HINDI itinanggi ni Raymond Gutierrez na nakaramdam siya ng takot noon na aminin ang tunay niyang kasarian o ang pagiging bading dahil sa kahihiyang puwedeng idudulot nito sa kanilang pamilya. Aminado rin siya na hirap na hirap siyang itago ito.
Dumating din daw sa point na nagagalit na siya sa sarili sa ginagawang pagkukunwari at pagpapanggap.
Para sa marami, open-secret na ang kasarian ni Raymond. Hindi man daw niya ito nagawang aminin noon, pero amoy na nila ang pagiging beki nito.
Sa latest post ni Raymond sa kanyang Instagram account ay nagbigay ng reaksyon si Raymond sa patutsada ng netizens na matagal na nilang alam na gay siya.
“I was never not out. I never denied who I was. I just never shared my story publicly until now.
“Growing up, it took a while for me to face my true identity, and figuring it out wasn’t easy. I went through a long period of time hating myself because society taught me that being different wasn’t the right path, especially for someone growing up in the public eye.
“I went through a dark phase of self destruction – creating unhealthy habits to have some sort of escape so I didn’t have to face my reality.
“I kept things to myself because I was scared to bring shame to my family, and didn’t know how others would treat me,” lahad ng twin brother ni Richard.
Dagdag pa niya, “I’m thankful to those close to me – my friends and family for giving me the confidence to embrace myself fully without judgement. I consider myself lucky because some people don’t have a support system they can run to.
“Which is exactly why I’m sharing my story now. Because if there’s one thing I learned this past year and a half is that life is fleeting.
“I want to encourage those who feel alone that it’s never too late to love yourself, acknowledge those feelings and face your fears — because it feels damn good to be on the other side.
“Sexuality shouldn’t define who you are and it should never hinder your greatness. For me personally, being in touch with my masculine and feminine side allowed me to push boundaries creatively and create magic with the projects I do.
