Bowen Yang Reveals This Lady Gaga Song Helped Him Re-Emerge from the Closet Following Conversion Therapy

Bowen Yang welcomed Lady Gaga to his podcast, where he revealed which of her songs helped him regain authenticity after having gone through conversion therapy.

"Yang had his chance to tell Gaga just how meaningful her music and her advocacy is for the LGBTQ+ community – which he is a part of – when she appeared on a recent episode of his and Matt Rogers' podcast 'Las Culturistas,'" CNN reported.

Yang, co-host Matt Rogers, and Lady Gaga discussed the rigors of touring and the production of her latest studio album, "Mayhem." The conversation inevitably turned toward the global icon's longtime outspoken support for the queer community.

"During the episode, the 'Wicked' and 'Saturday Night Live' star spoke about how important one Lady Gaga song in particular has been to him in his own journey," CNN recounted.

"Conversion therapy" is the debunked pseudo-science that claims to "convert" LGBTQ+ people into cisgender heterosexuals through prayers, talk therapy, or a combination. Some forms of the quack practice have included aversion techniques that survivors liken to torture.

Medical science indicates that sexual orientation is innate, and while some individuals might fall somewhere between entirely heterosexual or entirely homosexual on the complex spectrum of human sexuality, the so-called "therapy" is utterly ineffectual at actually changing a person's authentic nature.

Yang described the impact Gaga's work has had on him, saying "you've saved my life" with her music, which, he said, he has listened to during "very dark times."

Rogers, too, spoke of music as having been a "language" he could bring to "safe spaces" as a youth before offering his thanks to Gaga "for saying what you said on the Grammys, for speaking to our community..."

He was referring to Gaga's acceptance speech for the award she picked up at the recent ceremony, when the chanteuse leaned into the microphone to tell the audience "that trans people are not invisible. Trans people deserve love. The queer community deserves to be lifted up. Music is love."

Yang opened up to Mother Monster to let her know it was her 2011 anthem "Born this Way" that sang to him as he re-emerged from the closet following a bout with conversion therapy.

"I think I had come out of the closet again when 'Born This Way' came out," Yang told the "Bad Romance" singer, "because I went to conversion therapy," an attempt to transform his essential self that, Yang added, "obviously did not work out."

Rather than dwell on whatever trauma the so-called "therapy" might have inflicted, the comedian focused on the joy of embracing authenticity to what was, at the time, a brand-new anthem of acceptance and celebration.

"We were just blasting that song for 48 straight hours," Yang recalled of a weekend at a college comedy festival that Rogers also attended.

Rogers spoke up to note that Yang "felt emboldened to come out that weekend."

"That's really, really special," Gaga responded.

Yang showered Gaga with appreciation for her allyship. "You're so important to a huge swath of people who only want the best things for you and for each other," he declared.

"But also, those people need leadership and you've always been that leader culturally, artistically, in so many ways."

The country's current leadership has targeted the LGBTQ+ community – and trans Americans in particular – for legislative punishment.

Gaga responded to Yang's words with another inspiring message, encouraging listeners to be leaders through example.

"I believe that we will continue to show people that are filled with hatred and ignorance that they should be looking up to the queer community and following and learning about love, and learning about grace, learning about kindness," the "Poker Face" singer said.

Watch the podcast episode below. Yang's comments about conversion therapy take place shortly after the 52-minute mark.