Nakia, the 36-year-old openly gay
contestant on NBC's reality contest The Voice, says the show's
producers are supportive of out contestants.
Nakia is among the three openly gay
contestants vying to win NBC's challenger to Fox's 10-year-old hit
American Idol. Also gay are Vicci
Martinez and Beverly McClellan. A fourth out contestant,
20-year-old Tyler Robinson who came out to his father on the show's
premiere, has been eliminated.
In
an interview with gay male entertainment website AfterElton.com,
Nakia said the show didn't flinch at including his partner of nine
years, Robert.
“It was never about like, 'How should
I present it?' because for me it's just normal and that to me was so
gratifying to hear the producers of the show say, 'When can we get
your boyfriend out here?' and 'Can he come out for the blind
auditions?'”
“[T]hey loved me and they loved
Robert and I think the whole world should love Robert because he's
amazing,” he said.
“I got an email yesterday from a
friend of mine who saw the show and was very moved by the fact that
there was just kind of this nonchalant thing in the way that Robert
and I appeared on the show and there wasn't any special attention
given to it or anything. But that reminded me about how people out
there in America, especially young teenagers out there who are coming
out of the closet might see me and have some kind of hope that it’s
okay to be who you are and be with the person you love on television
or wherever you are,” he added.