It’s taken 13 seasons, but American Idol finally has its first openly gay Top 30 contestant — in the form of 20-year-old M.K. Nobilette, reports Entertainment Weekly.
While the singing competition reality show has had several contestants who have come out after their respective season ended, or had acknowledged their orientation off-air, Nobilette is the first to talk about it on-camera during an episode.
“I’m very obviously gay, and there are always going to be people in America and everywhere else who will definitely hate me,” Nobilette said after she was asked if she thought she could be the next American Idol on the show’s previous episode. “But I think that in the last two years, there have been a lot of things that have really changed that, and have made it a positive thing.”
“Thank goodness,” replied Harry Connick, Jr., before informing Nobilette she had made it to season 13’s Top 30.
Watch Nobilette’s inspiring moment in the video below.