When I was outed shortly after my 16th birthday I thought my life was over. I had no idea the incredible journey my identity would take me on. #NationalComingOutDay 1/14

Because of what I had to go through, I developed a passion for social justice and change. Facing homophobia in my school years pushed me to get involved in politics and become an advocate. 2/14

Once I left my hometown and moved to Vancouver, I found a community of love, support and mentorship. I learned so much from people who had fought many battles before me about how to stand up and fight for change. 3/14

Starting at 19, every spring I would take time off from whatever job I was working to tour around small town schools talking about homophobia and discrimination. I was challenging, vulnerable work but so important. 4/14

When Vancouver created the first municipal LGBTQ2S+ civic advisory committee in Canada, I had the honour of joining some of my heroes as a member. A year later, I was elected co-chair. I got to be part of the inner workings of changing policy and practice. 5/14

In 2011 I organized a vigil to remember LGBTQ2S+ youth who had been lost to suicide. It was a watershed moment in my life, that gave me focus and purpose. We, as a province, had to change. 6/14

In 2012 I met with Education Minister George Abbott, and presented him with hundreds of letters calling for the Ministry to implement explicit anti-homophobia and anti-transphobia policies in every school. 7/14

In 2016, the BC government finally mandated policies needed to be in place in every school, and went even further by implementing the SOGI program, addressing gaps and erasure in the curricula. 8/14

Despite working with the two major parties for many years, I felt that LGBTQ2S+ issues kept getting pushed aside. So I finally took the plunge and got involved in partisan politics, always remaining centred as an advocate first. 9/14

Working behind the scenes, we brought forward legislation to address gaps in FOI that put people at risk, and introduced a bill to ban conversion therapy. The fact that these were ignored by government affirmed my choice to join the BC Greens. 10/14

None of this would have happened if I hadn't been outed when I was, and made the choice to carry forward, despite all my fears about what it meant to be an out gay man in a heteronormative society. 11/14

I have been out for the last 17 years. In so many ways my life only truly began in that hallway, on the second floor of my school when I told my friends, and one of them told the wrong person who let it get out. 12/14

I am so grateful for my community, my friends, my mentors and my colleagues. The world today is not the same one as when I came out, but the need for belonging remains the same. 13/14

To everyone out there who wishes for a world where they can live their life proudly and openly, happy #NationalComingOutDay . You are seen, you are loved, and you belong. 14/14