notice in contemporary Christian music. Many of his songs tell stories of faith and inspiration. Background Raised by his parents Wil ...

on his "Living True: The Tour". In 2020, Audity launched ''Yass, Jesus!'', an LGBTQ and faith affirming podcast, with Southworth and actor

Daniel Franzese Daniel Franzese (born May 9, 1978) is an American actor, comedian, and activist best known for his roles in director Larry Clark's ''Bully'' and as Damian in Tina Fey's 2004 feature film ''Mean Girls''. Franzese is the creator of several live come ...

as the hosts. The show aims to help others see the queer and trans narratives in the Bible through storytelling and comedy. ''Yass, Jesus!'' is produced by Ross Murray and Meredith Paulley.

References

External links

AzariahSpeaks.com
''official website''
"Why I outed a Christian star"
a '' Salon'' article by Southworth 1986 births American gay writers LGBT Protestants Living people Writers from Los Angeles Writers from Nashville, Tennessee People from Orland, Indiana 21st-century American LGBT people {{Christianity-bio-stub

See also

References

External links