“[This] is truly the year that I have accepted who I am and become happy with that person,” YouTube star Connor Franta says in his aptly titled “Coming Out” video. “So today I want to talk to you guys about that and be open and honest, and tell you that I’m gay.”
Even if you (like us) have never heard of Connor, his story is one we can most certainly relate to. And you can’t argue with those 3.8 million subscribers.
Atlas Deen
Good for him. I watch his vids, well his collabs mostly and I have always figured he was gay, but its good that he finally feels comfortable to make a public proclamation.
Xzamilio
He made a video three years ago discussing that he wasn’t gay because a lot of his viewers were inquiring about it. It’s a good thing he’s come to terms with who he is. A lot of us still carry our childhood hangups around with us, so when you have idiots on here talking about how courageous they are or how cowardly others are for not coming out immediately, it just pushes more individuals away from certain gay people. But then again, the soapbox queens need their outrage du jour so whatever.
Blackceo
Nope never heard of him. Watched his coming out video and good for him. Watched some of his prior videos and don’t think anyone was really shocked, bit its still his story to tell and am glad he told it on his terms without any pressure to do so. Everyone’s coming out story is their own and while I ultimately think its better mentally for a person to free themselves from the constant work that comes with hiding that part of yourself, it’s still no one’s place to criticize someone because they haven’t come out. We all have our own journeys.
Kieran
I’m trying to decide which poster is the most annoying. The “Ha Ha we all already knew anyway” douchebags who will invariably post on these coming out videos, or the other pathetic morons who will invariably accuse any homophobe of being secretly gay himself. (Because after all, is there any worse insult you can level at someone than calling him gay?)
Tookietookie123
I’m so proud of him!!! He’s come a long way as an individual and now he can finally be who he truly is!
I'm Black, and HIV-Positive.
That’s very brave of him. Not that I know who he is, or why him coming out as gay would be a shock to anyone. I mean, just look at him. Listen to the way he speaks, and the way he dresses. Not a tongue in cheeck joke that time. No seriously. Who would have been shocked? Maybe it was shocking to hear him say it, but I certainly could have guessed it even if he’d lied, and said something to the contrary.
But still… honesty is the best policy I believe, and with as many subscribers as Queerty claims he has that was still nonetheless a very bold step. I applaud him. I wonder now if he is only strategically coming out of the closet so that he can re-position himself to only making bold, rasist comments like the commenters of Queerty here do. Gay is not a coverall for being a rasist you bunch of two faced douche bags. Learn that! I wonder if he’s going to try and use his new “good name” as a gay man to merely being just another out of the closet rasist like the douche bags we have here.
enlightenone
“Even if you (like us) have never heard of Connor, his story is one we can most certainly relate to,” if you are a repressed adolescent, hypocritical, and a bit hyperactive. Good for him @22 and not 40 and a former “ex-gay.” Good video skills!
Xzamilio
@I’m Black, and HIV-Positive.: Dude, what the hell are you talking about? I’m not even that familiar with Connor Franta — only because the only Youtubers I watch are the Fine Brothers and atheist youtubers — but of the videos I’ve seen of him, they are general teenage nonsense and challenge crap; nothing about race at all. I’m black saying this, dude, but you sound mad ignorant. The commenters on Queerty are their own monster (myself included), but this little boy wonder is harmless.
Zodinsbrother
It’s good to have a reminder that despite all the strides we have made in the last couple of decades since I was this kid’s age, that coming to terms with your sexuality is still an internal and personal struggle. And it’s still a struggle because, despite things getting better, homophobia is still the default in our society.
GayDSalinger
Good for him. Now pls Davey Wavey go back into the closet.
I'm Black, and HIV-Positive.
@Xzamilio: I’m sorry, did you feel personally referenced bitch? Get a life!
And I have just as much right to stating my opinion as you do, and what I stated was that: just at first glance I could have guessed that he was gay, even if was lying about it a year ago! Plain, and simple bitch. Now if that references you then I suggest you get over yourself, because you’re only on my radar so far as you want to keep injecting yourself into it!
And it’s not my fault that all these gay, white, rasist hackjobs (read: only your closest, dearest friends & associates) only want to “white-slant” every goddamned thing, (Ha ha! And I just coined a new term on account of your bitch ass!) but I guess with Uncle Tom sell-outs like you that they keep in tow they don’t understand just how bluntly obvious their idiotic, rasist angst appears.
