FOUR YEARS AGO, UK teacher David Weston made the decision to come out as gay to his students during a whole-school assembly.

Recently, he received an unexpected email from one of his former students, thanking him his announcement that day. In his surprise, Weston tweeted out this screengrab of the message, which is currently going incredibly viral.

His former student wrote:

I know this message may seem a little pointless but I really felt you should know that you challenged the ignorance of so many people that day, and if every gay teacher shared your courage, then the world would be a much better place – not just for gay men, but for all of us. For that, I thank you.

They may not quite have had the wherewithal to tell you so, but so many of the students had so much respect for you for what you did – never had we witnessed a teacher perform so honestly the act for which they were employed – the act of teaching. I will carry the memory with me for the rest of my life. Thank you.

Weston told Buzzfeed that he made the decision to publicly come out after a rare liver condition threatened to end his life. He said he hoped it would help other teachers who are afraid of revealing their sexuality.

The Atlantic The Atlantic

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