WATCH: Melbourne student comes out as gay during assembly

This takes some courage.

A Melbourne school student has received a standing ovation after coming out as gay at his school assembly.

Rich Bartlett, 17, is the vice captain of Melbourne Grammar and was asked to address an 850-strong cohort for the school’s inaugural pride week.

“It was taboo to mention homosexuality three years ago. This shift has been amazing. Hopefully younger boys can feel accepted within the school. I definitely appreciate the significance of what happened,” the Year 12 student told the Herald Sun.

In front of his peers and surrounded by esteemed faculty members Rich bravely stepped up to the podium centre stage.

“Why do you tell people that you’re gay,” he asked to start the speech.

“To understand this responsibility that I have to myself let me take you back to year seven as it was around this point in my life that even though I didn't necessarily feel all that different from my peers they were starting to see me as different,” he continued.

He goes on to take us through all the reasons why coming out was so important.

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“I remember the first time someone asked me why I talked the way I do. With this one remark I suddenly became very conscious of every single syllable,” he said.

“Actions I had previously taken for granted like walking, something we normally do without hesitation, where on my mind every second.”

Rich even admits that back in Year 7 he was ashamed of his identity and at the time would have done anything to change it.

But he’s since learned to embrace it - making it clear to the audience this is something he was born with.

“By the time I reached year 10, the constant charade that was my life had become too much, impacting my physical and mental health,” he says.

Rich says that researching the community helped him realise that accepting the truth could set him free. He wanted to honour everyone else that had gone before him.
And so he was finally released from the charade he’d been living his entire life.

“So to answer my initial question, I tell people I'm gay because I cannot get married in any state or territory in Australia,” he says proudly.

“I tell people I'm gay because one in 14 transgender people will be murdered. I tell people I'm gay because not to would be to render a disservice to who I am.”

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