Dylan Holloway recollects former managers telling him to say he’s bisexual so he might ‘flirt with everybody’. (Provided)
Singer-songwriter Dylan Holloway has claimed he was suggested to lie about his sexual orientation earlier than and through his time on Britain’s The X Issue.
The musician was a part of hip-hop duo MK1 throughout season 9 of the singing contest in 2012, and made it to the reside finals.
Whereas he has since come out as a straight, trans man, and now performs indie-pop music underneath the moniker Dylan and the Moon, he recognized as a lesbian till then.
Talking solely to PinkNews, the singer, who drops new single “Bones” on Friday (16 August), reveals his “icky” expertise of being advised he ought to faux to be bisexual, in order to not “alienate” potential followers.
“I’ve solely ever been into girls and my administration staff knew that, everybody round me knew that,” says Holloway, who moved from Cornwall to London to pursue his singing profession, on the age of 17.
“However I used to be advised [by my management at the time]: ‘Simply say you’re bisexual since you don’t wish to lower off any demographic or alienate new followers and be pigeonholed into this queer artist factor.”
Holloway recollects voicing his opposition to the suggestion however feeling “pressured”. He claims he was advised: “You don’t must marry a person, you simply say you’re bisexual.”
He alleges he was advised that labelling himself bisexual would permit him to “flirt with everybody, be open and be free” with followers who got here to his reveals.
“Now I look again and it feels icky,” Holloway says.
Whereas the suggestion to consult with himself as bisexual fairly than a lesbian was initially put ahead by his administration staff, he claims that some staff members behind the scenes at The X Issue inspired him to keep it up.
“I simply keep in mind the sensation on The X Issue that that was a greater choice. I can’t say that every one the producers and all of the staff advised me [to say I was bisexual] but it surely was simply that, ‘Maintain it ambiguous’, these type of passing feedback like, ‘Sure, this appears like a superb factor so that you can do’”.
The X Issue manufacturing firm Fremantle didn’t reply to PinkNews’ request for a remark.
Final week, Holloway’s music garnered press consideration for duets he has been creating, that includes him and his former, pre-transition alias, Heaps Holloway.
Media protection referred to Holloway as bisexual, with one publication stating that he had a boyfriend whereas on The X Issue. He says it’s probably that it is because he felt pressured throughout earlier interviews to say that. However, after some time, he rejected that strain.
“I had a girlfriend on the time and we’d been collectively for 2 years and we stayed collectively for one more 4. I used to be very homosexual once I offered as a girl. I’ve solely ever been into girls and solely had girlfriends since,” he says.
“That solely lasted for a number of interviews till I simply bought bored and was like, ‘Oh f**ok it. It’s simply not true’. Since then, I made a pledge to myself to be as genuine as attainable, and by no means let that occur once more.”
Dylan and the Moon’s new supervisor is queer, and the singer solely surrounds himself with individuals who permit him to be himself. As well as, he thinks the music trade has modified for the higher.
The singer has discovered new followers since popping out as trans, and much more since he started posting his Heaps Holloway collaborations.
“It’s most likely one of many best choices I ever made to make these duets as a result of it has allowed me to have a look at my previous self with this like adoration,” he says. “You had been the individual, the courageous, stable, resilient individual, [who] introduced me to be the individual I’m now.”
He hopes to encourage extra trans folks to reject the “strain” they really feel to “turn out to be somebody new and never discuss concerning the previous”.
Dylan and the Moon’s new single “Bones” is out now, and an EP is because of be launched in October.