Al Porter has opened up about coming out as gay.
The openly gay comedian admitted that young people in Ireland will find it a lot easier to come out following the marriage referendum, as it proves that our country is a “warm, accepting on”.
“When it comes to being a gay teenager, an important tagline that they use in America is, “It gets better,” and that’s very true.
“It’s a much bigger deal to you now than it will be when you’re older – and you’re going through a difficult, awkward transition in life anyway, going from a child to an adult,” he told the Irish Independent – Weekend Magazine.
YES: Al says young people will find it easier to come out now | VIPIRELAND.COM
“Young people can take confidence from the marriage referendum outcome. It has been proven that this country is a warm, accepting one, so it’s much easier to come out now.
“Even so, it’s always going to be a much bigger issue for you than the people you tell. We don’t live in a world where people have the energy to hold a grudge against you over your sexuality.
“I don’t mean that everyone will accepting of it, but even those people who aren’t won’t have a problem for long. They’ll have so much s*** going on in their own lives, they’ll probably be able to care for half an hour or a week max, and then they won’t have the energy for it any more,” he said.
Honesty: Al opened up about his sexuality | VIPIRELAND.COM
The 23-year-old also revealed that his relationship with his parents is great because he’s been forced to be so open with them, due to the nature of his job as a stand-up comedian.
“At 23, I have a great relationship with my parents compared to when I was 19 and in college. We were very much stuck in our roles then – they were there to give advice and money.
“Due to the nature of my job, they’ve had to listen to me talking about them on stage and joking about them. They’re great and I really enjoy their company and would definitely go on holidays with them now.
Family: Al has a great relationship with his parents due to the nature of his job | VIPIRELAND.COM
“I’ve had the benefit of not having to have awkward conversations with my parents. They’ve heard me talking about sex and dates that went wrong in my shows, so they know very intimate details of my personal life.
“That has given us a very strong bond, because I feel there are no secrets between us. They’re finding out all sorts of things that you wouldn’t naturally volunteer to your parents,” he added.
The news comes after Al admitted that he questioned his sexuality after hanging out with Kelly Brook over in the UK.
