In a touching and brave video, YouTube star Ingrid Nilsen has come out as gay. The uber successful beauty vlogger and Project Runway Threads judge came out in one of the most fitting ways, by posting a video to her YouTube channel. In a video that is dedicated to Nilsen being her most authentic self, what better way to express who she is than through a medium that she clearly loves?
Just in case you're unsure who Nilsen is, the star is in her mid-twenties, but has been an active member of the fashion and beauty YouTube community for over five years now! She's one of the most popular stars thanks to her bubbly personality and insane amount of likability. While the star's channel does focus heavily on fashion and beauty topics, in more recent videos, she has begun to focus on lifestyle as well.
Now, Nilsen has gone outside of fashion and beauty again to let her fans see her most authentic self. In the beautifully honest and candid video, Nilsen sits in front of her camera and simply tells her many viewers that she is gay. Overcome with emotion after her announcement, Nilsen says, "This moment is real, and it's here, and I've been waiting for this a long time."
After overcoming the onslaught of emotion on camera, Nilsen explains her reason for posting a coming out video to her YouTube channel. "I care about you guys," she says, "You have a been a part of my life for the past almost six years, and this is a really big part of my life, and I want to sit down and talk to you and have this conversation just like I've had this conversation with friends and people who are close to me in my life." Nilsen goes on to explain that the process has not been overnight and that she spent many years suppressing who she truly is. Now, however, this is her final step toward fully being herself.
While the road has not been easy for Nilsen, she's undeniably brave, and we applaud her for living her life as authentically as possible. After discussion of past relationships and the inevitable questions about how she "knew" she was gay, Ingrid finishes the video by stating, "I want to live my life unapologetically because I am proud of who I am, and I'm not going to apologize for who I am anymore. This is the life that I've always lived in my head, and now it's real. It's real and I can't believe it's real...I'm giving myself my best chance and so should you."
Video: Ingrid Nilsen/YouTube
