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Charlie Carver, who's known for his roles on "Teen Wolf," "The Leftovers" and "Desperate Housewives," took to Instagram on Monday where he revealed he's gay.
Posting a series of photos, with the same motivational quote, "Be Who You Needed When You Were Younger," Carver explained in the caption his own process of "coming out."
"As a young boy, I knew I wanted to be an actor. I knew I wanted to be a lot of things! I thought I wanted to be a painter, a soccer player, a stegosaurus… But the acting thing stuck. It was around that age that I also knew, however abstractly, that I was different from some of the other boys in my grade,” the 27-year-old explained.
"Over time, this abstract 'knowing' grew and articulated itself through a painful gestation marked by feelings of despair and alienation, ending in a climax of saying three words out loud: 'I am gay.' I said them to myself at first, to see how they felt," he continued. "They rang true, and I hated myself for them. I was twelve. It would take me a few years before I could repeat them to anyone else, in the meantime turning the phrase over and over in my mouth until I felt comfortable and sure enough to let the words pour out again, this time to my family…"
Later in the three-part post, Charlie likewise revealed why he was initially hesitant about "coming out," noting that sexuality shouldn't define a person.
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"While my Coming Out was very important for me, I wanted to believe in a world where one's sexuality was for the most part irrelevant," he explained. "That it didn't 'matter,' or that at least it was something that didn't need to or ideally shouldn't ever have to be announced to a stranger, a new colleague, an interviewer. Even the words 'Coming Out' bothered me. I took issue with them insofar as that 'Coming Out' implied being greeted with attention, attention for something I would prefer to be implicitly just Human, an attribute or adjective that was only part of how I saw my whole self. I did not want to be defined by my sexuality."
Nevertheless, the actor says he's "proud" to be a gay man, but that shouldn't be his or anyone's defining feature.
"Sure, I am a proud gay man, but I don't identify as a Gay man, or a GAY man, or just gay. I identify as a lot of things, these various identifications and identities taking up equal space and making up an ever-fluid sense of Self," he revealed.
"So now, let the record show this- I self-identify as gay," he concluded. "And does that really matter anymore? As a young man, I needed a young man in Hollywood to say that- and without being a dick about it, I owe it to myself, more than anything, to be who I needed when I was younger. Happy 2016, and all my best to you and yours in the year ahead. And let the record show my twin brother is just as cool for being straight."
Make sure to check out Charlie's entire post here -- what do you think about his candid announcement? Tell toofab in the comment section below and check out the gallery above to see more stars who are out in Hollywood.
