Main content

100 Women: Chely Wright

Chely Wright the gay, Christian country star

To come out as gay while part of the Christian church and country music is a brave thing to do.

As a teenager in deeply Christian Kansas, Chely Wright thought praying would β€˜fix her’ and she would be able to lead β€˜a normal life’.

In the second of three programmes for Heart and Soul as part of the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ’s 100 Women season, Chely shares her life, explaining the massive conflict between her sexuality and her faith.

Her faith is still strong and in her New York City home she talks about how it has been a constant part of her life since she was girl on the family farm. But she feared that her career in country music would be over, and for the 100 Women season she will tell us about her hopes for the future and how Christianity as a whole will be more accepting.

Presenter: Chely Wright
Producer: Geoff Bird

Image: Chely Wright (Credit: Michael Schwartz/Getty Images)

To see the full list of 100 inspiring and influential women from around the world for 2019, go to www.bbc.co.uk/100women or on Facebook @ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ100Women

Available now

27 minutes

Last on

Sun 20 Oct 2019 22:32GMT
ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ World Service except East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa

More episodes

Previous

100 Women: Venerable Dhammananda

Next

100 Women: Assmaah Helal

See all episodes from Heart and Soul

Clip

Broadcasts

  • Fri 18 Oct 2019 12:32GMT
    ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ World Service except News Internet
  • Sun 20 Oct 2019 08:32GMT
    ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ World Service
  • Sun 20 Oct 2019 16:32GMT
    ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ World Service News Internet
  • Sun 20 Oct 2019 19:32GMT
    ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ World Service East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa only
  • Sun 20 Oct 2019 22:32GMT
    ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ World Service except East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa

Podcast

  • Heart and Soul

    Personal approaches to religious belief from around the world.