Xzamilio! However the fuck you pronounce that shit! You got some nerve calling out someone else as sounding “mad ignorant”! Bitch you can take your Nazi sympathies, and shove them clean up your bleached ass!
IvanPH
Now, he and Nash Grier can go kaikai.
Saint Law
@I’m Black, and HIV-Positive.: Shut up, cracker.
Xzamilio
@I’m Black, and HIV-Positive.: Cut. Print. Troll.
Sorry to bother you.
DarkZephyr
@Xzamilio: Dude is a fake ass troll, your response was 100% appropriate.
crowebobby
80% of Connor’s fans — and the fans of most young YouTubers who fall into the his category — are young girls from small towns. No matter how obviously gay some of these guys seem to us (and some of them make Richard Simmons look butch), if they deny being gay the girls absolutely believe them and become very hostile to anyone who questions it. I think anytime a straight person discovers (and is willing to accept) that someone they admire (adore in these cases) is gay it’s a win-win situation for all of us. His description of how hard it was for him to “say” he was gay, even to himself, carried me back 60 years; what a shame so little has changed on that visceral level despite how far we’ve come in the public sectors.
crowebobby
@crowebobby: It just might make the difference between one of these girls accepting or rejecting a gay child of their own one day.
Arianna
I am honestly so incredibly prouf of Connor coming out, being a subscriber of his. Even if you don’t know him, a lot of LGTBQ+ people have felt the same way he has or had similar struggles. We all know how hard it must have been for him to record and post this video so if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say it. 🙂
tricky ricky
watched his farewell video when it trended on twitter months ago. it was VERY obvious he was gay. one must wonder what his teeny bopper girlie followers will do when it sinks into their little pea brains he said he has never in his life liked women.
Alan down in Florida
Before I saw this story yesterday on Huff Post I had never even heard of Connor nor had I ever seen one of his videos. I was very moved by his coming out, especially at the end when he surprises himself with how emotional he’s become in telling his story and feels the need to lighten things up before he breaks down and cries on camera. If his video coming out does anything that helps even one of his followers find the strength to come out or one of them to maybe reconsider the negative things they’ve been taught about gays it will have been especially important more than just liberating his own psyche.
Charlie in Charge
Well done and welcome out
Black Pegasus
Never heard of him…….and no one cares about “coming out of the closet youtubers”. Most of them are subtle narcissists with an addiction to attention. I wish him well, but I couldn’t really give a funk if I tried.
Blackceo
@Black Pegasus:
Well damn. Tis the season lol…
I'm Black, and HIV-Positive.
@Saint Law: “Shut up, cracker.”
I finally figured you out. You have a mad crush on me don’t you. Yeah. That makes all of your posts seem funny now somehow, because you clearly are trying to humor me. I feel your pain as I witness your angst, because as a white man you aren’t taught how to express your feelings towards black men appropriately to whom you find attractive. It’s this rasist society I tell you.
I think Queerty should do a piece on white men like you. What with how rasist white society is today it must be a bitch having to come out of the closet twice, and all. Back in the day you could have just fucked your slaves, but today you have learn how to form your words appropriately, so that you come across as having a relatable sense of humor, and what not. “Shut up, cracker.” That was good. Would you believe that us gay black men see just as many gay men who are still in the closet about their feelings for black men in specific. Yeah. Funny, huh? Sad, but true.
Good luck with that.
I'm Black, and HIV-Positive.
@Xzamilio: Sorry is right bitch. And recognize your mistakes in life all the way sooner next time bitch. You could have gotten your little, punk bitch ass killed that way! Ha ha ha!
I'm Black, and HIV-Positive.
@DarkZephyr: Bitch stop stalking me. You don’t even want me to embarrass your bitch ass by telling everybody about how I dropped your friendship bitch, on account of all you wanting to be is some two faced, sell-out, Uncle Tom, white bitch.
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
We are not talkin a big shocker here………..
However it is encouraging to see more and more persons with a bit of notiority actually declaring their Gayness while they still have some degree of fame, rather than trying to ignite the last ember of celeb still smoldering………….
cflekken
If anyone who watches him or even has just watched one or two of his vids didn’t go “well, duh”, then I would question your sense of perception. In either case, I’m glad he’s owning up to who he is finally and not denying something that is such a wonderful thing to embrace.