This is how I feel about the LGBT community: they are people just like us.

A lot of the former Idols were voting for me, and that makes me feel really good.

I learned that sometimes our struggles are a little bit bigger than us and talking about them and coming through and having the courage to get out of them. I learned how many I touched and inspired through the journey of 'Idol' because I was just singing on the show. I wasn't really being an advocate for anything.

I stay true to myself, my daughter. I just remember where I came from - I remember what I'm coming from - and then I remember why I do what I do.

I would like for people to hear my music and hear/realize that people and experiences are deeper than what's at face value. Hopefully, with the span of my career, I can try to convey that in more ways than one.

When people ask me a personal question, I answer it in a personal way. I can only speak from the footsteps and the shoes that I've walked in.