Christian Rock Artist Vicky Beeching Comes Out As Gay: 'God Loves Me'

A Christian rock artist has come out as gay at the age of 35, saying that "God loves me just the way I am."

Vicky Beeching, a British-born Christian musician, recently announced in an interview that she is gay, saying it took her multiple decades to announce her sexuality because she makes her living performing for U.S. churches, most of which oppose a homosexual lifestyle.

"My income comes from churches - they have to pay a fee to use my music, so that paid my rent and put food on the table," Beeching told the Daily Mail in a recent interview.

"Even when I first spoke out in support of same-sex marriage, I was boycotted by certain churches. They told me that because I supported equal marriage, my songs were now polluted," Beeching continued.

Beeching added to The Independent that while she was a teenager, she agreed to undergo an exorcism while attending a summer youth Christian camp. The exorcism was meant to free her of her homosexual attractions, but instead she argues it scarred her and made her feel even less confident in sharing her sexuality with the world.

Now, the Christian artist, who sings popular songs such as "Shelter" and "The Journey," says that she wants to use her experience with sexuality and religion to help younger generations of Christians with communicating who they are to their loved ones and churches.

"What Jesus taught was a radical message of welcome and inclusion and love. I feel certain God loves me just the way I am, and I have a huge sense of calling to communicate that to young people. When I think of myself at 13, sobbing into that carpet, I just want to help anyone in that situation to not have to go through what I did, to show that instead, you can be yourself – a person of integrity."