Singer Giorgos Perris: My contract had a clause forbidding me from discussing my sexuality

Greek singer Giorgos Perris has publicly discussed his sexuality in a television interview, framing his coming out as a deliberate political statement. Perris stated his intention was to offer support to young individuals who might be experiencing similar bullying to what he endured during his youth.

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For me, my public coming out was a purely political act. Perhaps because when I was a teenager, I would have liked to have someone on my horizon talking about these things.

Perris, a well-known performer, disclosed that a foreign record label had previously included a non-disclosure clause in his contract specifically prohibiting him from speaking openly about his sexual orientation. The interview, broadcast on Alpha TV, also touched upon the significant role music has played in his life.

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I felt bullied at school, maybe not in its severe form, but just the fact that I didn't feel safe to talk about it with anyone, because I feared mockery, ridicule... I don't want this for any child.

Describing music as his refuge, Perris explained how singing provided an anchor during his parents' difficult divorce when he was very young. He believes that without music, he would have been a lost child. His public declaration, he hopes, will provide a visible role model for others, as he wished he had when he was a teenager.

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Not only 'let's not publicize it,' I signed a clause in my contract that I would not talk about it openly. They probably thought that I would lose audience this way.

He recounted experiencing bullying in school, not necessarily in its most severe form, but enough to make him feel unsafe and fear ridicule if he spoke about his identity. Perris emphasized that he does not want any child to experience this. The singer also revealed that the record label's stipulation was based on the assumption that discussing his sexuality would lead to a loss of audience.

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Song was the only way to cling to a very difficult divorce of my parents. For a three and four-year-old child that I was at the time, there was chaos in which I somehow had to find an anchor, somewhere to save myself. And that was song. I think if there were no song in my life, I would surely be a very lost child.