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Ryan Eichenauer late last year recorded this beautiful coming out video. The high school senior wanted to share his “great battle” with his friends and wanted to thank all those who have supported him on his journey.
In “A Message To All,” Eichenauer says he doesn’t believe in labels and that “people like who they like and they don’t need to clarify that for anyone.”
“I have and always will have an attraction to girls, but lately it’s been different. You see, lately I’ve been finding safety in other people, but those people weren’t girls.”
Eichenauer says that he wasn’t comfortable dating other guys and believed, “if I ran from it long enough, hid it long enough, and refused to acknowledge it for long enough I could force myself to be otherwise. But there was no escaping, no negotiating with the feeling, no choice.”
He says his secret was holding him down and “preventing me from being the amazing guy I want to be.”
“I’m choosing to live authentically, and I will not accept anyone’s definition of my life. Rather, I will define myself. I don’t like the term ‘coming out’ because I’m not coming out. I am letting the world in.”
Watch Eichenauer’s beautiful and heart-warming story.
//www.youtube.com/embed/xgxIfqzqV_4
Fast forward to now. Eichenauer has received two religion-steeped typewritten death threats at school.
Thanks, Ryan, for your bravery and your courage to speak up and speak out. You’re a wonderful role model for all.