“Under the Mistletoe” by Trey Pearson, Thursday, December 23, 2021
After releasing his first solo EP, Love Is Love in 2017 Trey Pearson has released several singles, including a song called "Oh, Boy" and a "last minute Christmas song" called "Under the Mistletoe" in 2019. The Christmas song that the former Everyday Sunday singer wrote and recorded celebrates a spirit of liberation that the gay singer-songwriter sang about on his debut EP. The secular, festive synth-pop track explores a side of Christmas that CCM community shies away from: holiday romance. Even more taboo: LGBTQ+ romance in a post-evangelical context.
STAND A LITTLE NEARER / LET'S LET OUR TOES TOUCH. Shortly after coming out, many media outlets picked up Pearson's story, including The View. In his June 2016 interview, Pearson stated that he was 'not dating" but rather "taking at least year to get to know myself as a gay person. . . before I start getting to know who someone else is." Since then, Pearson has talked to a number of progressive Christian platforms, including Queerology and Exvangelical, talking more about his upbringing, beliefs, and life as a Christian gay man. Speaking to Blake Chastain at the Exvangelical podcast in 2018, Pearson talks about how much unexpected support he received when coming out. He took it as a sign of progress, particularly compared to the backlash when Jennifer Knapp came out in 2010. The singer also traced his friendship with controversial pastor Rob Bell to how Pearson could start reading the Bible through a different but critical lens, a lens that would eventually lead to the singer accepting his sexuality. But with the full support of his ex-wife and support from allies both vocal and silent, Pearson began his journey which was reflected in his songs.
BOY, ANYTHING GOES. Trey Pearson was trying to do the right thing according to the values he was taught in the church he grew up in. The singer talks about his struggles with same-sex attraction before meeting his wife. He explains to Chastain, "I thought, if I'm faithful to God, if I do the right thing by being straight and not being gay, if I put my faith in that and get married hopefully, prayerfully, fingers-crossed it will all just magically work." This didn't work out, and eventually Pearson's wife asked him if he was gay. Today's song is Pearson looking at his life without the brokenness. It asks the question, "What if in the spirit of the holiday, we're just allowed to be ourselves?" In many circles, showing heterosexual affection is expected, not just accepted, especially around the holiday seasons. It's the times that you go home and parents ask, "Why haven't you met someone yet?" Heterosexual couples, meanwhile, can flaunt their relationships. Home from college and taking the new girlfriend to church. Of course they're sleeping together, but they'll be married soon enough and that will be forgotten. What if this holiday season I come home with someone unexpected? What would you say if anything? And what about PDA? Should I worry about your discomfort? Should I worry about my safety, both physical and social? Some questions to think about as Omicron has canceled Christmas.
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