By Demetria Osei-Tutu & Caroline Gaspich,

6 hours ago

Role Model and Conan Gray shared a kiss at Governors Ball.

Gov Ball began Friday, June 6, at Flushing Meadows Corona Park in New York City and will continue until Sunday, June 8. Singer-songwriter Role Model, real name Tucker Harrington Pillsbury, was a part of the line-up of performers for Friday with Tyler, the Creator and Benson Boone as the headliners.

During Role Model's set at the music festival, he performed his hit song Sally (When the Wine Runs Out). Throughout the tour No Place Like Tour, he has selected a fan or a celebrity guest (such as singer Reneé Rapp and SNL's Bowen Yang) to assume the role of Sally as they dance around him on stage.

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The idea started when TikTok star Jake Shane came on stage during the song and Role Model said to Billboard, people "loved" it and they thought about incorporating it every night and do it like a "Justin Bieber 'One Less Lonely Girl'-type of moment." He had Conan as his special guest playing Sally at Gov Ball, but this time, he did something different than the other times. Role Model and Conan kissed on stage in a move that elated fans as they screamed and cheered in the audience.

Fans also took to social media to express their shock, excitement, and cynicism about the timing of the kissing happening during Pride Month. A fan wrote on X, formerly Twitter, "WAIT, Role Model and Conan Gray KISSED on stage?! At Gov Ball?! My jaw is on the floor, that's absolutely iconic and I need to see it immediately!" A second fan said, "Did not have that on my Gov Ball bingo card, but here we are."

Another said, "PRIDE MONTH MOMENT." A fourth fan said, "Always happens during pride week." A fifth accused Role Model of queerbaiting, "The queer baiting during pride month???"

Queerbaiting is a term to refer to hinting at a queer relationship or person without making it a reality in fiction, such as a TV show, to appeal as well as market to LGBTQ+ audiences. There have been arguments that real life individuals can't queerbait especially as people have began utilizing the term on celebrities and weaponizing against them. Celebrities like Heartstopper Kit Connor in 2022 was pressured to publicly come out as bi after accusations of queerbaiting.

Role Model has not stated his sexuality. His most public relationship was with social media personality Emma Chamberlain, and the two broke up in October 2023. In an interview with Very Good Light, he spoke about his school peers questioning his sexuality because of the way he dresses.

"I’ve always been comfortable in my own masculinity," he elaborated. "People have been questioning my sexuality forever, and I’ve never felt the need to defend myself because I genuinely don’t care."

Conan has not explicitly stated his sexuality, but in 2018 on then-Twitter, he called out those for trying to label him.

"Y’all are so annoying all y’all ever wanna do is place a label on me just let me f--kin exist what the f--k," he said, before adding in a follow up tweet: "If labels on sexuality and gender and beliefs and all that great stuff are helpful for u, I’m all for it. But the second you start trying to shove everyone else into a neat little easy to understand box, I get mad. Stop!"

Conan has had both male and female love interests in his music videos. In a recent music video for his single This Song from his upcoming fourth album, Wishbone, he depicted a gay love story with My Life with the Walter Boys’ Corey Fogelmanis as his love interest. The two kiss in the music video.

Conan Gray is also performing at Gov Ball on Saturday, June 7, with his close friend Olivia Rodrigo headlining. Feid is the second headliner of that day as well.