Caleb Shomo, the frontman for the Ohio post-hardcore band Beartooth, has shared deeply personal insights into his upbringing, revealing that his Christian background instilled in him the belief that being gay was an illness that could be healed through prayer. This candid revelation follows his recent public declaration last month that he is a 'proudly gay man', a statement made after facing homophobic comments online.
Shomo's decision to speak out came after deleting his Instagram account earlier this year, following the release of Beartooth's new single 'Free'. The comments section of the new music, the band's first since 2023, saw listeners posting homophobic slurs and speculating about his sexual orientation. He stated he felt compelled to 'set the record straight before it affects those I love any further', acknowledging a long period of internal struggle and reckoning with his identity.
During an appearance on the Disrespectfully podcast, Shomo elaborated on his childhood, describing himself as the 'son of a preacher who is the son of a preacher' within a deeply religious family. He explained that the 'Southern side of Christianity' from which he originates holds a particularly strict stance on homosexuality, often emphasising 'serving people' above personal identity. This environment, he noted, made it incredibly challenging to accept his own sexuality, leading to feelings of having 'no self worth, no self love, no reason for being here other than serving other people'.
The singer recounted growing up with the firm conviction that being gay was a 'sickness that you can cure with prayer'. This belief system was further reinforced as a teenager when he became involved in a 'wild Christian era of the mid-late 2000s' music scene, surrounded by 'very evangelical devout Christians'. He shared a particularly 'traumatising' memory from age 16, where he witnessed a group attempting to 'pray the gay out of one of our crew members', an experience he described as 'terrifying' as he grappled with his own emerging feelings.
Shomo also reflected on earlier instances of societal pressure, recalling being ridiculed at around six years old for wearing a 'girl's ring', which he eventually threw out of a school bus window. He explained that this early experience, combined with constant conversations within his community that reinforced the 'weirdness' of anything remotely gay or feminine, led him to compartmentalise his sexuality as self-hatred. Initially, these feelings made him believe he was 'evil' and compelled him to 'fight it with all of [his] might' and 'pray about it'.