Lil Nas X tells Gayle King that he would “pray, and pray, and pray” that being gay was a phase

Lil Nas X quickly rose to fame with his song “Old Town Road,” which broke the record for Billboard’s longest-running No. 1 song of all time. The rapper, whose real name is Montero Lamar Hill, revealed his song “Closure” was his way of coming out as gay. He told “CBS This Morning” co-host Gayle King the journey to making that announcement was not easy.

Here is a partial transcript of their interview to air on CBS This Morning on Tuesday:

Gayle King: Did you know as a little boy that you were gay? Did you think that as a youngster while people were telling you it’s not a good thing, were you thinking, “Yeah, but I think I am?”

Lil Nas X: Yeah, definitely. I knew. Especially, like, around my teenage, like, years. You know, I would just, like, you know, pray, pray, and pray and.

GAYLE KING: What were you praying for?

LIL NAS X: That it was, like, a phase.

GAYLE KING: That it would go away.

LIL NAS X: Yeah, it would go away.

GAYLE KING: I’m good with it, but I’m not gonna tell anybody, yeah.

LIL NAS X: S– Yeah, I mean, ’cause me being in this position, like, it’s easy for me. But, like, some little boy ten miles from here in literally, like, you know, like, it’s not– it’s not gonna be good for him. Yeah.

GAYLE KING: But don’t you think you coming out, the– could probably help others who are struggling the way you were struggling with it?

LIL NAS X: I think it’s gonna always help, you know. It’s gonna, we still have a long way to go, because it’s not, like, everybody, is, like, messing with me now. ‘Cause of course, you know, like, for somebody listening– somebody who’s, like, listenin’ to me in school right now, it’s, like, you know, you listening to– you’re gay, ’cause you’re listening to him. So it’s, like, there’s still lot to be done, of course. But I– I do believe it’s-it’s helping.