Comedian Stacey Harkey comes out as gay to help LGBT+ youth struggling with their sexuality
The comedian is best known for starring in the comedy sketch show 'Studio C'
By Steve Brown
Comedian Stacey Harkey comes out as gay to help LGBT+ youth who are struggling with their sexuality.
Best known for starring in the comedy sketch show Studio C, Harkey – who is a practicing Mormon – took to Instagram to publicly come out after it was revealed that LGBT+ youth are five times more likely to commit suicide.
He wrote on the social media site: “Fun Fact: I’m gay.
“No this isn’t a joke/prank and yes I am telling the world. You might be wondering why I need to announce this?
“Why do I need to reveal this to a community that could potentially respond in a hostile or critical way? Why do I need to make something private sooo public?
“Did you know LGBT youth are almost five times as likely to have attempted suicide compared to heterosexual youth? I spent a large portion of my life trying to “fix” myself.
“I put so much energy into trying to mend what I thought was a “broken me”. Those years were very hard for me and I can’t say I always loved/liked myself during that time.
“In the recent past, I found myself on my knees praying and begging to know how to move forward… and that beautiful experience helped me realize that I’m not broken. I’m exactly who I need to be.
“I really didn’t have to come out publicly and I’m sorry if this bothers you, but it is more important to me that people going through the same thing understand that they’re not broken.
“I know this opens me up to judgment, ridicule and criticism, but if it helps one person avoid suicide or just feel better about themself, then that’s enough for me.
“Please, feel free to reach out, ask me questions, and share your insights. I’m not ashamed of who I am and I welcome the chance to connect and chat about this.
“If you want/need to talk to someone, I’m here for you. Call me, text me, DM me and I swear I’ll keep your info private and between us.
“You’re not alone in this. I’m so sorry if you wanted to hear this from me in person and if that’s the case please call me/message me and let’s chat.
“Guys, in all honesty, I’m happy. This isn’t a sad thing or something to lament. I’m stoked and excited about what the future holds.”