KD Lang has said coming out to her Christian mother in a small town was “a big deal”.
The Canadian singer has said her mother struggled for years after she revealed her sexuality.
Lang made the revelation after a painful break-up as a teenager, when her high-school sweetheart left her.
The musician said that the pain it caused her mother may have been from her parental wish for her to have a safe life.
Lang has said that her handling of public life and critical attention made her mother feel more comfortable with her ability to live unimpeded by her sexuality.
Speaking to The Big Issue, Lang said her high-school days were about girls and sports, and she had crushes on older female teachers.
The Grammy Award-winning artist has said the journey of acceptance was tough but “definitely worth it”.
Lang said: “I came out to my mum when I was 17. My high-school sweetheart had left me for somebody and I was really upset.
“My mum asked what was wrong and I said, ‘you wouldn’t understand’ and she said, ‘try me’.
“So I came out to her. It was hard. My mum was a Christian and this was early, this was 1977 or 1978.
“So, that was a pretty big deal in a small town then and my mum struggled with it for a couple of years. Because, more than anything, I think parents want you to have a safe, happy life.
“I understood that but as I progressed through life and became more accomplished and got public praise it got easier between us.
“When I came out publicly it was a bit of a setback but it was also a solidification of how important it was. It was a tough journey but it was definitely, definitely worth it.”
Lang has said that setbacks and struggles are part of learning, and should be embraced.
She said: “There is so much richness in learning, the things that go wrong as much as the things that go right. I loved knowing that I’d failed, that I’d made the worst record ever. I even loved the heartache. I loved it all.”
The full interview with Lang can be read in special bumper edition of The Big Issue, out now.
