A Gay Airman's Story: Coming Out to Dad, Then Mom

A young gay airman who had been slowly chronicling
his coming out process while serving overseas celebrated the first day
of the repeal of "don't ask, don't tell" by coming out to his YouTube
followers — and his father. The moment spread across the Internet and then national television.

But he hadn't released video of what he expected would be the more difficult moment — coming out to his mother in Alabama in a phone call a half hour later.

Going by the username, AreYouSuprised, Airman 1st class Randy Phillips, a 21-year-old airman stationed at Ramstein Air Base in Germany, had already told ABC News that everyone around him had been supportive before he released the video with his mom on his YouTube page on Thursday.

"It
feels great. It's nice not having to look over your shoulder, or worry
about who you are talking to," Phillips told ABC News this morning. "I
think everybody knows. I never thought I'd be so comfortable with it.
It's very supportive. Everybody's been absolutely great."

Watch his latest video, and then see how he came to this moment in the video diary entries on following pages.