YouTube star Shane Dawson: I thought I was transgender
YouTube star Shane Dawson has spoken about his coming out experience – revealing he thought he might be transgender before coming to terms with his sexuality.
Dawson has nearly seven million subscribers, including a huge teenage following – and was one of the biggest names on the internet.
The YouTuber, who is renowned for skits in which he dresses up as a number of male and female characters, came out as bi earlier this year,
He said in a video: “I always wished that I was gay, that I was just 100 percent gay. It would be a lot easier to be accepted by people… but I’m not.
“I’m not completely gay, and I can’t sit here and say that I am… but I also can’t sit here and say that I’m straight.
“I’ve come to the conclusion, through therapy and through being honest with myself, I am bisexual.”
He spoke about coming out on the Alison Rosen Is Your New Best Friend podcast this week.
He said: “My initial confusion was, ‘Maybe I’m transgender?’ because I’ve never felt like a man. ”
Referring to videos in which he often drags up, he explained: “When I play girls in videos or movies I feel very at home and comfortable and I really snap into it easy.
“I don’t feel like I’m a guy in a wig, I become a girl. So I would think about it, like ‘Maybe I am a girl?’
“Like, in relationships I never feel like the man. In a social situation when I’m with a bunch of guys I feel like I’m ‘the girl’ and they’re all like ‘Why are you here?’
He added: “But after talking with some of my transgender friends I’m like ‘Oh, no, I am not transgender.’ [That feeling] is so extreme.
“You know for a fact you’re in the wrong body and you want to change it, but I would never do that.
“So, I’m sad that I’m confused about being bi and all this stuff, but I’m very blessed that I don’t have that hurdle.”