The shift in America’s political climate has made Troye Sivan even more set on being a voice for the LGBTQ community.

  Last year the music industry lost three legends who defied against normal standards of masculinity: David Bowie, Prince, and George Michael. They went beyond gender norms and sexuality, while turning music into art. In 2017, Troye Sivan has continuously shown his fans and the LGBTQ community that he is an openly gay pop star who is prepared to continue the works of the three performers before him.

  Before jumping into the music scene, Sivan received recognition when he used to post song covers on his Youtube channel. He quickly rose to fame at the age of seventeen and was recognized as one of the original Youtubers.

  Back in 2013, Sivan posted his “Coming Out” video, which has received over seven million views uptodate.

  “I share every aspect of my life with the internet and whether or not that’s a good thing… this is not something that I’m ashamed of and it’s not something anyone should have to be ashamed of,” said Sivan in the popular video. “I’m still the same Troye. This is just some new information about Troye.”

  Since then, the now 21 year old singer-songwriter is unapologetically himself and does not shy away from talking about LGBT+ related content in his Youtube videos and also incorporates this theme in his performances.

 Recently, Sivan had an interview with transgender model-actress, Hari Nef, for Teen Vogue to talk about “queerness, representation, and the power of music” as well as “being gay in Trump’s America.”

  “I’ve been given this platform, and I want to do my best to give the voice that I’ve been given to somebody who maybe wouldn’t have had that voice otherwise,” said Sivan when asked about the responsibility he has in the LGBT community. “I’m just trying to show people that you can be queer, live your life, and be happy.”

  Sivan was raised in Perth, Australia, however he spends a lot of his time in Los Angeles and New York City nowadays because of his work. Due to this, he has many concerns about President Donald Trump’s impact on the fight for equality.

  “I let myself grieve for a little bit [when Trump became President].” Still, Trump won’t change his mission as an artist.

  “The most comforting thought in the world to me is that LGBTQ people have always existed… To think of all of the hardships… that LGBTQ people have survived—we are such fighters. I have faith in us as people. I know that we can survive this.”

   So what’s next for Troye Sivan?

  “I am looking forward to not being the center of my own world… I know that everything could change… my career can go down the toilet, I could lose all my friends… [but] to be honest, it all comes down to family. For me, that’s it.”

Check out the rest of Sivan’s Teen Vogue article here.