<p>Pride month is in full swing all around the world! Rainbows are appearing in every major city. Rock the Pigeon is introducing our readership to LGBTQ artists and champions throughout the month of June!</p>
<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-6772" src="https://rockthepigeon.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/mathew-v-cover-1536900191119.jpg" alt="mathew-v-cover-1536900191119.jpg" width="1000" height="1000" /></p>
<h2 style="text-align:center;"><em>&#8220;I pray, I remember the day, remember they said it’s all my fault I hide, I sit alone and cry, whenever I’m needing anyone and I, oh I, I’d never play you for a fool but now, now, It’s hard to open up to you.&#8221;<br />
&#8211; Matthew V (lyrics from Flashback)</em></h2>
<p>Today we would like to introduce our readers to Matthew V who has over 10 million streams on Spotify and was the face of Spotify’s Global Pride playlist during Pride 2018. This year Matthew V is out with a very serious and emotional song called &#8220;Flashback&#8221; that will probably bring listeners to tears. This song is amazingly beautiful and extremely important. Matthew V sings softly and frankly about his experience with sexual violence at the age of 17. Now the talented singer-songwriter is 22 years old and unafraid to share his experience.</p>
<p>He says <strong><span style="color:#800000;">&#8220;<em>Writing this song was one of the hardest things I‘ve had to do in my life. I wrote this song about my experience with sexual violence/rape at seventeen years old, and how that situation has influenced and affected my life today. It was something that I always knew I had to process, and had always avoided. But with every new song I wrote, I still had this in my closet, this weight on my chest.&#8221;</em></span></strong></p>
<p>Being so open and honest has freed the singer-songwriter in a way, the song has also helped many people to come to terms with their own traumatic experiences. The song is a slow ballad and Matthew V&#8217;s beautiful voice demands the listeners full attention. Watch the official music video on YouTube now:</p>
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<p><span class="embed-youtube" style="text-align:center; display: block;"><amp-youtube data-videoid="HdEl8RrUyIA" data-param-rel="1" data-param-showsearch="0" data-param-showinfo="1" data-param-iv_load_policy="1" data-param-fs="1" data-param-hl="en-US" data-param-autohide="2" data-param-wmode="transparent" width="730" height="411" layout="responsive"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdEl8RrUyIA" placeholder><amp-img src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/HdEl8RrUyIA/hqdefault.jpg" alt="YouTube Poster" layout="fill" object-fit="cover"><noscript><img src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/HdEl8RrUyIA/hqdefault.jpg" loading="lazy" decoding="async" alt="YouTube Poster"></noscript></amp-img></a></amp-youtube></span></p>
<p>More ways to Find Matthew V:</p>
<p><i class="mrg-right-05 fa fa-facebook"></i><a href="https://www.facebook.com/mathewvmusic/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">facebook.com/mathewvmusic </a><i class="mrg-right-05 fa fa-instagram"></i><br />
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/mathewvmusic" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">instagram.com/mathewvmusic </a></p>
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<p><strong>For victims and survivors of sexual abuse/harassment: Please know that <em>YOU ARE NOT ALONE. </em> </strong></p>
<p><strong>Visit the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdEl8RrUyIA">music video</a> description for even more resources. We have pulled some for this article, but there are many more resources available for you. </strong></p>
<p>USA: www.rainn.org 24/7 Helpline: 800.656.4673 @rainn</p>
<p>CANADA: www.trccmwar.ca 24/7 Crisis Line: 416.597.8808 @trccmwar<br />
Our specially trained Crisis Line Counsellors can talk about whatever you need and provide referrals to other services</p>
<p>LGBTQ: www.avp.org 24/7 Hotline: 212.714.1141 @antiviolence Our free, bilingual (English/Spanish), 24-hour, 365-day-a-year crisis intervention hotline is staffed by trained volunteers and our professional counsellor/advocates, offering support to LGBTQ &; HIV-affected survivors of any type of violence, as well as to those who love and support survivors, including those who have lost a loved one to violence.</p>
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<p style="text-align:right;"><em>Written by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/ryancassata/">Ryan Cassata</a></em></p>
<p>More Pride Articles:<br />
<a href="http://rockthepigeon.com/2019/05/26/pride-radar-low-life-lolas-their-debut-ep-wolves/">PRIDE RADAR: Low Life Lolas &; their Debut EP “Wolves”</a><br />
<a href="http://rockthepigeon.com/2019/03/08/these-lgbt-singer-songwriters-are-out-with-new-music/">These LGBT Singer Songwriters are OUT with new Music!</a><br />
<a href="http://rockthepigeon.com/2018/11/20/rainbow-walk-by-skylar-bauer-poetry-lgbtq/">Rainbow Walk by Skylar Bauer [Poetry] [LGBTQ]</a></p>