Interview with Azariah Southworth

AE: Yeah, I was raised Catholic myself and I honestly never had any issues or problems with homophobia in the Catholic schools. The topic wasn’t even brought up in a religious context at all. Are you Baptist? I’m wondering what your specific denomination is.
AS: I was raised Pentecostal, speaking in tongues – the whole nine yards, and I was raised watching Christian television. We really didn’t watch much anything else other than Christian television. I grew up on Davey and Goliath, The Bill Gaither Show. I loved those shows. We weren’t allowed to eat Lucky Charms because it had the word “lucky” in it. I was raised in a household like that, so yeah.

AE: Is that the faith community you’re still a part of? That denomination?
AS: I do not affiliate myself with Pentecostals. I have seen too much that I don’t like in that whole world. I just claim myself to be a follower of Jesus and nothing more than that. I don’t want to claim myself to any denomination because they just – I don’t know. I just want to follow Jesus.

AE: Do you attend an inter-faith church of some sort?
AS: I do. I go to Covenant of the Cross here in Nashville, Tennessee. I kind of actually go between three different churches, but Covenant of the Cross has been one I have been visiting a lot lately.

AE: Do they have an open-arms policy regarding gay members?
AS: The pastor is actually gay and has a partner.

AE: In terms of your personal life, are you dating anyone currently or in a relationship?
AS: No, I’m not. No. There was some interest, but that kind of fell through last week. So, that’s a little on my personal life. No, there’s no one right now.

AE: But you have dated before, had relationships?
AS: Yes, I have been in relationships.

AE: Have you had to keep them secret from your family and friends or, I’m sure professionally you did.
AS: Yes. That was a big reason why one ended. I was dating a popular gay filmmaker and the reason why it ended was because I wasn’t still comfortable with it at the time and I was just getting a lot of flack from friends. I had no support and I didn’t know what the Bible really said about it. I still felt like it was a sin, and so I ended the relationship because of that.

AE: When you say a popular filmmaker, like a mainstream gay filmmaker?
AS: No. Underground. He’s popular in the gay world, I guess. That’s just what I read, that he’s popular.

AE: I’m just curious, when you say that you weren’t getting much support, it is very easy, especially being in the gay media and the gay side of things, to see the shortcomings of people or of faith communities that are being intolerant of gay people. But as we all know, the gay community can also be a stickler in terms of the discussion and a lot of times gay people of faith are sort of stuck in the middle. I liken it to a child in a custody battle in an ugly divorce. They are kind of stuck in the middle of these two groups that they identify with. Being a devout Christian and also being a gay person, what’s the experience been like with the gay community?
AS: A good experience?

AE: Any experience. How do gay folks respond to you?
AS: So far it’s been really good. People have been telling me, you know Azariah, I’m not a believer, but I really respect what you’re doing and I really commend you. So even people who aren’t Christians and people who are atheists and don’t believe in God . . .

AE: So you said even people who aren’t believers . . .
AS: They support it, yeah. Yeah, definitely. The reaction in the gay community to me being a Christian and being gay has been very accepting and welcoming, even if they don’t believe the same way. That to me says a lot because I don’t see a lot of that in the church. I don’t get a lot of that from the church. If you’re different, then you’re just kind of different and they don’t like that. But in the gay community, it’s oh, you’re different? Okay, well hello. It’s really cool.

AE: So you have lived within the gay community, even though you haven’t been out professionally. AS: Yeah, I’ve been active in the gay community for a while here in Nashville. I mean a lot of people know that I’m a Christian. I always make a point to let people know that because that’s something that’s very important to me.

AE: What are your long-term goals in terms of your personal life? I mean, would you like to get married some day and have a family?
AS: You know, I really can’t think that far ahead. I just try to take one day at a time. I would love to have a little me running around some day, but I don’t know how that’s going to happen, but, some day . . .

AE: You are still - You have a lot of time ahead of you.
AS: Yeah. I know, so I’m going to take it day by day.

AE: I was wondering in terms of your professional aspirations, do you want to stay in entertainment or television, or what are your long-term goals?
AS: I do. I really want to stay in television and I’m hoping that – I’ve had some offers already, but I’m really hoping that some people will come forward and just really help me out to continue to do what I love to do. I would love to sell my show; I would love to sell the concept to a network because it’s a great concept. It’s entertaining; it’s fast-paced. I would definitely love to continue a career in television. It’s what I want to do.

AE: Great. If you have any words of advice to any folks out there, young people or Christians who are struggling with their sexuality, or anyone else, what advice would you give them?
AS: That you’re not alone. You’re not abandoned. That God loves you unconditionally and that means that he loves you without any requirements. He doesn’t need you to meet any requirements or standards. That he loves you as you are and for who you are, right now. Reach out to someone that you can trust and that you feel will listen to you. You are loved. I mean, that’s the main point that I want to make to people, to let them know that they are loved and accepted, and I hope that they find that.

AE: Great. That’s definitely sound advice.