Lance Bass Explains Why He and Michael Turchin are Televising Their Wedding

— -- Growing up in a conservative Southern Baptist town, Lance Bass didn't know a lot of other people there who, like him, are gay.

So, when the singer reflects on his December wedding to artist Michael Turchin, who also happens to be Jewish, he's amazed that his life has evolved so dramatically.

"When I was growing up I didn't know any Jewish people," Bass told Yahoo Style. "I didn't think there were Jewish people living in the United States."

Bass, 35, and Turchin, 27, said "I do" on Dec. 20, and E!'s TV cameras captured it all for an upcoming special, "Lance Loves Michael: The Lance Bass Wedding."

The singer said that the reason they're doing the program is to encourage others who are growing up in situations similar to his own.

"What I’ve learned from being out is that it’s all about visibility. I come from Mississippi and I know you don’t change people's minds until they get to know you and they get to witness what a gay person is like," he said. "I want those little Lance Basses out there watching this TV special to feel like, ‘Oh my gosh, there’s nothing wrong with me. ... I think this is what we were put on earth to do."

A few hints about what to expect from the special? The couple were married at the Park Plaza Hotel in L.A., under a traditional Jewish Chupppah. Their reception featured a performance by Bass's former 'NSYNC bandmate J.C. Chasez, who serenaded the couple for their first dance.

"I think people watching this on TV will see how normal and how like any other straight couple we are," Turchin said.