When Michael Ray performed at Nashville’s Concert for Love and Acceptance last week, he took a moment onstage to express what it meant to him to be part of the 2018 event.

CMT and GLAAD (Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) host the show annually during CMA Fest to support country music fans within the LGBTQ community.

“I want to help kids, that battle in their minds,” Ray said. “They think, ‘Oh my god, is someone going to love me? Is someone going to accept me?’ Yes. You want to know why? [It’s] because we’re all human. You can take a straight man’s heart and put it in a gay man’s body, and put a gay man’s heart in a straight man’s body, and it beats on because we’re all human. And we’re all made of love.”

Ray was part of an all-star lineup that included co-host Ty Herndon, Cam, Terri Clark, Cassadee Pope, Anita Cochran, Cale Dodds, Billy Dean, Vince Gill, 4th + Main, Shelly Fairchild, Parson James, Thompson Square, Temecula Road, Calum Scott, Brandon Stansell and Tanya Tucker.

Herndon and Cody Alan co-hosted the event, which will be spotlighted along with the Carolina Country Fest on an all-new CMT Hot 20 Countdown airing Saturday and Sunday (June 16-17) at 9 a.m. ET.

Enjoy behind the scenes photos from the event:

Cody Alan and Cam

Ty Herndon and Brandon Stansell

Thompson Square

WWE fighters Sonya DeVille and Lana with Cody Alan and Ty Herndon

Sonya DeVille, Cam and Lana

Cale Dodds and Cody Alan

Cam and Tanya Tucker

Savannah Chrisley and Tanya Tucker

Michael Ray, Tanya Tucker and Vince Gill

Temecula Road

Ty Herndon

Cassadee Pope

Ty Herndon and Tanya Tucker

Terri Clark

Vince Gill