Lifestyle vlogger Eva Gutowski, better known to more than 7 million YouTube subscribers as MyLifeAsEva, announced to her fans earlier this week that she is bisexual — becoming yet another powerful member of the LGBT community to share her identity with legions of young followers.
Fresh off the heels of her breakup with boyfriend Alex Hayes, a fellow YouTuber, Gutowski tweeted: “Just because you haven’t dated someone of the same sex does not mean you can’t be taken seriously as a bisexual. I am ready for myself to fall in love with someone, no matter who they end up being, and have been since I was 12. Boy or girl. Why would you limit your love to half of what it could be, based off of being scared to ‘not be normal.’ No, love is for everybody to share.”
While ‘coming out’ videos on YouTube have been momentous and headline-grabbing events in the past, today, some creators are taking a breezier approach — including Alexis G. Zall, who announced that she’s “a girl who likes girls” in an unmarked video in June that almost seemed like an afterthought. Gutowski’s unassuming declaration on Twitter seems to be in line with this approach.
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And the response on social media seems to be overwhelmingly supportive thus far. “Awww, I love how you weren’t really afraid/scared to tell us,” wrote one fan on Twitter. “Evanators will always love you.” Another added: “Wow, we are so proud of you and happy for you! It’s so brave to open up and no matter what, we will always support you!”
Gutowski, a nominee in the Lifestyle category at this year’s Streamy Awards, will next be seen in a YouTube Red buddy comedy titled Me And My Grandma, a half-hour single-camera scripted series that will follow Gutowski and her sixty-something-year-old grandmother as she attempts to make it in Hollywood. Gutowski was also featured in Joey Graceffa’s YouTube Red murder mystery series Escape The Night. Other creators to have bravely come out online include Lucas Cruikshank, Shane Dawson, Connor Franta, Joey Graceffa, and Ingrid Nilsen — while influencers like Hannah Hart and Franta are slated to be honored by top nonprofits including GLAAD and GLSEN for their contributions to the LGBT community.
