Two weeks after publicly coming out on Instagram, American Idol alum David Archuleta appeared on Good Morning America to talk about life after sharing his sexual identity, embracing who he is despite his religious beliefs, and the weight that has lifted since he came out. “There’s so much relief to not feel like you have to hide a part of yourself, like a secret,” he said. 

As Archuleta explained to GMA, he identifies as bisexual, “because I’m still attracted to both, whether I want to or not.” This was a struggle for the singer growing up because of his Mormon faith. Archuleta described his attempts to change his feelings through prayer, saying, “I’ve prayed. I was praying like, ‘God, you can do all things.’ ... I would say, ‘Please take these feelings away from me because I don’t want to feel things that I shouldn’t and I don't want to feel things that would be wrong.’”

The answer, Archuleta explained, was ultimately about learning to love himself,  a process that wasn't always easy for the singer. “I’ve had to learn how to love myself even when I don’t understand why I am the way I am, but to learn that that’s how God has created me and I have to discover that,” he explained. Archuleta also opened up about his dating history, saying that he has never dated a man and that he still believes in saving himself for marriage. 

Most importantly, Archuleta shared that he hopes his story helps others who are facing similar struggles with their sexuality. “There are so many millions of other people who’ve gone through the same thing as me where they try to change who they are,” he said.