In an interview with Carter Gregory, MGK revealed that his father called him a homophobic slur when he was a toddler.
At around the 13-minute mark of the interview, as seen above, MGK said that he’s fine with organized religion but does not appreciate the “shame” aspect that often comes with it.
“I grew up Southern Baptist, where I heard [if] you’re gay, you’re going straight to hell,” said Gregory. The musician understood that sentiment all too well, saying, “I grew up in a house where my dad constantly called me a f***ot for dressing the way I did.”
Born in Houston, Texas, in 1990, MGK’s parents were both Christian missionaries, and he moved around a lot during his childhood, including a four-year stay in Egypt. He previously revealed that he was kicked out of his father’s house after high school.
“There was a folder my mom gave me of videos of me as a child,” MGK continued. “And I was one year old, and in the video my mom got me a punching bag, but it was pink. And he was like, ‘Why would you get our son that? You want him to be a f*ggot?’ She got me a kitchen set, he said, ‘Why would you get him that? You want our son to be a f****t?’ … Now, I’m straight, but [when] I grew up I was always like, ‘I’ll wear whatever I want to wear, I’m expressing myself.’”
He recalled wearing a tie over a t-shirt because he saw it being done by Avril Lavigne and Sum 41, only to be told by his dad to change. “That helped me fight the system even more,” he said. “Like, ‘Bro, I don’t want to fucking turn out like you. You’re miserable, you’re drunk as fuck every day. You’re on pills every day. You fucking don’t do shit. You don’t have a job. I got dreams, and you want to follow a structure, but your structure can’t fit me; I’m too big for that.’”
He said his upbringing is one of the reasons why he’s not phased by criticism online, because he was “built in a house of hate.” The only way he was able to get past how he was treated was because he kept dreaming. “I never loved what I was, but I loved what I could become,” he added. “It always gave me a goal.”
Watch the full interview with MGK above.
