An Australian teen has bravely come out as gay in a powerful speech at his Catholic school assembly.
Finn Stannard, 17, stood in front of more than 1500 students and staff at St Ignatius College in Sydney and told them he was gay, SBS News reports.
"Announcing yourself to the world is pretty terrifying," he says in his speech.
"What if the world doesn't like you?"
Mr Stannard, who hopes to be a high school teacher, is sharing his speech to help other gay people.
"When I said it, I just felt this energy pass through me and I felt that was the first time I'd been really proud of who I was. I could announce it to all these people before me," he told SBS News.
He got a standing ovation for his brave speech.
Written to a younger version of himself, the speech, delivered in June, caused widespread debate.
Two of the school's prominent alumni, Australian politicians Tony Abbott and Barnaby Joyce opposed the same-sex marriage legislation last year.
It was the victory of the 'yes vote' that gave Mr Stannard the strength to give the speech in front of the school.
"When the results of the plebiscite came out, that's when I knew that I could do the speech and it would be alright in the end.
His principal, Paul Hines told SBS News the speech was a watershed moment for the college.
Newshub.
