Rory Cowan has opened up about coming out in an emotional letter to his 17-year-old self.
The actor said that he wishes he came out as gay sooner than he did when he was 23.
The letter revealed that Rory fought with his sexuality as a teenager and put pressure on himself to get into relationships with women.
“Stop trying to have girlfriends. They’ll only end up being friends anyway, because you know in your heart of hearts you have no sexual interest in girls and you never will have,” Rory said.
Former Mrs Brown’s Boys star Rory explained that Dublin was a very different place 40 years ago.
“Save yourself six more years of hiding in the closet. In 70s Dublin gay people are “Queers’, ‘poofs’, bent” etc. and you are doing everything in your power not to think of yourself as gay, because being gay is different – and not in a good way, you think, in 1977.”
The Gogglebox narrator goes on to explain that coming out to friends was a good experience and that he received lots of support.
“I know you’re putting the ‘gay thing’ to the back of your mind, afraid of being found out, afraid that if your friends discover your secret they’ll turn against you and you’ll have no friends left, but the opposite is true. When you come out in six years time, not one single friend of yours will abandon you,” he said.
“They won’t care one bit. In fact they’ll be delighted to have a gay friend and they’ll think you coming out is great news. You’ll meet some fantastic friends on the gay scene too, like Ken and Robert, who will still be your best friends in forty years time.
“You’re a teenager and you want to be part of a group. There’s one waiting for you if you just pluck up the courage and go to them. Don’t waste your time trying to hide who you are.”
Rory shared the letter, originally written for The Big Issue, on his new blog.
The star recently decided to leave his job with Mrs Brown’s Boys having worked on it for 27 years.
In the letter, he also revealed that he is glad that he didn’t listen to anyone who tried to give him career advice.
“Follow your own path in everything you do concerning work. If anyone gives you career advice – just don’t listen. Don’t listen to anyone who says “You must find something practical to do’ or ‘you must have a real skill to fall back on or a pensionable job”. Never look at a job doing something conventional or sensible because you’ll only end up in a job that doesn’t make you happy.”
We’re delighted Rory followed his heart!
