He’s old and he’s proud – and he’s finally out.
For Martin, an 86-year-old photographer, learning to live as his authentic self didn’t have an age limit.
He opened up about his decision to come out as gay as part of 5 Gum’s No Regrets online short film series, saying concealing his true identity for 85 years left him riddled with insecurities and self-doubt.
“It’s tough to be an outsider,” he explains in the clip. “I regret being such a sissy, so nervous, so bloody shy.
“I’ve missed the boat as regards finding a lovely partner, a soulmate that I could love, live with,” Martin said.
The video shows Martin beaming as he watches footage of young LGBTIQ people saying how his personal journey affected them.
Then he steps out into a crowd of dancers at his very first Pride parade.
“Martin, your story inspired me to be true to myself and to be proud of who I am,” one young man tells him.
Martin later chokes back tears as he watches another young man prepare to come out to his father via Skype.
Finally, you can witness the sheer joy on Martin’s face as he celebrates his first LGBT Pride event.
“Go ahead, do it. You’ve got it. You owe it to yourself and to him. Go to it. Be together. It’s wonderful.”
5 Gum’s brand manager Ashley Findlay told HuffPost that regret is a powerful, universal emotion.
“We believe that you regret the things you don’t do in life more than the things you do,” he said.
“When we heard Martin’s story, we knew we had to help him share it with the world to encourage younger generations to live life to the fullest.”
The moral to the story – it’s never too late.
