Mormon college graduate speech goes viral in coming out speech

‘It is a phenomenal feeling’

(Getty Images)

A student at a Mormon college has been praised on social media for using his graduation speech to publicly reveal that he is gay.

Matty Easton was named political science valedictorian at Brigham Young University (BYU) in Provo, Utah and was chosen to deliver a speech at the college's graduation ceremony on Friday 26 April in front of his professors, peers and their families.

Easton took the opportunity to come out, a revelation that was received with many cheers and whoops from the audience.

“I stand before my family, friends, and graduating class today to say that I am proud to be a gay son of God,” he said. “I am not broken. I am loved and important in the plan of our Great Creator. Each of us are.

“Four years ago, it would have been impossible for me to imagine that I would come out to my entire college. It is a phenomenal feeling,” Easton continued. “And it is a victory for me in and of itself.”

A clip of the speech has already garnered more than 60,000 views on YouTube while a series of tweets posted by Easton sharing snippets from the video have racked up thousands of likes each.

“Thank you everyone for your love and support today,” Easton tweeted on Friday following the ceremony.

“I feel so so lucky to have had a chance to share some of my story with so many people.”

Easton added that he had already come out to a selection of his close friends and family members, but that his speech was the first time he’d made a public declaration regarding his sexuality.

“I felt it was important to share both for myself and for the LGBTQ+ community at BYU,” he added.

Easton's words have prompted widespread praise on the platform, with many Twitter users labelling him an "inspiration".

"Kudos for being yourself," wrote one person.

"You are brave and wonderful," another added.

Easton’s speech was considered particularly meaningful given BYU’s restrictive policies regarding homosexuality.

The university's honour code states that “homosexual behaviour” is “inappropriate”, adding that this refers to “all forms of physical intimacy that give expression to homosexual feelings”.

The Mormon Church, otherwise known as The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, recently repealed controversial rules that meant gay marriage was a sin.

The move reflected a major shift in the Church's attitude towards LGBT+ issues, though it still claims same-sex relationships are a “serious transgression.”