YouTuber Connor Franta was honored at
GLSEN's Respect Awards in Los Angeles.
GLSEN, the Gay, Lesbian & Straight
Education Network, works to create a safe space in schools for
children who are or may be perceived to be gay, lesbian, bisexual or
transgender.
Franta, who came out gay at the end of
2014 in a video simply titled Coming Out, received the group's
#Gamechanger Award, which was presented by soccer star Robbie Rogers.
Entertainment Tonight asked
Franta, 24, on the red carpet what he was feeling when he created the
video.
“I was feeling incredibly nervous. I
was nervous before, during and after,” Franta
answered. “But it was one of those things where I realized
that coming out videos for me were such an essential part of my
coming out process, which is kind of a very modern thing, and I
really wanted to give back to that community … and help them come
out if they needed to, or just for each individuality and make sure
that people know it's okay to be yourself.”