Raymond, natakot aminin ang ­totoong kasarian noon

Ipinagsigawan na ni Raymond Gutierrez that he’s a proud member of LGBTQ+ community. Sa kanyang exclusive interview sa Mega Entertainment online, inamin ng twin brother ni Richard Gutierrez that he’s gay at tanggap ito ng kanyang pamilya at mga kaibigan.

“I’m here to formally say that I am a proud member of the LGBTQ community. And it feels great saying that publicly because I am.

“I am out to a lot of my close friends and I’m lucky that I have that support system around me to give me the confidence to really accept who I am and to love myself because not a lot of people have that?

“Some people feel alone, some people feel like they don’t have anyone to run to. I’m lucky that I’m surrounded with a lot of great people in my life my family, my friends,” pahayag ni Mond (tawag kay Raymond).

Bukod dito ay nagbigay rin siya ng mahabang statement sa kanyang Instagram page kahapon at ibinahagi ang mga pinagdaanang challenges and struggles while growing up.

“I was never not out. I never denied who I was. I just never shared my story publicly until now.

“Growing up, it took a while for me to face my true identity, and figuring it out wasn’t easy. I went through a long period of time hating myself because society taught me that being different wasn’t the right path, especially for someone growing up in the public eye. I went through a dark phase of self destruction - creating unhealthy habits to have some sort of escape so I didn’t have to face my reality. I kept things to myself because I was scared to bring shame to my family, and didn’t know how others would treat me,” simula ng post ni Raymond.

Obviously, nakalampas na si Mond sa madilim na bahaging iyon ng kanyang buhay at nagpapasalamat sa kanyang pamilya’t mga kaibigan for accepting and loving him for what he is.

“I’m thankful to those close to me - my friends and family for giving me the confidence to embrace myself fully without judgement. I consider myself lucky because some people don’t have a support system they can run to.

“Which is exactly why I’m sharing my story now. Because if there’s one thing I learned this past year and a half is that life is fleeting. I want to encourage those who feel alone that it’s never too late to love yourself, acknowledge those feelings and face your fears —- because it feels damn good to be on the other side,” aniya.

Patuloy niya, “sexuality shouldn’t define who you are and it should never hinder your greatness. For me personally, being in touch with my masculine and feminine side allowed me to push boundaries ­creatively and create magic with the projects I do.”

Sa huli ay nagbigay si Mond ng mensahe sa mga taong dumadaan ngayon sa pinagdaanan niya.

“So to those saying “we knew”, you never knew my story and my struggles. And if you’re reading this and you feel like you’re alone, I want to let you know that I went through the same things - you will be loved, your feelings are valid, and those who truly love you will stick around,” ani Mond.

Sa comments section ay dumagsa ang pagsuporta at pagmamahal kay Mond ng kanyang mga kaibigan. Nangunguna na nga ang long-time friend niyang si Anne Curtis na nagkomento ng “love you. You already know what I want to add to this comment.”

Ang hipag niyang si Sarah Lahbati ay nagkomento naman ng “so proud of you. Love you, Mond.”

Nagpahayag din of course ng love and support ang kanyang mga kapatid na sina Chard and Ruffa, gayundin ang mga kaibigan niya from showbiz industry.