Sufjan Stevens Comes Out as He Dedicates New Album
Sufjan Stevens’s sexuality has been a question for many years but now he’s come out in a tribute to his late partner.
For more than a decade, Sufjan Stevens has been one of the most celebrated indie rock artists in the world.
He has been fairly open and always honest in his music, but when discussing his personal life, he usually chose not to share many details. Now, as his new album Javelin arrives, the singer-songwriter has officially come out in a surprise and touching move.
Stevens took to Instagram to promote the new album, but there was much more to be said with the post than simply that more music was now available.
The image was not the album cover, nor a picture of Stevens. Instead, it was of a man that fans of the musician didn’t know to begin with, but they quickly understood the significance of the upload once they read the caption.
The singer-songwriter started the Instagram post’s caption by stating, “JAVELIN is out today. Thank you for listening. I love you,” but things got heartbreaking from there.
“This album is dedicated to the light of my life, my beloved partner and best friend Evans Richardson, who passed away in April,” Stevens wrote.
This was an acknowledgment that he is, in fact, a member of the LGBTQ community, but sadly, it didn’t come with a celebratory upload, but rather an incredibly sad one.
Stevens went on to call Richardson “an absolute gem of a person, full of life, love, laughter, curiosity, integrity, and joy” and state that the man in the picture was “one of those rare and beautiful ones you find only once in a lifetime — precious, impeccable, and absolutely exceptional in every way.”
Stevens continued by writing a lengthy statement on the difficulties and joys of love:
“I know relationships can be very difficult sometimes, but it’s always worth it to put in the hard work and care for the ones you love, especially the beautiful ones, who are few and far between.
“If you happen to find that kind of love, hold it close, hold it tight, savor it, tend to it, and give it everything you’ve got, especially in times of trouble. Be kind, be strong, be patient, be forgiving, be vigorous, be wise, and be yourself. Live every day as if it is your last, with fullness and grace, with reverence and love, with gratitude and joy. This is the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it.”
Richardson reportedly attended the Academy Awards with Stevens when he was nominated for his song “Mystery of Love” from Call Me By Your Name. While the two had been seen together, and those close to the two apparently knew of their love, they kept it secret from the public.
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