Another one like me, sort of…

The video above is the American Idol audition by Jeremiah Lloyd Harmon, a 25-year-old man who had been working as a janitor in the church where his dad is a pastor. He’s also gay, and in this case, that matters.

Harmon’s audition song, “Almost Heaven”, is a song he wrote, which is about, he said, “questioning whether there is a place for me and people like me in heaven.” Most of the gay Christians I’ve known over the years have wondered the same thing, including me. Harmon’s family apparently still struggles to accept the real him.

Similar though me may be in both being a gay P.K., that’s kind of the end of it, really. I never experienced the family struggle he has, though it was because I never had the chance to come out to my parents. But, as I’ve said several times, I don’t think they would have had a problem with knowing the real me.

Of course the bigger difference is that I cannot write a song, in whole or in part, nor can I carry a tune without a bucket. Neither of those is not entirely true, mostly, but, when compared to him, it absolutely is literally true.

It is very unusual for me to hear anyone use the nickname “P.K.” for a preacher’s kid. Hearing two of them (Harmon and judge Katy Perry) talking about being one is even more unusual. To see a P.K. who is gay and trying to be true to who they are in every sense is awesome to see.

I left religion behind a very long time ago, but I still remember what it was like to be between two worlds. It’s good to see a fellow gay P.K. finding ways to merge those worlds. I hope he does well.

This audition is yet to air in New Zealand; someone shared the YouTube version on Facebook, which is how I saw it. The series is airing on New Zealand TV channel Choice TV (this information is provided for informational purposes only; no endorsement is implied).