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Singer Ryan Beatty Comes Out as Gay: ‘Proud to Be a Raging Homosexual’

Ryan Beatty
Ryan BeattyAmanda Edwards/WireImage

Out and proud! Singer Ryan Beatty took to Instagram on Tuesday, June 28, to tell fans that he’s gay. In an emotional post, the “Like Me or Not” crooner, 20, explained why he decided to reveal his sexual orientation.

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“proud to be a raging homosexual,” Beatty wrote alongside a nondescript photo of a couple embracing behind a bright pink balloon that reads “Gay Power.”

“it's taken 20 years of suffocating in the closet for me to become comfortable enough to say it,” he added. “but now I can finally breathe. i did it!”

Hours after coming out, the wavy-haired heartthrob took to Twitter to thank fans and friends for their support.

“damn. i’m so grateful to have friends and family that support me and just want me to be happy,” he wrote. “that’s unconditional love. thank you to anyone who’s reached out to me with the supportive words. I’m so happy.”

Beatty — who rose to fame in 2012 with the release of his first EP, Because of You, and toured with Cody Simpson the same year — is gearing up to drop his new single “Passion” on July 1.

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In a subsequent tweet, he reiterated his pride in being a part of the LGBT community as he enters a new phase in both his career and personal life. “I’m so happy I’m gay,” he shared.

Beatty’s revelation comes just days after his fellow pop star Shawn Mendes shut down rumors about his sexuality. In a series of Snapchat videos, the “Stitches” singer, 17, stated that he is not gay, despite speculation.

"So I don't usually do this and bring up problems, but I was on YouTube just watching some of my interviews, and I was going down the comments and noticed a lot of people were saying that I gave them a 'gay vibe.' First of all, I'm not gay," Mendes (who was recently linked to Fifth Harmony’s Camila Cabello) stated on June 23. "Second of all, it shouldn't make a difference if I was or if I wasn't. The focus should be on the music and not my sexuality."

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"Now I know 99 percent of you guys aren't making assumptions like this, but this is just for the one percent of you that are," he continued. "I just want you guys — before you judge someone on the way they speak or act — I want you guys to think, 'Hey, maybe I shouldn't be judging someone' or 'Wait, it actually doesn't even matter. They can do or be or feel however they want to feel.'"

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